Should I Buy a 40th Anniversary American Girl Doll or a Vintage Pleasant Company Doll?

Decisions, decisions! With American Girl’s new 40th Anniversary historical dolls hitting shelves, many (including myself!) are asking the same question: Should you buy a brand-new doll OR hunt for a vintage Pleasant Company doll from the 1980s or 1990s? Keep reading for my thoughts!

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I first became an American Girl fan in the early days when the brand was still Pleasant Company and their thick glossy catalogs would arrive in mailboxes across the United States.

I remember the fun of paging through those giant catalogs with the detailed collections of historical outfits, accessories, and of course dolls.

Even more so than browsing the catalogs, I loved the stories. The six-book series for each historical character was such a compelling way to create an interest in history–AND sell the dolls too naturally!

The books (many written by Valerie Tripp) certainly contributed in a large way to the nostalgia around the AG brand. Beyond historical characters, the brand continued to inspire young girls with their modern doll lines, the magazine (so sad it is gone!), and so many other products!

Even though I’m no longer a kid myself, I’ve enjoyed sharing the AG brand with my own kids, and most importantly introducing them to the Pleasant Company and American Girl that I remember.

So, I was certainly excited that the current-day American Girl has been producing plenty of nostalgic throwbacks for us older fans this year during their 40th Anniversary, including a huge re-release of all the eight original historical dolls!

This big release includes: Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Kit, and Molly. The gang’s all here!

The dolls are sold in big boxes as anniversary sets that come with the doll, her complete historical outfit, and the accessories (which were always sold separately back in the 90s).

The re-release dolls are of course hugely popular, with Felicity and Samantha already backordered (Samantha more than once!). But, is a 40th Anniversary doll from 2026 Mattel going to be the same experience as a Pleasant Company doll from the 80s or 90s. Not quite. Which is why I wrote up this post to explain most (if not all!) of the differences.

The 40th Anniversary of American Girl

In 2026, American Girl is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the brand. If you haven’t been keeping watch, there have been several exciting new releases to celebrate! These include the Modern Era™ Dolls, the collaboration with Little People™ (recommend!!), a Polly Pocket™ collab, and a collab with Hill House collab with dresses inspired by original prints.

Note: Another release I am loving is the beautiful (and huge!) The Making of American Girl hardcover book (review coming!).

For the 40th Anniversary historical dolls, American Girl decided to re-release Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Kit, and Molly. Each doll comes in a special box and with her complete accessory set and a book.

I am hoping there is still more on the horizon for all of us old fans, I do love that they did this doll release for anyone who wants to recreate those childhood memories.

What about the other historical dolls? A lot of fans are wondering if there’s any chance of re-released dolls like Caroline Abbott, Elizabeth, Emily, Nellie, and more. At this point, probably not, but never say never. For these fan favorites, the secondhand market (whether locally or online) is your best bet.

Pleasant Company Versus the 40th Anniversary Dolls

I’ve been thinking through this question a lot and seeing it pop up online too! These dolls can really be an investment, so it’s worth taking a little time to think about the differences between each option.

Whether you choose to scour eBay for the perfect vintage doll or purchase a brand-new reproduction, the following differences are what I would consider before making your choice!

Cost

The cost of a brand-new doll with accessories from AG is currently $175. You’ll receive her complete outfit, her first book, the accessories, and a collector’s box. Note that when purchasing from American Girl you can usually return a doll that you don’t like or has any flaws.

When purchasing a vintage doll, the cost varies. Molly and Samantha are pretty easy to find in decent condition since they were made for such a long time. Kit is another doll that is quite easy to find. Others, such as Addy and Felicity can be difficult to find in good condition with complete accessories.

And if you want a first edition, the cost will soar upwards as well.

The accessories are probably the hardest part when shopping for a vintage doll. Getting the complete set of items usually comes with a higher price tag. Some things like Josefina’s moccasins or Felicity’s socks simply haven’t aged well and there are few perfect items left on the secondhand market at all.

The “used” market right now is also a lot crazier than usual and pretty competitive.

Dolls without any clothing and accessories might sell for around $50-75. Dolls with their complete original outfit and accessories could sell for $150 and up. Rare dolls, white body, and first run dolls might sell for hundreds or thousands.

Tip: If you decide to go the used route, spend some time learning about the differences between very early Pleasant Company dolls and later dolls (perhaps even including those made by Mattel). Then, browse “sold” listings on ebay to get a sense of what your ideal doll is selling for.

Size

An unexpected difference is that the older dolls are simply larger! They tend to have fuller faces, larger torsos/more stuffing and look bigger in side-by-side comparison photos. Each doll and era in which they were made will be a little different, but as a general rule the older dolls are larger and the newer dolls are smaller.

So, if you want to buy new clothing (including the commemorative Hill House dresses), a new doll might be your best bet. The newer dolls tend to be slimmer in the torso/waist, the face, and even the feet!

I recently purchased a 40th Anniversary Hill House outfit and while the dress was able to velcro around my 90s Pleasant Company Kirsten doll, the shoes were too small and simply didn’t fit!

Quality

This is probably the biggest conversation in the debate between vintage and brand-new. Is the quality the same??

Pleasant Company is well-known for the care they put into every detail of the production of their original dolls. The quality is really quite good, but there were still factory flaws, poor fabric choices, and issues like silver eye that plague the earlier dolls.

Elastic also goes bad over time and shoes or leather-like items tend to peel and fall apart (such as Josefina’s moccasins).

So even a perfectly preserved doll from the 80s or 90s still may not be in perfect condition simply due to the original manufacturing or the passing of time.

The new 40th Anniversary Historical American Girl dolls unfortunately do have some changes that are lower-quality–especially considering the price tag.

First, Felicity’s dress. You’ll notice where the bodice meets the skirt that the pattern does not match. Pattern-matching is essential in high-quality clothing and the original Pleasant Company dresses were each perfectly matched.

I am disappointed by this decision to go the cheaper and faster route. To my eye, it really does look pretty bad and Felicity is one of the more original difficult characters to collect in perfect condition. Ironically, even the Little People Felicity got her dress pattern-matched!

I’ve also noticed both in dolls I’ve seen in person and photos online that the newer dolls look like they have a nice summer tan and brighter makeup compared to the older editions.

Molly and Samantha’s “lockets” do not open. In the Pleasant Company days these jewelry pieces would actually open to reveal photographs of their parents, so that’s a pretty big change in my book. Molly’s is now called a “heart necklace” and Samantha’s a “brooch”.

The lack of true lockets for Molly and Samantha is such a bummer since those tiny accessories were easily lost years ago.

Additionally, you also have a face mold that has changed over time, the aforementioned tan skin tone and brighter makeup, a lack of neck strings (replaced with a zip tie closure) and some differences in fabric/fabric quality.

Other differences are that Josefina’s rebozo is made with the newer pattern rather than the first edition pattern. I’m sure there are more differences that will be noted as fans receive their dolls and share reviews online.

Takeaway: If any of these differences is a deal-breaker for you (particularly if you are looking to replace a childhood doll), I think that looking for a vintage doll would be the better option.

Condition

A brand-new doll means it will come to you in completely new condition. The doll will be carefully secured in her box with a hair net and packaged with her complete accessory set.

Used dolls (even ones sold as “like new”) almost always have little surprises. Sometimes you discover that the hair is thinner than it should be, perhaps Felicity’s pin curls are missing, maybe the doll has a weird odor. There’s lots of things that are hard to tell from online photos and descriptions.

Used dolls are hard to find with their complete accessory set, often have loose limbs, and frequently have frizzy or matted hair. As I mentioned earlier, some clothing (mostly shoes) and accessories deteriorated with the passing of time.

The question of mold: Vintage dolls also carry the possibility of mold. Always inquire before purchase and learn to look for warning signs like a musty scent, a white dusty appearance, wet spots on the torso, or green or black spots.

Completeness

You can find dolls with their original outfit and accessories on ebay (or sometimes even locally on FB marketplace etc.), but it’s a bit of a challenge and you might pay a premium.

You can also opt to slowly collect the accessories over time from ebay, but that strategy might add up quickly as each piece will be priced higher and you’ll pay shipping each time too.

If you really want a historical American Girl doll with her complete Meet outfit and accessories and don’t want to mess around with searching, auctions, and multiple shipping fees, then I do suggest a brand-new doll.

Convenience

The quickest and most convenient option is to purchase from American Girl. Alternatively, you have to wait for someone to list a great doll on ebay (and then hope that you are the first to snag it!), plus waiting for shipping and then potentially cleaning the doll after receiving it.

Purchasing from AG also gives you return options and access to their great customer service if you have any questions or concerns.

The downside of course is all the differences in the dolls between the PC era and today’s production. If you are okay with those differences that I noted earlier, then the brand-new doll might be your pick.

Should I Wait for a Sale?

I love to save money and find bargains. In fact, part of the fun for me as I got back into AG with my own littles was finding great deals on clothing and accessories that were too expensive to be part of my childhood.

Finding deals secondhand requires a lot of searching and persistence (and certainly some disappointment too!), but it’s great do if you have the time and want to save on your collection.

If you plan to buy a new doll, I recommend becoming part of AG’s rewards program. It’s one of those things where you are always earning points so there’s always kind of an incentive to “use them up” and buy more. Pros and cons!

But, it can be a great way to save some money on items you would have purchased anyway.

But, what about a sale? Though AG runs a decent amount of sales throughout the year, the “American Girls Collection” historical dolls have not yet been included in a sale, and I think it’s a bit of a toss-up if they will be.

If a sale comes, it may be around the official anniversary date of Pleasant Company when the first catalogs were sent out (so sometime in September or October?), or during the month of November.

During November, AG tends to run daily deals throughout that month and there’s a good chance that the anniversary dolls would be included. It’s important to check their sales every day, since they usually put a small grouping of products on sale for just one day, versus doing a larger Black Friday sale where all sale items are marked down for a few days.

The risk though? Your choice of doll may sell out before then. No one really knows how many of the dolls AG plans to make or if they will restock after things have sold out. Samantha and Felicity are currently backordered, and there’s just no guarantee of how many dolls they will make.

Since I’ve always wanted to collect Josefina, I’m trying to make this decision myself.

I prefer the look of the older PC dolls, but Josefina tends to develop such frizzy hair over time, that it’s tempting to purchase a brand-new one instead. I may risk it and wait for a sale. If nothing comes up, I’ll go back to waiting for the perfect doll on ebay or marketplace.