I concur with your feelings on the doll and her collection. With everything going on with Mattel and them shutting down Etsy shops, I feel like I can’t support them right now.
OMG I want to make a video about AG shutting down the Etsy shops. It is just horrible and I also don’t know if I can continue to support a company that goes that low.
@@leahchattthe RU-vid channel “Savy Writes Books” did a nice rant on the whole situation. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0dxEnX2pgfc.htmlsi=g9FSTtXKvywBk4Fq
Just want to point out that this wording is incorrect. They are not "shutting down" Etsy businesses. They simply are unable to use their dolls and when businesses don't comply with these requests (after many/multiple warnings have you), they inevitably get shut down. in 2024 time, This is becoming expected. Disney has been doing this for years. Do you really think these businesses need to rely that heavily on 'big market' AG in order to survive? This is a bad attitude in itself about the strength of these businesses and the certainly of surviving independently because they most certainly will with such beautiful products. They simply need to use a dress form and/or other way. While we could dream of this "sunshiney" world with free support from a company, the world just doesn't operate that easily unfortunately.
It’s important to remember that this is a RU-vid video and this video is edited a certain way for entertainment purposes. This doll is for children, however I do not believe that excuses a weak design. Children deserve more intelligent, thoughtful designs that Summer just does not provide. We all have different opinions and that is okay. But let us remember to be respectful to everyone’s opinions, even those that may be negative.
One thing that does not make much sense to me is that they raised the price to $125 but lowered the age demographic of the dolls. Like I know this is a luxury brand, still it doesn't make sense for these dolls to be more expensive with no improved quality and if it's geared towards a younger demographic, if anything that should automatically lower their price.
I am so so tired of them recycling hobbies! As plenty of people have pointed out on agig, outdoorsy/hiking/camping dolls, car lovers, sports lovers- there are sooo many hobbies unexplored by them for goty’s!! I also find it strange that all these 8 year old characters are “girlbosses” and “entrepreneurs.” I feel like they’re heading down the pipeline of goty’s being “influencers” next 😬 I definitely miss all the dolls’ stories being about strong yet still childlike girls being brave in the real world.
Also, it’s so hard to feel like the collection is worth the price tag when it literally looks like OG/My life as stuff. Also also, i really feel that if they had just made a BFF Daisy doll to go with her, there would be waayyyyy less complaints. They’d have a black/doc doll goty without risking losing profits bc they’d still have a white goty, they’d have a BFF which everyone loves, it would be such a win-win!!
I 100% feel the gradual lowering of the target age from American Girl. And yeah, as an adult, I know these things aren't made to necessarily appeal to me. But they don't seem to be made for the ORIGINAL target demographic, either. I LOVED having my more grown-up, luxurious, 18-inch dolls based on well-written characters that came with complete chapter books (full of great illustrations!) as an 8 to 12-year-old. Where are the dolls for those girls now? 11-year-old me would have been disappointed with Summer's collection (ESPECIALLY if comparing it to past collections-- though, I agree, the doll herself is cute). But 4 or 5-year-old me? Would have been all over it. (Granted, this is a personal view, and plenty of 11-year-olds probably adore her, but the ones who are more like how I was... don't) Also, your opinion is valid, whether you played it up for laughs or not. Children don't deserve to be pandered to with cheaply made, overpriced schlock dyed pink and purple just because. I don't think this collection is QUITE as extreme as that, but the signs are absolutely there, and the concept comes off as soulless to those who still think of GOTY as having the same audience as the historicals (like you and me). Great video. ❤
1000% agree with you. that’s why i loved ag so much growing up, and still to this day, was that their books and their collections reflected TASTE and had a sense of maturity about them whereas now it’s clearly appealing to 4 year olds instead of 8+ :(
I❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ur cat! In making Summer AG be like: Q:"How can we make more money?" A:"Add rainbows and recycle old goty ideas?" She's cute but underwhelming.
‘Like Jojo Siwa and my life as threw up at a Justice’ Mother of the most high God I couldn’t think of a better description of Summer and her collection 😂. She definitely is giving ‘My Millennial parents let me dress however I want’ vibes.
We all have different tastes and as adults we need to remember these dolls were designed to appeal to children 6 years old. My granddaughters loved this doll and her collection. I am older than 2 and love a cozy onesie (No Shame). I hope you find some joy in the doll you purchased.
@@nailahvenable7989 like I pointed out in my description, we all have different opinions and that’s okay! it’s important to remember that this is a video and I am 100% being dramatic for entertainment purposes. however, i do believe this is a weak doll and she does not get a pass simply because she is for children. i believe children deserve better and more intelligent, thoughtful designs - like the dolls before Summer. I am very happy with my purchase of Summer and am satisfied with my complete GOTY collection. ☺️
i think what i hate the most of the new direction ag has taken as it feels like jingling keys in front of a baby, if that makes any sense. to me summer just feels like its targeted towards kids who watch cocomelon and listen to jojo siwa LMAO. its all way too overstimulating and colorful, and i dont think they realize that it doesnt need to be that way. kids dont just love super bright colors. if anything, when i was younger i liked the older historical outfits and items available for dolls. back when they werent super oversaturated and vibrant. to me, most current day dolls and ag items have lost their appeal because of that. they need to reach back into their roots. i miss when they took kids seriously as a demographic. theyve majorly lost what made them stand out in the first place
I've been out of the AG world since becoming a mom a couple of years ago and having two boys lol. But I used to collect as a kid, teen, and young adult. The absolute quality and design nosedive they have taken is so heartbreaking. You are so so right, her whole collection looks like tacky Walmart clothes, specifically the Jojo Siwa ones. These dolls used to be so classy, so well designed. How did we get here? Also idk if this is an unpopular opinion or not but I hate this face mold. Reusing it on her seems like again a test for yassifying their design even further, thinner face and features, trying to have that barbie doll girly look rather than the round cheeks and features that are so much more charming. My absolute favorite face mold is the Jess/Ivy one and this could not be more opposite.
Props to you for still investing in American Girl. I had two as a kid, and my parents and I often bought accessory products from separate brands because the American Girl branded accessories were just too expensive. Seeing you at the store now looking at a rag for 36 dollars is nuts! You’ve made noble sacrifice keeping up with all the GOTY dolls, especially buying this one.
LOL thank you, thank you. I honestly don’t know how much longer I can keep investing in AG, at least with the GOTY line. It’s just a constant disappointment and I don’t want to garner an entire collection of dolls I’m not satisfied with 😔
My daughter is 7 and collects GOTY every year for Christmas. And my daughter would wear summers hair styles but not the meet outfit, maybe when she was 4/5 so I'm glad you brought that up!
Yes!! Of course every child has different tastes and that’s okay. But I kept thinking about myself when I was younger and I would be so turned off from her!
Thank you so much!!!! It’s like I can understand that prices may need to increase due to inflation, but to have the quality also go DOWN at the same time??? it’s just mind blowing
Turning 34 in January and I'm going to the American girl store for the first time and I believe summer is going to be my first doll I absolutely love her she reminds me of me and I want her to heal my inner child ❤❤❤
Omg you’re hilarious 🤣 “this is thick as a sock 🧦” 😂 New subscriber 👍🏻 I also collect AG dolls and I like Summer. Her meet outfit is too childish for me but I’m buying her because she’s cute and I collect the GOTY dolls. I actually sleep in a onesie during winter months 😂 I actually love the onesie pj’s it’s super cute and her crochet dog that comes with the sleeping bag is adorable 🥰 Anyway, you crack me up 🤣 and this video was fun to watch!! 🤩
You seem so down on this doll(and I don't blame you). But why would you even buy her when there are others that are prettier ? Were her pets cute or were they made kind of squished? I feel Nanea's pet is like that, so I'm afraid to order one.
@@lindaf382 i explain why she was purchased at the end of the video. ☺️ her dog was posable, so he was very firm. however, her cat was squishy like Nanea’s dog!
I do think that the way childhood is changing has an impact on what age AG is marketing towards. When I was a kid (I'm older than you by about ten years, I think), it was totally normal to play with dolls to eleven or twelve (and then secretly play with dolls to thirteen or fourteen). But when I interact with nine and ten-year-olds today (which I do as part of my job), they've already aged out of dolls and have moved onto other things - they aren't really playing with toys at all by that age, not consistently. They're on tablets and interested in skin care (???). I have a lot of feelings about the way childhood has changed, but AG as a corporation isn't going to work to change childhood and ages; they're just going to shift the age demographic that they market towards so that people might still buy the dolls, since a lot of nine and ten-year-olds aren't asking for dolls anymore.
Summer is definitely a beautiful doll! We all have our likes and dislikes. 😊 One of my favorite GOTYs is Kira from 2021 who a lot of people do not enjoy LOL
@@leahchattkira was not my favorite girl of the year who people actually loved and lea who people loved was not my favorite i love summer for next year and her story just not her outfits i don’t like that they doing girl of the dolls are out before 2025 especially this year my favorite girl of the year is lila shes a gymnast and from mineeaota where i am from and i loved how they put mckenna girl of the year in 2012 as lilas gymnastics coach i love lilas never give up attitude and lila is beautiful and i hope to get the lila doll for chirstmas shes beautiful and lila is my favorite girl of the year and a lot of people have so i actually love lila the girl of the year and shes pretty popular
Honestly this is the most realistic type of dolls I’ve seen from ag, because Summer looks like she’s ten, because let’s be real what ten year old has a phone (referring to joss) or a van, she might not be the cutest or greatest doll out of the gotys but she’s definitely one of the more accurate ones, because I was wearing outfits like summer when I was 10.
That’s a great point! I definitely think I was more like Joss (in terms of style) when I was her age, but a lot of kids are more like Summer. I just wish more thought went into her pieces! She would’ve been soooooo cute with the preppy style that is popular now!
Almost all of the 10 year olds in my class have phones, and many have better phones than I do. 10 year olds are my 5th and 6 grade class, none of them dress like that. None of my third graders did either. They are more into cheer, dance and sports, and no longer play with dolls. Summer dresses like the kinder and first graders. Maybe it's a cultural thing, so your mileage many vary.
Almost all of the 10 year olds in my class have phones, and many have better phones than I do. 10 year olds are my 5th and 6 grade class, none of them dress like that. None of my third graders did either. They are more into cheer, dance and sports, and no longer play with dolls. Summer dresses like the kinder and first graders. Maybe it's a cultural thing, so your mileage many vary.
This goty probably would've gotten a better reception if she didn't immediately follow Lila who had such a big and thoughtful collection. Everything is just so rushed looking.
Fun video. Thanks for sharing your opinions. I know there have been a lot of mixed feelings about this doll. I am not a fan of the box. I think the doll is pretty and I love the Nanea mold, which I mentioned to you before, I think looks like you. 😄 Her fashion is not my aesthetic but I love her hair and glasses. I collect historicals so luckily I don’t feel a strong urge to get her. I actually like the Disney Princess dolls and hope to get Ariel at some point. 🥰
@@leahchattlila is my favorite girl of the year i love that shes from Minnesota and i am sad that her time is almost up and some of her items i don’t like but most of them i do i love lila goes for gold book its amazing i love how they put mckenna as a gymnastics coach and i thinks summers book and story will be amazing its just i want to enjoy my favorite girl of the year 2024 lila i just feel thats its rushed when its only september and summers collection is disappointing there are not as many things that i like
