It’s hard to believe that American Girl is turning 35 this year! In celebration of American Girl’s 35th anniversary, Mattel recently announced that they’re re-releasing the first six Dolls released in the historical doll line. These six dolls were originally produced by Pleasant Company, the creators of the American Girl brand.

Making their grand return are Samantha, Molly, Felicity, Kirsten, Addy and Josefina. Samantha, Molly and Felicity were the dolls that started it all, making their debut in 1986. Felicity followed in 1990, with Addy and Josefina being released in 1993 and 1997 respectfully.

Since Mattel bought the company, the historical line has grown quite a bit, but that would not have happened were it not for the love and admiration so many of us have for the original Pleasant Company releases.

Back to their Roots

While some of dolls in this 35th anniversary launch have been re-released before, the anniversary dolls come in their original outfits with the extras that were sold separately back in the days of catalog ordering. To top it all off, they come complete with a neck string, which Mattel must have done away with, since they’re mentioning it in the product blurb, and a copy of each doll’s “Meet” book in paperback with the original cover art.

Mattel smartly put in the product description that these are “almost” like the originals, so there may be some minor differences, probably in the face mold and materials used. It’s worth mentioning, too, that even the packaging will have a nod to the earlier releases.

The Inspiration

The 35th Anniversary Collection dolls are $150.00. According to a Huffington Post article, Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl, said “These six original dolls were the foundation of the brand 35 years ago, and, while we periodically retire characters to make way for new stories, we felt this was a perfect time to bring back these amazing heroines to rekindle favorite American Girl memories with those who grew up with the brand from the start, while inspiring a whole new generation.”

With a baby girl on the way, I’m curious if that will change my opinion of Mattel’s American Girl. They have released some dolls that I do think are pretty, specifically Nanea and MaryEllen, but I still don’t think Mattel has truly done justice to the brand, especially over the past few years. I’m stubborn that way, I guess. It will be interesting to see what baby girl thinks as she grows older and starts getting into 18″ dolls like this. Will I be hunting eBay for original Pleasant Company releases for her or buying the new characters? Time will tell!

What do you think?

I do love, however, that Mattel is going back to the roots of the American Girl brand with these 35th anniversary dolls. It’s nice to see the girls looking like themselves again! What do you think of this new collection? Are you picking any up? Let us know in the comment area!

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