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Post by americanmommy on Apr 26, 2006 17:32:34 GMT -5
Released in 2000, retired in 2018.
Kit loves working at her wooden student desk. It has lots of cubbies and drawers and a pull-out writing board, and the top rolls down to hide clutter. Her chair swivels so she can take a little spin to get her ideas moving!
Kit's Rolltop Desk & Swivel Chair $70 QSF
Grade A+
This set includes Kit's desk and chair.
This set is so beautiful. It is incredibly detailed. I have my Grandfather's swivel chair from the 1930's here, and it looks exactly like Kit's, right down to the golden oak finish and the "adjuster knob on the bottom.The knob does not really adjust anything, it is just decorative, but it looks terrific. The rolltop works nicely, though sometimes you have to work with it just a little bit.The drawers all slide in and out with the greatest of ease, as does the writing board. There areplenty of little nooks and crannies to tuck away Kit's favorite things.
A+ for realistic detail!
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Post by barbara on Jul 11, 2006 8:57:09 GMT -5
I would also give this an A+, I just snagged one from ebay for $35! This has been on my wish list, but I kept putting off spending almost the cost of a doll on it. It's great quality, and the details are fantastic! I would love to have a full size version for myself. The little pull out shelf for her typewriter is a nice detail that could have been overlooked, but wasn't. I would recommend anyone going to the MCM sale to get one whether they have Kit or not!
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Post by monimarine on Jan 20, 2007 8:55:00 GMT -5
I just got this back this week in an exchange order. I agree with the original review giving it an A+. The detail is amazing and the face that all the drawers slide out for use is great for play value. My daughter is thrilled with it.
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Post by Keri on Jul 27, 2007 21:44:38 GMT -5
This is the neatest piece of furniture I've seen yet! ...well, except it's only the second. Things I like: -- The roll top feels like a real roll top, with a flimsy hood that has strips of wood attached. -- The two side drawers and writing tray are secured so they don't come out too easily. -- The chair can be pushed in so that it's almost flush if there isn't a doll in. -- Or, if the doll wants to sit at the desk, she can do so easily with her feet underneath and eveyrthing. -- The chair is a great shape and Beatrice has been able to sit in it no problem, whether she's tucked into the desk or not. -- It looks good from all sides. Things I'm not as fond of: -- The handles on the roll top feel like they're going to break off if I tug on them too hard to open or close it. -- The roll top doesn't move smoothly, making me feel like I need to tug it. -- Overall, the scale is MUCH too small. Beatrice practically towers over the desk and I can't fit her books into one of the lower drawers, which I very much wish I could. -- It can't fold down or anything for storage, which means it's one of the bulkier pieces - not that any of the other desks do, either, but still. For appearance, playability, and storage, I give it an A-. It's fantastic and I'm so glad I puchased it! --- KERI
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Post by kbrzez on Aug 14, 2007 1:25:38 GMT -5
A+
The detail is amazing!! The doll fits well into the chair too. The roll top desk parts makes it so realistic. Kits typewriter fits perfect on the desk and her other treasures fit in to the drawers. Worth every penny.
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maggiedoll
Girl of Many Lands
If what you are saying is true...then I still don't care
Posts: 589
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Post by maggiedoll on Apr 18, 2008 23:30:32 GMT -5
I wanted to post some pictures of the desk as it could work "in use." American Girl catalog has a couple of nice pictures of the typewriter and school supplies with the desk but this will have to do.
I wanted to desk to represent a bookish girl who happens to wear perfectly white dresses.
First of all, as no one at American Girl ever employed the concept of scale? The poor girl towers over her little desk. One could argue that Kit received a child-sized desk back when she was seven or eight yet that does not explain this.
What is the point with cubbies if they don't hold anything? Real roll top desk can hold papers, books and supplies in their cubbies, not a few bits and pieces. The redeeming quality is the drawers. The top drawer holds the pencil box from Samantha's school supplies and Kit's pencil case.
Regardless of the lack of cubbie space the desk top does hold a fair amount of books, a typewriter and a few other things. The top holds the girl's lamp, camera, paper case and inkwell in case Felicity needs to sign something.
My doll's desk holds supplies that come from Kit's Hobo, school, camera, typewriter and nighttime accessories, Samantha's school supplies and a few odds and ends that I thought looked cute.
When I bought this desk, I was expected to be disappointed in the scale. However, I was pleasantly surprised on how much stuff the desk could hold. It could be better but its qualities outweighing the scale issue. I think it passed as the childhood desk of a budding writer and therefore it deserves another A.
*Mod edit to remove dead image links throughout review.
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Post by sarahc on May 7, 2008 6:12:30 GMT -5
Here are dimensions for a real human rolltop desk
54 in W x 29 in D x 53 in H
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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 ceceluvschili on Apr 22, 2009 0:32:33 GMT -5
This may sound like a really stupid question but does Kit's swivel chair actually swivel? We just got Kits desk and chair but the chair is broken and I think its missing a piece but I can't really tell. My husband is really good at fixing things and would like a picture of the bottom of the chair. Would anybody be willing to take a quick picture and post it for me. I would be very grateful. Thanks so much.
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Post by happymargaret on Apr 22, 2009 11:47:34 GMT -5
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Since I cannot give you a picture, here comes some words.
The 4 legged base is firmly connected to a metal plate and cylinder. The cylinder is inserted into a metal half circle "drum" underneath the seat. The plate & cylinder allow the seat to freely rotate. Or, you could hold the seat and be able to spin the wood base and the cylinder. No adjustments can be made as the 'springs' and the wheel are just for 'show.' Opposite the wheel on the semi circle metal 'drum' in between the two 'springs' (metal fake coils), there is a small screw. Maybe if you loosen it a little, it might allow the metal cylinder to move a bit more freely. Just a thought.
I do hope you can get the chair to swivel. Kit's desk & chair are really nice pieces of furniture.
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aggals
Girl of Many Lands
Order of the Llama
Posts: 542
Feedback: Link
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Post by aggals on Apr 22, 2009 19:09:30 GMT -5
This seems to be a common problem and you would have found many chairs at the mcm sale for this very reason.
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Post by AGmom2AlliTori on Jan 29, 2010 16:14:23 GMT -5
Wow, wow & wow! I ordered this desk on January 7, 2009... I finally received it on December 16, 2009. It was worth the wait - however I am still not happy about the uncertainty of possibly not getting it all all. It is the most awesome piece of American Girl furniture - bar none! Photos do not do this desk justice - really. I believe that giving this desk an A+ doesn't even do it justice. It is truly a superb piece! D~ *mod edit to remove dead image links*
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Post by princessemily on Mar 16, 2010 22:16:09 GMT -5
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Post by molly&lydia on May 13, 2010 21:09:45 GMT -5
Kit's Desk and Chair is an incredibly detailed and well made piece that is suitable for either historical or modern dolls. I love it and highly recommend it! A+ The swivel chair: The desk with laptop and a few books: Lydia googling something while Ruby looks over her shoulder: Comparison pic of Desk with my human sized rolltop desk: Comparison pic with the top open: The dolls have no trouble sitting in the chair: Did I mention how much I love this desk?!
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Post by tkimt on Apr 17, 2011 20:20:27 GMT -5
So classic, it looks great in a modern scene too! Here's Molly as a Lanie nature girl, sitting at Kit's rolltop desk:
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Post by sissy on May 24, 2012 16:34:56 GMT -5
Kit's desk is one of my favorite pieces. I simply cannot say enough good about it. Here is a picture of my Kit hard at work on her newest issue of the Hard Times News: *mod edit to remove dead image link*
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lwheeler
American Girl Prototype
Posts: 4,603
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Post by lwheeler on May 25, 2012 9:47:18 GMT -5
I love this desk; it is one of my very favorite AG items…
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numberonekitty
OOAK Customized Doll
Project Dollway Top Designer 2010 Best Set Design 2010
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Post by numberonekitty on May 25, 2012 9:52:15 GMT -5
I'm so happy for you that you finally have Kit's desk. It truly is one of the most awesome things AG makes. I wish all of their items were made with the same attention to detail. Here is my Kit and her desk:
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Post by felicityelizabeth on May 25, 2012 11:44:34 GMT -5
For new owners of Kit's desk: Don't forget about the damage that the typewriter feet can do to the finish of the desk. There must be information somewhere on this site about it.
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Post by skukla on May 26, 2012 10:09:57 GMT -5
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maggiedoll
Girl of Many Lands
If what you are saying is true...then I still don't care
Posts: 589
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Post by maggiedoll on May 26, 2012 18:18:15 GMT -5
I really like Kit's desk, I just wish that it was a bit bigger. In my Kit's world, she got a child size version when she was a bit younger. I do have a word of caution, I kept Kit's pencil box (from her school supplies) in own of the drawers. One day, as I was lifting the pencil box out of the drawer, it fell out of the drawer and into the desk. I still don't know how the desk ate the pencil box. The only way I could get my pencil box was to get the drawer out of the desk, but it will not go back in. Therefore, my Kit's desk now has her drawer separate from the desk. Moral of the story, don't let your desk taste pencil boxes.
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Post by chernayakoshka on Sept 9, 2018 17:02:36 GMT -5
My Backstory: I've always admired Kit's desk as one of the nicest, most intricate pieces of school furniture that AG offered when it hit the market. Unfortunately, my parents weren't really into buying stuff from the company due to the cost (not that I can really blame them), so I never expected to get it and set my young-collector sights elsewhere. When I rediscovered my love for AG in my mid-20's, my husband also developed an enthusiasm for the dolls and their accessories. We visited the AGP Columbus when it opened and he was blown away by Kit's desk and chair! He wanted to get it there and then for me, but we were only just starting off at the time and were short on cash, so I turned down the offer. Skip ahead four years to 2017 and there's a big box under the Christmas tree - it was the desk and chair! He'd remembered that I'd wanted it and had searched eBay (since AG had retired it by then) to find the perfect one. It'll always hold a place near and dear to my heart for that reason alone But enough of that...onto the review! The Desk: This is a seriously cute, well-made piece of furniture. I've seen (human sized) rolltop desks in person and this seems to be the perfect miniature of it. The rolltop actually works, which alone impresses me, and there are several little drawers and a writing shelf that pulls out. As a particularly clumsy individual, I can appreciate that the drawers and shelf don't detach easily, which I'm sure helps them hold up to play. It feels super solid in construction - I'm always careful with my doll stuff, but I can also see it doing just fine with a child actually playing with it - and genuinely seems like a real piece of furniture shrunk down for doll usage. I currently have her school supplies set up on it and it looks very cute. My only complaints are the scale and the rolltop. Others have mentioned that Kit (or any 18 inch doll) towers over the desk. I haven't actually read her books (shame on me!), so I don't know if it's meant to be maybe be a child's version of a proper rolltop desk that she was given at some point as a child, but either way the scale looks off to me when displaying it. I was also a little sad to discover that none of her school supplies properly fit into the cubbies above the desk. The cubby drawer and lower drawers are suitably big enough to hold stuff, but the cubbies won't hold anything that I currently have. Additionally, the rolltop feels a little fragile. It's possibly stronger than it feels, but I'm always worried about either breaking off one of the handles or pulling the whole thing apart. I've never played with any of the real rolltops I've encountered, so maybe this is accurate, but it makes me afraid to actually close and open the desk. The Chair: The chair is a doll-sized swivel chair, which is fantastic! It supports the doll wonderfully and fully swivels. It even has the mechanics of a real chair underneath (they don't work like a real chair, but it's a nice touch nonetheless). I can't ask for much more in a doll chair! All in all, I give Kit's desk and chair a very solid A. It'd be an A+ if not for the scale problems and delicate feeling of the rolltop. I'm still very happy to have it in my collection!
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Post by keeperofthepast on Jun 21, 2023 17:08:17 GMT -5
A friend of mine has this and I was recently able to see it. it looks just like a real rolltop desk. i love that the chair swivels. It looks just like the real thing scaled down. It even has room to store a bunch of little items inside. So cute!
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