Nostalgic for the magical experience of welcoming a new and premium quality American Girl poppet into the family I recently searched the secondary market to purchase a New in Box (NIB) doll made in the pre-2016 era.
Even before purchasing the doll, the above lavender box packaging has several indications that the doll inside was likely made pre-2016.
Rebranded and launched in May 2015, the Truly Me doll originally came in the lavender box with a small round doll # identification sticker in the lower right hand corner. Later boxes would come with a much larger sticker.
When this lavender box design first launched it also came with an Activity Set which was then later discontinued, another indication this is from an earlier, pre-2016 run.
And of course, the Lavender Dress is the outfit worn by the dolls in the first two years of the new Truly Me branded line.
While this early Truly Me doll box configuration does not guarantee a pre-2016 premium quality era AG doll inside, it does raise the possibility to a high likelihood.
When my new poppet did arrive, a TM 22, she indeed was a dream!
What I found inside was a doll of the premium quality I so adore:
*Cotton neck strings
*Original broadcloth torso construction and no perma panties
*Gorgeous eyes with original pinwheel design (not the new faux-pinwheel) that are quality weighted, close entirely, and have no visible side posts
*Beautiful vinyl, not too squishy or too hard
*A full wig that provides the proper coverage of the wig cap
*Unmarked underarm joints (no factory marking number-and-letters "tattoo")
It is all sunshine and happiness here today, though I am wistful for AG to return to an actual premium quality doll. Until then, secondary market is now our first go-to for new poppets!
You are so right! I've started to only buy my AG dolls on the secondhand market when I can, so I can get a nicer quality one. Such a shame. :(
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on that mostly. For historicals I'm done buying any more dolls straight from AG, all the ones I want now are retired and Pre-bf, but there are still TM dolls I want, as well as z yang. I don't mind a little after 2016, but once the body fabric is changed with the neck strings are gone, that's when I stop wanting them.
ReplyDeleteFor me the body fabric change was a massive slow down in my interest but I did buy Z Yang and TM 74 in 2017. However, the new cheap eyes has me stopping all new release dolls since then--I can't get past the too-white wonky googly-eye stare.
DeleteI hadn't heard about the eye thing. Is this with the create your own as well as the TMs?
ReplyDelete~Xyra
Yes, the new eyes are used with the CYO line.
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