American Girl has it in for skating families this year – the limited edition doll of the year is Mia the figure skater
. I posted about Mia about six months ago and you’d think I’d have heeded my own warning.
At nearly 13, I thought Ice Girl had grown out of the American Girl doll phase. She has a bunch of them in various boxes scattered from the basement up to her room. She doesn’t play with them anymore, so I thought Mia, the American Girl’s limited edition figure skater, was no threat.
“Ohmygod, Mom, I have to have Mia and all of her accessories
.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I need, need, need that doll, Mom, and her cool room and her overpriced posters.”
“But you’re almost 13. You never play with your dolls anymore.”
“Mom. Mom. Mo-ooom. I love my dolls. What are you talking about?”
So. Ice Grandma popped the $100 or so for the doll, who doesn’t come with skates. On Friday I tried buying the accessory package with skates, a skate bag, and some other overpriced trinkets. Sold out.
Plain ol’ American Girl skates
? Sold out.
E-Bay? Yeah, they have ’em, but they’re selling for – get this - $75. On the American Girl site, the accessories were $28. Mind you, these $75 fake skates are for a pretend skater.
Last Friday, Ice Girl skated at the rink near the American Girl headquarters. As I drove from the rink out onto Pleasant View Road (named after Pleasant Rowland and her Pleasant Company), I had an urge to storm the castle and take the skates right from the stock room.
I didn’t though. I made a rude gesture towards the building instead. I’m sure the workers felt my negative vibes.
Parenting Lesson 1: Buy early.
Parenting Lesson 2: Hide all American Girl catalogs before Ice Girl sees them.
Parenting Lesson 3: Purchase a siege engine for the next time I drive by the Pleasant Company. The question is: catapult or trebuchet? I should buy one early, before they're out of stock.
. I posted about Mia about six months ago and you’d think I’d have heeded my own warning.At nearly 13, I thought Ice Girl had grown out of the American Girl doll phase. She has a bunch of them in various boxes scattered from the basement up to her room. She doesn’t play with them anymore, so I thought Mia, the American Girl’s limited edition figure skater, was no threat.
“Ohmygod, Mom, I have to have Mia and all of her accessories
.”“You’re kidding.”
“I need, need, need that doll, Mom, and her cool room and her overpriced posters.”
“But you’re almost 13. You never play with your dolls anymore.”
“Mom. Mom. Mo-ooom. I love my dolls. What are you talking about?”
So. Ice Grandma popped the $100 or so for the doll, who doesn’t come with skates. On Friday I tried buying the accessory package with skates, a skate bag, and some other overpriced trinkets. Sold out.
Plain ol’ American Girl skates
? Sold out.E-Bay? Yeah, they have ’em, but they’re selling for – get this - $75. On the American Girl site, the accessories were $28. Mind you, these $75 fake skates are for a pretend skater.
Last Friday, Ice Girl skated at the rink near the American Girl headquarters. As I drove from the rink out onto Pleasant View Road (named after Pleasant Rowland and her Pleasant Company), I had an urge to storm the castle and take the skates right from the stock room.
I didn’t though. I made a rude gesture towards the building instead. I’m sure the workers felt my negative vibes.
Parenting Lesson 1: Buy early.
Parenting Lesson 2: Hide all American Girl catalogs before Ice Girl sees them.
Parenting Lesson 3: Purchase a siege engine for the next time I drive by the Pleasant Company. The question is: catapult or trebuchet? I should buy one early, before they're out of stock.
13 comments:
You are too funny! If ice girl is really desperate for some skates check out the My Twinn doll website.They have a really cute pair of skates. The My Twinn dolls are a bit bigger that the AG dolls so the skates might be too but like you said Mia is a fake skater it's not very likley she will complain about blisters!
I bought my daughters doll the cheap skates that they sell at craft stores for about $4.00 a pair and then I made her doll a few dresses from leftover dress scraps( I even stoned a few, I know I need professional help LOL). That was definatly a cheaper option and my daughter loved her dolls "custom" made competition dresses. I ended up making about 30 or so for other "Mias" at our rink.
Good luck!
My daughter (7 yrs old and a skating machine) has never been an AG wanter, but all of the sudden announced to Santa Mia would be a great addition as she would be a real twin - my daughter actually looks like Mia.
After discussions with the jolly man he has managed to get her several items including skates. However, the furniture that was going to be a birthday present will not be happening and I will also be sewing some "custom" made competition dresses.
True confessions time, Becky. I bought a dress to fit the AG doll a month ago. It looks similar to one of Ice Girl's competition dresses - at least it will once I put crystals on it.
When you find that professional help you spoke of Becky, send me the phone number. I need help, too!
We had a similar experience. Our 11-year-old daughter wanted Mia for Christmas. I, too, was hesitant to buy her Mia because I thought she was getting too old to play with dolls. Unfortunately, we waited until last Thursday to make a decision about the doll.
That day we made a trip to the new American Girl doll store in the Mall of America. There were 8 Mia dolls at the store at 11 a.m. But, like you, we found there were no skates left. We approached a sales consultant at the store to ask if the skates were available on line. Of course, she didn't know and didn't offer to find out. Frustrated with the lack of service we received from this consultant, we went home empty-handed and tried to order online only to find out that all the items we wanted, including the doll, were sold out. So, I called the catalog order number to verify that all the items were sold out and to ask if I could get the Chicago store's number to find out if, perhaps, they had the skates on hand. The telephone order person told me that if the items were listed as "sold out" on line that they were also sold out in the stores. I then told her that the Mall of America store had 9 dolls on hand--stupid of me! After hanging up I released that she might call and requisition all the remaining dolls at MOA for existing orders. My husband and I immediately raced back to the Mall of America store (battling rush hour traffic) to try to get Mia. As we came down the escalator in the store, I looked toward the Mia display and saw one remaining doll. I literally ran down the escalator and snatched the doll. Success! We were told by a very personable and competent sales consultant this time, that they didn't anticipate getting any more Mia dolls before Christmas, if ever. I guess our ice girl was meant to have her. Thankfully, several years ago, our daughter bought a now discontinued ice dance outfit at the Chicago store which came with skates--trimmed in fur but good enough for now. Feeling a bit quilty about getting the last doll, I hope our ice girl will appreciate and enjoy her.
Don't you dare feel bad about buying the last doll, Denise. Your daughter will love it and you have a great story to tell.
If shopping ever becomes a sport, I want you on my team!
Try this- call 800-360-1861 and ask them if they have any replacement parts.
The item number for Mia's guards is: F7249-B03A and they are $3
Her skates are this F7249-B02A and they were $14.
They probably don't have them, but they might. (I ordered mine early in the year this way, as I didn't want all the other things- ipod and such).
If you stalk the website a few sold out things have come back (her 2-in-1 hockey outfit) for just a few moments.
The last option is to call each of the individual stores, ask to talk to a "personal shopper" and sometimes they can ship them to you.
Can you tell I'm a fan?
But honestly, if you can find craft store skates- the AG ones aren't really that special. Although I am impressed that the dolls can stand in the skates (at least when they have guards on, I haven't tried it without guards)
Very smart, Skittl. I hadn't thought about calling the replacement line.
I do have an ace in the hole, though. Ice Girl skates with a high schooler on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Her mom answers phones at American Girl. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Will she settle for the purple practice skates? They had them in stock at the LA AG store two weeks ago. Also I think Molly has white skates in her collection... It's crazy that Mia doesn't come with skates!!! (My ice girl already had AG skates - probably from the random sports collection pre-Mia but didn't decide she actually wanted the doll until two weeks ago! I was actually just planning on buying the bedroom set but that WAS sold out and at the time, Mia wasn't! I got one of Mia's skating dresses too but what a great idea to add crystals to it!!)
Just to let you know, I am 26 years old and still adding to my Molly collection!! I love my doll sooo much and as one of the original owners, I take great care of my collection!
Molly has white skates that are really cute as well as a skate outfit but its not competition worthy.
Good Luck in your searches!
I am 47 years old a lifelong figure skater and I even wanted the doll for my collection. Skating is something that will probably be a part of your daughter and your life forever. Lots of ups and downs (literally). I don't have the luxury of having a rink close anymore so grab the ice time every chance I get. I started my blog a couple months ago and will have several stories to come about my figure skating world. cindysbeautybox.blogspot.com
I just got Mia's furniture as it is in stock on the AG site today!!!! I wanted to get it, but waited - mistake. I guess today was my lucky day to get to spend another $200.
The equivalent of the Mia AG doll for UK customers is the lovely Gotz dolls - the 2008 Zauberwelt collection included an ice skating girl, which I gave my younger daughter for Christmas.
My elder daughter (aged 13) wanted white boots for her Gotz doll (named Harriet after the 'White boots' character by Noel Streatfeild), and I ended up getting the white Mia skates on ebay from the US (I got lucky on the price too, though the international postage hiked it up a bit).
I've loved making the skating outfits for all the dolls - see my blog about the Gotz doll collection at http://dollmum.blogspot.com/
you are too funny depstilce for some check my twinnn dolls are really about falkers I bought mia's makng 30 mias good luck! my dughter 7 years old $4.00 a pair after dousiscses with jolly man he has manged however, barhtiday prenset will not
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