The joke is that if you were an 80s or 90s history student, you probably didn’t care about animals but rather the American Girl Dolls. Vintage American Girl dolls, which were originally priced at a level that would have equated to a brick or gold along with the collectable toys and accessories, continue to fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Find out which American Girl dolls have become collector classics.
Samantha Parkington
Samantha Parkington was one of The Pleasant Company’s six original dolls and undoubtedly the most popular. Samantha Parkington’s story was set in the early 1900s when she was orphaned by her uncle and aunt. Her compassion for her working-class friend made her popular.
The original Samantha dolls, with their iconic striped dress and her tights, are highly valuable today. The value of the dolls increased when production ceased in 2008. Samantha dolls dating from the 1980s, with all their accessories and the original box, can be sold for between $1,000 and $3,000. One Samantha doll from 1986, for example, sold on eBay for $3,000
Kirsten Lawson
Kirsten Larson was the American Girl Dolls’ version of Laura Ingalls Wilder, from Little House on the Prairie. Kirsten Larson was a blonde Swedish immigrant who lived with her family on the American frontier. Vintage Kirsten dolls, another doll from the original line that was retired in 2010, are highly valued by doll collectors due to their rarity.
Kirsten dolls in the best condition can be sold for between $1,000 and $3,000. One Kirsten from 1989, for example, sold for $3300 because she was wearing an outfit that wasn’t as common (a school uniform instead of her blue dress with pink apron).
Felicity Merriman
Felicity Merriman is The Pleasant Company’s 4th American Girl Doll. She will take you back to colonial America. Felicity, a red-headed character who is independent and wild to the core, is a collector’s favourite. It’s not surprising that she is always for sale, even though she was in the first line.
Original dolls dating from the 1980s or 1990s are worth between $1,000 and $3,000 depending on their condition. One lot, which included Felicity, her box and several clothes and accessories, sold online for $2,000.
Nellie O’Malley & Other Best Friend Dolls
You might not be familiar with the Best Friend Series if you are not a fan of American Girl Dolls. These dolls and books were taken from the storylines of the main characters and given their spotlight. These dolls, which were produced between 2004 and 2008, are not as valuable as the original dolls because they are not as well known.
These dolls, in near-mint condition, can sell online for $500. Nellie O’Malley, Samantha’s Irish best friend, sold for $499.
Just Like You Dolls
The Pleasant Company came up with an innovative way to sell more products. They released a line of dolls that had different features instead of spending time and money creating new characters. The collection was divided into categories so that children could find the dolls they most resembled.
These dolls may not be worth thousands of dollars to collectors today, but they are still worth more than what they were originally sold for. They can usually be found online for $100-$250. One Just Like You 4 doll, for example, sold for $242.50. A Just Like You 15 doll was sold for $259.99.
What makes vintage American Girl dolls worth money?
The main reason for collecting American Girl Dolls today is nostalgia. There is a large community of doll collectors who want to get every bit of doll history. If you want to clear out some space in your home and get rid of childhood memories, look for these traits.
- The six original American Girl dolls that are the most collectable include Addy, Felicity Josefina Kirsten Molly Samantha.
- Search for dolls made in the 1980s. These original dolls were released in 1986 and are the most valuable.
- Look for dolls with white torsos. Dolls with white torsos and not flesh-coloured torsos were made only in the early production periods and were more valuable.
- Do not discount accessories. American Girl Doll doll accessories also sell well on the internet.
- Dolls and accessories that are still in their original packaging will fetch you the highest price.
American Girl Dolls are more valuable than ever
Amazingly, children were right when they said American Girl Dolls are collectable. After all these years, they are still collectable. Vintage American Girl Dolls, a nostalgic and niche touchstone of so many children’s childhoods in the 80s and 90s, are worth much more than their steep prices. They’re doing well right now on the collectors market.