Please choose to continue your session or sign out now. i i i There’s a lot to like about the American Girl empire. The dolls are well-made and offer girls a wide variety of imaginative options, whether they’re into gymnastics or the history of the Great Depression. But dang, my daughter’s AG doll is bankrupting me. How many $30 bathrobes does an 18-inch doll need? How many $35 poseable Morgan horses? My daughter has very definite opinions on these matters, and since gear for her American Girl doll is all she’s asked for on every gift-giving occasion in the last 2 years, she’s amassed a pretty good collection. But most of what she has is not, in fact, American Girl-branded clothing or gear. A startling number of companies are attempting to eat AG’s lunch, putting out lookalike dolls as well as clothing for the dolls (and sometimes, their owners), as well as beds, horses, tents, cars, tiaras and a zillion other items sized to fit American Girl dolls and her knockoff twins.

The following sources are some of my favorites, and the slideshow at the end contains sigh-worthy 18-inch doll finds at bargain prices. American Girl dolls start at $115 and they’re recommended for age 8 and up. Give one to a younger girl and you’ll soon see why — though the dolls are solid, their hair tangles easily and if you brush it with a regular brush it’ll get snagged and frizzy. If what your daughter wants is just a doll that’s sized to use 18-inch doll gear, perhaps you’d both be happier with one of her less-expensive knockoffs. Target puts out arguably the most popular AG knockoff, with Our Generation dolls running $25-$30. Personally, I think the OG dolls are cuter than AG — the caucasian AG dolls have a yellow/green tone to their skin that I find a bit creepy — but the faces are still slightly expressionless for my taste. ToysRUs’ 18-inch doll brand, Journey Girls, prices its dolls at $40. I like the faces on these dolls and think they look more lively than AG faces.

I also like that a couple of the Journey Girls appear to be (or could be taken as) biracial, a hard category of dolls to find. Journey Girl Kyla is pictured above on her bunk bed. My Life dolls are Walmart’s answer to AG; they seem a little bit slimmer, and their butts are a bit smaller, so AG clothing may be baggy on them. Running about $28 each, the My Life dolls each come with a theme — you can buy a doll who’s supposed to be a ballerina, a yoga instructor, a party planner, and so on. A whoooooole bunch of other companies put out 18-inch dolls of varying cuteness, size quirks and quality, like Madame Alexander ($60), Springfield Collection ($22), What a Doll (sold at Kmart for $30), and Carpatina ($70-$96). Shop around, you’re likely to find an AG alternative your daughter likes and you can live with. Here’s where you can really save some ducats, because AG outfits typically run in the $30 range apiece (I will pause here so we can all have simultaneous heart attacks).

Don’t want to pay more for Isabelle’s dance tutu than you paid for your daughter’s full-size one? baby bean bag support chair Best crazy savings ever is courtesy of Springfield Collection, which hawks dozens of outfits for $9-$11 each. buy ruffled chair covers Our Generation outfits are pricier at $13-$18 each. recliner chair covers for saleHowever, the OG clothes typically come as complete looks in the AG mold, with shoes and often accessories like a purse, tennis racket, swim cap and the like. where to buy original barcelona chairPlus, OG offers retro clothing lines that seem designed to draw gasps from vintage-loving moms (like me!) — check out the pictured gingham beauty above, $17.old school barber chair for sale

Journey Girls clothing runs in the $20 range and each outfit comes with accessories. handmade rocking chairs for saleThere are many smaller boutiques online that also have less-expensive options. chair from revenge tv showSome of my favorites are Silly Monkey (outfits $13-$22, shoes $6-$9), Dori’s Doll Boutique (outfits $8-$16; shoes $5-$10), and Daydream Doll Boutique (outfits $13-$25, some including shoes).hair salon chair toy For those who are okay with paying more for special-occasion outfits, Carpatina offers astonishing fantasy doll outfits for $20 to $40 (check out some of their amazing costumes in the slide show), and even tween clothing giant Justice has gotten into the act, offering hip oufits from $30 to $57.buy allen jones chair

Does your daughter like to match her doll? American Girl matchy-match outfits can cost upwards of $100, but you can find less expensive options. The similarly cute outfits at Dollie & Me are a half or a quarter of the price at $20-$42; My Twinn’s outfits are around $50; Kohl’s has some options ($13-$36), as does Target. Before you shell out big bucks for AG accessories, always check for similar items at Walmart, Target and Toys R Us. The styling chair on the left is from American Girl and costs $60. The chair in the middle is from Target, $28, and comes with the pictured accessories. The chair with accessories on the right is from Walmart and is $20. Which one’s the best? You be the judge! Personally, I go nuts over the Our Generation accessories, which tend to be adorably well-thought-out. My daughter bought the Sick at Home set (which no longer seems to be available online), and went absolutely nuts over the old-fashioned ice-pack, the teensy little cup of tea (with a hanging tea bag flag!), tissues, medicine, a teeny hot water bottle and a tray to go over the doll’s sick bed.