Water Cooler

  Josette Naea wrote:
I think that American Girls should be made in the Glamorous USA. I would gladly pay extra! I own 5 AG dolls and have never looked where they were made. Yes the dolls are cute and have great little stories to go with them, but China.
How does manufacturing in China send a good message to US consumers especially young girls. China is a communist country, there factories many times are subsidized by the government, China has minimal if any environmental standards for the factories, uses labor camps to produce these cheap items that are sold in the US probably young girls working in them. Maybe the next AG doll will be an American Chinese girl who can't worship as she pleases can't have more that 1 child, was working in the AG factory making the dolls while inhaling toxic fumes and finally was able to come to the US for healthcare after ruining her lungs! That would be a great doll! What are we teaching these young girls? If you can get a better price then lower your standards, which is what many US businesses do today? I want products that are made in the US.

Mary Jane Kurtz wrote:
Pleasant Rowland Founded the PLEASANT COMPANY American Girls Collection in 1986. At that time, all the dolls and a lot of the accessories were made in Germany. Mattel purchased the Company in 1998, I am sure there was quite a bit of inventory left and for awhile the Dolls would still have been made in Germany, and it said so on the Box. However, as Inventory got low, Mattel discontinued a lot of the historically accurate and beautiful accessories that were made in USA, like Rowe Pottery etc. and if they decided to keep offering that item including the Dolls, they would be made in China and other countries like Portugal, Mexico etc. Mattel changed the manufacturer of the dolls and accessories, which meant a lower quality doll and item, but left the price the same and in some cases raised the price. I have nothing against China, but I do wish they kept the Excellent standard Ms Rowland insisted on when she was in charge. American Girl has lost a lot of its initial charm and has and is still becoming too big. I suspect it will fizzle after so many years because already Mattel is not so keen on being historically accurate. They are more interested in drawing in little girls and collectors with sparkly fancy dolls and dresses and accessories that are cute but not helping the Young American Girl enjoy learning all about American History while playing with her Addy, or Felicity. Thanks for this article, but i do wish you had gone even further and gotten the true History of how the idea was created. They were never Made in America I don't think, but Pleasant Rowland an educator herself, had a wonderful idea and everybody said it couldn't be done but it was. I wish she was back at the helm. Thanks again, MJ Kurtz

Bruce and Pattie Hamilton wrote:
I can't help but feel this is a cheap shot news story that was carefully timed right before Christmas. The way the headline is written it gives the impression that the company has been caught in some sort of lie. I can only assume that was designed to create controversy and extra readers for a failing news organization. Nice job tearing down some of the only dolls in this country that celebrate America. And yes, they're made in China. Nobody ever said they weren't.

Dee Dee Curtis wrote:
I have bought my 20 year old daughter American Girl dolls for over ten years. I don't care that they are made in China. There are many, many products that are made in China, so I can't get concerned about dolls. I am more interested in the price of oil and the fact that an American company like Halliburton is profiting off the lives of American soldiers. These dolls and their production do not hurt anyone.

Denise King wrote:
I could not believe the story that I just watched about the "American Girl Dolls." I have 3 daughters that own Bitty and the American Girl Dolls. I also own a "Girl of Today" doll. At NO time did I ever believe that the dolls were created in America due to their name. The name "American Girl" means the history of our country. Why on earth would you want to tear down something that is so sweet and such a great learning tool for girls? It is important to teach our young girls the history of the country that they live in. For some little girls these dolls are their best friend and helps them to make better choices in their dress and attitude.
Why don't you do a more positive story about this?!!

Another viewer emailed the following:
American Girl dolls are simply fabulous. They teach our children about American history, foster a true love of reading and American Girl stands behind there products 100%! In today's market, that is rare.
If you are looking for a story, why not find a real one. American Girl doesn't say they are American because the parts are made in America. They are about American Girls. Why don't you try going into the store, picking up a book and seeing what American Girl is truly about. I am very tired of this type of journalism that tries to stir up controversy instead of reporting real news. I am truly disappointed with your network.
Why not look at our government who is responsible for why companies have to go over seas to make their products. Now, there's a story.

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