5 Alternatives To The American Girl Doll
If you know where to look there are options to buying an expensive American Girl Doll. There are many 18 inch dolls out on the market that are less expensive than the American Girl Doll but of course they all have pros and cons associated. Here is my round-up of options to consider
Favorite Friends 18 Inch Doll
If you are looking for an 18 inch doll as a substitute to the American Girl doll due to cost - you will definitely want to consider the Favorite Friend 18 inch doll from Madame Alexander. It's our favorite. It's a great price at only $39.99 plus it is manufactured by the, always reliable, doll company, Madame Alexander. Like the "Just Like Me" American Girl dolls they are available in many skin tones and eye colors if you wanted to match a doll to your daughter. The faces are very sweet and all are unique. You can dress the Favorite Friend 18 inch doll in any outfit you like and not worry about the joints or soft-body showing as these dolls come with a vinyl breast plate that reaches up through the neck and shoulders. Unlike the American Girl Doll this doll also has an "articulated head" - this means that the doll head can swivel and nod, instead of just moving side to side. The Favorite Friends 18 inch doll does not have a wig but instead has a "rooted" hair head. In some dolls this causes a problem as hair-styling can expose bald spots in a rooted head - but the Favorite Friends doll seems to have such a large quantity of hair that this isn't a problem.
Our Generation 18 Inch Doll
The Our Generation 18 inch doll is available at all Target stores. The doll is the same size as the American Girl doll and does fit the clothing and furniture - but that is where the similarities end. This doll is very inexpensive at less than $20 (I'm not sure how Target does it) and the quality matches the price. The vinyl is very low quality and the doll has a reputation for being quite unattractive. The soft body is a very obvious pale color and shows significantly under scoop tops and sleeveless clothing. The hair is an even bigger problem. It is very sparse in it's rooting and is reported to fall out quite a bit on brushing - plus it tangles easily and is not great for styling. This 18 inch doll would be a solid option as a starter doll.
Gotz Precious Day 18 Inch Doll
Although still less expensive than American Girl these dolls are on the pricier side at around $70. Gotz is a world-renowned German Doll Maker that has been making gorgeous collector's dolls since 1950. The quality and craftsmanship is definitely comparable to American Girl Doll. The faces of these 18 inch dolls are beautiful and all very unique. I have received feedback from young girls that the faces are just too young, more like baby doll faces and less like little girl faces. Each doll comes with a gorgeous 18 inch doll outfit which is very high quality. The soft-body does not have a breast plate and does extend all the way to the neck like the American Girl Doll. The main complaint about these dolls is, again, the hair. For this price one would expect a wigged doll but the Precious Day hairs rooted. It also has a reputation for deteriorating very quickly without good care. This should not be a problem for older girls but younger ones may struggle with the upkeep.
Disney Princess 18 inch Doll
It didn't take Disney very long to realize the value in offering an 18 Inch play doll based on the Disney Princesses. These dolls are very pretty, high quality and come dressed in the traditional princess outfit for around $50. Unlike the American Girl Doll this doll is all-vinyl - no soft, huggable middle. The benefit of having a completely vinyl body is that this doll has six points of articulation... talk about posability! The vinyl waist line may cause a slight problem with exchanging clothes with the American Girl doll. The Disney Princess 18 inch doll has rooted hair (not wigged) but from feedback so far the hair seems to withstand styling quite well. The hair sometimes needs a bit of clean up right out of the box. I have a slight problem with the size of the doll head. It seems to me to be too big for the body, but that is a personal opinion.
Journey Girl 18 Inch Doll
Another new entry in to the 18 Inch Doll market and a strong contender against our Favorite Friends 18 Inch doll. At only $29.99 they are a really great price but there does seem to be a sizing problem. The Journey Girl 18 Inch doll waist seems to be an inch or too smaller than the American Girl doll which could cause problems when trying to share clothes. No doubt about it though - these dolls are pretty. They have lovely faces and very pretty hair which although rooted seems to hold up well with brushing. The head is articulated and the doll has the vinyl breast-plate for better looking clothing. At this price though, quality is a concern. Since they have just arrived on the scene there is no way for me to comment on how long the doll will last when played with as much as most dolls are - only time will tell.
If you have no concerns over quality and just want a doll for fitting or for a very young child you could consider the Springfield Doll. If you don't need the ability to exchange clothes with the American Girl 18 inch doll you might also want to consider the slim-body 18 inch doll. These are the dolls that I would suggest as appropriate substitutions for the purchase of an American Girl Doll.
Favorite Friends 18 Inch Doll
If you are looking for an 18 inch doll as a substitute to the American Girl doll due to cost - you will definitely want to consider the Favorite Friend 18 inch doll from Madame Alexander. It's our favorite. It's a great price at only $39.99 plus it is manufactured by the, always reliable, doll company, Madame Alexander. Like the "Just Like Me" American Girl dolls they are available in many skin tones and eye colors if you wanted to match a doll to your daughter. The faces are very sweet and all are unique. You can dress the Favorite Friend 18 inch doll in any outfit you like and not worry about the joints or soft-body showing as these dolls come with a vinyl breast plate that reaches up through the neck and shoulders. Unlike the American Girl Doll this doll also has an "articulated head" - this means that the doll head can swivel and nod, instead of just moving side to side. The Favorite Friends 18 inch doll does not have a wig but instead has a "rooted" hair head. In some dolls this causes a problem as hair-styling can expose bald spots in a rooted head - but the Favorite Friends doll seems to have such a large quantity of hair that this isn't a problem.
Our Generation 18 Inch Doll
The Our Generation 18 inch doll is available at all Target stores. The doll is the same size as the American Girl doll and does fit the clothing and furniture - but that is where the similarities end. This doll is very inexpensive at less than $20 (I'm not sure how Target does it) and the quality matches the price. The vinyl is very low quality and the doll has a reputation for being quite unattractive. The soft body is a very obvious pale color and shows significantly under scoop tops and sleeveless clothing. The hair is an even bigger problem. It is very sparse in it's rooting and is reported to fall out quite a bit on brushing - plus it tangles easily and is not great for styling. This 18 inch doll would be a solid option as a starter doll.
Gotz Precious Day 18 Inch Doll
Although still less expensive than American Girl these dolls are on the pricier side at around $70. Gotz is a world-renowned German Doll Maker that has been making gorgeous collector's dolls since 1950. The quality and craftsmanship is definitely comparable to American Girl Doll. The faces of these 18 inch dolls are beautiful and all very unique. I have received feedback from young girls that the faces are just too young, more like baby doll faces and less like little girl faces. Each doll comes with a gorgeous 18 inch doll outfit which is very high quality. The soft-body does not have a breast plate and does extend all the way to the neck like the American Girl Doll. The main complaint about these dolls is, again, the hair. For this price one would expect a wigged doll but the Precious Day hairs rooted. It also has a reputation for deteriorating very quickly without good care. This should not be a problem for older girls but younger ones may struggle with the upkeep.
Disney Princess 18 inch Doll
It didn't take Disney very long to realize the value in offering an 18 Inch play doll based on the Disney Princesses. These dolls are very pretty, high quality and come dressed in the traditional princess outfit for around $50. Unlike the American Girl Doll this doll is all-vinyl - no soft, huggable middle. The benefit of having a completely vinyl body is that this doll has six points of articulation... talk about posability! The vinyl waist line may cause a slight problem with exchanging clothes with the American Girl doll. The Disney Princess 18 inch doll has rooted hair (not wigged) but from feedback so far the hair seems to withstand styling quite well. The hair sometimes needs a bit of clean up right out of the box. I have a slight problem with the size of the doll head. It seems to me to be too big for the body, but that is a personal opinion.
Journey Girl 18 Inch Doll
Another new entry in to the 18 Inch Doll market and a strong contender against our Favorite Friends 18 Inch doll. At only $29.99 they are a really great price but there does seem to be a sizing problem. The Journey Girl 18 Inch doll waist seems to be an inch or too smaller than the American Girl doll which could cause problems when trying to share clothes. No doubt about it though - these dolls are pretty. They have lovely faces and very pretty hair which although rooted seems to hold up well with brushing. The head is articulated and the doll has the vinyl breast-plate for better looking clothing. At this price though, quality is a concern. Since they have just arrived on the scene there is no way for me to comment on how long the doll will last when played with as much as most dolls are - only time will tell.
If you have no concerns over quality and just want a doll for fitting or for a very young child you could consider the Springfield Doll. If you don't need the ability to exchange clothes with the American Girl 18 inch doll you might also want to consider the slim-body 18 inch doll. These are the dolls that I would suggest as appropriate substitutions for the purchase of an American Girl Doll.
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