American Girl Doll Furniture for Sale

Retrieve the '80s Cabbage Patch Kids craze? And the '90s when car dashboards spilled over with Beanie Babies?

Some people never let a child bear upon those novelties and bandage an center to the future, hoping these "it" toys would rain astronomical amounts of money someday.

That's precisely what made them worthless, said Josh Levine, a collectibles expert and owner of J. Levine Auction & Appraisal in Scottsdale, Arizona.

"Kiss of death," Levine told All the Moms. "Of all the dolls that were worth $300 to $400 new at the fourth dimension — they're worth $twenty today."

Yous know which doll breaks the collectible-gone-incorrect mold? Barbie, considering, well, she's the reigning monarch of doll collectibles.

If Barbie is queen, American Girl dolls are the princesses.

"Dolls are usually a loser'south game," Levine said. "But I was pleasantly surprised. There is a decent market for American Girl dolls every day of the week."

In that location is a set of American Girl dolls, including Samantha, Molly and Addy with multiple outfits and furniture, for sale on eBay right now for $11,500. The dolls, originals fabricated past the Pleasant Visitor before information technology was sold in 1998 to Barbie-makers Mattel, are extremely valuable to collectors.

MORE:Your favorite American Daughter doll comes to life in a Broadway-way musical tour

Big money in the little dolls

American Girl dolls and accessories that accept sold on eBay in the concluding three months include:

• $5,400: A signed collection of 3 of the original, pre-Mattel American Dolls in boxes with paperwork.
• $4,500: American Girl doll Grace Baker that was set with a bonus Grace bakery outfit.
• $three,200: viii American Girl dolls, including Lindsey released in 2001 and the Dolls of the Year from 2005-2010. All are new and never removed from the box.
• $ane,495: Kanani, 2011 Doll of the Yr, never removed from her box, plus clothing and more accessories.
• $1,450: American Daughter Samantha doll in original box and signed by American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland.
• $one,150: A signed American Girl Felicity doll still in the box.

An idea with heart

American Girl was first marketed in 1986 by the Pleasant Company in Middleton, Wisconsin. Former instructor Pleasant Rowland created the 18-inch dolls and gave them backstories of immature girls living during important times in American history. Each doll came with her own historically appropriate book and clothes. Rowland'south idea was that "girls could play out the stories."

The doll's had personality, culture, challenges and center.

The first three dolls released in 1986 are amidst the most valuable to collectors.

• Kirsten Larson, a Minnesota pioneer who grew up in 1854. She was retired in 2010.
• Samantha Parkington, a Victorian orphan who lived in 1904. She was retired in 2009, only re-released in 2014.
• Molly McIntire, a patriotic kid who grew up during WWII. She was retired in 2013, merely re-released this year.

The xi original Pleasant Visitor historical character dolls, especially if they've been retired like Felicity, can fetch hundreds if not thousands, on eBay.

A growing, diverse collection

Now the company sells more than four dozen versions of the dolls, including a limited-edition "Daughter of the Yr."

In 1995, the company introduced what would become the My American Girl line with customizeable dolls that let girls to select pare, pilus and eye colors so the doll can await merely like they exercise.

The first American Girl store opened in Chicago in 1998. Now in that location are 20 beyond the country and international locations in Canada and the United Arab Emirates, according to the company'due south website.

American Girl introduced its first African-American doll in 1993 with Addy Walker. Since then, it has further diversified its collection. The beginning Native American doll was released in 2002. The beginning boy doll, Korean-American and doll of Hawaiian descent were introduced in 2017.

What makes an American Girl doll worth a lot of money?

If you loved your American Daughter doll soooooo much, she went everywhere with yous – from parks to family parties – and yous styled her hair like yours and practical make upward, that's precious. But it's not going to fetch you much cash.

Most of the dolls and accessories that sell for triple figures and more are in unopened boxes or are gently used. Other things to notation virtually items that sell well:

• The pilus has not been cutting.
• The face is unmarked.
• The eyes are intact.
• The doll however has the original, clean clothing.
• The doll comes in the original box.
• The doll has been retired.
• Paperwork is bachelor that includes receipts and information cards.

In addition to beingness among the original dolls released by the Pleasant Company, limited-edition dolls, similar Hawaiian doll Kanani, that are on the market for merely a year, also are valuable.

'They're not just dolls'

Levine does a lot of business in auctioning jewelry and guns, many that have tantalizing stories continued to the owners. Those stories always up the ante.

When he first walked by an American Girl store in Scottsdale, he didn't understand the depict of parents and children packed within until his married woman explained it to him.

"'They're not just dolls,' she said. There'due south a whole story to them and books, too. Later on she explained information technology to me, I was like, 'Oh, I go it now. I see why they're so pop.'"

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