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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 9:23am | IP Logged
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We are going to be in Minneapolis this summer and I was thinking about taking the girls to the store at the Mall of America. We aren't looking to spend a fortune, just poke around a bit and have some girl time. I have a weird question, though. Some of our dolls are official AG but we also have 2 of the Vision Forum dolls that we purchased the year AG was being boycotted for those dumb bracelets.  If you've been to the stores before, are there girls there with non AG dolls, or is that tacky and should I just tell my girls to leave their dolls at home?
I'm also open to any suggestions for planning ahead or anything else you want to tell me about the stores. My girls are so excited!
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 9:34am | IP Logged
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Well, I would BRING THEM!!!!!!!!!  18 inch dolls are 18 inch dolls!!!!!!!!  Who cares????? And, if anyone SAYS ANYTHING, you just bop them in the nose with the Liberty Doll!!!!! 
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Suzanne in ID
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Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 9:37am | IP Logged
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Books,
I think if you are spending money in their store, they are not going to care what doll you bring. That is just my 2 cents.
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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DianaC
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 9:58am | IP Logged
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We went to the Chicago American Girl Store this spring and I called ahead and reserved a couple of spots for tea to celebrate her birthday. Since I remembered hearing that they were particular about bringing other dolls, I specifically asked if we would have any problems. The reservation agent was very kind and assured us that it is absolutely fine to bring any doll.
My daughter brought her all time favorite dolly - a "Little Mommy" doll that can actually fit the bitty baby doll outfits and they "both" had a fabulous time. 
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Sarah M
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 11:26am | IP Logged
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Yep. I agree- bring them!
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 1:39pm | IP Logged
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Well, with your encouragement, I got brave and called them to ask. 
She said they can bring whatever doll they'd like. She said that if they wanted to go to the doll hair salon, I *might* be given the option to sign a waiver since they can't guarantee how the hair will behave. And they won't pierce the ears of any non American Girl doll (or Bitty Babies, apparently). So I guess that's a mixed answer. She also told me they have loaner dolls for the girls to carry around in the store, but that doesn't seem much fun to me...
I'm not sure we'd take advantage of any of the salon/earring options. If you've been, what did you do while you were there and what would you absolutely recommend?
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 1:42pm | IP Logged
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We went to the one in NYC, we did a lot of shopping and had tea.
I wouldn't go for the ear piercing personally, just one more accessory to keep track of in my opinion.
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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anitamarie
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| Posted: July 13 2009 at 3:15pm | IP Logged
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We just went to the one in Chicago a few weeks ago with my 2 dds and my sister and her 2 girls. We did do the hair salon and ear piercing. One of our dolls desperately needed hair services , and my dd really wanted pierced ears for her doll. Maybe because we won't let her have hers done.
We also had the lunch there, which was fun for the girls, too. Even my littlest had fun with her Bitty Baby.
We did do a little shopping. Only with money my dd was able to save up before the trip.
Go, bring whatever doll you like and take your camera. (We sent my dh and boys to the Field Museum while we did this. Way too much pink for them! )
Anita
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Carole N.
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| Posted: July 14 2009 at 2:47am | IP Logged
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We went to the one in Chicago with a group of moms and daughters. We shopped, had brunch, and saw the play. Some of the girls did the hair salon, but my dd had just received her doll for her 10th birthday. I did not know that you could pierce their ears, but I am with Mary Chris, just something else to keep up with.
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Carole ... in Wales
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: July 14 2009 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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I went to the library yesterday and checked out a pile of AG books for the girls to read before we go. They are starting to get excited now. I am thinking we will go and I will let the girls take whatever dolls they want to take, AG or not. Thanks for helping me to be brave about that. I hadn't thought about keeping track of the earrings...yikes! Good point. We'll skip that, I think.
Is it really worth it to eat there? I am thinking ds's and dh will go to the Lego store while we are in AG-Land. We could meet up with them later to eat somewhere else, but if eating in AG Land is something that is a once in a lifetime thing, let me know, please? I don't plan on doing this more than once.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Mary Chris
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Not a once in a lifetime experience. I'm sure you will have lots of other yummy and fun options. I hope you all have fun!
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Aug 08 2009 at 8:07am | IP Logged
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Well, we're back. 2 girls took VF dolls and one took an AG doll. It was *not* a big deal at all, just in case anyone else out there is wondering. 
We were completely overwhelmed, though. My girls had a pre determined amount of spending money they had either saved up (or had birthday money) but once they saw everything, they couldn't make up their minds. We even had tears at one point. It was fun, and it was nice to see how things really look. I've always been curious about the furniture and horses so I enjoyed looking at all of that stuff. And I am still a softie for Bitty Baby, even though my girls think they are all "past that". 
We came home with Kirsten's St. Lucia Day Crown and gown for one child, Kit's dog and green birthday dress for another child, and someone's (Elizabeth's?) Pink "riding dress" for my third girl, which is gorgeous! And I see stick on earrings probably on someone's Christmas list. These aren't as much of a crisis if they get lost, kwim?
So now I have an entirely new question. Would you buy a girl more than one 18 inch doll? I'm weird about dolls. I always wanted them to have one or two special and well made dolls they could love rather than piles of dollies with ugly hair and plastic bodies. Each girl has one bitty baby and one 18 inch doll. But I have this hunch that my two younger girls would still like to have a historical doll (Kirsten and Kit, to be specific). I don't want to promote or encourage any sort of have-to-have-it-all attitude in them. And I always loved how Laura Ingalls lavished love on her one special doll. But I left wondering if maybe another doll would encourage dolly play in a different way than they play with them now?
What do you think?
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Angi
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We will buy one doll per girl (technically, my Mom buys the doll ) - after that the girls must save their money and buy any other doll. Dd1 has bought 1 doll and wants to buy another.
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Bookswithtea
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Angi, does she play with both? I hate the thought of spending that much money and it sitting on shelf collecting dust. My girls mostly play with their dolls by dressing them and doing their hair (endlessly doing their hair! ). They don't play with them like girls sometimes play with Barbie type dolls. I'm not sure if they might start playing with them that way if they had another, or not?
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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4 lads mom
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Oh, I can't wait to take Lily one day!! She is getting close...almost two!! I found an AG magazine in a stack I had, and she looked at it for a long time, loved the horses and dogs!! (probably as much as the dolls  )
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Topic: American Girl Store question
