Inside the American Girl DOLL SHOW in Saline, Michigan! What it Was Like and What I Got.

I am so excited to share my experience and my goodies with you. This was my very first doll show and it was fantastic! I'd love to hear from you below - have you been to a doll show before? Was it general "all kinds of dolls" or AG-specific? Will you try to attend the one in Saline next year? Be sure to comment!
-Kristie ([e-mail] and @ag_takesover on IG)

[@NK-xk9kj]

I worked for Pleasant Co before bought them out. It was the best then and the best seasonal job ever. My girls loved it. Not the same since Mattel took over.

[@agtakesover]

I bet that was a really cool job.

[@Latinart]

I use to go to the doll shows in Northern California in the early 90s, I was collecting Barbie. They are fun, you do meet up with regulars or friends and the deals were amazing. These were the years before eBay, Macari and posh mark. So it was a real community of people who were all shopping for the same things.

[@agtakesover]

So cool! I find that as much as resale sights have brought us more access to good deals and social media platforms have brought us more access to fellow collectors, many of us still long for the energy of in-person gatherings like meet-ups, the benefit sale, doll shows, etc :)

[@Flanuora]

That news boy cap is everything!! I would absolutely love to have one. I wish I could go to an American Girl doll show. I’ve only been to one doll show when I was a child. They only had like one 18” doll vendor. 😅

[@agtakesover]

Grace said she has the pattern for the hat so as a present request I may see if she'll make another one :)

[@starryeyeschick]

You got some great little finds. I love getting those random pieces, too. Sometimes I may only want one piece of an outfit and not the whole thing.

[@agtakesover]

Yes! Life really is less stressful when you lack the "completist gene" lol.

[@devilclawz_]

It was so lovely to see you both there! I’m so glad you had fun and were able to find some goodies!

[@agtakesover]

Yes! Maybe we could host a meet-up after the show.

[@clairewatkins1720]

I’ve never been to a doll show but would love to! 😊

[@agtakesover]

I definitely suspect I got spoiled by my first doll show being EXCLUSIVELY American Girl!

[@dollahlah-54321]

I loved this! How fun to meet fellow AG lovers in person, and to score so many great items at fantastic prices! Thanks for being so detailed in your descriptions, too!

[@agtakesover]

You are so welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@junecutting2512]

That doll show looks amazing. I wish there was one like it here in SW Ontario. I love it when you show a named set and I realize have a couple of the pieces. I have the top and pants to the Ruffled Hoodie set but didn't know they went together. I agree that the short sleeved hoodie is weird but it would go nicely with one of my hand knitted sweaters. Thanks, Kristi.

[@agtakesover]

Have you tried one of your sweaters with the shirt and pants to that outfit?

[@junecutting2512]

Not yet, but I definitely will.

[@starryeyeschick]

There are never any AG sales near me! Sometimes I check out the doll shows for AG. I’ve gotten some great deals, but I’m not allowed to get AGs from them anymore because I’m always so impulsive and never bond. 😅 My favorite way to score secondhand deals is still thrifting. It’s the thrill of the hunt for me. ❤

[@agtakesover]

With gas prices what they are and the prospect of driving all over town constantly getting a young one in and out of a car seat, I definitely have come to prefer FB Marketplace over hitting up all the physical locations that *might* have some treasure. I really enjoy buying lots and finding what I want most from them and selling the rest because I like the element of surprise but also knowing there are some things I DEFINITELY want in the lot... but I've stopped doing that for the time being because I have a lot we need to sell before I'm willing to bring more stuff in. Seriously...wish I'd known about that sale in time to be a vendor.

[@prbambi9934]

The yellow and grey tennis outfit is from the early 2010s. It’s one my daughter had so I now have it.

[@agtakesover]

Our dolls could twin!

[@prbambi9934]

@@agtakesover yes they could! 🙂

[@starryeyeschick]

Jealous of the mini Amelia book. It goes with the 10” Amelia rag doll AG sold, a little small for the 18” sadly. I want to scan some of my full-sized books to make miniature. I love Amelia! The nod to Amelia in the twins’ computer set had me obsessed. ❤

[@agtakesover]

So cool! I didn't know what it was connected to. Thanks!

[@klhpensil21]

That sounds amazing. I personally love many different types of dolls, so most doll shows are exciting for me. 😊 I think I've only been to a doll show once with my Nana (another doll lover) when I was a child.

[@agtakesover]

You should do some searches for doll shows in your area and see if there are any :)

[@klhpensil21]

​​@@agtakesover Yes, that's what I was thinking after watching your video! 😊

[@bellaboo8952]

Oh I wish we had something like that out here in the land of mildew!(Seattle). I would love to be a vendor!!!

[@agtakesover]

I mean, you might. Apparently a subscriber who lives just 15 minutes away from where the show happened didn't know about it!

[@CherishedDollFriends]

Looks like a fun show. I wish they had more events like that in Canada. I would definitely go. Thanks for sharing your experience and your haul! I love that you saw Nadia and another viewer there!😊

[@agtakesover]

Thanks for watching! Honestly, I wonder how many cool doll shows happen that we don't know about, because there were collectors in that area who didn't know about it. I definitely want to see if there are more doll shows near me.

[@c.w.2000]

Me too! I live in Victoria, BC, and the local doll collector market seems to be pretty sparse, even for Barbie. Our population isn’t that small; there must be more collectors. I wonder if people have had luck starting a local doll club. It seems like it would be at least be good for swaps with,it having to pay high postage.

[@CherishedDollFriends]

Victoria is lovely! I could travel there for a doll show. ☺️

[@lindaf382]

Wish you would have come to the Strongsville (Ohio) Doll Show Feb. 25. Beautiful weather that day. I had a good day. Sold 2 of 3 AG dolls and many of my handmade doll clothes.Sent my daughter around to scout out other tables.Doll stands $1-2. There were not as many AG dolls as were in August. But there were at least 8. Maybe you will come August 18, I think is the date. (Northern Ohio Doll and Teddy Bear Show)

[@agtakesover]

This one just made more sense with our schedule but we'll see if it works out for August :) I'm glad it went well for you!

[@bcn_0629]

What a fun AG show! Your got pretty thing on great prices 💜

[@agtakesover]

Thank you 🤗 Nothing huge - just lots of fun "bits and bobs"

[@AgDollsDownUnder]

I went to a toy show today with 0 dolls that weren’t barbie sized. This is such a dream!

[@agtakesover]

That's what I've worried about with the more general shows. Grace would still enjoy it but I'd be way less interested.

[@dollmom3597]

The blue sandals that you showed at the end came from the plaid party outfit. Looks like you had a great time.

[@agtakesover]

Thanks - that's such a pretty dress!

[@marykremer4952]

Thanks for sharing about your experience there. I sure wish we had something like that here in Ohio. I am curious as to how it got started and find it interesting they do not charge to get in. It would be a fun time to be able to have a show that was nothing but AG/18 in doll related. Did you have the chance to get to speak with anyone who was an organizer for the show?

[@agtakesover]

We joined the Saline Rec Center's FB page and got on the email list but didn't have a chance to speak with the organizer.

[@starryeyeschick]

Those blue sandals go to the 2013 plaid party dress. 😊

[@agtakesover]

Thanks! I remember the dress but couldn't place the shoes.

[@suzannegoodwin4308]

Wish for more AG Doll Shows. Hope you let us know if you hear of one. I am in Alabama but still want to know. Love your videos. I am still learning.

[@agtakesover]

If you're in any AG Facebook groups it would be a good idea to start a thread where ppl can comment the doll shows they know of/have attended and where they take place. It would make for a lovely guide!

[@jessnawoods]

I wish we could have gone, but trying to conserve money after Christmas/Birthday and going to the Titantic Exhibit next week... better to not take in the temptation! 😂 Hopefully next year!!!

[@agtakesover]

Well, hopefully this gave you a sense of how much you might want to save up and what kind of things you can expect there. We will definitely be there next year, and if enough ppl are going, maybe Grace, Nadia, I, and some others can host a meet-up after the sale :)

[@jessnawoods]

@@agtakesover And let me know it's worth the the drive definitely!

[@melangellperry5984]

This sounds like a really fun doll show! The shoes alone are worth the trip! I have that ruffled hoodie outfit and I don’t think I’ve ever used the hoodie for the reason you mentioned, if you need a hoodie, don’t you need long sleeves??

[@agtakesover]

Right?!? Thank you for validating my confusion over that design choice lol.

[@MustLoveSkye]

@@agtakesover I’m not sure when that outfit was from or how long the trend lasted, but when I was a tween in the late 2000s we used to wear short-sleeve hoodies over tank tops so we could wear them to school, which of course wasn’t allowed otherwise since visible shoulders might distract the boys 🙄 Same with short-sleeve shrugs which carried over more into high school. They weren’t meant for actual hoodie weather when it was cold out (most of them were even cropped so there was no pretense that they were supposed to keep you warm lol), they were just accessories to go with sleeveless tops. I can see how it wouldn’t make sense if you were already an adult at the time, but that would have been a perfectly realistic outfit when I was the age AG dolls are supposed to be 🤷🏼‍♀

[@agtakesover]

@@MustLoveSkye never was an eye roll emoji more appropriate. Smdh at sexist dress codes. That makes sense. I was teaching high school from 2012-15 and my older daughter was born in 2001 so you'd think I'd remember these but I don't really. Maybe my brain just dismissed them as weird - lots of fashion is kind of weird to me so that's 100% plausible.

[@bethbacarella]

This looks wonderful! I definitely want to come next year, as this is only 90 minutes away from me. The selection of odds and ends also sounds wonderful. And my toy ban is only for 2024, so I'll have some money saved up for 2025. :) So fun! Thanks for all of the great details! I believe it's pronounced Sah-leen. :)

[@agtakesover]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I also hope you can make it next year!

[@tctownc1637]

Was this a one time event? Love the gems you all found.

[@agtakesover]

This was their 7th year doing it, so it's definitely not a one-time event. We just somehow hadn't heard about it until this year.

[@strangelyliteral]

I wish I were anywhere near this doll show! I saw Nadia and another agig friend post about it and it seems like my dream doll event. I did get to go to a local doll show this past weekend that I had never been to before and wasn’t sure what to expect. it was mostly older Barbie and other vintage dolls, which is fine by me because I was obsessed with vintage Barbie as a kid and I still love to see them. Not much AG, but even so I did have a lucky find. I’d been really wanting Grace, and someone there happened to be selling a beautiful NIB one with her charm bracelet and earring set. She wasn’t a steal but I think she was a fair price for a NIB long retired goty. She’s precious! A little early birthday treat 😂. Also I loved the Amelia books as a kid! I thought the journals full of drawings were SO cool. When I was imploring everyone to give AG’s new journal books a chance I was absolutely thinking of Amelia, and they definitely have the doodle factor, they could just stand to be a little longer.

[@agtakesover]

Nice early birthday treat! And i mentioned this to someone else, but maybe there ARE more doll shows near you. I hadn't heard of this one even though it's been happening for 7 years now. Even a subscriber who lives only 15 minutes from Saline said she'd never heard of it. Sometimes things just fly under the radar. And I get what you mean about the journals. I think it's the fact that a) it wasn't an addition to their book options but rather a substitution and b) they're so short.

[@desnakellum-yanzuk2217]

I knew nothing about the Amelia books until this video. I had to do some research.

[@agtakesover]

I didn't know anything about them either until my wife told me about them :)

[@starryeyeschick]

I agree…I don’t much care for Isabel’s tennis outfit. Maybe if everything wasn’t sewn together and the pleats went all the way around, I’d feel differently. The older tennis outfits are better.

[@agtakesover]

Yes - exactly this. Also, give that outfit proper underwear. I feel like I remembering it not coming with any.

[@starryeyeschick]

Are you seriously allowed to keep the green dessert cups from the cafe? I’ve gone for years and have been told that I can only keep the daisy?

[@agtakesover]

I'm not sure. We've bought some that people resold, which is how we have several of them. IDK if they were from closed stores or what.

[@saraboyer1392]

I so regret being teacher tired that day.... I'm about an hour away so I hope I can go next year.

[@agtakesover]

Definitely hope you can make it next year :)

[@Jacqueena88]

How do you find out where these shows are and when?

[@agtakesover]

I don't even remember how I heard about this one but I think it was a fluke. Sometimes ppl in FB groups mention they're going to a doll show and I learn about them that way. But honestly, we just happened across this one kind of last minute. You can find their FB page and like it and keep an eye on it next year to see when they'll be holding this sale again.

[@abrielle13]

We never have stuff like this in SoCal 😢

[@agtakesover]

I mean...I'm starting to wonder just how many things like this ARE around. Collectors that are 15 minutes away from that rec center didn't even know about it. Apparently sometimes word just doesn't get out. I will say that generalist doll shows definitely seem more common than exclusively AG ones.

[@agdollrebecca4189]

Rosalie is stunning! Is she a CYO you created?

[@agtakesover]

She's a CYO I got from the MCM Benefit sale in 2022 and I wholly agree - she is beautiful!

[@JessicaRupinski-up3jn]

Not me seeing doll show & thinking that it's like a dog or cat show but for dolls! A blue ribbon for the best in the historical category! 😆😄

[@agtakesover]

LMAO I need that to be an agsm!

[@JessicaRupinski-up3jn]

Cannot wait!

[@agtakesover]

@@JessicaRupinski-up3jn I don't make AGSMs so we're gonna have to convince someone lol

[@S.L._]

That show sounds so cool! Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to next year because I'm on the East Coast, and it's just too far for me to travel. I'm very, very fortunate, though, in that my grandmother was a doll and teddy bear collector (and, to a lesser extent, my mother --- my father even has a very small number of dolls). She mostly collected antique porcelain dolls, and was friends with woman who ran a doll store and museum -- Mary Merritt's Doll Museum , which sadly no longer exists. As a kid, I went to a *lot* of doll and bear shows. They were mostly generalist shows, like you said. I've never even heard of an all-ag doll show. But ag wasn't that collectable by adults back then, and I haven't been around dolls shows in a loooooong time.

[@agtakesover]

What wonderful memories you have! How lovely to have gotten to see so many doll shows AND have been able to share your collecting with others in your family.

[@S.L._]

@@agtakesover I do have some great memories. My childhood was weird, and sometimes pretty gnarly, but also sometimes very magical. It was great learning about dolls and bears from a young age. I had a few AG dolls as a kid. I haven't previously collected them as an adult collector. I'm just starting my collection now.

[@agtakesover]

@@S.L._ Nice. I'm glad there was good among the not-so-ideal. And welcome to the world of AG adult collectors!

[@S.L._]

@@agtakesover Thanks! Yeah, there was definitely lots of good, too. And thanks so much! I'm happy to be here. I'm glad so many people are collecting them now.

[@S.L._]

@@agtakesover Thanks! Yeah, there was definitely good, too. And thanks so much! I'm so happy to be starting/restarting this hobby!

[@Joolieannie]

You took affordable options from other people to make your own profit to cover your items? That’s kinda whack girl, I love your channel but that’s super opportunistic and really goes against the spirit of doll collecting

[@agtakesover]

I sold them for the same price we paid when we first bought them for our own collection (they're duplicates for us). I said it might not be a popular option with everyone but we charged fair prices for them and the ppl who bought them from us did not feel ripped off at all. You're allowed to judge and dislike it but I'm completely at peace with the way I approach collecting.

[@ForeignDoll01]

@@agtakesover I don’t see a issue with it I occasionally do the same thing but I sell the dolls for good prices never over charge. And it’s a good way to get extra doll dollars maybe it’s a hustler thing that others don’t have in them.

[@agtakesover]

@@ForeignDoll01 I think everyone draws that line differently. I wouldn't buy up an item I know ppl want to turn around and price gouge. We mostly sell things we no longer want or things that came in lots where we wanted some of the items but not all of them. But in this case we sold the extra items we bought there for an average of less than $25 each. It was most definitely not a case of overcharging and I think that can be a healthy part of the resale market. Thank you for being understanding.

[@gretchennahas5994]

Something on my wish list is kitt bathing suit.

[@DollandDinoMama]

A lot of collectors resell in order to fund their hobby. Ex: finding something in better condition, taking it home, and selling the lesser condition item one already had. Someone who is an avid collector is going to be able to price more accurately and reach a larger buyer market. Nothing wrong with that.