Did you have an American Girl doll when you were little? Did you grow up in the '80s or '90s?
If you answered "yes" to both of those questions, and you still have your doll, then you might be in luck -- if you took good care of her, that is.
An original Kirsten, Samantha or Molly doll -- with the original accessories and if it's in pristine condition; preferably from around 1986 -- is worth at least $1,500, according to a search on eBay. And if you have multiple dolls or even a set of all three, one eBay seller had listed a trio, at last check, for about $11,500.
Yes, you read that correctly: more than $10,000 for a set of dolls. As it turns out, the Pleasant Company really knew what it was doing. (For the record, it sold the brand to Mattel in 1998). But still, the original company deserves some credit.
These days, American Girl has 19 U.S. stores, and two international locations, the company's website says. You can even customize your doll to look just like you.
But back in the '80s and '90s -- for the record, the dolls and literature were introduced in 1986 -- there were no stores. The dolls were sold in a catalog and many people came to know and love the company for their books, which were based on girls from several historical time periods.
(Raise your hand if you still equate the Boston Tea Party with Felicity Merriman, "Thank you, Miss Cole. But, I shall take no tea." Or if you teared up when Addy Walker's dad and brother were sold off their plantation). Those books are timeless.
And yes, Felicity and Addy came later. The original dolls are Molly McIntire, Kirsten Larson and Samantha Parkington, hence why those are the ones selling for the most money, published reports say. Samantha was archived in 2009 but re-released in 2014. Molly was archived in 2013, and Kirsten was retired in 2010. And for what it's worth, a quick peruse of eBay shows some Addy and Felicity dolls included in the high-priced sets.
So tell us: Do you have any of these dolls in your collection? Have you, or would you ever sell one?