The year is 1995, and...

Hello, everyone! By now I'm sure you've all heard the news... MyAG #4 (the original Asian girl with bangs) has been discontinued. Bre has wanted this doll for a while, but it's hard to keep up with the modern dolls when the historicals are getting archived left and right. But a doll collecting future without the possibility of adding the adorable #4 was too bleak for Bre. So she started looking on eBay and sales listings on the message board, and someone offered to sell one to her for less than retail! The only bummer is that she's officially Bre's birthday present from her mom, and her birthday isn't until August 15th! That's well over a month of the new girl sitting in a box waiting to be loved.

But #4 being discontinued made me think. Of the 20 original girls released way back when in 1995, not many of us are left.

Maybe our bangs are not as fashionable as they used to be. Maybe some of the newer dolls are prettier or more unique, but we're still special, too. Bre never had an AGOT growing up (don't get us wrong, she loved and still loves Addy), and she always sorta wanted one. She has several now, but I'm her favorite. And that's not bragging... it's acknowledged fact that I'm her favorite modern doll. Why? Because I'm the sort of AGOT doll she might have had as a little girl in the '90s. Of these original 20 dolls, Bre has 3 (Me, Amira, and Brittany -- or #12, #11, and #7), soon to be 4. I personally know 2 more (Rachel and Julia -- #20 and #5) who belong to Bre's good friend and her sister. Do you have any of us original girls?

Bre's post: My year through doll collecting

Hello everyone! This is Wendy's ne'er-do-well person Bre. =) Merry Christmas (Eve)!

With the year coming to a close, and Felicity packed up under the tree for me to open in the morning, I've gotten to thinking about my doll collection. This year was rather different than the last couple of years. Let's see.

I got three new AG dolls (not counting Lissie). Marisol I got at the beginning of summer for graduation. Amira (#11) and Brittany (#7) came to me at the same time, which was the first time I'd ever gotten two AGs at once.

I got more non-AG dolls than ever before. I never had any other 18 inch dolls before this year... I now have 5! The first was Claire, who is an Our Generation doll. I got Allie (Gotz precious day) on sale at Tuesday Morning not long after getting Marisol. I got my two Journey Girls, Claudia and Stacey, from TRU to be members of my doll sized Baby-sitters Club. Mary Anne (Gotz Little Sister Tess) is also a babysitter, but I got her from a board member.

This was the first year in two years I didn't ask for an AG for my birthday. I got an Ellowyne Wilde doll instead. (Which reminds me... I should really take pictures of her...)

With #11 and Tess (or Amira and Mary Anne) I got two dolls I had been wanting for a couple of years. Because I don't tend to see them on the secondary market often, I didn't think I'd have them anytime soon, but I got them both in a relatively short amount of time. And I wasn't looking for them at the time.

I've also gotten back into play line Barbies in a big bad way. This is probably the first year in many years that I bought a pink box Barbie doll (or several, rather) to go with my vintage and collectible Barbie collection.

I feel like there's probably like a pattern I should be looking for in my collecting habits, but I'm too dense to really make any kind of connection. =P Would be interested in hearing your collecting habits as well!

Love, Bre, aka BuckinghamAlice

First post from HOME in forever!

Hey everyone! It's me, Wendy, here with some pretty good news! Our house is now officially back online! It's been a LOOOOONG time, but now that I'm online again, I'll probably be updating so often you'll all get sick of me! :)

So my cousin Allie and her friends Amira and Brittany are opening their own blog together. Cool, huh? I'll let you all know the link whenever I know.

Until next time,
Wendy M. Stein

Allie's friends

Hello all! Wendy here! =)

I've got news. Remember my cousin Allie?

Well, this summer was sorta hard for her hanging out with me and my friends, because we're all older. But since school has started back she's become inseparable with Bre's new dolls - Amira and Brittany. They're in her class at school. I'm so happy for her! She's going to write more later and introduce you to her friends. I really like them. =)