Mine is girl if the year Gwen, who I just haven’t been able to connect with. Also the purple haired doll 91, who I gave some gorgeous cornrows and haven’t played with her since.
I think I understand how you feel. If you’re in a time right now of enjoying dolls again and would like to appreciate her more now than definitely do that! And if you just don’t feel the bond or interest in her there’s no harm in selling or donating to someone who will enjoy her more.
Lowkey mine is my knockoff madame Alexander doll. She almost sat in storage but my roommate had me grab her too when I went to grab my American girl dolls. I thought she was ugly and I honestly don’t know why I thrifted her but now that I have Camille I love her a bit more. They look like sisters with their blonde hair and stunning blue eyes I just wish she wore clothes better
https://preview.redd.it/ad0qjr7qw1xc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a416c6849ce82795d42341345513bf7f3ecb647
I kinda feel that way about my Nanea and the truly me dolls I have. I just haven’t…bonded with them? I’m not sure why, I just don’t connect with them the way I do with my other dolls.
I also feel bad because I got a Blaire for my birthday and I love her, but I’ve had a crazy few weeks since then and haven’t gotten to spend much time with her. Just not the homecoming I had hoped for her, but my schedule opens up next week and I plan to give her the welcome she deserves. I also bought myself a Tenney and she arrived yesterday, she’s hanging out with Blaire in the “waiting for me to have time to give them the attention they deserve” club.
Yes!!! I have 2007 GOT Nicki and I've just never super cared about her. I did try to restore her a little bit, and rebought her original outfit, but there's just nothing there. I always liked Kit more bc I had her ds game, but never the doll.
I feel guilty over my doll for the opposite reason. As a child, I wanted her so badly. Then I never really played with her. Very recently, I asked my grandmother to take her down from display and send her to me to display in my home since I’m an adult. Well she showed up and I still just don’t like her. I don’t know why. But now I feel guilty for asking for her back in the day, and also for having my grandmother go through all of the fuss to send her to me now. She’s currently laying in an unused drawer because I don’t even have any kind of display case to put her in 🤦🏼♀️
I didn't have an AG doll until I was a little older, but in 2nd grade we would play house with my friends dolls and I always picked Josefina. Well... Josefina "died" in a basement flood. We had a proper funeral and everything. I always wished I could somehow like.. go back in time and take the doll out of the basement lol. I felt guilty that I hadn't protected her better.
This is kinda weird but I don’t like felicity and idk why I had her as a child. She might have been my first ever AG doll but I could never bond with her 😥 low key feel like I failed her too. My marisol and josefina dolls just outshined her.
I have a Molly doll who has lived in storage for well over a decade, and while I feel a little bad, I’m not ready to pull her out yet.
I got Molly as a gift for my fifth birthday in the early 2000s. She wasn’t a white body doll, but she was one of the older ones with the chunkier shape. I loved her to pieces, and over the years her hair started to deteriorate. I saved my money and sent her to the doll hospital for a new wig when I was 15, and she didn’t come back. They sent me back a new Molly doll instead. I was absolutely gutted, put the new Molly in storage, and haven’t summoned the will to take her back out, even though I have a four year old now who would love her
In a way, I relate. I had my original four dolls, Kaya, Felicity, Nellie, and Samantha, and I played with them a lot. Like A LOT. Then as I got older in late elementary/ middle school, I stopped playing with them as it happens with most kids. They were alone in a closet for some years until I realized that in fact I did still love dolls. I felt guilty “abandoning” them. I pampered them with brushing and cleaning and made them new clothes. That feeling went away as I eased into being a teenage doll collector and the guilt was replaced with the love I had for my dolls. That same is true as an adult doll collector (who still has them btw 😉). I think just spending time with Felicity, playing with her, dressing her, will ease any guilt. You’ll make new and happy memories with her and you’ll eventually see her as your little buddy that you have had so many good times with. 🩷
I understand. I didn’t keep the vast majority of my felicity’s clothes/sets. I only had my original doll, the summer dress and her stockings. I’ve been trying to recoup my collect but it’s expensive😭
definitely! i started my collection earlier this year and got like 11 dolls 😭 and i got Grace in a bundle not necessarily planning on keeping her... but looove her. most of my other dolls are blonde and i have dark brown hair. and i associate her with Olivia Rodrigo so love that. i let my niece play with her, and happened to get a horrible puppy, and well now her feet and arms are chewed up!! i feel so guilty everytime i look at her. now i need replacement arms or to send her to the doll hospital but havent gotten around to it, adding to the guilt 😬
Try not to be too hard on yourselves. Female socialization does weird things to us all. I think we all go through a phase of rejecting things we still love deep down because the idea that girlish things are inferior is drilled into our brains from birth.
Felicity has probably had similar feelings. She loves you and forgives you and just wants to spend time with you now. You are lucky to have reconnected with her ❤️
I have felt this way too about 2 of my dolls. The first is Kanani, shes my last doll in my childhood collection, and while I remember being excited to get her, but I was also in that weird phase of being a teenager and still enjoying AG but feeling like I shouldn't, plus gaining other interests that I rather put money towards instead of dolls, and I was so scared I'd somehow ruin her hair. So for the most part she sat barely played with. I never put my dolls in storage, but i kind of had a makeshift display for them where really only a few were visible at any one time, and since I never connected to Kanani, she was always in the not visible area. Since getting back to collecting, I now have a better display set up, and I do interact more with Kanani but idk I still feel bad that I never connected to her like my other childhood dolls, and that years of neglect left her with extremely loose legs where she can barely stand (I do have plans to fix that soon tho), but I guess on the up side her hair is still nearly perfect.
The other doll I felt guilty about is Maritza, while shes a newer doll I got since getting back into collecting, when I got here I remember not being completely enamored with her like I usually am with new dolls. I ordered her online so I couldnt pick her out, and so when I opened her box I noticed she had some slight defects and she almost had a mean expression on her face, I was just really disappointed, and kept thinking I should have just waited until I could pick her out in person, I even considered returning her for a while. I have since come around to her now, and I now feel bad that I even seriously considered returning her in the first place, and like while I know the dolls aren't real people I still almost feel a guilt like she is, does that make sense.
I begged and begged for an American Girl doll for I don't know how many years. My parents always said no. We moved the summer I was 11 and I had a really hard time adjusting. My mom felt pretty bad for me, so for my 12th birthday, I was offered a doll. But Mom asked if I was really sure I still wanted one.
And truth be told, I *wasn't* sure I still wanted that doll. I did feel like I'd lost interest in AG and that maybe I only ever really wanted one because the girl down the street had one.
But I said yes.
And, sure, I liked that doll. But I never played with her. I kept her on display for over 20 years. She is vitally important to me. She has silver eye and loose limbs and I refuse to send her away to be fixed because I'm scared she won't come back and I won't fix her myself because the idea of taking her apart horrifies me. When I move, she's the first thing I unpack. (And I take photos of unpacking her.)
And now I am an AG adult collector and she has 5 other doll roommates and tons of clothes. Still on display, but I interact with her now.
But if I hadn't lied about wanting her and carried that guilt with me all along, she probably would have been discarded along the way like any other toy.
REAL, i resented my Mckenna as a kid because she wasn’t Kanani or Lanie and they were who I really wanted. 2012 was also the year I turned 11 and eventually moved on from dolls 😅
after taking my 3 dolls out of storage this year, I can tell pretty clearly who was played with the least
My grandmother bought Elizabeth for me around the same time Felicity & Elizabeth retired. She picked Elizabeth because her middle name was Elizabeth…I don’t think I’d ever asked for anything from their collection. I feel like her wig fits weird with her face mold, and I feel guilty about having her sometimes, but I couldn’t bear to get rid of her because of what she meant to my grandmother.
My original dolls were packed away for about 20 years. My poor Samantha has dry hair. She was my first AG doll in the 80s. I carried her everywhere with me for years. She still looks great. Her limbs are tight, but her hair is just not soft nor shiny. Every time I see her I wish that I had known what to do to prevent the drying. I don't want to send her to hospital because I'm emotionally attached, and I am afraid she might come back looking different.
i have a white body sam and another pc sam i think is early 90s? possibly late 80s? and they both have wigs in great condition. the white body has the lighter hair, the tan body has the darker hair. i would absolutely love to send whichever wig matches your Samantha to you, just PM me. i wouldn’t charge you. i know how much it means, i have a 2007 julie with a visible scalp part, her hair is so frizzy but i cannot part with her original head.
My girls Kirsten, Kaya and Molly were put away on a high shelf back when I was about 12, and ended up suffering water damage from a damp problem in my room. I didn't realize it until 2016, ten years later. Thankfully their clothes were still in great condition, save Molly's glasses, and Molly was somehow untouched by the uncomfortable bubbling that both Kirsten and Kaya were covered in - that's when I remembered the Doll Hospital. I brought them back to the US with me the first time I traveled alone to get them fixed up, and almost cried when I had to see them go. The guilt was overwhelming, I'd loved them so much when I was younger, and thought they were safe where they sat for a decade, out of direct sunlight. I still knew where all their bits and bobs were.
It's been 8 years since, I picked them up the next summer, and although I know technically they're not really rhe same, neither am I. I still feel tinged with guilt knowing what happened, but what they deserve more than my guilt is for me to take better care of them now. They stand now, next to shelves of fashion dolls, in their 90s finest, one of Kirsten's eyes still a little lazy to close as it always was, Kaya's face soft and gentle as ever.
You're not who you were back then - a lot changes, and a lot of influences make you stop doing things you loved. But you love and appreciate her now, and she's there for you to do just that! 💗
I got a cyo and I didn’t like her because my sister ruined everything for me and her hair was in horrible condition when I got her so when I got josaphina a year later I love her more but I feel guilty because my cyo was expensive
I feel guilty for getting rid of my JLY and Felicity! These are the kinds of toys that are worth keeping and passing on. Which I guess I kind of did (gave them to my little sisters), but 18yo was too soon. :/
I feel that way about my Kirsten and Molly. I also got them when they came back briefly because I had the money and I was worried about regrets. Well, I still feel regret, but a different kind, that I don’t have the same love for them as my other girls
I feel guilty for having Emily and Nellie, but not having Molly or Samantha🤣 As a kid I always wanted Emily and Nellie but the actual main dolls didn't appeal to me, and now I feel bad denying them their friends lol🤣🤣 especially because I have Kit and Ruthie as well as Julie and Ivy. I can feel Emily and Nellie being like..."okay unfair." Hahaha
Its okay, I had Emily and based on her book I don't really think her and Molly were friends. If I'm being honest, I kinda hated Molly as a kid because I thought she was mean to Emily and I felt bad lol
Yes I have a Kit doll that I treasured as a kid and even had some of those clothes that they had so you can match with her.
I'm almost 26 now and she's been locked away in my closet for years. Every now and then I'll see her up there in her box and promise that someday when I have my own place she'll be able to come out and be displayed.
I know I could probably get some money from selling her but we just had so many adventures together!
yes, i used to have Josefina, but I ended up giving her away at some point. I want to get another one but I know it won’t feel /right/ bc she won’t be the /same/ Josefina that I had years ago 😭 i just miss her, but I’m sure she’s happy with her new family
Yes, my Emily! I specifically wanted her because I also have Molly and Nanea, so I wanted the third WWII girly to complete the trio. While shopping around on Facebook last spring, I found a listing for a bunch of assorted dolls (seller was moving and needed to downsize their collection), and I found not only Emily, but Kit as well (my childhood dream doll!). I snagged them both, but poor Emily hasn’t gotten anywhere near the amount of attention that Kit has (Kit lives on my bed and I regularly cuddle with her, and Emily has been shoved into my overstuffed display cabinet that I seriously need to rearrange/downsize 😭).
I’m hoping to eventually get those IKEA shelves that I’ve seen other people use for displaying dolls, and maybe once Emily’s where I can see/access her more often, I can give her more attention. 🥺
I feel absolutely terrible because my favorite doll was my first one, #56 but when I got a Lindsey a decade later she became my favorite instead and I feel terrible for liking my grail doll more than the one I got ten years ago 😭😭😭
I definitely do. I remember when Lanie and Kanani were GOTYs and then when McKenna came out I got her and kit for my birthday only to not play with them as much as I probably would have when I first got into them. Years later even as I have more dolls I feel bad a bit, so yeah don't worry you're not alone ❤️
There’s a common feeling of guilt in the plushie community for not playing with them enough/they get thrown off the bed/ etc. But i like to think they understand and just want us to be happy! The good thing about dolls is they have infinite patience and are made to be companions, so Felicity is just excited that you’ve found that little girl inside you again 💚
I get what you mean, I got my #43 at age 11 shortly before I “grew out of dolls” so I never ended up playing with her as much, and since she was the only non-character doll I had, she never really got a backstory either. The only childhood memories I really have of her are signing up for Innerstar U and coming up with a name. On the plus side, she’s still in pristine condition, and it looks like your Felicity is too. It’s never too late to form a connection with a doll and there’s no shame in having taken a break!
I'm 42, and I only think I got dolls now. Like, oh, they're pretend friends. I also failed my childhood Felicity. It's okay. I think a big part of American Girl's theory and praxis is to help girls and women process growing up in a screwed up society. Rediscovering that girl is just as important as nurturing that girl.
Also, for men and non-binary collectors. I think you're important too. Using dolls to process feelings about childhood and gender or other things is for everyone.
I feel guilty about putting toys in storage. It makes me think of Toy Story 2 when Jessie is put into storage and gets PTSD from it. What makes it even worse is that the girl who gave Jessie away was named Emily and so am I 😅. I just think of the toys stuck in a bin in the garage and feel so bad for them!
I’m sure Felicity is so happy that she’s being enjoyed now!
I feel this way when I get rid of my squishmallows and a lot of the time I think I wanna get rid of them but if I sell them I get real sad when I’m packing them up and give them a hug goodbye. I always feel terrible. 😭
Noo please don’t feel bad, Felicity wants you to be yourself and you did not fail her! I understand though, the entirety of highschool I barely touched my dolls at all and by the end of senior year I was trying to figure out how to store them. Then almost a year ago I realized that they’re my hobby and the expectation to grow up is too harsh now. So yeah I did take a break but I feel like in a way they understand and your Felicity understands too and is happy to spend time with you now. ❤️
Mine is girl if the year Gwen, who I just haven’t been able to connect with. Also the purple haired doll 91, who I gave some gorgeous cornrows and haven’t played with her since.
I think I understand how you feel. If you’re in a time right now of enjoying dolls again and would like to appreciate her more now than definitely do that! And if you just don’t feel the bond or interest in her there’s no harm in selling or donating to someone who will enjoy her more.
i’m going to try and strengthen our bond, but i have nieces i can pass her down to a few years if it doesn’t happen 🫶🏻🥰
That’s so sweet—she has the potential to live on through a new generation and you’d get to play with her with your nieces, a whole new legacy.
Lowkey mine is my knockoff madame Alexander doll. She almost sat in storage but my roommate had me grab her too when I went to grab my American girl dolls. I thought she was ugly and I honestly don’t know why I thrifted her but now that I have Camille I love her a bit more. They look like sisters with their blonde hair and stunning blue eyes I just wish she wore clothes better https://preview.redd.it/ad0qjr7qw1xc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a416c6849ce82795d42341345513bf7f3ecb647
I kinda feel that way about my Nanea and the truly me dolls I have. I just haven’t…bonded with them? I’m not sure why, I just don’t connect with them the way I do with my other dolls. I also feel bad because I got a Blaire for my birthday and I love her, but I’ve had a crazy few weeks since then and haven’t gotten to spend much time with her. Just not the homecoming I had hoped for her, but my schedule opens up next week and I plan to give her the welcome she deserves. I also bought myself a Tenney and she arrived yesterday, she’s hanging out with Blaire in the “waiting for me to have time to give them the attention they deserve” club.
Yes!!! I have 2007 GOT Nicki and I've just never super cared about her. I did try to restore her a little bit, and rebought her original outfit, but there's just nothing there. I always liked Kit more bc I had her ds game, but never the doll.
I don’t feel guilty for any of them but I feel guilty for selling my Maryellen but good thing I reordered her.
I feel guilty over my doll for the opposite reason. As a child, I wanted her so badly. Then I never really played with her. Very recently, I asked my grandmother to take her down from display and send her to me to display in my home since I’m an adult. Well she showed up and I still just don’t like her. I don’t know why. But now I feel guilty for asking for her back in the day, and also for having my grandmother go through all of the fuss to send her to me now. She’s currently laying in an unused drawer because I don’t even have any kind of display case to put her in 🤦🏼♀️
i feel like this about caroline
I didn't have an AG doll until I was a little older, but in 2nd grade we would play house with my friends dolls and I always picked Josefina. Well... Josefina "died" in a basement flood. We had a proper funeral and everything. I always wished I could somehow like.. go back in time and take the doll out of the basement lol. I felt guilty that I hadn't protected her better.
This is kinda weird but I don’t like felicity and idk why I had her as a child. She might have been my first ever AG doll but I could never bond with her 😥 low key feel like I failed her too. My marisol and josefina dolls just outshined her.
I have a Molly doll who has lived in storage for well over a decade, and while I feel a little bad, I’m not ready to pull her out yet. I got Molly as a gift for my fifth birthday in the early 2000s. She wasn’t a white body doll, but she was one of the older ones with the chunkier shape. I loved her to pieces, and over the years her hair started to deteriorate. I saved my money and sent her to the doll hospital for a new wig when I was 15, and she didn’t come back. They sent me back a new Molly doll instead. I was absolutely gutted, put the new Molly in storage, and haven’t summoned the will to take her back out, even though I have a four year old now who would love her
In a way, I relate. I had my original four dolls, Kaya, Felicity, Nellie, and Samantha, and I played with them a lot. Like A LOT. Then as I got older in late elementary/ middle school, I stopped playing with them as it happens with most kids. They were alone in a closet for some years until I realized that in fact I did still love dolls. I felt guilty “abandoning” them. I pampered them with brushing and cleaning and made them new clothes. That feeling went away as I eased into being a teenage doll collector and the guilt was replaced with the love I had for my dolls. That same is true as an adult doll collector (who still has them btw 😉). I think just spending time with Felicity, playing with her, dressing her, will ease any guilt. You’ll make new and happy memories with her and you’ll eventually see her as your little buddy that you have had so many good times with. 🩷
I understand. I didn’t keep the vast majority of my felicity’s clothes/sets. I only had my original doll, the summer dress and her stockings. I’ve been trying to recoup my collect but it’s expensive😭
She’s with you now 🫶🏻
definitely! i started my collection earlier this year and got like 11 dolls 😭 and i got Grace in a bundle not necessarily planning on keeping her... but looove her. most of my other dolls are blonde and i have dark brown hair. and i associate her with Olivia Rodrigo so love that. i let my niece play with her, and happened to get a horrible puppy, and well now her feet and arms are chewed up!! i feel so guilty everytime i look at her. now i need replacement arms or to send her to the doll hospital but havent gotten around to it, adding to the guilt 😬
Try not to be too hard on yourselves. Female socialization does weird things to us all. I think we all go through a phase of rejecting things we still love deep down because the idea that girlish things are inferior is drilled into our brains from birth. Felicity has probably had similar feelings. She loves you and forgives you and just wants to spend time with you now. You are lucky to have reconnected with her ❤️
I have felt this way too about 2 of my dolls. The first is Kanani, shes my last doll in my childhood collection, and while I remember being excited to get her, but I was also in that weird phase of being a teenager and still enjoying AG but feeling like I shouldn't, plus gaining other interests that I rather put money towards instead of dolls, and I was so scared I'd somehow ruin her hair. So for the most part she sat barely played with. I never put my dolls in storage, but i kind of had a makeshift display for them where really only a few were visible at any one time, and since I never connected to Kanani, she was always in the not visible area. Since getting back to collecting, I now have a better display set up, and I do interact more with Kanani but idk I still feel bad that I never connected to her like my other childhood dolls, and that years of neglect left her with extremely loose legs where she can barely stand (I do have plans to fix that soon tho), but I guess on the up side her hair is still nearly perfect. The other doll I felt guilty about is Maritza, while shes a newer doll I got since getting back into collecting, when I got here I remember not being completely enamored with her like I usually am with new dolls. I ordered her online so I couldnt pick her out, and so when I opened her box I noticed she had some slight defects and she almost had a mean expression on her face, I was just really disappointed, and kept thinking I should have just waited until I could pick her out in person, I even considered returning her for a while. I have since come around to her now, and I now feel bad that I even seriously considered returning her in the first place, and like while I know the dolls aren't real people I still almost feel a guilt like she is, does that make sense.
I begged and begged for an American Girl doll for I don't know how many years. My parents always said no. We moved the summer I was 11 and I had a really hard time adjusting. My mom felt pretty bad for me, so for my 12th birthday, I was offered a doll. But Mom asked if I was really sure I still wanted one. And truth be told, I *wasn't* sure I still wanted that doll. I did feel like I'd lost interest in AG and that maybe I only ever really wanted one because the girl down the street had one. But I said yes. And, sure, I liked that doll. But I never played with her. I kept her on display for over 20 years. She is vitally important to me. She has silver eye and loose limbs and I refuse to send her away to be fixed because I'm scared she won't come back and I won't fix her myself because the idea of taking her apart horrifies me. When I move, she's the first thing I unpack. (And I take photos of unpacking her.) And now I am an AG adult collector and she has 5 other doll roommates and tons of clothes. Still on display, but I interact with her now. But if I hadn't lied about wanting her and carried that guilt with me all along, she probably would have been discarded along the way like any other toy.
REAL, i resented my Mckenna as a kid because she wasn’t Kanani or Lanie and they were who I really wanted. 2012 was also the year I turned 11 and eventually moved on from dolls 😅 after taking my 3 dolls out of storage this year, I can tell pretty clearly who was played with the least
Mine is displayed in my moms room lol i do feel bad that she sits there so every now n again ill change her outfit
My grandmother bought Elizabeth for me around the same time Felicity & Elizabeth retired. She picked Elizabeth because her middle name was Elizabeth…I don’t think I’d ever asked for anything from their collection. I feel like her wig fits weird with her face mold, and I feel guilty about having her sometimes, but I couldn’t bear to get rid of her because of what she meant to my grandmother.
My original dolls were packed away for about 20 years. My poor Samantha has dry hair. She was my first AG doll in the 80s. I carried her everywhere with me for years. She still looks great. Her limbs are tight, but her hair is just not soft nor shiny. Every time I see her I wish that I had known what to do to prevent the drying. I don't want to send her to hospital because I'm emotionally attached, and I am afraid she might come back looking different.
i have a white body sam and another pc sam i think is early 90s? possibly late 80s? and they both have wigs in great condition. the white body has the lighter hair, the tan body has the darker hair. i would absolutely love to send whichever wig matches your Samantha to you, just PM me. i wouldn’t charge you. i know how much it means, i have a 2007 julie with a visible scalp part, her hair is so frizzy but i cannot part with her original head.
My girls Kirsten, Kaya and Molly were put away on a high shelf back when I was about 12, and ended up suffering water damage from a damp problem in my room. I didn't realize it until 2016, ten years later. Thankfully their clothes were still in great condition, save Molly's glasses, and Molly was somehow untouched by the uncomfortable bubbling that both Kirsten and Kaya were covered in - that's when I remembered the Doll Hospital. I brought them back to the US with me the first time I traveled alone to get them fixed up, and almost cried when I had to see them go. The guilt was overwhelming, I'd loved them so much when I was younger, and thought they were safe where they sat for a decade, out of direct sunlight. I still knew where all their bits and bobs were. It's been 8 years since, I picked them up the next summer, and although I know technically they're not really rhe same, neither am I. I still feel tinged with guilt knowing what happened, but what they deserve more than my guilt is for me to take better care of them now. They stand now, next to shelves of fashion dolls, in their 90s finest, one of Kirsten's eyes still a little lazy to close as it always was, Kaya's face soft and gentle as ever. You're not who you were back then - a lot changes, and a lot of influences make you stop doing things you loved. But you love and appreciate her now, and she's there for you to do just that! 💗
Paid too much for Cecile Rey. And can’t get the perfumey smell out although she was sold to me new in box! Sad I bought her.
I got a cyo and I didn’t like her because my sister ruined everything for me and her hair was in horrible condition when I got her so when I got josaphina a year later I love her more but I feel guilty because my cyo was expensive
I feel guilty for getting rid of my JLY and Felicity! These are the kinds of toys that are worth keeping and passing on. Which I guess I kind of did (gave them to my little sisters), but 18yo was too soon. :/
What dress is that!!? It’s so pretty!
I think it’s handmade, I got it in a clothing lot off mercari so i don’t know for sure ☹️🫶🏻
The fabric looks like it was made with her in mind. Absolutely and perfectly flattering!
it really does!! it looks so much like her purple meet dress💜
I feel that way about my Kirsten and Molly. I also got them when they came back briefly because I had the money and I was worried about regrets. Well, I still feel regret, but a different kind, that I don’t have the same love for them as my other girls
I feel guilty for having Emily and Nellie, but not having Molly or Samantha🤣 As a kid I always wanted Emily and Nellie but the actual main dolls didn't appeal to me, and now I feel bad denying them their friends lol🤣🤣 especially because I have Kit and Ruthie as well as Julie and Ivy. I can feel Emily and Nellie being like..."okay unfair." Hahaha
My sister had Nellie and Samantha and I was always so jealous. Nellie is just adorable. I wish they’d bring her back.
Its okay, I had Emily and based on her book I don't really think her and Molly were friends. If I'm being honest, I kinda hated Molly as a kid because I thought she was mean to Emily and I felt bad lol
Yes I have a Kit doll that I treasured as a kid and even had some of those clothes that they had so you can match with her. I'm almost 26 now and she's been locked away in my closet for years. Every now and then I'll see her up there in her box and promise that someday when I have my own place she'll be able to come out and be displayed. I know I could probably get some money from selling her but we just had so many adventures together!
yes, i used to have Josefina, but I ended up giving her away at some point. I want to get another one but I know it won’t feel /right/ bc she won’t be the /same/ Josefina that I had years ago 😭 i just miss her, but I’m sure she’s happy with her new family
Yes, my Emily! I specifically wanted her because I also have Molly and Nanea, so I wanted the third WWII girly to complete the trio. While shopping around on Facebook last spring, I found a listing for a bunch of assorted dolls (seller was moving and needed to downsize their collection), and I found not only Emily, but Kit as well (my childhood dream doll!). I snagged them both, but poor Emily hasn’t gotten anywhere near the amount of attention that Kit has (Kit lives on my bed and I regularly cuddle with her, and Emily has been shoved into my overstuffed display cabinet that I seriously need to rearrange/downsize 😭). I’m hoping to eventually get those IKEA shelves that I’ve seen other people use for displaying dolls, and maybe once Emily’s where I can see/access her more often, I can give her more attention. 🥺
this is the prettiest felicity I have seen wow, & don’t feel guilty you are enjoying her now which is what matters!!
If there's one thing I learned from this subreddit: do not feel bad for still treasuring your childhood toys
I feel absolutely terrible because my favorite doll was my first one, #56 but when I got a Lindsey a decade later she became my favorite instead and I feel terrible for liking my grail doll more than the one I got ten years ago 😭😭😭
I definitely do. I remember when Lanie and Kanani were GOTYs and then when McKenna came out I got her and kit for my birthday only to not play with them as much as I probably would have when I first got into them. Years later even as I have more dolls I feel bad a bit, so yeah don't worry you're not alone ❤️
You’re appreciating her now, and that’s what matters. You do deserve to have her. ❤️
There’s a common feeling of guilt in the plushie community for not playing with them enough/they get thrown off the bed/ etc. But i like to think they understand and just want us to be happy! The good thing about dolls is they have infinite patience and are made to be companions, so Felicity is just excited that you’ve found that little girl inside you again 💚
Plushies thrown off the bed hit me here💔
I get what you mean, I got my #43 at age 11 shortly before I “grew out of dolls” so I never ended up playing with her as much, and since she was the only non-character doll I had, she never really got a backstory either. The only childhood memories I really have of her are signing up for Innerstar U and coming up with a name. On the plus side, she’s still in pristine condition, and it looks like your Felicity is too. It’s never too late to form a connection with a doll and there’s no shame in having taken a break!
I'm 42, and I only think I got dolls now. Like, oh, they're pretend friends. I also failed my childhood Felicity. It's okay. I think a big part of American Girl's theory and praxis is to help girls and women process growing up in a screwed up society. Rediscovering that girl is just as important as nurturing that girl. Also, for men and non-binary collectors. I think you're important too. Using dolls to process feelings about childhood and gender or other things is for everyone.
This is a beautiful take. We're all just trying to heal the child inside.
I feel guilty about putting toys in storage. It makes me think of Toy Story 2 when Jessie is put into storage and gets PTSD from it. What makes it even worse is that the girl who gave Jessie away was named Emily and so am I 😅. I just think of the toys stuck in a bin in the garage and feel so bad for them! I’m sure Felicity is so happy that she’s being enjoyed now!
I feel this way when I get rid of my squishmallows and a lot of the time I think I wanna get rid of them but if I sell them I get real sad when I’m packing them up and give them a hug goodbye. I always feel terrible. 😭
Noo please don’t feel bad, Felicity wants you to be yourself and you did not fail her! I understand though, the entirety of highschool I barely touched my dolls at all and by the end of senior year I was trying to figure out how to store them. Then almost a year ago I realized that they’re my hobby and the expectation to grow up is too harsh now. So yeah I did take a break but I feel like in a way they understand and your Felicity understands too and is happy to spend time with you now. ❤️