American Girl Dolls Review

The American Girl Doll is a very popular and expensive product for little girls.  The dolls themselves have some nice features such as a variety of hair and eye colors and even skin tones. Each doll is designed with a costume representing a different period in american history. They are decent quality dolls.  You can even find matching dress sets for your little girl and her American Girl doll.

I was looking for some specific accessories for my daughters doll.  I made some phone calls trying to contact the company.  I knew that originally the dolls and accessories were manufactured in the United States.  However I was appalled to find out the when Matel purchased the American Girl line, they moved the production facilites to SouthEast Asia.  This just seems to me like a slap in the face to american workers.  I had always assumed that they were made here in America.  What else would you expect with a doll named American Girl?  The dolls alone can cost almost $100 American Dollars.  Once you start to add accessories, this can become a very expensive hobby for your daughter.  I have a limited understanding of how our economic system works.  It seemed expensive to purchase an American GIrl doll, however since it costs more to produce them domestically I was willing to pay up and in a small way, feel like I was helping an american worker.  I was shocked to learn they were made abroad.  The profit margin for Matel on these popular dolls must be staggering! 

As I had already purchased the doll for my daughter, I needed a solution that my conscience could live with.  A big part of the experience for my little girl with these dolls is getting new dresses and accessories for her doll.  The answer, EBAY!  I have been able to find custom handmade dresses, sweaters, pants, shirts, hats you name it, you can find it.  The prices are more than reasonable.  The best part of it, you can be confident that it is made in the USA. They are not officially licensed "American Girl" clothing, but they are custom made by americans and fit the dolls just fine.