I have been sad about American Girl's business model in recent years. They seem to no longer care about their historical dolls, and they have lost touch with what their original market. Since moving away from the historical aspect, they have also embraced Mattel's designs for doll houses, etc. So, I found different doll brands that are worth checking out (in no particular order):
(note: this post is not sponsored by any of the brands, these are just my opinions):
Carpatina
(Image from Carpatina, https://carpatina-dolls.com/)
Carpatina has dolls (both girl and boy dolls) that are historical themed but not confined to American history. (Though there is a doll who lives in 18th century America, that is named James Williams).
(Anna Ming (left) and Diya (Right))
They have dolls from European history, as well as branching out to non-European history such as having a doll that is from China (with clothes from the different dynasties of China), and a doll who is from India. And in regards to the boy dolls, in my opinion, they look better than AG's boy dolls in appearance.
Carpatina also has a Fantasy theme with the magical moonstone that allows the dolls to travel through different time periods. If you look through their website or catalogue they have little stories included that go along with the dolls and their outfits. They even have a novel that goes along with the dolls which is called The Magic Moonstone.
One thing about the quality of Carpatina's products is the details of the doll clothing. Diya's and Ana's in particular has very intricately embroidered details. In addition, a Tudor dress I got for Rowena has beaded details. So if you're interested in Fantasy and History, then this brand is perfect for you.
A Girl For All Time
(Image from A Girl For All Time, https://www.agirlforalltime.com/blogs/francess-blog/doll-making-how-do-our-dolls-get-from-your-basket-to-your-front-door)
A Girl for All Time focuses on British history instead of American history. Their dolls are a tiny bit shorter compared to American Girl dolls, but are a bit taller than Wellie Wishers. However, one cool thing about these dolls that American Girl dolls do not have, is that they are jointed. You can move A Girl For All Time dolls' arms around differently than you can an AG doll's.
As well as having historical dolls, A Girl For All Time (like American Girl) has dolls from the modern day. They like American Girl Dolls have books about the history of the dolls. However, the stories differ from American Girl's in that they have more of a Gothic feel. The stories have are eerie elements-- such as atmospheric settings and suggestions of the supernatural. In particular in Amelia's story, she encounters the Spiritualist movement.
Whether that fits with what you're interested in or not, their dolls are beautiful:
(Amelia (left) and Eleanor (Right))
And they, too, like Carpatina have beautiful outfits, which you can buy separately. So, if you like dolls that come with stories that involve British history, and perhaps even enjoy Gothic or Ghost Stories, then A Girl For All Time is perfect for you.
The Magic Attic Club
(Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/872617.The_Secret_of_the_Attic)
This is not a current doll brand, and has since been discontinued, but if you like looking for secondhand dolls then you may enjoy these. The premise of these dolls was that they are girls, who were able to travel through time and space through a magic attic.
The characters themselves are from the modern era, but they travel back in time-- and to Fantasy worlds. Like American Girl they had books that accompanied them, as well as seperate outfits you could buy for your dolls.
(Rowena wearing the ancient Greek tunic).
One of my favorite things, given that none of the other dolls brands had this, was that the Magic Attic Club had Ancient Greek doll clothes. One of their characters (Megan) traveled to Ancient Greece. While The Magic Attic Club may not have had clothes for every time period (or culture for that matter), they did branch out more. So, if you're looking for a Snow Queen outfit or an Ancient Grecian Toga, then the Magic Attic Club likely has one of those outfits. (Though they don't have a doll from Ancient Greece, which is the only downside in my opinion).
(Pictures of Lenore (I renamed her that isn't what Magic Attic calls her))
The dolls are pretty much the height as an American Girl doll (However, Treesa at Fashion Doll Memoirs pointed out that a Magic Attic doll and AG dolls cannot share clothes due to Magic Attic dolls having slimmer bodies-- see comment below). Though unlike an American Girl Doll they have stationary eyes that don't open and close, and completely plastic bodies. But they are beautiful dolls, and look younger in comparison to Carpatina dolls.
So if you love shopping for dolls secondhand, and dolls with stories where they travel through time and space then the Magic Attic Club is perfect for you.
Via E
(Image from Via E, https://via-e.com/)
And the last brand I will be recommending is Via E. The point of their dolls is to learn about different cultures. They have dolls from cultures such as Brazil and Japan. Similar to Carpatina and American Girl, they also have boy dolls that you can purchase as well. And like a Girl for All Time, their dolls are jointed.
Via E do have books that accompany the dolls, however, they are picture books, so they are much simpler compared to other doll brands. However, the book that came with my doll, Melina, did tell me a lot about Japanese culture. (Such as different festivals, traditions, etc.).
So, if you love learning about different cultures and like jointed dolls, then Via E is the perfect doll brand for you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Have you heard of or do you own any dolls from these doll brands? What other doll brands do you enjoy?
-Quinley
