December 2, 2020

If you have a little girl who is asking for an American Girl doll but you don’t know whether or not it’s worth the hefty price tag, then this post is for you! I’ve been a fan of American Girl since I was a little girl. I would flip through the magazines and drool over all the cute dolls and accessories. They are adorable, even to this day!

When I was 9 years old Santa brought me Molly. I had recently been put in glasses so it was fun to have a doll that looked like me. I loved her (and still do!) so so much. I still have her and pull her out every once in a while for my girls to play with. These dolls stand the test of time and I love that they have a historical background to them.

View American Girl Historical Characters

_{Differences between American Girl and Our Generation}

Price

The biggest difference between the American Girl Doll brand and Our Generation brand is the price. Our Generation dolls are on average 1/4 of the price as American Girl dolls. That is a significant difference! You are definitely paying for the name when shopping American Girl. It does however hold its value a little more because of the brand name.

Selection

If you’re looking to get a doll that looks just like your daughter, there is definitely more to choose from when shopping American Girl. You can customize your doll, purchase a Truly Me doll which has dozens of options to choose from with differing hair, eye and face colors, or you can purchase historical/girl of the year dolls. Target does offer a good variety, but it is limited.

Create Your Own

Go Create Your Own

Quality

While the structure of each doll is very similar, there are some slight differences. Overall, the quality of American Girl surpasses Our Generation but not by a lot. The mechanics of the American Girl dolls work better than the opposing i.e. the legs, arms and head have better mobility. When moving each doll, the Our Generation eyes open and shut louder than the American Girl and the feel of Our Generation doesn’t feel as dense. You can see slight differences in the body type in the photo below. I am only comparing these specific doll characters, other dolls made by each brand could vary.

As you can see, the American Girl body type is slightly different. The legs are cut differently to help them move better and the shape of the torso makes it easier to hold.

Hair

Doll hair is always a pain in the butt to maintain no matter the doll, but our American Girl dolls’ hair has definitely held up better and it easier to brush through. This may or may not be a deal breaker for buyers, but I find the doll’s hair to be super important! I don’t want them ending up with a rat’s nest head of hair.

Name

As with buying any product associated with a popular brand, there are some perks. The biggest one is going to an American Girl Doll Store. We went to the store in L.A. earlier this year and it was a blast! My girls thought it was amazing seeing their dolls along with the coordinating setups. It is a dream store for any little girl, and adults alike! I was freaking out just as much! You can get your doll’s hair done, ears pierced, or have lunch with them. So dang cute!

Similarities between American Girl and Our Generation Dolls

Cuteness Factor

No matter the brand, the dolls are CUTE! Coming in at 18″ tall they are the perfect size for 3 year olds up to preteens. There are so many fun clothes you can find for your dolls. I found a bunch of cute and affordable clothes and accessories from Amazon. You can also find matching clothes for girls and their dolls which takes the cuteness up a notch!

Accessories

Each brand comes with their own set of furniture and accessories. American Girl has the cutest assortment in my opinion but it can also be 5 times the price of Our Generation! My daughter has this pink convertible car on her list from the American Girl Doll Store but I found a knock-off version from Target. They look almost identical.

Target $69.99 American Girl $225

Personable

Both brands sell their dolls with a name attached to them. Some also come with a book all about them. This makes it fun for the girls to call them by name. I hear all about “Blaire” and “Mary Ellen” on a daily basis. I’m partial to the historical character dolls from American Girl for this reason. Each one has a story to tell. No matter the brand, these dolls are going to bring endless hours of fun for young girls.

We have been super happy with our American Girl dolls! They are the ones my girls have preferred over Our Generation. To sum it up, my advice for those looking to purchase an 18″ doll for their little girls is…

BUY AN AMERICAN GIRL DOLL AND OUR GENERATION CLOTHES/ACCESSORIES

We own these fun accessories and they get played with constantly. Can’t beat the price and the quality is great!

This will give you the high quality doll that will outlast hours of play while saving your budget of all the extra accessories. This has worked for us!

Along those lines, I’ve linked to some adorable outfits for very affordable prices below. Too cute!!!