Finding American Girl Dolls on eBay

It sounds like the opening line of one of the American Girl books: The American Girl Doll company was created by a Mrs. Pleasant T. Rowland after an unhappy shopping experience in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Searching for Christmas presents for the children in her family, she was startled to discover the only dolls available depicted "adult" women (i.e., Barbie) or forced children to play at being an adult (i.e., baby dolls that require "mothering.")  Pleasant decided that girls deserved dolls that looked like them, dolls that could be wholesome and educational as well.

In 1986, the American Girl Collection was born.  Dolls represented girls from different time periods, from different parts of the county.  Each came with an intelligently written biography rich with historical detail, and wearing historically accurate clothing.  In fact, when it came to clothing, no detail was considered "too small" to be relevant.  For instance, one doll's apron features straight pins, because safety pins weren't yet invented "in her time."

The series featured three dolls to begin with.  Kirsten Larsen, a Minnesota pioneer from Sweden, lived in the rough and tumble times of 1874.  Samantha Parkington, an orphan from a once wealthy family who now lives with her grandmother in New York, was the perfect example of a Victorian beauty circa 1904. Molly McIntire, who lives in 1944, helps her mother get by while her father is away in England fighting in WWII.

The collection has grown steadily since then, as have the ethnicities represented.  In 1998, the Pleasant Company was acquired by Mattel.  In addition to the American Girl Collection, there is the Baby Bitty line, the Just Like You line, and the Girl of the Year line.