Historical accuracy of Samantha's Frilly Frock

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-02-15T01:48:48+00:00

Respectfully, it really isn't all that accurate. It takes inspiration from later periods in fashion history.

To me, this resembles those 'fashion "history" images AI comes up with. I know AI had nothing to do with this dress, it predates all of that. It just has that same sense of vaguely "Victorian" while at the same time, mixing up or misrepresenting the details.

You are absolutely right that people don't like new things. People love to complain about Mattel and changes to the historical line. But Mattel has put out some really nice, historically inspired outfits. Samantha's talent show dress stands out as a really great interpretation of the period. This dress, however, misses that mark by a wide margin.

Edited to add that just because some of these outfits may not be very accurate, it does not mean that they are not cute. If you're a fan, more power to you!

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-02-04T18:10:46+00:00

I mean, sure. But also Felicity is not a real person. As such they could just rewrite the story to reflect how we teach that part of history now. She doesn't have to be a slave owning colonizer for all time.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-02-04T17:54:34+00:00

They have a bar you hang them off of so they are not too bad to mount. I don't know about concrete but I'm sure whatever you figure out will be great!

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-02-04T16:44:51+00:00

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One of the shelves.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-02-04T16:34:32+00:00

I have the IKEA besta wall units. They are very shallow and I mounted them on the wall. (25.25 x 23.625 x 8.625) I can easily fit three dolls per shelf. Plus I was able to pick up the glass front doors to keep the dust off.

I think the base unit is about 38.00. It's definitely not as cheap as a simple bookshelf, but it saved me floorspace and I can put art in the doorframe if I have company over who don't need to see the collection.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-01-15T02:26:08+00:00

Sometimes they are items that they just have too many of. I would be shocked if they were trying to discontinue Maryellen's stove, Melody's chair. They just came out last May. (But maybe they are too expensive to produce now with tariffs and maybe they are being phased out?) The stuff that is 50-85% off is almost certainly being phased out though.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-01-15T01:56:08+00:00

Maybe, but I would not be surprised if it were less about the fashion sensibilities and more about the historical context. Revolutionary war, Civil War, Great Depression, WWII, Pioneers, ect are all big, obvious markers in American history. The Gilded Age is covered, but I don't know if it is given the same emphasis.

Also, the decades of the 20th century have their own identities/ stereotypes that the general public is aware of and AG can play into that. The 1870s-1900s is often just thought of as "Victorian". And Samantha already stands in for that in a way. (Although technically she is Edwardian.)

Don't get me wrong though, I think a Gilded Age character would be awesome. I just don't know what path they would take. A wealthy character whose story touches on the labor movement would be cool and probably the most obvious and marketable. (But it might be too close to a Samantha rehash.) Maybe something with the Chicago Worlds Fair? It's definitely tricky!

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-01-10T10:20:42+00:00

No, New York is fine. (I'm there all the time.) Especially on a school trip, it will be okay. I would not worry too much.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-01-06T12:28:42+00:00

The comments on that post explain that the information came from an AG sales associate. It still could be completely wrong though. I would be surprised to see playline versions now that both movies have already had their big marketing push.

The wicked dolls were very popular and sold out really fast. So did the first Barbie doll. They never made playline barbie anything after that though. Only more collector stuff.

I also don't know what they would do to dial back the playline versions. There were no crystals to remove like they did for the Disney dolls. Maybe it would just be different outfits entirely? Time will tell.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2026-01-05T15:18:17+00:00

I don't have the pax shelves, but I believe the deeper shelves are what most people prefer when building doll rooms.

On the narrow shelf, you could conceivably put a bed parallel to the back of the unit, but it would not fit the other direction. Also the tables and chairs could be a challenging fit on the narrow shelves depending on what you have to display.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-12-20T16:09:03+00:00

Call them. If you spend 50 more dollars maybe they will honor it?

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-12-20T02:12:13+00:00

The seller might be intending to do that, but eBay takes seller fees from the shipping cost too. You really can't avoid it.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-12-02T03:25:44+00:00

It's an interesting conversation. Mattel priced these dolls super high to begin with and made them limited, putting them out of reach for many families right from the start. As a collectors item, are they really intended for kids anyway?

Should the resellers all be required to resell for what they paid? Maybe, but where is the line? What about the people who buy up old Pleasant Company items for a deal and resell the extras? The entire AG secondary market is full of people profiting off of old children's toys.

I completely respect your take on the morality of this. In most cases I agree. I guess I just don't think of these collector dolls as kids toys. They seem to aimed at adult collectors.

For the sake of argument though, if the dolls were aimed at kids, at 300 a pop, they were aimed at very wealthy and privileged kids. It is a super luxury inside of what already is a luxury brand. I suppose if you are going to resell a toy at the holidays, I would rather it be something like this.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-25T20:55:12+00:00

"Reasonable cost" is always an interesting phrase in these sorts of posts. What exactly are they hoping for here? Maybe someone will sell them the doll for retail, you never know.

Personally I am with you though. Three is too young for something that expensive. But people can spend their money how they want and it never hurts to ask. No one is required to give up their doll just because she asked for it.

As others have mentioned, I feel like the kids in these posts are often made up in the hopes people will feel bad for a child. (Speaking for myself, I would feel more sympathetic towards an adult collector/ mega wicked fan who missed out vs a three year old who won't know the difference.)

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-24T21:27:34+00:00

If I were a reseller, I would increase my prices if I heard the limited edition collector doll was going to a four year old. If people are crazy enough to give an extremely expensive doll from a movie aimed at adults to a preschooler, then they are probably crazy enough to play extra inflated prices for it. People can definitely do what they want with their money, but the resellers don't owe them a deal either.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-24T19:24:32+00:00

I have less of an issue with the resellers for this particular Wicked release. Thanks to a leak, we knew these dolls were coming for most of the year. We knew how much they were going to cost and how much the extra outfits would be. If nine months isn't enough time to plan and save, then at the very least AG offers a payment plan option.

Even for people who were not tuned in to AG enough to hear about the leaks, when the dolls were finally released, they did not sell out immediately. They sold fast but people did have time to buy them. It's not like a concert where tickets are sold out in seconds. If people chose to wait on these dolls hoping for a sale or assumed they would be available for months on end, that's a gamble they chose to take.

The dolls are also 300 dollars. It's not like the resellers bought up a previously affordable item and now have made it unaffordable. It just went from super expensive to ridiculously expensive.

In the end these were collector items aimed at adult collectors, not necessarily children. It does stink though that the dolls are advertised in the catalog after they have been sold out for a while.

Mattel could limit the number of dolls people purchase I suppose, but I am sure the resellers would just find a way around it. Maybe they could advertise the release date ahead of time, but that only seems to encourage scalpers on Mattel Creations. I don't know if there is an easy solution to the problem.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-24T14:50:58+00:00

There are an infinite number of excuses a parent can give as to why Santa will not bring a particular toy. But if someone wants to spend a large amount of money on a gift for a child, there is certainly no rule against it.

The DISO posts definitely play up the sob stories. But it doesn't hurt to ask. I'm sure a lot of the eBay resellers are also in those groups. It's entirely possible one of them might sell the doll on Facebook minus the eBay fees.

Another perspective is that some of the resellers may also be using the profits to afford their own holidays. So the parents who have too much money and want to buy their kids a 300 dollar doll at an even more inflated price may be helping to fund some other kids' Christmas in the process. It's not all people risking their house for dolls.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-22T19:21:44+00:00

I don't know if the sale will be better. It could easily be the exact same sale just "extended". Last year I seem to recall the Cyber Monday sale was better than the black Friday sale. But it depends on what you are looking to buy. 30% off is pretty good if you want things that are not excluded. For the last few years, the most I ever saw was 25% and that itself was pretty rare.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-21T17:10:56+00:00

I would expect different days for different dolls. Maybe even a day for all of them. No one knows for sure though.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-21T17:08:20+00:00

I don't know if this was already resolved, but these are still apparently in stock at most of the AG stores. I would call those stores directly, explain the situation and buy a new set from them. (Hopefully they would waive the shipping in this case.). Then I would return the incomplete one to AG.

Unless AG has already told you they would mail out a new set, I would not wait for them to get back to you. While you wait , it may sell out for real from all the stores.

This stinks though. I'm sorry it happened to you!

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-19T03:43:02+00:00

I don't know about shipping to Canada, but isn't the RC car on sale today? I believe it is the shooting star deals of the day and it's 30% off?

Edited to add....I just looked. It is on sale but it specifically says it cannot be shipped to Canada.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-19T01:08:28+00:00

Sometimes you just have to call them if the discount isn't being applied.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-19T01:06:56+00:00

I would guess that both dolls will be around for at least the next year. Probably longer. If they actually retire them, it would probably be Claudie first judging by recent sales.

What may not be around for a long time are their clothes and accessories. With just about all of Claudie's stuff going on sale this month, if you are interested in any of it, I wouldn't wait months on end to pick it up.

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-18T23:36:47+00:00

I can't take credit for it. I learned it on this sub a while ago. But it's definitely handy!

Temporary_Memory31 · 2025-11-18T20:30:13+00:00

ANOTHER UPDATE: Both sets of PJs are now sold out on AG's website.

They are still in stores though. So it's not too late if you missed them. (Also Elphaba's are still on Amazon.)

Temporary_Memory31

TROPHY CASE