30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About American Girl Dolls

American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland first got the idea for the company when she took her young nieces Christmas shopping in the mid-'80s. "Here I was, in a generation of women at the forefront of redefining women's roles, and yet our daughters were playing with dolls that celebrated being a teen queen or a mommy," she told CNN in 2012. Rowland combined her love of history with the concept of matching dolls with books, and American Girl was born.

As an educator, Rowland had $1.2 million saved in textbook royalties that she invested into the company. "American Girl seemed like a million dollar idea," she told CNN, "I put $200,000 aside in case all failed and plunged in." Thankfully, it paid off.

At American Girl's 25th Anniversary Tribute, Rowland revealed that many originally doubted her vision. She admitted she was "met with disbelief and patronizing tolerance, summarized as, 'Are you kidding? Historical dolls in the day and age of Barbie?'"

In the first four months, the company brought in $1.7 million. It only continued to grow, making $7.6 million in its second year, and $30 million in 1989. Now that's how you prove the haters wrong!

In order to make sure everything is historically accurate — while still making difficult subjects easy for kids to understand — a team of historians, educators, museum curators and linguists work on each launch. They often take trips to the home state of each doll and advisory committees are formed to review everything from clothing to books.

When the company launched in 1986, Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, and Molly McIntyre (pictured) were the only dolls available. Kirsten was retired in 2010, Molly in 2014, and Samantha was axed in 2008, only to be temporarily brought back in 2014 with new outfits.

After 12 years of competing with Barbie, American Girl was sold to Mattel — the company behind its rival. Pleasant Rowland explained her $700 million decision, revealing to CNN, "Why Mattel? I felt a genuine connection to [then CEO] Jill Barad, the woman who built Barbie. The ironies did not escape me, and many were critical of my decision, but I saw in Jill a blend of passion, perfectionism and perseverance with real business savvy."

Before the company was bought by Mattel in 1998, they had chubbier faces, less color on their lips and cheeks, larger feet, and a chubbier body shape, a.k.a no thigh gap or butt. If you were to compare today's dolls to the older ones, there's a clear difference in appearance — beyond just their clothes.

Lea Clark, the company's 2016 Girl of the Year, was described as an adventurous 10-year-old "who dives in to new adventures and explores what's in her heart" when she visits Brazil's Amazon rain forest — and that's exactly who viewers met in American Girl: Lea to the Rescue, an action movie based on the character.

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Including actresses like Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb and Shailene Woodley. Julia Roberts has even executive produced some of them!

There are eight face molds currently being used, but the vast majority use the same one. Only a few dolls have completely unique faces — including Joss, Nanea and Marie-Grace.

American Girl dolls wear a wig made of high-quality mod-acrylic fibers sewn into a mesh wig cap, which is then glued onto the head.

… get her wet. She may have all the right gear for fun in the sun, but actual water makes her eyes rust and her cotton body mold — not to mention it wreaks havoc on her lovely hair.

The company offers "hospital visits" for dolls that need repair. They are returned in a hospital gown and with a certificate of good health.

When Chicago's American Girl Place first opened in 1998, it was one of the very first — if not the first — experiential dining spots in the country, with special seating for toys in the restaurant. The flagship location also offered a doll hair salon and employees who treated dolls as real people. Over time, brands began copying the concept and incorporating experiences into their stores or restaurants.

For the company's 35th anniversary in 2021, American Girl released an original album, Get Up & Dance. The album highlights some of the brand's most iconic characters over the years.

The American Girl legacy extends beyond books and movies. Until 2008, New York and Chicago both hosted original musicals, such as The American Girls Revue and Circle of Friends: An American Girl Musical.

They're almost all penned by author Valerie Tripp. Even cooler: Over 32 million American Girl dolls have been sold since 1986.

Between all of its social channels —Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest — American Girl has amassed almost 3 million followers. The brand's YouTube channel provides kids with educational videos, celebrity interviews, fun skits and much more.

If the movies aren't enough, AGSM is a YouTube phenomenon where fans make stop motion films starring their dolls. These young creators just might have a future in film.

More than $125 million in cash and products to local charities, to be exact. The company has worked with many nonprofits and supported a wide range of causes over the years — from the Children's Hospital Association to K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations).

After four years of falling sales, American Girl jumped 12% in growth in late 2020. Mattel executives credited the positive news to its success in online sales.