From an email from American Girl via a few readers:
Dear Samantha™ Fan,
We’re writing with important news about an American Girl original, Samantha Parkington®. As one of her biggest fans, we wanted you to be among the first to know that soon, Samantha’s complete collection—including Nellie® and her accessories—will be moving into the American Girl Archives™.
While Samantha has been one of American Girl’s most popular historical characters since her introduction in 1986, we felt the timing was right to preserve her place in American Girl’s history, making it possible to introduce new characters and time periods for our customers to enjoy.
Starting today, we’re inviting American Girl fans to share their favorite Samantha memories (see below) as a way of commemorating Samantha and the impact she’s had on girls for more than 22 years. Whether it’s remembering your beloved Samantha doll or an important lesson learned from her books, we want to hear your story.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Samantha! Watch for more information via our catalogues or at americangirl.com. In the meantime, don’t miss the opportunity to purchase items from Samantha’s collection before it’s too late. Thank you again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
American Girl
P.S. Though Samantha will soon be moving into the American Girl Archives, her stories will live on! You’ll continue to find Samantha books at americangirl.com, at American Girl stores, and at booksellers nationwide.
Oh, this is is so sad! Samantha is one of my favorite dolls. What do you think is behind this move? Is she not popular enough? Or are they really making room for a new character?
I signed the petition!! It’s TOTALLY not funny they’re trying to retire them, but it IS kinda funny we’re making a petition.. Just like Julie!!!LOL!
When you send it, tell AG we got the idea from one of their new books!!
haha! Sorry, I had a moment there!
Thanks Kelz.
People who aren’t even from DD are signing it, which is awesome!!!
and thanks to everybody who is signing it!!!
Beth – yes it will be sent numerous times!!
I signed it, Sienna! We have to do something!
NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOO!!!!
American Girl can NOT do this to us!!!!!!
Samantha is like THE AG dol! She was the orignial three and always the most popular. She got her movie first and everything. Retiring her is the stupidiest move AG has ever made. Like someone else said, Samantha is the HEART and SOUL of AG. Why one earth do we need to take her away for a new doll? I would rather have Samantha than five new dolls!
American Girl, you’ll be getting a letter from me….
O yes, and I really want to get Nellie before she retires! It might mean selling all my webkinz on ebay! (I never open the tags, I just keep them on display. I have 32)
Sienna, I put the link to your petition on yahoo answers so more people can sign. You don’t mind do you? It got 2 new signatures
I just signed your petition, Sienna!
I’m a big ag fan THEY CAN NOT DO THIS im even crying!
Kelz – course I don’t mind! AG has to know what a huge mistake they are making!!! They sent me a polite email back saying the they are sorry for my opinion on the decision, but that it is best for AG. WHATEVER!!!
Ellie and Gale – thanks for signing!!!
Ariana go to this site to sign a petitions against it: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopAG
Thanks so much to everybody who is helping to STOP american girl from making this dumb mistake!!!
Oh yeah and keep up all the emails about it!!! when you finish the email put the petition link on the end!!!
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopAG
Oh, whatever! This is NOT right American Girl! Prepare to watch you sales go way WAY down!
I totally agree Kelz!! American Girl just lost my business!!! Because they aren’t listening to the customers!
NOT good customer service!!
Mattel has ruined my whole love for ag…I’ll still keep my dolls but not getting anything else from there. Not even Chrissa.
Sienna Amber
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopAG
BTW, Nellie was my second doll (first was molly) and then I got Samantha so I have the BFF’s, just not their stuff and its driving me nuts that ag wants to “archive”
They want to replace historical dolls with “modern” I think Sam & Nell teach an awesome lesson, and they shouldn’t be replaced! They can’t be replaced!!! What happens if we break an arm or something!? AHHHH!!!
and AG isn’t even listening to us!
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopAG
Keep on signing for all those people who haven’t!
And a special shout out for Char: THANKS SOOO MUCH FOR SIGNING!!!
for all those who haven’t noticed there is a game link at the top of the page!!!!
I think I’m still with AG, and I’m still getting Chrissa (although I HATE it that they had to make her with short brown hair… why not a blond??!! And I hope the outfit is actually cute, not the ones on the ad) and going to the AG place in NYC. But They will pay for retiring her.. Do you think she and Nellie will come back??
The email that I got from AG said that they may revamp her in a couple of years… Maybe it’ll be like Felicity. Everyone will get upset so they keep the doll, although a LOAD of stuff gets retired…
Plus, they’ll REMODEL her.
Oh, I have to go to school now. Bye. And KEEP SIGNING THAT PETITION!
yea thts what i said theyll probs bring her back like felcity i signed da petition
I am spending all my money on Samantha stuff right now!
I’m mad at Chrissa. I know, I know, she sounds cute, but Samantha has too much history behind her, and too much loving to be RETIRED!
Cool, which stuff?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I want Samantha. I have no AG dolls. I only have two Maplelea dolls.
I signed the petition and emailed American Girl. I wanted to confirm it and it’s true!! Samantha was the first doll I ever got way back in the nineties when I was six!! That was almost ten years ago!! (I’m fifteen and a half now) I took her everywhere and we dressed alike. As far as I know she’s one of the best selling dolls, they can’t just RETIRE her!! I have both Sam and Nellie and will definitely be buying a ton of their stuff before it’s retired and asking for it for Christmas!!! They won’t bring her back if they retire her because Felicity was just removed from catalogues to the website, they are removing Sam from EVERYTHING!!! THEY CAN’T DO THIS!!!!!
I’m so mad at AG! Imean HOW CAN THEY DO THIS ?!?!?!? AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess what ? I think Chrissa’s a swimmer ! I love swimming ! I’m even on swim team! But I still feel sad for Sam and Nell.
Sharon – Yes she is a swimmer. Here is a link for a article on the movie: (includes some info about swimming)
http://dolldiaries.com/more-scoop-on-the-chrissa-the-american-girl-of-the-year-2009/
I’ve never met you before, so I’m Sienna Amber! Hope you enjoy doll diaries!
Sienna Amber
STOP THEM FROM RETIRING AMAZING GIRLS!
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopAG
I absolutely cannot believe this!!1
AG SHOULD NEVER RETIRE ANY DOLLS and if they have to NOT A HISTORICAL CHARICTER! we saved Felicity once, now we can save samantha! i can think of a bucketload of things why she should saty……..
I BLAME CHRISSA
I HATE HER
BOTH SAMANTHA AND NELLIE ARE TWO BEAUTIFUL DOLLS! THIS IS A HORRIBLE MISTAKE! SHE’S MY ONE AND ONLY AG DOLL!
NEVER!
ahhhhh
I’ll have to ask for Samantha from Santa!!!!!!!!!
OMG! Michelle, you are saying EXCACTLY what I was saying here earlier!
NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They can’t retire her! She’s the most popular AG doll ever!!! Without her, what does AG have????????????????
american girl is nutz.
I love these dolls!
making me cry…
This is stupid. You know Samantha is and has always been one of the most popular dolls. With the success of the limited edition, Girl of the Year dolls, I’m sure American Girl is using this as some similar stupid (or smart but irritating to customers) marketing move to get everyone who was going to hold off on buying any Samantha items to hurry and buy the whole collection now. I’m a little disappointed with AG right now!
I am deeply sad about the retiring Samantha doll. I have seriously read everything I can find on AG and such, since the third grade (I’m a high school freshman now.) But I don’t think that any blame should be placed on the new DOTY. That would have happened no matter what. I mean the DOTY has been a tradition for six years. Who knows, maybe with these petitions, AG will change their minds.
AG said Julie and the bitty twins are why they’re retiring Sam. But it seems like they change their reason sometimes.
I’m sure this move will boost their Christmas sales. A clever move during bad economic times. As much as my daughter and I hate to see Samantha go, we would much rather see her retire than have the entire company go under. GOODBYE SAMANTHA!
Yeah, that’s very true, Denise. And Marcia, I wouldn’t blame it on Julie, she came MUCH before all this.
Too much drama about AG!!!!!!!! I love Sam and I am so sad to see her go. Is ANYONE there 2 talk2??? What states are every1 from? I am from Alabama!!!! I can not wait 2 Feb. 28th when I can go to the Ag place in Atlanta. I am tring to make a fan website for Ag fans. When I complete it, yall guys will be the 1st 2 know about it!!! Add photos and links 2!!!!
Pfft, I always thought Samantha was the most boring of all the American girl doll characters. Her bangs are ugly and she’s just really rich, which I don’t think is very interesting. As long as they don’t retire Kirsten, I’m OK. Kirsten is the bomb.
I like KIRSTEN ok! I have a contest on my site to see who can post the most photos of thier Ags on my site! has 2 be a photo u took though!!!
I like KIRSTEN ok! I have a contest on my site to see who can post the most photos of thier Ags on my site! has 2 be a photo u took though!!! GO AG!!!
WHOOPSIE DUPLICATES OH NO!!! JK!!!! ADD THOSE PICS!!!
SIGN THE PETITION!!! Post this petition address all over so others can sign it also! Right now there are only 96 signatures; we can do WAAAAAAY better than that!
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/StopAG/
Molly, I DONT agree with you!
I got nellie when i was in third grade. i understand samantha has been around for a while but nellie only a few years ……….really? i think it reall dumb to retire a doll after what 5 years like seriuosly. if they want o make room than MAKE A BIGGER CATALOGER its not that hard.greezzz
Mattel has made loads of changes to the American Girl brand, taking it away from its educational focus and dedication to “real” items (wood, etc.) and turning it more into an everyday toy like their other brands. As someone who has been around since the very beginning of this brand, I just have to wonder what Pleasant T. Rowland thinks! I am so happy I grew up with American Girl under Pleasant T. Rowland’s ownership. Let’s hope another Felicity issue happens–Felicity was supposedly “retired,” too (although her items were still sold).
I wonder if it’s a marketing thing, like. “Sales are low ’cause the economy is so bad. Let’s put our most popular doll in the archives, so everyone buys her and her stuff for Christmas, then bring her out of the archive in five years.” Disney does the same thing with it’s Classic cartoon films, then sells them for like twice as much when they release them in special editions and make a BUNDLE of money that way.
Ugh.
Still, sorry to see Samantha go.