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Post by Thimbleberry on Mar 4, 2018 20:49:24 GMT -5
Nanea's radio is approx 2 3/4" tall x 3 5/8" wide.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Mar 3, 2018 12:22:01 GMT -5
This item was introduced in 2018 and retired in 2019.
Nanea usually listens to music on the big radio in the living room. But when Pearl Harbor is attacked, Nanea and her family huddle around the radio, desperate for news. This pretend radio plays a popular song and real recorded news from the time. Or attach the included 3.5mm audio cable to your girl’s own electronic music player to listen to her own favorite songs.
This is one case where AG's use of plastic is very appropriate. The mottled brown plastic they used for Nanea's radio looks a lot like the brown Bakelite (an early plastic) that was most commonly used for these types of radios in the 1940s. It has fabric under the grill where the speaker would be and a volume control knob that works. In the catalog it says it plays one song but it actually plays two, one of which has an ukulele & sounds sort of Hawaiian. There are also two news broadcast snippets, one from FDR announcing the attack on Pearl Harbor, the other a call for servicemen to report to duty. The sound is clear, better than Kit's or Molly's radios. I just wish the dial lit up like Kit's does but it doesn't. Takes three AAA batteries. I give it an A, it would be a plus if the dial lit up.
*mod edit to remove dead image link
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Post by Thimbleberry on Oct 26, 2017 13:35:38 GMT -5
Those socks are supposed to be knee socks, it seems.Kit is wearing them up to her knees. Cute! I didn't think they looked right as a 60s outfit when they were pulled up so I scrunched them intentionally.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Apr 17, 2017 13:01:27 GMT -5
Released in 2017, retired in 2019.
The days are getting longer, and Kit loves to enjoy the extra sunshine and fun with friends in this joyous playtime outfit. Includes: A flower-patterned dress, A pair of socks and tan Mary Jane shoes, A straw hat with ribbon trim.I bought this dress as a 60's outfit for Melody. Some have said that the fabric is too thin but I don't find it to be so. I think the weight is perfectly in scale to the dolls, much more so than most of the cotton dresses. It's pretty & works perfectly as a 1960's summer dress. I also like the straw hat & find it very easy to put on so it looks good. The shoes & socks are ok, nothing special. A solid A.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Mar 9, 2017 18:25:44 GMT -5
This play dress doesn't seem thin at all to me & I can't see the doll's body through it. Mine is sturdy cotton with nice details like the sleeve cuff ruffles & bodice ruffles. It IS pretty short though & not at all full but it's a play dress, something a girl might wear to the beach in the 1910's. I also really like the well made, jaunty hat & find it super easy to put on my doll. The tights are just tights & the boots are ok, although I liked the old style boots better. They nicely complete the look. Shown here on Rowan McAlpin. A definite A+
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 25, 2017 0:16:13 GMT -5
Felicity's Undergarments were sold as part of her BeForever relaunch from February 2017 until re-archival in December 2019.
AG description: In Felicity’s day, girls wore these undergarments beneath their dresses: A white scoop-neck chemise that served as the first layer of clothing or could be used as a nightgown; Quilted stays with functional lace ribbon and fashionable tapestry print that provided a foundation for the top layers of clothing; A bumroll with ties to go around the waist and fasten on top of the chemise and stays; it was used to achieve lift at the back of the skirt for a true 1770s silhouette; White cotton shift with short sleeves and pleating around the front and back of neckline.
I like these, they are simple & straightforward. Everything seems to be cotton, the plain chemise is long enough, the adorable stays are quilted & easily fasten on the side with velcro, & the bumroll ties on over the stays. The ribbon on the stays is a pretty, deep coral & the print fabric is appropriate. Shown here with & without the bumroll. Worn by Ailith McAlpin, a Scottish Jacobite girl in the mid-1700s. A+
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Post by Thimbleberry on Nov 25, 2016 22:19:36 GMT -5
Not wheat pattern, it's Tea Leaf.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Sept 3, 2016 18:07:38 GMT -5
This item was released in 2016 and retired in 2019.
Melody’s excited to travel to Alabama to visit where her mother grew up! This set allows her to feel right at home even when she’s on the road. Includes: A round red suitcase with a working latch and a strap for her to hold A blue toiletry case that opens to reveal compartments and a place on the lid for her mirror A soft embroidered towel A collapsible travel cup A toothbrush and tube of pretend toothpaste A set of postcards from the exciting places Melody and her family have visited, including Washington, D.C.; Nashville; and Louisville.
Addy is showing off Melody's Travel Essentials since I don't yet have Melody. The red travel case is very cute & well made. It measures about 5" in diameter & looks to be a vinyl type material on the outside. The latch is easy to use & functions well.
Opening it up you see that it has a pretty gold lining & holds her toiletry case, towel, & 3 postcards from her travels. There's enough room for something else but I'm not sure if her pj's would fit.
Toiletry case, blue embroidered towel, & 3 postcards.
The blue plastic case easily holds Melody's toothbrush, collapsible travel cup, toothpaste, & hand mirror which snaps into the lid. It seems to me that there should have been a brush or a comb.
Two of the postcards are in the big letters style that was popular in the 1960's. The back of them is also printed to look like a postcard. They are on a heavier paper stock, in scale with their size.
The mirror has a strap so Melody can hold it.
I really like this set with all its details. I'm giving it an A rather than an A+ though because it's a little expensive & it should have a comb or a brush.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Dec 6, 2014 12:41:42 GMT -5
My husband bought the new BeForever Addy for me for my birthday & took me to an AG store so I could pick her out. Everyone was so worried that the new Addy would have lighter skin color but she doesn't, it looks the same. I think she has rosier cheeks though. Her hair has the same nice texture as before & is put up in a lovely crossed braids hairstyle with little blue ribbons. She has such a sweet face. All of the dolls at the store had the new hairstyle & the feathered eyebrows as well. Her royal blue meet dress is beautiful on her & I love her little cloth boots. Her new pantaloons are a bit longer & slimmer than her old ones & lack the front waistband that the old ones had. Her stockings are white & shorter than her old black ones. I liked the old stockings better, the length seemed more accurate. Altogether I like the new BF Addy much better than the old one & I had the old one too so I can compare them. A 9.5+ out of 10 because of the pantaloons & short stockings.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Sept 11, 2014 13:06:01 GMT -5
The dress is very pretty & the buckle is too but would have been nicer if it was metal. The shoes seem so cheap that I don't think they'll last long, especially if they belong to a child. And they have cheap PLASTIC BUCKLES where the old buckle shoes, like Kit's, had metal buckles. The dress is an "A", the shoes are a failing "D".
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Post by Thimbleberry on Jan 18, 2014 23:13:14 GMT -5
I was just thinking that of all the historical beds, & I have 8 of them, I love Kaya's the most. It is so unique in the doll world & so cozy looking. Kaya looks so happy sleeping in her fur robes especially next to her fire. Grade A (I would have given it an A+ if the elk hide had been backed with the same "suede" that her pillow was made from)
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Post by Thimbleberry on Jun 26, 2013 17:47:09 GMT -5
Here is Niamh, my #55. She is a classic & in my opinion can be used to represent any era. I'm using Niamh to be my 1930s girl as well as my 1940s girl since I have both of those collections but not Kit or Molly. I like #55 better than Kit or Molly. I might also have her live in 15th C Ireland sometimes.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Jun 11, 2012 11:06:54 GMT -5
I have Cécile's bed (as well as Addy's, Kit's, Julie's, & Josefina's) & I do like it. In person it is not at all cheap looking or like something from "Target" as some have said. It is wooden & very well made. It is a bit odd looking & different from the other beds we're used to seeing because it's so low to the floor & has only a partial canopy. However, both of these features are accurate to the place & time & that's my main interest in historical items. The paint does seem bright but it probably was when the antique furniture that we look at now was new. I'm sure they have faded over the last 160 years or so to what we see now.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Apr 12, 2012 14:17:28 GMT -5
Well, I made a special trip to the AG Store in Lynnwood, north of Seattle yesterday to pick out a #55. She had even eyes & brows & a sweet expression but when I got home & took off the hairnet I was dismayed to find that about half of her hair on the back, right-hand side was cut very short (about 1/2" long) & that it was subsequently thin & falling out. There were also long, hanging stitching threads in the back. I've got to take her back as soon as I can (next month)! I've read in the feedback here that she usually has nice, thick hair. Did anyone else have this problem with 55?
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Post by Thimbleberry on Mar 2, 2012 12:12:25 GMT -5
I really like this dress. Yes, it is a synthetic taffeta but to me it feels just right & the weight & drape are good. Shown here with Cécile wearing her crinoline under it. I think it really needs the crinoline to make the petaled skirt stand out. Cécile looks like a Spring flower in it, doesn't she? As a bonus, the crinoline's soft pink looks great with the dress when you peek at it. The boots are very soft & sweet too. The hat is okay & can probably be worn with other dresses as well. Dress & Boots A+, Hat B
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Post by Thimbleberry on Jan 12, 2012 0:15:03 GMT -5
Ok, I had to buy the Goldendoodle puppy because I have one. They did a fair representation of Goldendoodle puppy fur. But she will not stand up, she only sits. The stuffing where the leg "joints" should be doesn't seem to want to shift much. It seems odd that they'd make a toy dog that only "sits" & "stays". I'm disappointed because, like I said, the fur is right but what puppy just sits all the time? If AG claims it can stand then it should be able to stand. And if I was a child I wouldn't want it to only sit, I'd want it to run around barking & jumping up on the bed & it has to stand to do that.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Mar 10, 2010 15:15:47 GMT -5
The raincoat LOOKS good but it's way too skimpy & tight. What good is a coat if you can't wear anything under it? So, I'm sending mine back even though I really like the rubber boots. Maybe I can get them as a replacement. boots A+ raincoat C-
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 10, 2010 0:09:11 GMT -5
I don't really understand why anyone would think the colors of this outfit are too bright. The red dress especially is a very soft, light red. Jess says this is the perfect Spring outfit. It's comfortable & versatile & she really likes the sweet eyelet trim on the dress, the soft little buttoning jacket, cute red sandals, & the butterfly clip that looks great in her dark hair. We give this outfit a solid A.
(mod edit to remove broken image)
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Post by Thimbleberry on Sept 24, 2009 17:17:20 GMT -5
I bought the Calico Dress for Ivy. Doesn't the red look nice with her dark hair? I really like everything about this outfit except that it's nearly impossible to keep the boot velcro from snagging the tights. Very true to the late 1960's & early 1970's.
mod edit to remove dead image link
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Post by Thimbleberry on Mar 4, 2009 1:02:23 GMT -5
I have Molly's original wooden drop-leaf table for Kit's kitchen right next to her stove. Speaking as a long-time antiques dealer, it's just exactly the type of table you might have found in a 1930's kitchen except that it most likely would have been painted white. Kit's green metal table & chairs would have been used on a covered porch.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 4, 2009 15:51:18 GMT -5
I alwyas thought those overhead storage bins were used for keeping food warm or fresh. Like they stored bread in them. But I could be wrong. I believe I saw that on some Road to Avonlea episodes. Janet pulled the bread from the overhead in the morning. Yes, they're called warming ovens.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 4, 2009 0:01:51 GMT -5
The stove is great for displaying Kit's canning supplies & Christmas cookie making things. I wish it was green & cream though, which was WAY more common, & that it was not so plastic, but hey, how many 1930's doll stoves are being made today?
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Post by Thimbleberry on Dec 26, 2008 14:19:04 GMT -5
Jess got the whole snowboarding outfit for Christmas & she loves it! The pants & jacket are warm & look really good on her. The jacket is big enough to put on over the long sleeve waffle-weave shirt from her camping outfit. The helmet is nice but we couldn't get it on over the cute knit cap. The boots fit over socks from another set & aren't too hard to get on. Jess can stand up pretty easily on her board. Jess gives this set an A but she wishes the boots came with the clothing.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Dec 22, 2008 13:47:34 GMT -5
I was disappointed in the sifter too. In my antiques business, over the years, I've seen toy flour sifters almost as small as Kit's that actually worked. I suppose it's not reasonable to expect AG to make one like that but still........
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Post by Thimbleberry on Sept 17, 2008 14:24:18 GMT -5
I bought the Silver Belle Outfit for my Jess. She doesn't normally like to wear dresses at all but she likes this one & wants to add her review. She says: " If you have to wear a dress I'd recommend this one. It's really pretty & doesn't make me feel like a poufy pink princess. I'm not used to wearing shoes with heels though so it's kind of hard to stand in them let alone walk around."
I agree with Jess & really like it too. The 3 different fabrics used are all beautiful & it could be worn any time of year.
*MOD EDIT to remove member's dead image links*
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Post by Thimbleberry on May 8, 2008 15:40:45 GMT -5
The scale of Kit's desk might look small but it's exactly the same scale as children's roll top desks of the 1930's. I've been an antiques dealer for over 25 years & used to often see kid's roll tops from that time period. They just made them small like that.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 28, 2008 20:13:02 GMT -5
No picture of this outfit because I sent it back. This is what I found: The hat is ok, nothing special, but it's too small to fit my doll's head very well. I like the skirt. It has cute pocket detail & nice fabric. The tank top is hideous, too awful to ever use. The necklace is ugly & cheap looking. It doesn't actually look like any necklace I ever saw. The Keenes are very cute except that the straps were twisted on one of them and sewn in that way. So, all in all not worth keeping. A grade C- because the skirt was cute & so were the Keenes even though defective.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 28, 2008 15:40:34 GMT -5
Here's Ivy in the 2nd part of Julie's 2-in-1 Summer Outfit, the bathing suit. She's jumping the gun a bit, it's not THAT warm out. As I said, I like the bathing suit a lot except for the fact the eyelet edging on the skirt turns up. Her flip-flops are very realistic & cute & stay firmly on. The 2nd time she wore them no more red came off on her toes. The towel is nice & thick with a very 70's design & the red sunglasses fit well & fold-up. Is that a root beer float in Ivy's hand? Well, that's another thread.
Mod edit to remove dead image link
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 24, 2008 0:52:09 GMT -5
This outfit was worn by Ivy in the book Happy New Year, Julie. It was released in 2007 and retired in 2014.
Ivy finds this dress while shopping with Julie in Chinatown. The fitted silhouette features a beautiful brocade pattern, a mandarin collar, and side slits that make it easier to walk. Includes soft black Mary Jane shoes and a flower barrette for her hair.
I'm glad I got Ivy's New Year Outfit (shown here on Jess). The red dress looks so nice with her dark hair & the silky fabric is a good quality. Her black cloth Chinese shoes are just like some I had in the 1970's & will be very useful with other outfits. The little flower hair clip is ok but you have to position it just right so the flower shows & not the clip part. I give this outfit an overall A.
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Post by Thimbleberry on Feb 23, 2008 15:51:05 GMT -5
I bought this 2-in-1 Summer Outfit for my Ivy. It's way cuter than I thought. Yes, the satin shorts & hood are sort of stiff & the bathing suit fabric feels......slinky, but synthetic fabrics in the 70's felt just like this. I think they achieved perfect historical accuracy on this set. The flip-flops look & feel just like they did then, even the soles. I don't particularly like how the lace on the bathing suit skirt turns up & the flip-flops made a red mark on Ivy's toes even though they were only on her for a few minutes. I hope it comes off. I'd give this set an A or a B+ because of the 2 minor complaints. Here's Jess wearing the skating outfit with the bathing suit sunglasses. Ivy was otherwise occupied. I'll add a picture of the bathing suit soon.
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