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Kavi Sharma is here - Welcome, Kavi! These items are ready to have review threads started:

Backstage Set
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Songwriting Accessories
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Electronic gift cards from 2022 (a few of the 2021 were still available, but these are the new images for 2022)

I have two of these, both with fabric bodies and painted eyes. I got them on the secondary market, so I'm making the assumption that all the bits are original but I don't know that for sure.

Here they are, along with the Mini Molly that's Courtney's Pleasant Company Doll.





The first Mini Molly that I have came in the burgundy box with The American Girls Collection branding and the "Celebrating Girls of Yesterday" banner underneath the oval cellophane window. The side of the box pictures seven American Girls (Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Kit, and Molly), so this version dates to around 2000-2002 (after Kit joined the lineup in 2000, and before Kaya joined in 2002.)



Molly's body is made of soft fabric and her head and limbs are vinyl. Unlike the other versions I have, her limbs don't move very well. Maybe she's a bit stiff from sitting in her box for so long. She has rooted brown hair, painted grey eyes, and painted eyelashes on the top. Her long brown braids with the red bows at the end hang pretty straight but her bangs poof up, like others mentioned.



She has neck strings and her body has an American Girl label on the side, but if you look carefully, you can see a faint "2000 Pleasant Company" imprint on the back of her neck, in all capital letters.





A dark thread in the fabric near her neck makes me wonder if her clothes were sewn on at one time; however, they are removable. The little sweater looks like her regular meet sweater with its blue sleeves, blue back, and blue and red argyle design with green accent threads in the front. It's not quite proportionally scaled down, and the seams make the whole thing seem bulky on her, but I'm not sure if there's a better way to do it. As others have mentioned, her white collar with embroidered zigzag design is sewn to the neckline of the sweater and is not a separate piece. This version is sewn partway up in the back, and then has two snaps that can be opened to remove the sweater from the doll. (It's a snug fit over her head, though, and I suspect that taking the sweater off several times would likely result in pulling the braids a little looser so they'd eventually curl up - Although I have no idea if that's what caused the curling up other posters reported.)





The dark blue wool(?) skirt attaches with a bit of Velcro in the back. It also has an American Girl label sewn in the seam inside (none of the other pieces of the outfit do). The outfit also comes with white bloomers, white socks, black shoes, and thin plastic silver-colored glasses (they've got round frames and the round part over the nose, with straight arms).





The book that this Mini Molly came with is a hardcover parchment colored edition of Meet Molly Book 1. The pages have words and illustrations but it's not the complete first book inside. The back cover shows the six-book series, and the copyright page says 2001, so I guess that might narrow this doll down to 2001-2002.





The other Mini Molly that I have is similar in many ways (fabric body, rooted brown hair, painted eyes, same type of outfit), so I'll try to highlight the differences.

Her packaging is in a bright red "American Girl"-branded box with the big cellophane window that shows the whole Mini Molly. The back of this package has a 2015 copyright. Mini dolls started getting all-vinyl bodies in 2014, but I think the Mini Molly dolls were still getting fabric bodies after that.



Like the earlier Mini Molly, this one has a neck strings and a fabric body. This one has a '©American Girl" lightly imprinted on the back of the neck, and she has two body tags, one that says American Girl and the other with some sort of code (looks like 1410NF). Her limbs all move with greater ease and she is much more pliable than her older counterpart. Her bangs lay flatter, and I think she has a bit more face color as well.









Her clothes are generally pretty similar, with only minor difference. The sweater has a Velcro closure instead of snaps, the collar lays flatter, and in general it seems like the sweater and the seams are a little less bulky. I think it's an improvement both in terms of how it looks on Molly, and the ease with which you can take it on/off if you want to. There's a little label sewn into the seam of this sweater (with just a code, 0680BKG). The skirt has two labels, one American Girl label and the other a code that matches the doll's body tag (1410NF). The back of the American Girl label has washing instructions to hand wash and line dry. I didn't look at the socks, shoes, or bloomers in detail but they appear to be similar, and I didn't get glasses with this Molly on the secondary market.

Sweaters, side by side, from the back:






The book that this one came with is the blue hardcover Meet Molly that shows her in her Hula Halloween Costume. Like the earlier version, this shows the six-book series on the back and has writing and illustrations inside from two chapters of the actual book. (For some reason, they chose to include Chapter 1 Turnips and Chapter 4 War, but have numbered the pages as if these come sequentially.) This isn't the BeForever-branded book that would have come out in 2014, so I'm guessing this Mini Molly set dates from somewhere between 2004 (when the Meet Book changed to the Halloween Costume) and 2014 (when the cover of the girl-sized books changed again to reflect the BeForever branding). The inside of the book still has the 2001 copyright date.





Overall, I think both of these fabric-bodied dolls are pretty detailed and have some good qualities, most especially the smaller scale. I think either of these versions are good options for people who want dolls for their dolls or who just want to create a smaller scale doll world.



Edited to add -
I'm going to add a bit about the Mini Molly that's being sold as Courtney's Pleasant Company Doll, too, just for comparison purposes.

Courtney's Pleasant Company Doll stands just a bit taller than the other two. Her face seems to be a bit more oblong-shaped, and her bangs are straighter and lay flatter along her forehead. In looking at her eyes, they're a little more rounded at the corners, have less detail painted in the irises, and her eyelashes have a different pattern than both of my earlier fabric-bodied mini Molly dolls. I think there's something a little less friendly-looking about her (maybe a missing sparkle in her eye?), but that's just my opinion and she's still pretty cute. Her neck doesn't have either a PC or AG imprint, although I think there is some kind of imprint on her vinyl lower back or bum area.





Even though Courtney's PC Doll has an all-vinyl body, the outfits for all three of these dolls are similar. Like the others, this doll's sweater has the blue and red argyle design with green accent threads, solid blue sleeves and back, and attached white collar with the embroidered zigzag design. It looks virtually the same from the front (the zigzags on the collar might just be a touch closer together?), but the back has a long strip of the no-snag Velcro which extends almost to the bottom of the sweater. The very bottom is still sewn together, so the sweater will still need to be pulled over Molly's head, but this bigger opening should make it much easier to do so. There are two labels sewn into the inside side seam of the sweater; one is the American Girl branding tag and the other has the code 1600NF.

Courtney’s PC Doll is on the right in the following photos.






The skirt on Courtney's Pleasant Company Doll also looks very similar to the others, but it also has differences worth mentioning. First, it seems to be made from a thinner material, so the hems and seams have less bulk. Second, whereas the two other skirts that I have each have a separate waistband and two seams (one seam with a Velcro closure and one on the opposite side of the skirt), Courtney's PC Doll skirt has an elastic waistline and only one seam. This doll also has two labels sewn in the skirt's side seam; matching the sweater, one is the American Girl brand tag and the other has the code 1600NF. I don't see any care instructions on the clothing labels for Courtney's PC Doll.





Finally, I haven't completely undressed this doll so can't speak much to the bloomers (at quick glance they appear to be the same or similar to other versions) or to the socks and shoes, but I did take a couple photos so you can see the comparison. You can see that the ankle socks still have the seam going up the back, adding a bit of bulkiness there. It looks like there have been subtle changes to the soles of the Courtney's PC Doll's shoes (they extend a bit less beyond the rest of the shoe), and there has also been a slight change to the upper, so that a little less of the sock is exposed between the toe covering and the strap of her Mary Janes.





Courtney's PC Doll came with plastic glasses that I never took out of their package, and also a parchment colored mini paper back book. Unlike the other dolls' books that I have, the back of this book seemed to have some special markings that showed it's a mini-book and not just a scaled down facsimile of the bigger books. The inside seems to similarly contain just a couple of chapters, but this mini-book doesn't have a title page at all - It just goes right into Chapter 1: Turnips!

Although Kira was the Girl of the Year 2021, this outfit was released in 2022. Here’s the official description as well as some additional thoughts and photos about the different pieces.



SKU#: HHR08 $40

Kira wears this outfit to remind others about all the adorable adoptable animals out there looking for homes, like the kittens she rescued in her home state, Michigan. It includes:

A blue tie-dye tank that says “Adopt Don’t Shop” on the front in pink - This white tank, with its dark blue tie dye pattern on the front and back, closes with a single Velcro strip up the back. The pink lettering is stylized with a paw print taking the place of the letter “o” in “Adopt” and a bone underlining it, and each letter has a black shadow to make it stand out a bit more. I like the message even though I’m not a big fan of the lettering. I appreciate that the armholes on the tank pretty much align with the fabric/vinyl transition on the doll, as it’s a personal pet peeve when this transition is very noticeable. Grade: B+





A long-sleeved black-and-white plaid shirt to layer over the tank - The outfit is only advertised with this shirt tied around Kira’s waist, so I wasn’t sure if it would even fit as a regular shirt. It has real, functional buttons going down the front and on each cuff, which were surprisingly easy to button and unbutton. The sleeves have to be unbuttoned for Kira’s hands to go through them, and they work best cuffed and pushed up, since the extra length that allows for tying around the waist also means that the sleeves extend well past her hands when rolled down. When worn buttoned, the shirt is kind of a boxy unflattering shape, especially with the misaligned plaids in front. However, it works fine either unbuttoned and worn as an over-shirt or tied around the waist as advertised. Grade: A-





Tied around the waist:


Real buttons:


One sleeve hanging down past Kira’s hand, the other cuffed and pushed up (also notice how janky the boxy cut and mismatched plaid looks when buttoned):


Looks much better unbuttoned and with both sleeves pushed up (use your imagination for a tank underneath):


A pair of white shorts - These are great. I’m guessing they’re twill but they look like denim, with real, functional pockets in the front and back, a frayed-edge bottom, and a Velcro closure topped with a decorative silver button. These have a plastic oval vanity tag on the bottom. Grade: A







Paired with her meet shirt:


And paired with the yellow shirt and sandals from her Comfy Camping outfit (plus the multicolor bucket hat from Evette’s Chill Twill and Tie Dye outfit):


A pink bucket hat with a pawprint pattern - I like the pink and I like bucket hats, but in my opinion the white paw print with navy outlines make this a little more juvenile than most of the rest of Kira’s collection. It’s well made and the paw print is on message with the theme of the outfit, but I think the print will also limit its use. Grade: C



The pink is a perfect match to the vest in Kira’s Casual Outfit (even though the vest is oddly described as “light-purple”):


A pair of black boots with white laces - These are okay. They’re very lightweight but have the tread detail on the bottom, and although I think it’s odd that they’re worn without socks, it does make them very easy to slide them on and take them off without having to untie the laces. The color and style make them fairly versatile, and i like how they balance the black and white plaid shirt. Grade: B+





Overall, I think this is a nice set with a lot of versatile pieces. Although they all work together, they’re also flexible enough to work with other pieces in Kira’s collection and with other AG pieces in general. The original retail price is high, but if purchased on sale or at a discount for about $28-30 I’d give it an A.

I agree with much of what was written in Lady Lena’s review above, so I’m just going to add a few additional thoughts and photos.

This outfit was part of Kira’s debut collection in 2021, and it’s still available in late 2022. The price is now $34.



This is what it looks like on Kira:



Both the shirt and the jumper have a single strip of Velcro up the back.



I really like the lettuce edge sleeves on the shirt and the embroidery on the jumper.



The pattern on the shoes is cute, although I’m generally not a fan of thong sandals on AG feet.



Here’s the headband on Kira. As noted, it has very little stretch, and it’s by far the most difficult part of this outfit to put on.



One final photo showing some of the mix and match potential: Here’s Kira pairing the shirt and sandals from the Comfy Camping Outfit with the white shorts from Kira’s Adopt Don’t Shop Outfit. (It’s topped with the bucket hat from the World By Us Chill Twill & Tie Dye Outfit - it’s not part of Kira’s collection, but I love how the yellow and purple in the hat complement her pieces so well).

I was just looking at my sweet Corinne and realized I had not reviewed her since getting her in February. First, let me say, she has such a sweet face. I don't mind the extra eyelashes as I don't really look at the dolls when they are in their beds so it doesn't bother me. At first I thought I was going to have to re-wig her because I've never been a fan of colored hair. But once I got her and saw that her hair is mostly black in the front and the color is more on the tips in the front and in back I decided not to. The color is also becoming IMHO and blends in with the overall color scheme of her clothes and accessories. I am very happy that I have her as part of my doll family.

From the American Girl website:

Brown Eyes, High-Top Curly Dark-Brown Hair, Deep Skin with Neutral Undertones (#30)

A Truly Me™ doll is a friend who knows just how to celebrate who your child is right now. A little artsy? 100% sporty? Someone who is simultaneously strong and wild and sweet? Mix and match to create an outfit of the day that expresses a vibe in exactly the right way.

http://instagram.com/p/Ci_MU7ts2uQ

Premium features:

The 18" Truly Me™ doll has lifelike eyes that open and close smoothly, realistic hair that can be styled, a soft cotton body, and a movable head and limbs made of smooth vinyl.

http://instagram.com/p/Ci_MXR3MW58

Includes:

A heathered-gray T-shirt with printed graphics, camo-print shorts, a pair of briefs, and a pair of white high-top sneakers
The All About Us journal

He's a very very cute boy doll, and uses the same mold as the now retired 76 doll. Here, the skintone is closer to Addy (similar or same to retired 77, too)

The underwear is the exact same underwear. If you have any TM boys, you have this set of boxer-briefs.

The t-shirt is a nice, medium weight heather knit. I'd wear it myself. I've tried it on older Mattel dolls and it fits fine.

The shorts are t-shirt material, similar weight, and look fine as lounge wear.

Thankfully, the shoes are thin pleather with elastic laces. No more molded on sneakers for our boy dolls (or our girl dolls, either). While I don't care for the lavender laces, they look fine with the shoes and they're rather gender neutral.

A+ here for me. I would watch out for eyebrow and lip application, as well as wig placement. I had to go through a few dolls to find this guy right here.

I completely missed this when my Claudie was trying on this outfit, but you're absolutely right. I stand corrected - thank you - and I'll also correct that info in the original review.

Released in August 2022.

Timeless design meets starlet shine. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—puts 1920s glamour in the spotlight with this special-edition outfit that shines from head to toe. Includes:
A wide black headband adorned with rose-gold sparkle foil and a button accent in front
A black long-sleeved top with allover rose-gold print and fabulous faux-fur trim at the wrists and neckline
A satin pleated skirt with rose-gold sequin accents that sparkle as she spins
Black tights woven with sparkly thread
Shiny black shoes dotted with clear rhinestones on the ankle straps




This lovely ensemble was one of three special edition outfits released at Claudie’s debut in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row designer Samantha Black and inspired by the 1920s. So far at my house, Claudie and Gabriela have both tried this on, so pictures of each are interspersed through this review. Here’s the official AG description, along with additional photos and thoughts about each piece.


SKU#: HMJ51 $48

Timeless design meets starlet shine. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—puts 1920s glamour in the spotlight with this special-edition outfit that shines from head to toe.

Includes:
A wide black headband adorned with rose-gold sparkle foil and a button accent in front - When I first tried the outfit on Claudie, in all honesty I didn’t think the headband would fit. It’s made of a thick material that has no stretch, all sewn together in a loop with a seam at the back, and I was convinced that I’d mess up Claudie’s hair if I even tried to put it on. I eventually worked up the nerve to put it on Gabriela first, and then to try it on Claudie - and to my surprise, it does fit (and I think it looks kind of cute, too!) There’s a photo of Claudie wearing it at the top of this review, so here are a couple with Gabriela and also some close ups of different angles on Claudie. My overall impression of the headband is that it’s made to last, and I like the contemporary vibe and how it coordinates with the rest of the outfit; the black and rose-gold foil fabric is the same that’s used in the top, and the large round button, with the decorative six-pointed embellishment, goes well with the champagne-colored skirt and adds interest without being too busy or overbearing. However, it’s not my favorite headpiece. I’m concerned that leaving it on for very long might flatten Claudie’s curls, and I kind of wish it had some stretch to it. I think I also might’ve preferred a nice knotted headscarf, which also would’ve had a contemporary feel, but hey, I’m not the designer. Grade: B









A black long-sleeved top with allover rose-gold print and fabulous faux-fur trim at the wrists and neckline - This is a very nice, quality piece. The black fabric with the rose-gold foil print is nice and thick and seems like it’s made to last. It closes with a single strip of Velcro up the back, and the warm champagne-colored faux fur at the neckline and wrists is very soft and high quality. Here’s a picture untucked (so you can see the length), and also a close up and a picture of the inside (to see the fabric tag sewn inside and the black back-side of the top’s fabric). Grade: A







A satin pleated skirt with rose-gold sequin accents that sparkle as she spins - This is another really high-quality piece in the set. The thick champagne-colored satin skirt has a very luxe feel. Evenly-spaced pleats go all the way around the skirt, each about 1/2 inch wide, and there’s a Velcro closure in the back. The seven pleats in the front of the skirt each have a vertical line of rose-gold colored sequins; these start at the hemline and rise to varying heights, with the tallest just off center. This vertical element adds an Art Deco vibe that works well in the 1920s-inspired outfit. A plastic oval AG vanity tag is sewn on to the waistband of the skirt. The waist is slightly loose on both Gabriela and Claudie, which allows ample room for both tights and the tucked-in top (by which point it’s snug but not tight). I haven’t tried the skirt on other dolls, but I suspect an older, thicker-waisted doll could also wear this skirt, just without all the extra layers underneath. Grade: A





Black tights woven with sparkly thread - These also seem to be good quality. There’s a tag sewn into the back, and the heel area has some extra fabric so there isn’t bunching at the front of the foot. The sparkly thread doesn’t appear to have the same rose-gold as other pieces of the outfit, but this all works together. Grade: B+





Shiny black shoes dotted with clear rhinestones on the ankle straps - These shiny back shoes are thankfully flat (with just the usual heel piece), making them very easy to stand and balance in. Each ankle strap has three clear rhinestones and closes with Velcro. They don’t feel like particularly substantial shoes, but they’re fine and functional and go with the outfit. Grade: B





Overall, I’m impressed with the quality and design of this outfit, and I think it’s a really nice melding of contemporary design with 1920s inspiration. The colors, construction, and quality are all very nice, and while it’s not typically the kind of thing I dress my dolls in, I really like the outfit as part of the special edition HFR set and on its own. At $48 it’s a little pricy, and taking that into consideration I’d probably rate it a B+. If it were closer to $40, I’d give it a solid A.

Here’s a picture of the back of the box, with information about Harlem’s Fashion Row and designer Samantha Black (the front of the box is at the top of the review), and one more photo of Claudie.

Released in August 2022.

Soulful jazz meets modern pizazz. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—composes a modern take on 1920s style in this special-edition outfit that pairs a playful dress silhouette with a little bit of luxe. Includes:
A blue satin dress with a high neck, lace accents, and a scalloped-edge hem
A creamy white, curly faux-fur coat that adds an exquisite touch for evening events
A large satin hairbow made to match
Shiny black shoes with thin straps and low heels that are just right for a night of dancing!


This special edition outfit was one of three Harlem's Fashion Row collaborations released as part of Claudie’s debut. It’s meant to be a modern outfit inspired by the 1920s. Here’s the official description from American Girl, along with additional photos and thoughts about each piece.


SKU#: HMJ50. $48

Soulful jazz meets modern pizazz. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—composes a modern take on 1920s style in this special-edition outfit that pairs a playful dress silhouette with a little bit of luxe.

Includes:
A blue satin dress with a high neck, lace accents, and a scalloped-edge hem - The dress is my favorite part of this outfit. It’s a gorgeous shade of deep turquoise blue that I think looks lovely on Claudie and would probably look great on many other dolls, too. The basic silhouette is a sleeveless sheath dress, with a single strip of Velcro up the back. It has a high neck with ruffled lace, a mesh panel on the upper chest, lace trim around the chest and waist, and lace and embroidery near the scalloped bottom. The detailing on the top part of the dress only goes around the front, and all of the details are the same monochrome jewel tone color. A plastic oval vanity tag is on the bottom. I think it seems well made. Grade: A











A creamy white, curly faux-fur coat that adds an exquisite touch for evening events - This is what the coat looks like coming out of the box, and then on Claudie. I think the coat is a cute idea, but design-wise, I don’t love how it covers so much of this very pretty dress. I’ll probably try some other jackets with the dress. Even worse than the design, though, is the quality. The curly faux fur was shedding everywhere (luckily it didn’t stick on Claudie’s dress), and it also was lined with some kind of cheap white satiny fabric that made crinkly sounds whenever it was touched. Not a fan. Fit-wise, the coat has plenty of room, and even though it doesn’t have a button or other fastener, it could still easily be pulled closed. (I intentionally tried to leave it partly open in my photo - which makes me think that even a bigger PC doll might be able to wear it, although I haven’t tried it.) If it stops shedding, I may use it with some other outfits, because I don’t hate the design, I just don’t want to cover up this dress. Grade: C





A large satin hairbow made to match - Oops, I didn’t get a very clear photo of this, but it’s a large satin hair bow that’s affixed to a clip, so easy to place and use. It’s made of the same fabric as the dress. Grade: B+



Shiny black shoes with thin straps and low heels that are just right for a night of dancing! - Um, no. These shiny black plastic shoes have a Velcro strap around the ankle and another across the toes. They’re super lightweight (and by that I mean that they feel cheap), and the kitten heels make them just right for a night of falling over, not a night of dancing. This was the worst part of the outfit . Grade: D-



Overall, I would say the pretty and well-made dress is the star of this show, but $48 is a lot to pay for the dress. I think I’d give the overall outfit a C if purchased at full price, but I’d raise the grade if purchased at a discount. In my opinion, I’d feel like I got a good deal if I paid $30-35 for the outfit, or even just for the dress.

Here are some more pictures of the front and back of the pieces, along with a photo from the back of the box, which highlights Harlem's Fashion Row and designer Samantha Black.

This item was officially released with Claudie's collection in August 2022. It was on display at the start of the release, and became available for purchase a week or two afterward.


This authentically styled 1920s bakery is full of delicious details! It’s designed after Angelo's Bakery in Harlem where Claudie's father makes elaborately decorated cakes.

Premium features:
A three-panel bakery with a wall that hinges inward. The store side features printed art and a built-in storage cabinet with decorative detail. The bakery side features printed detail and built-in oven with a door that opens to "bake" food items.
A three-tiered bakery case and checkout counter with a gold "Angelo's Bakery" logo on front window. It’s designed to display baked goods with extra space along one side for the cashbox and checkout.
A bakery prep table with hooks to hold utensils and a lower shelf for extra storage. Just like the real thing, it has side panels to keep dry goods like flour and baking soda from flying off the sides.
A three-level bakery cart to transport baked goods from back-of-house to front of bakery.

Also includes:
Era-authentic checkout counter: A black and gold cash box and faux money including three faux dollar bills, five pennies, three nickels, and two quarters, five price signs, three-tier display tray for holding fruit, and an apron
Kitchen gear: A mixing bowl, a whisk, a large spoon, a set of measuring cups, an icing bag, a masher, a flour sifter, a rolling pin, a baking pan, 3 different sized baking sheets, 2 clear pie pans, an oven paddle, a cake stand, and a serving knife
Sweet treats: Baked goods including banana coconut fritters, a lemon cake with white icing, a guava orange cake roll, a chocolate cake, a sweet potato pie, a strawberry pie, a pineapple upside-down cake, a loaf of braided bread, three pretzels, two loaves of rye bread, and two baguettes
All the ingredients: Loads of baking ingredients including a carton of six eggs, a bag of flour, a box of baking soda, a box of oats, a can of pineapple slices, a bottle of olive oil, a bottle of milk, jars of sugar and brown sugar, a jar of strawberry filling, a clump of rolled dough, and fruit including lemons, bananas, and berries


Angelo's Bakery - $295.00

We went to the American Girl store on September 8th with high hopes of bringing Angelo’s Bakery from Claudie’s collection to Islandshire. (You all know, we’re doll “food crazy” around here!) I took a bunch of photos (seen here), and we were able to spend a long time in front of the open display to handle each piece of furniture and food. Mom, Sis and I spent ten days talking about it and looking at the pictures before writing this review below. It's a joint effort from the three of us, because I wanted to make sure that we weren’t just reacting to a disappointing display. That simply isn’t the case, though. Ten days of looking at photos and discussion haven’t changed our minds. I published this to my blog a couple days ago and have waited to post it here -- giving us some time to read it over four more times and make sure there wasn't anything to add or change. This isn't a reactionary review, and I really hate feeling this way about a piece that seems so exciting. Please remember, this is made up of the personal opinion of three adults. Feel free to disagree in a friendly manner, because this is just our own feeling. I hope this review helps all of you to make a decision you’ll be happy with when it comes to purchasing such a pricey item.

While we try to review items with both display/photo adults and playing children in mind, the price of this set makes it impossible for any of the three of us to justify a recommendation to either crowd. Some of you will say, “Those are just retreads, and we all have those pieces already.” Others will say, “My family doesn’t own any of those pieces, so it’s all fresh and exciting to us.” We really tried to keep open minds when reviewing this (and any new items), because every buyer hasn’t been collecting for decades. This time, regardless of which group you fall into, we believe that AG has dropped any pretense at quality and overpriced what could only before have passed as a Walmart or Target set. Sad, considering they had the opportunity to produce one of their bestselling items ever. A lot of people have been waiting for a bakery (and/or a donut shop, of course), and all little kids love play food.

The whole Bakery Set was on open-display at an AG store, and the three of us spent a lot of time handling it. They had the third panel folded up against the wall, so I couldn't show the whole thing open. You’ll get to kinda see it from the back, though.

Let’s cut straight to the bottom line. This is a below-one-star review. I'm not going to use the word “quality”, even preceded by the word “low”. All three of us thought it was really cheaply constructed and a huge disappointment (especially considering the price tag). I know that Mattel owns and produces American Girl items, but they seem to have lost sight of the fact that they are not selling this to the Barbie crowd. Not with these prices. Collectors aside (which Mattel should not make the mistake of doing), it’s difficult for me to justify spending this much money on AG’s real market audience (more of the 6-9 year olds, not the 10-12 year olds they advertise to). If quality isn’t an issue for your small kids, perhaps the same money spent at any or all of the big-box stores selling 18″ doll playsets would give you more for your money. Surely, parents with small children can find something to buy that gives a dollar-for-dollar value. And, in my opinion, this is not it.



The main section (i.e., the short three-panel wall) does not open all the way, or it would fall over. (Those non-removable, thick, white plastic pieces inserted into the hinged areas stick out and prevent you from opening it all the way.) Not very helpful for static display or photo play. It looks like a science-fair board that’s been folded backwards. The sides on a science-fair board usually point forward during display of the project. This bakery is very disconcerting with its backward orientation. But this is the least of the problems, really.



American Girl couldn’t decide whether the “front side” was supposed to be the outside of a bakery building or an inside wall. And, if inside, was the wall in the kitchen where Claudie’s father baked or in the front of the store where people could see the day’s inventory and choose what they wanted? I can only imagine that “decision fatigue” caused the AG designers to just say “throw it all in on the one side” and use a lot of printed designs and molded plastic on the fiberboard to make it look like they meant for it to look like this.









The back side appears to have been a last-minute thought, with that molded-plastic “oven” complete with handle that none of us could move. We think it’s supposed to have moved that spring-loaded door up and down, but we pushed hard enough that we were afraid we’d break the handle off and it still didn’t do a thing. Think Barbie house. Cheap plastic. (Take a look at the already bowed grey oven “handle”.) That’s all printed designs on the back, except for the “oven” in the center and gold hook on the left side. How are you supposed to fold the piece up, since both sides have 3d components? How does it come shipped to you? Do you have to assemble it? We couldn’t figure it out. One thing’s certain, though. You won’t be able to fold this piece and store it flat after you’ve set it up. Given that AG’s site says it’s 11.2″ deep when folded, and after lots of looking at the store, we’re assuming that the best you can hope for is to just fold the sides at a right angle to the center panel for storage. (If we’re wrong, please let me know.) AG didn’t even try to hide those ugly hinges back there, like they did on Maryellen’s diner wall and Nanea’s market. Construction of “the wall” is MFD (fiberboard). Metal hinge screws and heavy fiberboard. Not a good combo. Especially with a lot of folding back and forth. Since it’s just a single hinged wall and not like the two furniture pieces we just mentioned, which have a solid piece of building holding itself up, it probably won’t be long before hinge and wall start to separate.





The three pieces of cheap plastic “furniture” are not as nice as the Our Generation Juice Bar of a couple years ago, and they’re a lot smaller in scale. Definitely too small for us to use with an 18″ doll. The “work table” is ridiculously cheap and way too small for the dolls. It’s a plastic top with a cheap-looking wood-grain printed MFD for the base.





The plastic three-tier cart has plastic “wheels” that don’t roll or move (just plastic molded to look like wheels). The sides are thin, hollow plastic; the shelves are cheap plastic like the Grand Hotel.





The short display case has the same cheap plastic construction. It looks like an off-brand piece when compared with Maryellen’s Seaside Diner BAKERY CASE. (Which is still available at AG for $95 and is, in our opinion, one of the BEST sets they’ve ever produced. Quality construction, lots of accessories and food, cash register, and –best of all — everything is perfectly sized for 18″ dolls.) Since there is nothing 1920s-specific about the design of Claudie’s bakery pieces, we recommend you buy Maryellen’s Bakery Set and add your own food items. Besides, her Dad was famous for his cakes, not pies and pretzels. You should be able to do a much better set-up if you look around for other 18″ doll sets. The same $298 would get you a nicer lot with a little bit of online looking around and shopping.





The cake/fruit display tray is made of what looks like PVC-pipe-like plastic and is very cheap in the hand. Even the color-that-looks-like-PVC is a turn-off.



You’ll recognize most of the food, ingredients and kitchen utensils from various previous AG releases, many of which are still floating around out there. However, a couple of them were worse than previous pieces and should never have been released by AG. The pastry blender (black handle with silver blades in the first photo) compares to the red spaghetti server in AG’s Italian Dinner Set (as pitiful a piece of plastic as you’ll ever see). I use a pastry blender quite often and have always wanted one for my dolls. What a disappointment! And the frosting bag feels like a solid piece of resin and is so ridiculously tiny that even a doll wouldn’t try to use it. The faux pottery bowl on the bottom of the shelf in the second photo appears to be a retread from Kit’s Preserves set.





This brings us to the “Claudie pieces”. Some of them are hybrids, while others are new molds, but we want to say that we wouldn’t include any of them in a single photo if they were free to us. They don’t look like food. They’re hunky, wrong-shaped, strangely colored and very unappetizing. What did they think they were doing? The pineapple-upside down cake (??!!!!!) is Blaire’s cornbread pan filled with four pieces of something that’s been molded and finished in a non-edible color, looking like someone poured a super thick, shiny epoxy into a mold with no detail. The “lemon cake with white glaze” (think Bitty Baby) and “guava roll cake” are Barbie at its worst. The banana fritters were, according to my sister, “disgusting”. (They’re in the second photo, on the silver tray to the right.) She says, “I wouldn’t buy those to repaint, even. They looked like three-in-one anemic buns with a rectangular misprint on the side and maggots on top.” (My sister is usually very calm and reserved.) The pies were recolored Sonoma-Williams pie sets.









We’ve saved the rectangular “chocolate cake” for last. The photo says it all (just like the pineapple and guava pieces). That’s printing on the end of the plastic. Plastic as cheap as a Barbie set ever got. I’d hate to think what Claudie’s father (famous for his window-display cakes) would think of this. Not happy, I’m sure. Oh, maybe this is Claudie’s effort at decorating from Book One. No, that’s not it. I’ve seen the illustration, and even her first attempt with a round layer cake shames this. I have no idea why they think this would help a buyer justify spending $298 on this set.



The only thing we’d actually own were the two round “rye bread” loaves (shown left of sign). They were surprisingly nice, made of a heavy resin. (That thing at the bottom that looks like a baby’s sorting ring is the pineapple cake. Sorry that I had to show it to you again.) Unfortunately, $298 for two loaves of resin bread is a bit out of our budget (smile).



The cash box is a less-than-Barbie-worth piece, with its coins that even AG won’t show on their site. They aren’t coins, just thick plastic discs. (The black check marks on the pieces are the store’s way of marking display pieces and won’t be on what you buy.)









The jar of jam is one piece of molded plastic. There is no lid. And the “jam” is a thin ring of plastic stuck against the inner walls of the “jar”. If you look at the second photo, where you’re looking through the bottom, what you’re seeing is a hollow plastic tube. And, near the far end, that’s the “layer of jam” that you would see from the top. The canisters marked “sugar” and “brown sugar” are one-piece plastic “jars” (no lids) filled with loose mylar glitter. Like the kind you use for crafting. That sticks with static all over the inside of the plastic containers.







When we first saw AG’s online site photos for this bakery, we looked all over for the usual photo of all the accessories included in the set. Having handled the piece up close, it's obvious why they don’t show you. They’re probably too embarrassed. Or they don’t want you to see what you’d be paying for. Either way, this set is unworthy of the American Girl brand -- or, at least, the reputation they've had. That’s my opinion, anyway. If it had been in one of the big-box stores for, say, $99, you might consider it for child’s play. I definitely do not recommend buying this set. If you have your heart set on it, though, I recommend that you find a way to see it in person first.

This item was released in August 2022.

Claudie's Bed for 18-inch Dolls - $150.00
AG Description: At bedtime, Claudie's little brother often asks her to put on a puppet show for him. Claudie sets up a cardboard stage at the end of the bed, and the show begins!

Premium features:
A blue wood-frame bed with raised and printed details on the headboard and footboard, crafted in the same 1920s style Claudie would have had

Also includes:
A stuffed mattress pad
A bedspread with detailed flower embroidery
A cylindrical-shaped pillow that spans the width of the bed
Two decorative pillows with ruffled fabric edging

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Typical American Girl bedding. For those who like composite-wood construction, this is probably a winner. It weighs an absolute ton, though. There is no “spring” under the bedding, just a solid piece of the same fiberboard. The decoration is as you see in the photos. Nothing specifically 1920s about it, but it would work just fine with all the AG doll lines. If you don’t mind paying $150 for it, that is.















FYI: Do remember that MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is not real wood. It’s a compressed board made of small wood particles and a resin/wax glue (urea formaldehyde) which are classified as Group 1 carcinogens. There is always a certain amount of toxic outgasing of these chemicals going on (worse when new), which often results in an unpleasant chemical odor with associated health risks. While many of you won’t be able to smell it, those sensitive to smells or prone to allergies may react adversely to being near or in a room with MDF items. For this reason, it’s suggested that you talk to your child’s doctor before buying this bed or the new TM Dollhouse (or any other MDF/composite wood product). I would personally never suggest having these items in your child’s bedroom or any unventilated room (even more so if the room becomes warm and/or humid).

Here are photo copies of the booklet that comes with Molly’s scenes and settings.