Tuesday, December 20, 2016

GOTY Gabriela and "Barbie" Packaging

More evidence of the "Barbie" style packaging that will be in full force with Gabriela's debut on January 1st.


Gabriela's Practice Outfit

Gabriela's Practice Outfit looks to be packaged not in a closed compact box but in a full view "window pane" style box reminiscent of how Barbie doll clothes are packaged and sold. Thank you, Hello Savings for the early look!

AG has been introducing "Barbie" style packaging over the past year or so, but it was mostly relegated to items sold through Costco, such as the repackaging of Samantha and her two outfits.


Samantha's Costco Packaging

But we also saw hints of this new direction in GOTY 2016 Lea Clark's collection with how her Three-Toed Sloth, Sea Turtle, and Margay Cat were packaged.


Lea's Three-toed Sloth

While the Lea animals were packaged rather cutely, it is almost impossible to remove some of the her pets and still save the box for future storage. For other items undergoing the Barbie-packaging like the Costco Samantha collection of doll +two outfits, the new packaging is not easily preserved at all and all but impractical to reuse.

Not loving this, AG. 

10 comments:

  1. I don't really approve of this move ethier. The older box styles really separate at from every other doll, and they've been around for years, why change it now, if it's worked for so long?

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  2. I looked and saw a New Trademark today!! Luciana Vega. Girl of the Year 2018??? Thoughts?

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    2. Yes, sounds possible. I recall hearing a rumor of an Italian-American girl doll with a physical disability and the name certainly fits!

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  3. Hopefully it is just packaging for Costco, Kohls, or Toys r Us. I think the packaging looks cheap myself. Part of the allure of AG is the the whole package: quality,packaging g, experience, and this doesn't fit with that.

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  4. I think the packaging is just awful. I don't like the cellophane front, the colours or the font for Gabby's name. I doubt it saves them much so why do it? Their packaging is (was) lovely for gifting and storage. This is actually the first thing I have complained about in my 10 years of collecting. Bad choice AG. Yuck.

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    1. I am not thrilled with Gabriela's signature font, either. I may have to do a post taking a look at the issue even though I know for some the issue of fonts is really the last concern if it even registers at all. I work in small press publications and font is one of the first things I see! And I am also disappointed in the new packaging--I knew there was a reason I hoarded 2/3 of my AG boxes (I sadly did not save them from my earlier years).

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  5. I'm wondering if they are going to use plastic tags to hold the outfit in place. Plastic tags leaves hole in the outfit, and it is wasteful. Also, sometimes when I think I'm done with the plastic tags I poke myself on one, or sometimes they fall on the floor and I step on it. I hope the new package is not at American Girl store.

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    1. I never thought that far ahead about plastic tag/stitched in place outfits--you called it 100%. It does look now like the outfits are stitched into place and it is going to be the same packaging whether or not it is at an AGP or a TRU or Kohls.

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  6. Awful. However I love the outfit. Thank yoy for sharing. Can't wait to get prices.

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