Sarah here. (Click any photo to enlarge.)
Thought I’d get in a quick review of Courtney’s “Care Bear” Pajamas set before it’s gone (which could be any day, now). We’ve never interacted with it before, but a friend of ours (born in 1982) just passed away, and she was absolutely crazy about anything to do with 1980s cartoons and illustrators in the USA. She lived on the British Isle of Wight so did not do American Girl dolls, but she had us sending people-size ’80s stuff whenever it could be found. You name it, she knew and loved these ’80s versions inside out: Smurfs, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Lisa Frank, Rainbow Brite, Wuzzles, all Hanna Barbera (e.g., Yogi Bear, Jetsons), Classic & Disney Winnie the Pooh, Rescue Rangers, Chip-n-Dale, Rescuers Down Under, Duck Tales, Scooby Doo, Studio Ghibli, My Little Pony, Popples, and others.
My sister wanted a “working doll” (i.e., not afraid to be in photo stories) named for Sabrina, so Elizabeth resurrected her favorite original Marie Grace from a “holding box” and is working on imputing our friend’s character into the doll. The love of the ’80s was an easy start, so we ordered Courtney’s PJs right off. And sliding her into the fabric of Islandshire was no more difficult.
Lori and Kelly have been itching to sell out and move off-island for a while now, so Sabrina bought “The Thrift Store” from them and immediately moved in to the little room in the back. She’s been working hard, sorting through the inventory Lori left, and she’s going to dedicate half of the new store to the usual thrifters and the other half to the vintage crowd. This’ll be Islandshire’s first vintage-clothing store, and Trudy will be sure to let you know when it’s time for the Grand Opening. Until then, you’ll just have to settle for this review of Courtney’s PJ set.
These Care Bears nightshirt looks and feels exactly like what we had growing up in the early ’90s. I mean, exactly! The fabric is very retro, not like the new thin flame-retardant stuff they palm off on parents these days. This is like the old thick flame-retardant stuff they had back then, down to the nubbly feel 0f it that you know will only nubble more in the dryer. Doesn’t sound like much of a selling point, I know, but it’s giving Elizabeth and me the warm fuzzies just looking at it.
This nightie is as nice as anything we had growing up. Unlike Nicki’s nightshirt in the new 1990s collection, which is way too short for us to vote as authentic in style, the length of this one is just perfect for your ’80s-90s dolls. I’m writing a review this late in the collection’s run because this set is unavailable in stores and about to bite the dust. If you’re putting a set-up together for 9-year-old Isabel and/or Nicki, we think this is a much better option than the PJs that AG is selling for either of the new dolls.
The slouch socks are nicer than I expected and just perfect in authenticity. The heel’s just right for the dolls’ feet (no tube socks here), and the fit is great. They feel and look just like what I had so many pairs of, made of fleece similar to what kept my feet sp nice and warm.
And the scrunchie is made of the same fabric. It’s got a nice bulk to it and worked really well in Sabrina’s Tenney wig without falling out or pinching the pony tail.
Hope this helps! At $30, it’s a great thing to spend that $30 rewards cert on, too. Remember, though, you have to order it online or by phone, since it’s gone from the stores. Don’t wait too long!