AG versus OG dolls! The Ultimate Comparison Guide

Hey there! I’m glad you stopped by. I love blogging and sometimes it’s fun to do a “just for fun” post instead of usual craft tutorials and recipes. I had fun writing this review and comparison guide of American Girl® dolls versus Our Generation® dolls and I hope you find it helpful as you shop!

in the post I’ll share details about price, affordability, quality, accessories, and overall experience, and more. I’ll also share some tips for how to save money on dolls.

First off, a note on trademarks: I’ll often refer to American Girl® dolls as AG or American dolls (my daughter’s nickname for them). I’ll often reference Our Generation® doll as OG dolls.
I’ve tried to include plenty of links and photos for clarity! As a review post, my brief usage of the trademarked names falls under fair use doctrine for review and comparison.

As a grownup (and now a girl-mom) who loved playing with dolls as a kid, I have lots of thoughts on two popular brands of 18″ dolls. My daughter loves her dolls for play and hairstyling–and I enjoy helping her make clothes and accessories. We’ve got plenty of dolls around here to compare!

Where to Buy the Dolls:
Shop American Girl® on Amazon (free shipping friends!) or on their site.
Shop Our Generation® at Target.

Our Generation® Dolls Versus American Dolls

Let’s quick review what exactly we’re talking about with these two varieties of dolls.

Both varieties of dolls are 18″ dolls with soft bodies, posable vinyl limbs, beautiful hair for styling, open-close eyes, and a huge variety of changeable fashions, accessories, furniture, and even books and stories to go along.

Here we’ve got a Rebecca historical doll from AG (she is a few years old now):

And here is a doll from OG, named Ambreal (from 2024).

American Girl dolls are 18″ dolls, first created by Pleasant Rowland who began Pleasant Company in the 1980s. The dolls were a major hit. Girls loved the history, the books, the outfits. The company grew at an incredible rate and even though the dolls themselves were quite pricey, many girls of the 90s usually owned at least some PC merchandise, such as the books or outfits.

I have such great memories of playing with my AG doll (Molly!) and I know many other women around my age do too. It’s something that we really want to pass along to our daughters.

So, back in the 90s the immense popularity of AG prompted so much interest in 18″ dolls that other brands followed suit. Our Generation is Target’s offering that is very similar to AG. Their line includes beautiful dolls, outfits, and accessories.

Both AG and OG dolls are easy to dress with clothing that uses standard hook-and-loop closures. American Doll clothing (while it has decreased in quality from the Pleasant Company days) is much nicer than the Our Generation clothing. Our Generation tends to rely on no-fray plastic-y fabrics and quick finishes to create a variety of outfits that don’t hold up over time.

Both brands of dolls can wear 18″ doll clothing (whether purchased or handmade). Depending on the shoes you purchase, many styles will fit both brands of dolls. OG and AG dolls often come with a book and some small accessories.

AG dolls can be purchased through their website, via Amazon, and occasionally other places too (Costco has previously carried sets around the holidays). OG dolls are available at Target. Dolls and accessories from each brand can also be found secondhand on eBay, in thrift shops, and even on Facebook Marketplace.

Price Point: Premium or Affordable?

Obviously price is a big consideration!

AG is the more expensive brand, by far. The dolls cost about $115 and all the way up to $180 (for a historical doll with accessories) or even $300 for a Disney collectible doll. A significant investment.

Our Generation Dolls are much more affordable. They are available at Target for around $35, depending on the doll and accessories that come with.

Is Budget Your Top Priority? If you are shopping for multiple gifts or working with a small budget, Our Generation Dolls might be the ideal balance between quality and affordability.

Target also has frequent toy sales around the holidays. You can certainly find a doll for 25-30% off if you are patient. AG offers sales and discounts, but the amount of merchandise that is excluded from the sales (often including the dolls themselves) makes the sales less-helpful. Keep an eye for the best sales in November.

It’s worth noting that if you are creative you can get a little scrappy and find a secondhand AG doll in good condition at a reasonable price.

I found this doll (AG’s Caroline) online secondhand for just $30!

You have to spend some time hunting (I find browsing secondhand sites online to be more worthwhile than scoping out thrift stores), but it can be worth it! Expect to pay about $25-55 for a non-rare doll in good condition (including shipping). She’ll likely need to be cleaned and hair will need to be brushed and tidied up.

Shopping secondhand? It can be tempting to think that any doll can be brought back to life, but you will save time and frustration if you start with a doll that is in mostly good shape. Most things can be fixed, but I suggest starting with a doll who just needs a basic refresh.

Availability

Unless you are able to visit one of the few AG store locations, you will not be able to see the dolls in person until you’ve purchased one.

As for Our Generation, all you need is a local Target and you can browse through a selection of dolls, accessories, and furniture to your hearts’ content! Note that this makes returns SUPER easy as well. Just bring in your purchase to a local Target with your receipt and return it within minutes if you change your mind.

Don’t Miss It! Once you’ve bought your doll, make her some accessories! Start with my simple elastic skirt tutorial and doll scrunchie tutorial. You could even use this felt ice cream cone template to make her some sweet ice cream treats!

Quality

First off, both brands of dolls are good quality. Young children (5 years or younger) will probably not notice a difference. However, older kids, any child who specifically wants “an American girl doll”, and collectors will all notice the differences.

Personally, I think the biggest differences are the hair and the clothing quality. Though the vinyl is thicker for the more expensive AG dolls, it doesn’t affect the experience of play much. On the other hand, easily tangled hair and low-quality clothing can become frustrating quickly!

So let’s chat more about the differences.

Vinyl:

The more expensive AG dolls are made from sturdier vinyl compared to the OG dolls. The vinyl used to make them is thicker, sturdier and built to last. You can squeeze the softer Our Generation doll limbs easily with your finger and thumb, but the vinyl of the American Dolls is too strong to do so.

Let’s compare. Here’s a photo of me squeezing the arm of Target’s OG doll, and you can see it squishes quite a bit.

Here’s an AG doll. The arm doesn’t squish at all.

Facial Molds:

The facial molds from the AG dolls are friendly and inviting, where the OG dolls feel a little more elegant and aloof. AG dolls (except Kaya and the boy dolls) have teeth showing in their smiles, and OG dolls do not show their teeth.

Hair:

AG doll hair feels almost real. It’s thick, easy to style, and fun to brush and play with. OG hair feels more like Barbie hair. Super shiny and smooth and really nice when brand-new, but tangles easily. Once tangled, it can be brushed back to life, but too many tangles and the dolls quickly look rather worn.

We will talk more about hair in just a moment.

Clothing:

Unfortunately, even the very pricey AG outfits are not like the Pleasant company days. Clothing is constructed to be budget conscious and even the historical dolls end up in more “costume-y” than authentic garb.

However, AG is a clear winner here. Some of Target’s OG outfits are nice, but many are very cheap. Some are more durable than others, so shop carefully when choosing a specific doll and accessories.

In the following photo you can see the difference between the AG shoes (stitched and molded from faux suede fabric complete with insole, outer sole, and ribbon bows) versus the Our Generation shoes (molded plastic):

More About Hair Quality

Hair care can be the trickiest part of caring for 18″ dolls. Especially for young girls who adore their dolls, but don’t always follow proper protocol when brushing and styling their hair.

Some general notes for your decision-making: Straight-hair dolls are easier to care for. Curly hair dolls can be a little trickier. Dolls with textured and curly hair (such as Addy, a historical AG doll) have to be played with more carefully to keep their hair looking brand-new.

American Girl Doll hair:

AG doll hair is woven/sewn to a wig cap which is then glued to the doll’s head. It’s very secure and while some styles might reveal a gap or a thin patch (especially in older dolls that have lost hair over the years), generally you have truly excellent coverage.

AG hair feels more real, is fun to style, and comes in a variety of styles, cuts, and curls.

If you are looking for a doll for an older child who loves creating hairstyles, I suggest an AG doll if you can fit it in the budget. Don’t forget to look for secondhand dolls too! The downside to this is that the hair will start looking messy faster with all the styling. Teach good habits to preserve it best you can!

Our Generation Doll Hair:

OG doll hair is rooted (like Barbie hair) and while it feels nice out of the box, you will instantly notice bald patches when styling. Sometimes these gaps are even visible in brand-new boxed dolls. I have returned a doll I really liked because the bald pataches.

Note that OG’s “hairstyling” or “growing hair” dolls come with thicker hair and are a good choice if you want a really thick head of hair, but want to stay in the smaller budget of OG dolls.

Variety

Note: Both brands offer a varied selection of diverse dolls with different skin, eye, and hair combinations.

Between American Girl dolls and Our Generation dolls, which offers the larger variety from which to choose?

Our Generation is primarily focused on theme or character dolls. These include doll such as a happy birthday doll, ballerina, fairy, princess, slumber party, and lots more.

American Dolls include an even larger variety. First, their historical dolls, which features a range of characters dating from 1764 to 1999. These are dolls that women from my generation will instantly recognize by name.

American Girl also offers a line of Truly Me dolls. These are modern dolls. A child can select a doll, outfit, and accessories that resonate with or resemble them. Girl of the Year dolls are also modern dolls with fun backstories, accessories, and outfits. These are usually available for one year or a little longer.

If you miss out on a GOTV doll you loved, you’ll have to find her secondhand. Note that the prices for these retired dolls tend to be high since they are produced for such a short period of time.

AG also offers mini dolls. These are six-inch replicas of the larger models. SO cute. Getting a mini doll can be a great way to save money. Our Generation has offered these mini dolls in the past as well, but at the time I wrote this they are unavailable.

Both brands also offer boy dolls in a few styles as well (here’s a AG boy doll and here’s some Our Generation boy options).

What about special collector dolls and Disney princess dolls? AG is where you will head for these beautiful collector dolls. These are typically viewed as collector items versus toys, so double check suggested ages before purchasing for a child.

Princesses like Moana, Tiana, Rapunzel, and more are all available from AG. Some of them even have additional outfits and accessories available.

AG even sells Harry Potter clothing and accessories too!

Customization

Customization is where AG really stands out. You can choose a Truly Me doll—a selection of dolls designed to give children the chance to choose a doll that looks just like them.

Or, if you have a bigger budget, you can create your own doll. Even if you don’t plan to buy one, it is fun to go through the process of creating one online!

Choose everything from skin tone to eye color and hairstyle, with additional details like earrings, hearing aids, glasses, and braces. The process of creating the perfect doll is a lot of fun, but it does come with a high price tag.

Note for Create Your Own Dolls: To save money, verify that the doll you’ve crafted hasn’t already been created by AG in the Truly Me or Girl of the Year lines. Sometimes if you are willing to make a few small concessions you can get something that is close to what you’ve designed for a significant price break.

Historical Dolls

Historical dolls (dolls based in a particular time in US history) are available with American Girl. These dolls have backstories, accompanying books, and accessories and clothes representing their time period.

The historical dolls give an opportunity to dive into history and culture throughout America’s history. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s honestly hard to pick just one of these dolls!

OG has a line of “Retro” dolls which are from the 1950s era, but they are not currently available at Target.

Storytelling and Educational Value

Pleasant Company, the company that began American Girl began with a passion for storytelling and learning. I remember reading the original sets of historical books over and over again. They kindled a life-long interest in American history.

If you can find them, I do love the original books. The books have now been re-written and re-published by Mattel.

Both AG and OG dolls encourage storytelling and imaginative play, but American Girl goes a step further by offering books about each historical doll, teaching kids about different periods in history. If your your child is interested in a historical doll embrace it–it’s a great way to learn about history!

Our Generation dolls don’t have this historical storytelling element but still encourage imaginative play with modern themes and adventures.

Furniture, Clothing, and Accessories

Some collectors (whether kids or adults) only wish to purchase AG products. The products tend to hold their value (though this varies) and you can re-sell sets in great condition down the road if you wish.

However, for play, it’s great to compromise. Maybe you’ve splurged on the AG doll of your dreams and then fill in gaps with clothing and accessories from OG.

All of the OG clothes (and some of the shoes too!) fit AG dolls as well which is great. The accessories and furniture also work with any 18″ doll. While some of the larger furniture sets are still pricey, it’s all at a big savings from the AG products.

Aren’t these OG accessory sets adorable?

Tips for Saving Money

18″ dolls can be a big investment for a toy. With AG dolls costing over $100 for a single and Our Generation dolls costing around $30-35, it’s easy decision to make if you have a small budget.

On the other hand, the more expensive AG dolls tend to hold their value and they are also beautiful collector items. The quality is also higher–though many kids may not notice the difference.

Now, if you just aren’t sure what to do, here’s a quick list of money-saving tips!

Note: If your child really wants a particular doll and has already read all the books or browsed the magazine, she won’t be fooled with look-alike clothes or accessories.

Use these money-saving tips before buying a doll:

• Buy an Our Generation doll. They are beautiful and only about $30-35 for a doll with an outfit and a few accessories.
• Buy an American doll secondhand (be patient and you might be able to get a doll for $30-$50 or so). Check Goodwillonline.com, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay. I don’t have a lot of luck with thrift stores, but you can check. Garage sales and estate sales are also possibilities.
• Look for “lots” of AG dolls secondhand. “Lots” are multiple dolls for sale in one group. Provided there isn’t a rare doll mixed in, these groups often sell for prices that end up around only $20-30 per doll. Plus you save on shipping when you get multiple dolls at once.
• ALWAYS check shipping prices. Lots of sellers list a doll at a bargain price only to charge a crazy amount for shipping. A doll should only cost around $15 to ship.
• Watch for sales on the AG website, check Amazon Prime days or other sales, and keep an eye on Costco’s holiday toy aisle. These are hit or miss, but you can save a little money if you snag a deal.
• Make doll repairs yourself. If you snag a used doll, making repairs yourself can save a lot of money!
• Sew and craft your own doll clothes and accessories! Outfits and accessories can really add up. Try making your own! Simple doll skirts and doll scrunchies can be sewn with fabric scraps in an afternoon.

If you have any specific questions about the differences between these dolls I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and I’ll answer as soon as I can.

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• How to Sew Doll Scrunchies (18″ Dolls)

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