I got these from a board member- sweater, hat, and booties. I love this set. *Love* them. They are very detailed and soft, and I like that they have lavender, pink, and lime in the ribbon detailing. BB gives this two thumbs up!
I love this as a jacket, but not so much as a bunting. Glad the bottom is removeable.
My jacket part seems to stay fairly wrinkle-free, but the bottom part gets messy looking just by sitting there. It is, however, a darling coat/mittens set. It also matches a lot of different things. Looked cute over the Bows and Bunnies set and over ONB sleeper. Offsets anything with *some* light pink but not a ton very nicely.
I dislike the heart toggle buttons. I plan to replace them with some nice white or ivory round buttons eventually.
If it were for a small child, I'd say the buttons down-grade playability. Snaps would have made more sense with faux buttons over the top. But for me, I give this a B as well.
I *love* this set and am so glad I got it from a board member. It looks like something I'd want for a real baby. It's just precious.
I think for a little kid, it might be a little hard to get on. It velcros in the back and it was a little tight over the bum to get it on PM BB. But the results make up for it and it looks wonderful on Asian Bitty.
This is very cute, but be aware that if you wash it, the red bleeds all over the lace and the taffeta.
I got this without flaws, but it seemed a little dusty with age so I thought I'd wash it. Washed it on gentle cycle in cold water with gentle detergent. Yet, the red still bled onto the lace a bit and a few lines here and there on the taffeta. It's still pretty cute, but wish I'd known that... so here's the warning for you other owners of the bunting.
Otherwise, it's cute and makes a nice display pieces. If you don't have a crib or bassinet, it's a nice way for Bitty to sleep. Personally, I think it matches the red/blue/white sleeper better than the ONB one, but it's cute either way.
B- for inability to wash the thing...
It was, after all, meant for 3+ and that should mean you can wash it!
In terms of design and overall prettiness, I'd give it an A. I love this set and wish I still owned it. I like that it folds down so it can be stored relatively easily.
In terms of fragility, though, it's more like a B-. I've shipped two of them over the course of my collecting and it has been very difficult to do. The legs on the table seem rather delicate and are set in place with glued in wooden dowels that seem to come loose when shipped or if the room gets too cold (had that happen in a mountain cabin). It's not that hard to put more glue in and fix it, but I wish it just didn't do that.
I love this set. I bought two (second one Mattel) so that I could set a table. Wish there was a teapot, creamer, and sugar... I like this set more than the new pink one.
Mine survived my sister and I's childhoods with only the handle broken off the tea caddy. The dishes were actually pretty durable in our opinion. The original tea caddy had a little U-shaped handle that was different from the modern one. (I'd take a photo but the handle fell off years ago). I like the modern caddy's handle more and it seems less likely to break.
The teacups and saucers are so cute and pretty, and the set was really neat that it came with the spoon, napkin, and queen cake. The queen cakes are incredibly detailed and awesome. Wish I had 5-6 more to put in a little basket or something.
I now have the Mattel version and I didn't notice mine being as unfinished as the photo shown here. Maybe it was a bad run?
I had the PC version quite some time ago, and while the wool was (I think) higher quality, for some reason it attracted lint way more. I kind of like my new verison that is not quite as nice but stays relatively lint-free.
I give this set a B. I've had it since I was a kid. It's cute and fun to play with, but the only piece that isn't easily found/crafted elsewhere is the mortar and pestle. For the price of retired items, it's a bit steep for a basket, some fake flowers, and a pocketbook otherwise.
The pocketbook is nicely embroidered and real leather, but it's a bit difficult to display. It's too big (by far) to fit in Lissie's pocket and the leather is stiff enough to make it pop open all the time (as in the photos). I like it, but I find it hard to display it in any charming manner.
The basket is not something I couldn't find elsewhere, but it is cute and the nice thing is you can also use it for gathering flowers (from Lissie's spring birthday set) and holly in the winter (when Lissie decorated their house for Christmastide in the books).
I give the original wooden guitar an A for a collector but more like B- for a kid.
It survived my childhood (and more tellingly, my sister's childhood- she was a bit rougher) with only one broken peg. It's not very noticeable as the bow kind of covers it up. I'd still take the old version. I've compared it to the new version in person, and it's just personal taste- I dislike plastic items.
Other than the one broken peg because my sister insisted on playing and tuning it a lot when she was about 6-ish, my guitar has survived great (it was one of the very first runs of production). I've never done anything special to store it except keep it in a climate-controlled environment (i.e., closet instead of attic or basement) in a box well padded with tissue paper. I've had no flaking, crazing, or anything so I guess I'm lucky.
A friend of mine owns this, so I got to see it up close. It's a very pretty piece of furniture and will hold lots of clothing (if you fold them), but won't hold a ton of the other items in Felicity's collection. The downside is that by folding all the clothes, they get wrinkled. The upside is that the piece is historically accurate to the best of my knowledge and it is well made (and yep, enormous).
Personally, I don't think it's worth the price I've seen some folks pay ($400, anyone?) but it is a nice piece of furniture.
I would recommend looking around for a large jewelry wardrobe that looks like it, but isn't, given that the official one has limited capacity for storage anyway. I got my fake one from the Bombay Co. (it's on my website in the siggy). It was only $100 after it went on sale and is (in my opinion) nicer than the AG one. It's also huge and heavy, but the upside is that I needed something to store my jewelry anyway and I don't like folding Felicity's clothes so I could care less about its potential for dollie storage.
If you look around, you can find very nicely built jewelry wardrobes that look like a clothes press after Christmas on sale for cheap at nice-ish furniture stores.
Just thought I'd add- I bought this thinking I'd want it for my PM Felicity. I ended up returning it. My Felicity was too fat and though I could get the dress on, it was straining at the seams and made poor Lissie look like a stuffed sausage. Also, the new gowns are a bit too short. It was an inch shorter than my old gowns. Drove me nuts to see Lissie's ankles!
And I do agree about the shoes- they are soft, like slippers. They have no real shape to them, and it makes it hard for the doll to stand on her own. They were kind of elfish, now that I think about it! LOL
Your Molly doll has soft gray eyes that wink and blink behind her shiny glasses. Her thick pigtails are fun to braid and tie with ribbons, or you can let them out and brush her long wavy hair. Molly is soft and huggable with arms and legs that move so you can have her sit, stand, and hold all the accessories you collect for her.
Overall grade: A+
Molly is so cute. I have a PM tan-bodied Molly doll. Her hair is lighter brown than the Mattel Molly dolls, but is not as light as the WB. Also, her bangs are shorter than the WB dolls. She has lovely gray eyes with soft light brown eyelashes. Her eyebrows are light brown and she has rosy cheeks and lips. This PM Molly was the fattest of all my dolls, and I had to do some dolly liposuction so she could fit comfortably in some of the new Mattel fashions and also into the LOF clothes I wanted her to wear (my Molly plays Lisbeth).
Molly's meet outfit is great- one of the best. The skirt is wool and tends to collect lint but is high quality. The sweater is cute and a nice design, and I like that it comes with the removable dickey collar. Mollie's panties and shoes leave something to be desired (they are cheap like Sam's), but overall the outfit is nice.
You can see pictures of my Molly on Kirsten's page of my website, since she is Lisbeth, Kirsten's older cousin. I do plan to update my website this weekend and will add a Molly page and comparison chart, since I've had requests for it.
Last Edit: Dec 9, 2023 12:11:37 GMT -5 by mamared: added Pleasant Company description
Nellie is a very cute doll, nearly irresistable in person. I resisted until I saw her in person at AGPLA and then it was all over from there.
Nellie has cute freckles and deep teal eyes, and her face paint is lovely. She has the squiggly eyebrows (not the one-line ones), which I like, and her eyebrows match her strawberry blonde hair nicely. Her lips are nice and pink. Nellie's hair is a cute shoulder-length strawberry blonde bob. Overall, I think her look is quite unique and charming.
Her meet outfit is one of the better ones out of all the historicals, in my opinion. Her dress is double-layered and is nicely detailed. The fabric is nice. Her panties and shoes are not impressive, but that's OK. She also comes with tights.
Nellie will soon be on my website- I'm updating this weekend. It's in my siggy.
She is a gorgeous doll. I love the light brown long curls, her curly eyelashes, and minimal face paint. Also, the WB Sam's eyes have a unique depth to them that is not present in later PM and Mattel Sams. I have run across one tan-bodied early PM doll (probably around 1991/1992) that had the original glass eyes but the new wig, and other tan-bodied early PM doll that had the newer (late PM) eyes and the old light brown wig- I guess these were transitional.
At any rate, Samantha is lovely. In my honest opinion, there is no comparison between the quality of the WB Sam and a Mattel Samantha- they look very different. Mattel Sam is pretty but the quality of the WB shows in the eyes, wig, and vinyl.
Sam's meet outfit is OK. The dress is cute, though a bit plain, and she comes with unimpressive panties. The tights are nice, though have a tendency to stretch out over the years (the panties do too). The shoes are the same crummy ones they have on the Mattel dolls- plastic. I never could figure out why they didn't give Sam and Molly better meet shoes.
At any rate, well worth the price for the doll alone in my opinion. My WB Sam and comparison chart with PM and Mattel Sam are in my siggy website.
Kirsten was my first doll too, and I love her with all my heart! My Kirsten also has ash/light-blonde hair (unlike the newer, honey-blonde color) that is rather dry. My poor Kirsten has thin braids after the years of brushing, but she's still cute. The back of her hair is clipped close to her head between her braids. She has lovely blue eyes that are darker than my other PM, and dark blonde soft eyelashes. Her face is just so cute and is a different shape than my PM and the Mattel ones. She had pretty minimal face paint that had further worn off over the years, so I gave her a little blush and pink lips. Her eyebrows have always been light, matching her hair (not as dark as my other tan-bodied PM).
Kirsten's meet outfit is one of the best out of the historical meet outfits. It is very pretty and has lots of nice, quality pieces. Her dress is a lovely blue calico with grow stripes at the bottom, and the pattern is slightly different from the later PMs and Mattel dolls. She also comes with a striped red apron, which is a nice touch. She has eyelet trimmed pantellettes, nicer than a lot of the other dolls' panties. The WB doll's socks are a nice, thick knit sock and more realistic to me than the newer, thinner ones. The shoes are soft leather and have no hard sole at all.
I have pictures of my WB and tan-bodied PM Kirsten dolls, and a comparison chart of them to Mattel on my website (in siggy).
Your Addy doll has beautiful brown eyes that sparkle and shine as they open and close. She has lots of hair that you'll love to brush and braid. Sweep it all back with a silky blue ribbon to show the golden earrings she always wears. In 1864, many young girls - even babies - wore them as a proud reminder of their African heritage. Her soft body is very huggable and her head, arms, and legs pose so she can sit, stand, and hold the delightful accessories in her collection. When you first meet Addy, she'll be wearing a striped dress of old-fashioned "cinnamon pink" given to her by Miss Caroline, who helped Addy and Momma escape to freedom. Addy's drawers peek out beneath her skirt. Pull her stretchy black stockings up over her knees and lace up her cap-toes boots. Your Addy doll comes, as shown here, with a Meet Addy book.
Overall Grade: A++++
Addy is just a beautiful doll and I love her character. I have a 1993 Addy from the first release whose clothing is tagged "Made in Germany." I've had two of these German-made Addy dolls, my current and one other, as well as several China-made PMs who have come through my home on the way to their new mommies. There is a distinct difference between the two PM Addys, and the details are in the comparison chart and photos on my website (in siggy).
At any rate, German-made Addy is just lovely and by far my favorite edition of Addy. Her vinyl is dark and squishy. Her face has a little rosiness to her cheeks and lips. Her eyes are lovely- dark brown with the pinwheel pattern and they have soft brown eyelashes. Her hair is very long and very thick, and it is coarser than the Mattel girls. I like it- it isn't the best probably for a child since it is difficult to manage, but there is lots and lots of it for styling and it is has a nice, authentic texture.
Addy's meet outfit is very nice. The dress looks great on her and is so cute, and she has nice, detailed pantaloons. She also has nice quality socks and great black lace-up boots.
Addy is just so cute.
Last Edit: Oct 23, 2023 21:24:21 GMT -5 by mamared: catalog description added
Overall Grade: A (A+ for Lissie, A- for the meet outfit)
My little sister gave me her Felicity from when we were kids; I have a 1991 Lissie. My little sister got her the Christmas she came out.
The PM Felicity is a gorgeous doll. Mine has bright red hair with lighter red highlights. Her eyes are the lovely, muted green with red eyelashes. After years of play, she had little face paint left, so I gave her a little blush and faint pink lips. Her eyebrows are a pale red and match her hair very well.
I had a Mattel Felicity before my little sis gave me hers, and in my honest opinion, the PM is much nicer. But then I am very partial to Irish looking lasses and love the bright red hair. And the newer Mattel green eyes scare me, they are so bright.
As for the meet outfit, it isn't one of my favorites. (The traveling gown isn't either, honestly.) I'm not a huge fan of pink on redheads, and the dress just isn't very exciting in my opinion. My Lissie rarely wears hers. The meet outfit is pretty simple- dress, shift, socks, shoes. The shoes are nice and detailed. The original socks were wool and very high quality, though prone to getting holes over the years compared to the new, thinner ones. The shift has a tendency to stretch out the elastic over time, but you can order a new one from AG. The original 1991 dress had very thin velcro and eventually I had to sew new velcro in so the dress would stay closed.
Overall, the meet outfit isn't amazingly great to me, but Lissie is! You can see Lissie on my webpage (in siggy), along with a comparison chart and picture to Mattel Lissie.
Last Edit: Aug 12, 2006 17:39:56 GMT -5 by horsemom
I've had the Mattel Josefina, and she was very pretty, but I love PM best.
My PM Josefina just has a nicer expression to me. And I always love the PM squisher vinyl if I can get it.
Josefina is a lovely doll and has a great meet outfit. The neat thing about Josie is she's one of the few historicals (along with Kirsten) that you can get just a couple outfits for and then mix and match. No, she doesn't have tons of clothes from AG, but she does have the advantage of many combinations of camisas, skirts, sashes, and accessories (like Kirsten has for shawls and aprons).
I have a comparison chart of PM to Mattel Josefina on my website in my siggy (and pictures of my PM Josie).
I love my Kaya- I give her an A as a collector, though if I were giving her to a little girl, I'd say an A- for the hair.
I adore her long, shiny black braids as a collector but it seems if they got taken down they'd be a real mess before you know it.
I bought my Kaya just a few months ago from AGPLA and I really love her. I searched through quite a few before I found one with rosy cheeks and lips. The rest were kind of dull looking, so unless you want to add blush to your Kaya, I would suggest picking her out in person. Also, I noticed a few had wig problems (lumps and bumps by the face), so that's another reason to pick her out in person.
I love Kaya's shy but strong expression. I like that she is different and not so smiley. She seems contemplative to me.
Kaya's meet outfit is relatively simple, but pretty and soft. Not sure how well it would hold up with child's play due to all the beading and fringe, but I like it a lot. I especially like the moccasins (though they are hard to get on once taken off) and the shell beads in Kaya's hair.
Kaya looks beautiful in modern clothes and I see no reason to take her hair out of her braids to do it. I like that even in modern clothes she looks uniquely Native American.
My Kaya and other dolls are in my webpage in the siggy.