Trading Accessories (RETIRED)

[QNPoohBear]

This item was introduced in 2017 and retired in 2019. Kaya's toy horse is inspired by ones in Kaya's Hero and Changes for Kaya, the flute appears in Kaya's Hero.

Includes: A horse toy Kaya made out of twigs to trade, A faux abalone shell, A pretend wooden flute, 2 quill work plaques and 2 faux-fur wraps for her hair, A bracelet Kaya might have received from a girl in another tribe, A choker necklace made to look like quillwork, Colorful beads on lacing, A basket to carry it all.


These accessories are nice enough for being mostly plastic.
Highlights include faux fur hair wraps (comes with instructions)
Quillwork hair ties for the ends of her braids
carved bracelet

Lowlight
Plastic toy horse
plastic flute

Obviously there are hits and misses but overall this is a great set with lots of playability. The basket is more of a bag and it's lined which is weird and I think historically inaccurate. It looks more like the baskets they used as pots and hand-held gathering baskets. I haven't opened the shell but it looks nice. The beads are plastic and not as nice quality as Kaya's original beads on her Meet dress. They're not pony beads but round beads which is probably more accurate. The carved bracelet is really really nice. It is plastic but looks like it is actually carved. The bracelet and choker necklace have a new type of closure- some kind of cord (not leather or waxed cord which would be more historically correct to replace sinew) that slips into the hole on the other side. This makes them a bit tricky to get on but it seems to keep the necklace and bracelet on. The quillwork hair ties are awesome. They are actually made with thread to simulate to the quillwork. They have elastic cords on the back to wrap them on the ends of Kaya's braids.

Grade: A-

[cheshie04]

Let's be real. I'm just excited they made something for Kaya that is new and not a rehash. This set came out in August 2017. I got it for Christmas 2018. I had a friend pick it up in Charlotte as soon as I saw it was not available online. The pieces are mostly plastic, but good for playability. Everything fits in the basket.

[chernayakoshka]

Basket – A

Aside from the inaccuracy of being lined (and I understand why AG made the decision to do this), I have no complaints about the basket. It’s well made and is woven into an attractive pattern. The strap is made of rope with a woven cover to be more comfortable around Kaya’s neck. It’s long enough to fit easily over her head and hang at a comfortable mid-body level for easy access to her trading accessories.

Hair Accessories – A

These get their own little section because they’re the highlight of the set. The braid wraps are made of strips of faux fur and come with instructions to wrap and secure them around Kaya’s braids. They look nice once in place and are easy enough to do. The “quill” hair ties are equally nice, serving to hold the fur ties in place while giving Kaya a pop of colour. The patterning matches the dress, but it’s somehow not as garish here. I can appreciate that there was an attempt to make the embroidery look like quills.

Trading Accessories – B

These are pretty hit and miss. There’s a flute, a “beaded” necklace, a carved bracelet, a beaded bracelet, a shell, and a wooden horse. I like the idea behind these items, but I wish there wasn’t so much plastic in them…or, if that was unavailable, that the plastic had been a little nicer with more attention being given to the detail. Some items, like the beaded bracelet or the shell, don’t look bad, and I’m sure there’s play value in all of it, but I guess I wanted better quality for the price.

Good Value?

I bought this at the full retail price of $36 and I don’t think it’s worth that. Again, it all comes back to quality. There are a lot of items in the set, but most are plastic and lack the detail that I expect from AG.

Overall – B+

This isn’t a bad set – there are a lot of pieces, they feel historically inspired, and I think there’s a lot of play value here for kids. The hair pieces are especially fun. But for the price, the quality is just lacking. I sometimes think that AG doesn’t really know what to do with Kaya and her collection. This set was a step in the right direction, but I hope to see more detail and quality in the future.


All of the various trading goods, still in their bags. I'm immensely grateful that the hair wraps came with instructions!


Kaya with the hair wraps in place, her necklace on, and her trading accessories safely in her basket - she's ready to go!