Going to the American Girl Doll Store as an Adult Man 😬 

I worked at the Chicago store, we love adult collectors! Lots of us employees are collectors ourselves, prior to working or we got pulled in by being surrounded by it all day long, lol! I equally enjoy seeing the happiness and excitement of a little girl getting her first doll, an adult who never could afford AG as a child getting their first doll, or an experienced adult collector, because it's just a happy and safe environment. I hope you never feel nervous in an AG store again! And trust me, nobody really makes assumptions, I would ring up tons of grown men constantly, usually dads or grandfathers getting a surprise gift for a daughter, and I never really thought twice about it or why they were there. A guest is a guest and we love and want them make them all happy! :-)

The last gentleman that stole my heart would bravely go to the downtown Chicago store to pick me out a doll for Christmas. I didn’t give him a name or anything. I just said go and find a girl that you think I’d like and one outfit and he would go in his uniform, which must’ve really freaked them out. Here’s this incredibly built public servant and he’s there getting a doll for his 57-year-old girlfriend. And he did a great job the two years I got dolls I would not have chosen for myself, but I understood why he chose them for me and always more than one outfit and always incredibly generous.we were together five years and I lost him to cancer. And I miss him every day but yeah when you’re talking about innocent adult mail you’re not alone.

I (36 year old) went to the LA American Girl store to get Courtney and a bunch of accessories and the lady ringing me up said "Someone is going to be excited" and I was like, it's me, and yes, I'm excited LOL

So nice meeting you! Thanks for the compliment ❤️

My store’s in DC/Tysons Corner, and most of the time when I go the store is filled with far more adults shopping alone without kids .

My 91-year-old mother in law loves dolls. She has been incredibly supportive of my obsession. I gave her a customized Caroline several years ago that I attempted to make resemble my MIL as a child in the early 40's.

I am so happy you had a good experience at the American Girl store. I know you were nervous but I’m not surprised they made you feel comfortable. I think adult doll collecting is becoming more popular now. I live in Canada though and things are a little more relaxed here. I love your Lila doll. She is a really pretty doll. Very tempting and a good choice for your first in store purchase. Mine was Corrine and I bought her in store during her year. 😊

Hi from England. No AG stores here but I enjoy your videos and it's possible to buy items to ship over here. I think most adult gents feel the same over doll and toy buying in general. P.S Your hair looks fine. It suits you like that. Crops are easy but grow out clumpy. I like it like that.

I went to the Chicago store for my 23 birthday for the first time in my life. It was amazing! I brought a doll and everything. I’m going for my upcoming 24 birthday they make the environment so welcoming

Thanks for your fun and informative video. I am a big fan of yours and look forward to your great videos. You make doll collecting so much fun!

Words can't express how much I appreciated your video! I'm also an older millennial and have been shy about actually going into a store, but you've inspired me and I think I may finally put aside my awkward feelings and go. And #112 has been my #1 dream doll so it was great to see her highlighted!

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! I do hope they keep the Charlotte store open! I love the awesome store displays, they are very inspirational! Glad you had fun! 🎉😊

I went to the flagship store in Chicago in 2007, that’s when I saw Julie she had just been released I was in love , I had friends in the stage show. Flash forward I live in Florida , I used to go to the Miami store on my birthday with my partner the staff remembered me every time I went in and we would swap stories. And they always treated me with respect. I don’t ever remember a mother or child ever looking at me strangely. Oh and I am in my late 50’s white beard. I proudly walked through the mall with my red bag and a doll in my arms. I was not allowed dolls as a child. Cheers Jonny , I restore dolls as a hobby hundreds of these ag dolls have passed through my hands.

My local store, Atlanta, closed several years ago. I still miss it. I’ve visited the TN store multiple times and I hope they keep it open! I’ve only visited the Charlotte store once, and I really liked it. It’s a gorgeous store!❤ I’m glad you were able to visit the store!

@Jonny - for one- I'm really glad you had a comforting welcome and were at ease in the store. But more than anything - i just wanted you to know that the sign ups are ALREADY well under way for the girl of the year doll release event Sept 16. If you don't call soon, you might miss out, some stores are already fully booked for the event! It's for berry members already, which I'm sure you are- but get on it! Even if you didn't get the email, be sure to call them right away, customer service can get your reservation made for the brunch and release. There's also a doll event 9 am on Sept 4 for the new Holiday dolls (one white and one black). The pink princess.

I’m so proud of you, this video is a so wonderful and Alice are enjoying it immensely! We loved the NYC store and got both copies of the Care and Keeping of you signed by the authors when we were there in the spring.

You brought up really valid points regarding filming in a store as an adult, period. Love the story time, thanks for sharing!

okay so i dont actually have ANY american girl stuff besides the brush, not even the mini dolls and that size is more my speed as a doll collector, but i have to say lila is REALLY tempting me to dive into their dolls, shes so so CUTE i love everything about her

I appreciate you describing how you might be perceived as a man in what is largely considered a children's store. I am a cis, Gen Xer woman living in liberal city in Canada, and I sometimes forget what the experiences were and sometimes still are for LGBTQIA+ people. I can say I sometimes feel uncomfortable alone in the kids' section myself because I am buying for myself, but I never feel I could be in danger. I'm so glad you had a good experience.

This is awesome. Every time I go to the AG store I fall in love 😅 and I dream of getting every doll there lmao. Also, I love your hair!!

You can replace the chocolate with small planks of wood :) that what vintage candy collectors do sometimes 💖 love the video!

I'm so happy for you to finally make your way to the AG store. It has been a long time coming. Now, maybe you can make your way to visit the flagship stores in the near future. 😊

im so glad that you had a good time !! i was born in the early 2000s so i grew up with american girl doll stores and i would go to the mall of america when we could and it was an awesome experience :) last october while i was visiting a friend in orlando i went to their american girl store in a mall and it was so nostalgic and so took so many pictures to show to my siblings. when i was 8 i got my girl of the year doll mckenna and i loved her so much bc i used to do gymnastics, sadly i dont have her anymore but i do remember my siblings getting their own dolls like chrissa and lanie as well as a kit doll we had

So happy you had a good experience! I haven’t been to a store since I was 9 (I went to the Chicago one the year after it opened & it was what dreams are made of lol). I’ve been wanting to go to the new Dallas store, and this has convinced me I should! 🤩

Thank you for sharing 😊 Hope this helps a lot of adult collectors to hear that collecting is a lifelong construct. My older brother went and asked me what I wanted for my collection. He seemed really chill about it. He was always cool about dolls and his favorite game was my Sweet Valley High board game from Milton Bradley from 1989. I still have my original and his favorite is Lila and dreamy Ken Mathews boyfriend. Anyway, so happy for your comfort level at the store. 😊 I totally understand about the kid filming. This really creepy older woman filmed a church program that featured a little girl performing and the fact that she kept showing the video to her friends made me really uncomfortable. She didn't even know the girl or parents, yet she kept showing the video to anyone who would entertain her. I just felt like she was wrong to not have even asked for permission or parental approval. But glad that there are other adult collectors like you here to explain how creepy that can be without proper dialog first. But that being said, go to the store during Christmas. You will love the displays all decked out for the season. Especially the historical dolls with their holiday outfits on full display.😊

there was an american girl store at the mall across the street from where i worked that i would go to constantly on my lunch, but i felt embarrassed every time, especially because the only thing i ever bought was a brush LOL

These dolls have become my hobby. I used to be a big Barbie collector until my cabinet filled up and had no more space. I was a teenager in the 80s so I was long past my doll playing phase, but when my three girls got to the Bitty Baby/American Girl age, that's when I discovered them. I am in love with these dolls! I never threw away a single box when I bought my daughters their dolls and accessories, so now I am entertaining myself piecing all the outfits back together, dusting off the boxes and putting them back in their boxes for later play. I am so thankful for your RU-vid channel and have learned so much about the earlier dolls and the history of Pleasant Company. I had no idea Pleasant Rowland had signed some of the dolls! Keep making videos! I love them! Big hugs from a fellow doll lover!

Glad you had a good visit! Oh, how I MISS the Columbus store!!

FB marketplace. Selling an item for $200. Potential buyer "I'll give you $30 and you need to deliver it, set it up and bring me lunch"

My dads and I go all the time. We have a great time and make a day about it. We see lots of adults.

As an adult male collector I too have gone into my local AG store and felt extremely weird about it lol.

The Charlotte store is so cute, I went for my 33rd birthday back in May, the manager was soooo freakin nice! It's a much smaller store than the Chicago store that I'm used to but I'm really hoping they're still there next May when I go back to NC for a Spartan race.

I am a somewhat regular shopper at the 🗽 store, I enjoy shopping in person, but I have always been too nervous to go to the café, I know no one cares, but… 🤷‍♀️ MAYBE SOMEDAY! 🌈✨

You are correct the first American girls store did open in downtown Chicago on the mag mile. It was actually right next-door to the Ralph Lauren restaurant, which was in its time a very high and high scale restaurant. The store was not big enough to keep up with the demand of the clientele, and they moved over to the vacant, Lord and Taylor originally taking five floors and when the demographics changed are now on three floors at Watertower Place.

I so regret not buying the acrylic display cases when Toys r Us went out of business. Working for AG was going to be my retirement job until they moved to California. 😭

I was embarrassed going in as a 16 year old girl. You have guts that’s for sure!

My husband and I went to the one in Orlando last year, and a security guy followed us around the entire time. We just looked like a couple of grandparents, seriously, so I never understood the hyper vigilance! I hope you had a better time!

Oh cool , I like your other doll room. I wondered if you had a differant display. Nice. 😊

BTW (off topic). Your hair is super cute like this

We need to normalize the fact that boys play with dolls and that there are doll collectors both male and female.

I’m going in October to the Nashville location and I’m a little nervous 😅 good for you for going even though you were nervous about it.

I have only been to two AG stores and I loved both experiences. I wish we had an AG store near us. The closest one is Dallas and that’s 6 hours away.

I live near the charlotte store too! im going to go in september hopefully. Im also gonna get lila!!

So excited for you!

I have been to that store once and I would like to go back just haven't had the time / money to go. I am in SC.

I've only been to an AG store twice and it was the AG store Easton. I was so sad when they closed it down because Easton mall had SO much shopping traffic. AG Easton was in such a good location too. It was truly a shame. Especially since I wanted to work there haha. Hopefully they don't close down the Charlotte location!

Awesome! I remember the first time I went to the store as an adult male and I know EXACTLY what you mean.

❤❤❤The doll pants are classified as "on trend sporty athleisure wear."❤❤❤

bestie i just started the video but your hair looks good!!!

We had American Girl store in Mall of America but it closed they had a problem with the lease. I liked having the store. I don't buy much now .

It also looks very unlikely that the Washington DC store is going anywhere. I REALLY hope not because it's my favorite store.

Her hair matches your beard!! 🍓

I go all the time to the Chicago one I’m 26 and they know the stuff I get is for me LOL

I feel like fashion and design in general is on strike. If someone from 1984 stepped into 2004. We'd see the difference. If someone stepped from 2004 to 2024 they would blend in.

I can understand your trepidation about going into the AG store as an adult, but the factor remains , that a lot of the original AG girls from 86 and up still follow the brand. This includes myself, and I just wanted to tell you you shouldn’t feel ashamed. It’s your hobby and no one should be ashamed for being an adult doll collector.

Making me want the goty even more but good point she might be a deal next year ... uGH

Slide the candy bar without damaging the Doll box wrapping then eat the candy bars.

I didn't get her assccories either when I bought my Lilla doll.

I only went to one in LA it was by the Farmers Market. I just went in to kill some time. This was around 5 years ago.

Lila reminds me of Paige from Degrassi

You’re so lucky you gotta go to the American girl store. I’m far from it.