30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About American Girl Dolls
Including Julia Roberts' surprising link to them.
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Looking for a fun way to teach girls about American history, Pleasant Rowland founded American Girl in 1986. Initially, the dolls were only available through a catalog. And, yes, every kid in the '90s wanted or had one. Now, it's a mega-business that includes flagship stores in most major cities, restaurants, movies, books and more. Heck, you and your doll can even take cooking classes, shop and go to the salon together. But, famous as they are, here are a few more facts you may not know about these iconic toys.
It all started with a trip to the toy store.
American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland first got the idea for the company when she took her young nieces Christmas shopping in the mid-'80s. "Here I was, in a generation of women at the forefront of redefining women's roles, and yet our daughters were playing with dolls that celebrated being a teen queen or a mommy," she told CNN in 2012. Rowland combined her love of history with the concept of matching dolls with books, and American Girl was born.
The company was completely self-funded.
As an educator, Rowland had $1.2 million saved in textbook royalties that she invested into the company. "American Girl seemed like a million dollar idea," she told CNN, "I put $200,000 aside in case all failed and plunged in." Thankfully, it paid off.
It took time for some people to get on board.
At American Girl's 25th Anniversary Tribute, Rowland revealed that many originally doubted her vision. She admitted she was "met with disbelief and patronizing tolerance, summarized as, 'Are you kidding? Historical dolls in the day and age of Barbie?'"
But American Girl saw almost immediate success.
In the first four months, the company brought in $1.7 million. It only continued to grow, making $7.6 million in its second year, and $30 million in 1989. Now that's how you prove the haters wrong!
A ton of work goes into making each doll.
In order to make sure everything is historically accurate — while still making difficult subjects easy for kids to understand — a team of historians, educators, museum curators and linguists work on each launch. They often take trips to the home state of each doll and advisory committees are formed to review everything from clothing to books.
Kaya took five years of extensive research to develop.
The doll was created with special permission from the Nez Percé tribe, who worked with author Janet Shaw to make sure Kaya's story was told in an accurate and respectful way. One example? Kaya, unlike the other dolls, doesn't show her front teeth, because this is considered a sign of aggression in the Nez Percé culture.
At first, there were only three dolls to choose from.
When the company launched in 1986, Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, and Molly McIntyre (pictured) were the only dolls available. Kirsten was retired in 2010, Molly in 2014, and Samantha was axed in 2008, only to be temporarily brought back in 2014 with new outfits.
American Girl is always thinking of new ways to make children from all backgrounds feel included. The brand sells accessories for dolls, such as wheelchairs, diabetes care kits, hearing aids and more. The 2020 Girl of the Year, Joss, was the first doll to include a story about hearing loss.
For kids with cancer, alopecia and other conditions causing hair loss, the company offers a doll just for them. She also comes in different skin tones.
Mattel bought the company in 1998.
After 12 years of competing with Barbie, American Girl was sold to Mattel — the company behind its rival. Pleasant Rowland explained her $700 million decision, revealing to CNN, "Why Mattel? I felt a genuine connection to [then CEO] Jill Barad, the woman who built Barbie. The ironies did not escape me, and many were critical of my decision, but I saw in Jill a blend of passion, perfectionism and perseverance with real business savvy."
The dolls have changed a lot over the years.
Before the company was bought by Mattel in 1998, they had chubbier faces, less color on their lips and cheeks, larger feet, and a chubbier body shape, a.k.a no thigh gap or butt. If you were to compare today's dolls to the older ones, there's a clear difference in appearance — beyond just their clothes.
Some dolls have been brought to life on the big screen.
Lea Clark, the company's 2016 Girl of the Year, was described as an adventurous 10-year-old "who dives in to new adventures and explores what's in her heart" when she visits Brazil's Amazon rain forest — and that's exactly who viewers met in American Girl: Lea to the Rescue, an action movie based on the character.
The movies have featured some major stars.
Including actresses like Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb and Shailene Woodley. Julia Roberts has even executive produced some of them!
Almost all of the dolls have the same face.
There are eight face molds currently being used, but the vast majority use the same one. Only a few dolls have completely unique faces — including Joss, Nanea and Marie-Grace.
The hair is not human — even though it looks like it.
American Girl dolls wear a wig made of high-quality mod-acrylic fibers sewn into a mesh wig cap, which is then glued onto the head.
The WORST thing you can do to your doll is ...
… get her wet. She may have all the right gear for fun in the sun, but actual water makes her eyes rust and her cotton body mold — not to mention it wreaks havoc on her lovely hair.
If you need it, there's always the hospital!
The company offers "hospital visits" for dolls that need repair. They are returned in a hospital gown and with a certificate of good health.
The American Girl Café was way ahead of its time.
When Chicago's American Girl Place first opened in 1998, it was one of the very first — if not the first — experiential dining spots in the country, with special seating for toys in the restaurant. The flagship location also offered a doll hair salon and employees who treated dolls as real people. Over time, brands began copying the concept and incorporating experiences into their stores or restaurants.
In 2017, Taylor Guitars and American Girl released a joint project — a Nashville songwriter character named Tenney Grant. Also up for sale was a matching Taylor teal acoustic guitar, so kids could learn to play music alongside Tenney.
The Swarovski partnerships are always crazy expensive.
The crystal company collaborated on a $5,000 American Girl Holiday Collector doll in 2019, adorned with over 5,000 Swarovski crystals. In 2020, Swarovski created limited-edition collectibles that were auctioned off to raise money for children of first responders. And in 2021, the company has created a new limited-edition Winter Princess doll with a Swarovski-adorned dress.
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