The very first Pleasant Company items sold in 1986 came in beautiful solid maroon boxes with real cream colored ribbons.   The ribbons were secured on the lids with a Pleasant Company sticker on the center of the lid and a piece of tape on the end of each ribbon underneath the lid.  The product code for each item was on a white heart shaped sticker that was placed on the box or ribbon.  Cream colored tissue paper with the words Pleasant Company in a repeated pattern were used inside the boxes.   The very first white bodied Molly, Samantha and Kirsten dolls would have been in these boxes, including those that were signed and numbered by Pleasant Rowland.   Dish sets and accessories would have also been in these type of boxes but I believe that large items such as trunks and large furniture would have come in just the shipping box.  Also, in the picture you can see one rectangular shaped box which is flat on the lower left hand side --it is actually an envelope style box with a flap instead of a lid.  This was used for outfits.

  After a couple years (I am guessing around 1988 based on catalog information, but I do not know for sure) the design of the boxes changed a bit.
 

The solid maroon boxes were still used, but the real ribbons were eliminated.  In their place was a cream colored cardboard band as shown in the photo above.   Clothing sets were no longer sold in the envelope type box; instead a rectangular shaped box with lid was used. Sometimes outfits also came in plastic garment bags. 


  Also it is likely that in the very late 1980s (maybe 1989 and definitely by 1990) some of the furniture pieces such as beds and desks, tables and chairs, were sold in white boxes with the maroon Pleasant Company emblem on them.    This photo to the right gives an example of that type of box.   
Later (1997 and beyond) this same style was used but the American Girl logo replaced the Pleasant Company logo.

  The second style of maroon boxes shown above were used through 1991 and then changed over to a new look. 
I believe that 1991 to 1992  is an accurate year for the change since the first issue Felicity dolls came in both the maroon and the new styled boxes.  Maroon boxes were replaced by these solid white boxes with a doll silhouette pattern. The cream colored bands  were replaced by maroon bands with the Pleasant Company logo as shown in this photo.    These boxes were used at least through 1993 with the introduction of  the first Addy dolls. 

    It is likely that the next change in box style did not occur until about 1994 or 1995.  Most likely it was in 1995 which was the same year the American Girl of Today was introduced.  For photos and a guide on the American Girl of Today boxes please click on  my accompanying guide entitled American Girl/Pleasant Co GIRL OF TODAY Boxes The box that was used at this time was solid white and ribbed vertically with no silhouettes.  
The cardboard band featured illustrations of the first five historical characters--- Molly, Kirsten, Samantha, Felicity and Addy.   In 1997 the update to the box was a simple addition of Josefina to the cardboard band.                                


    The next historical boxes looked like those shown in the photo below--- solid maroon with a gold American Girl emblem on the lid.   These came with and without windows.
 These boxes above  were used up until 2006.  At that time the most current box was introduced. The box below  is now used for both the historical AND "like you" dolls.