My kid wants an American Girl Doll. Have you seen ho much those things cost? She has saved up the money herself, so I can't say No.
But I know that the doll is what Nancy Mitford called The Thin End of the Wedge. It will open a floodgate of new things to want - clothes of course, doll furniture, accessories, pets for the doll - heck, those things even have horses, braces, and entire kitchens.
Here's where I have to stop and admit that she already has TWO American Girl Dolls. I went to Ebay, since I thought, lots of girls will want to get rid of their AGD's when they go to college, I bet. (That's how long my kid will hang onto hers, at a price like that. She doesn't know it yet, but it's true.)
However, I hadn't counted on the adult AGD collectors. There are people out there who buy these things, and for what purpose I wonder? Just to HAVE? Or do these women (and men too, maybe, who knows) wait until everyone goes to bed and then play with their doll collection? "Here comes Abigail, on her way to the party, doo da doo da doo..."
The point is, I didn't get such a big price break as I thought I would. In fact, I had to learn to game the system to win anything at all.
Kid is into those movies, too. Kitt Kittredge, A Girl of the Depression, Molly in the Second World War ... yeah, I eat that stuff up. The films are squeaky clean, have good messages, and guess what - the stories are good! And exciting! My kid was totally totally into the McKenna special that ran on TV a few weeks back. And we own Kitt's story, which is my personal favorite.
Sure, these movies present history through a misty, rosy lens, but here's the thing - They PRESENT HISTORY. Genna is now aware of the Depression, and she knows about World War II and how it affected everyone in the States.
So, those dolls are crazy, wicked expensive, but - I get the point. At least I think I do.
