American Girl Doll Face Mold Comparison :)

This is a post I have wanted to do for a while.  It was partially inspired by my desire to have a quick reference guide available for those new to American Girl, and partially inspired by a comment I heard a few months ago.  Perhaps you've heard it before if you collect American Girl dolls.  The woman asked me, "Don't all the American Girl dolls just look the same?"

Granted, I can understand how a person unfamiliar with the line could come to that conclusion, as there are many similarities between the dolls.  I must confess, though, I instantly wanted to delve into a huge discussion about the differences between face molds and comment on the many variations of those dolls who did share the same mold.  Amazingly, I showed great restraint and just let the comment pass. ;)

The remark got me thinking, though.  I realized a post like this one would be beneficial for my readers.  So, for those of you who would like a brief look at American Girl Doll history and would like to see the differences between dolls, this post is for you.  I hope my fellow AG collectors will find it enjoyable as well. ;)

I'd like to thank agplaythings.com, the AGPlaythings Forum and Message Board, and the American Girl Doll Wiki for your excellent reference pages, which I relied on heavily for this post. :)  It was a great way to make sure I was keeping things accurate!

On that note, I am by no means an American Girl expert and am only human.  If you notice an error in any part of this post, please let me know and I'll adjust things accordingly.  I've done my best to represent everything as accurately as possible, but this was a lot of history to cover and I may have missed something! ;)

You'll also notice that this post contains numerous links.  I've added a link to every doll I've mentioned.  Those of you wanting a brief look at face molds can ignore the links and just read the post, while those of you who are visual (like me) and want to take a closer look at each doll can click the doll's name or number to get more info. :)  And in case you're curious, all dolls are listed in the order of their year of release.

Okay, I suppose I really should get to the actual post itself! ;)

First things first, though.  I thought I should begin by giving you a basic history of the American Girl doll company to help you understand some of the changes that have taken place over the years.  This is designed to give you some bare-bones facts about things that happened in the company that directly relate to the dolls and face molds I'll be discussing, and is by no means an exhaustive guide. ;)  If you're looking for more information about American Girl, you'll enjoy this "History of American Girl" page I found on the American Girl Wiki after working on this post.  Maybe I should have just linked to that and forgotten this.  Oh well. :}  Here goes:

-Pleasant Rowland founded "Pleasant Company" and released the first three American Girl dolls in 1986.  Her desire was to provide dolls and books that would teach girls about the past and how girls' lives have changed through history.  In the beginning, there were only historical dolls.

-In 1995, the first "American Girl of Today" dolls were released (often abbreviated to AGOT).  These dolls did not come with names or a story (although they originally came with blank books so that girls could make up their own stories about their dolls).  The idea was that the girl receiving the doll could decide her doll's life story.  This also gave girls the opportunity to choose a doll that looked just like them.  (Side note here:  for a great basic guide to this line, click HERE to visit the American Girl Doll Wiki's page.)

-In 1998, Mattel bought out Pleasant Company and took over production.  Also during this year, the "American Girl of Today" dolls had their name shortened to "American Girl Today".

-In 2001, the first "Girl of the Year" Doll, Lindsey Bergman, was introduced.  This was the first of many dolls with a limited release.  The dolls were only available for one year, making them desirable to collectors and girls for their limited quantities.

-In 2006, the "American Girl Today" dolls were renamed "Just Like You" dolls (often abbreviated to JLY).

-In 2010 the "Just Like You" dolls were renamed "My American Girl" (often abbreviated to My AG).

-In 2014, the Historical dolls were renamed "BeForever Dolls."

Now that we've covered a few basics, let's get on to the dolls.

Here are all eight of the American Girl Doll face molds.  (Thanks to my mom for providing the six face molds I don't personally own!)  Seven of the eight are still in use, but more on that later. ;)  Let's get to know these girls!

Classic Mold

(1986)

The most common American Girl face mold is known as the "Classic Mold".  This was the face mold used on the original three dolls (Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly) when the company first started in 1986.  Other dolls with this face mold include:

Historicals/BeForevers:

-Felicity Merriman

-Caroline Abbott

-Kirsten Larson

-Samantha Parkington

-Kit Kittredge

-Ruthie Smithens (Best Friend of Kit)

-Molly McIntire

-Emily Bennett (Best Friend of Molly)

-Maryellen Larkin

Girl of the Year:

-Lindsey Bergman (2001-2002)

-Kailey Hopkins (2003-2004)

-Nicki Fleming (2007)

-Mia St. Clair (2008) (pictured above)

-Gwen Thompson (Best Friend of Chrissa-2009)

-Lanie Holland (2010)

-Saige Copeland (2013)

-Isabelle Palmer (2014)

My American Girl (Formerly known as "American Girl of Today" or "Just Like You"):

-#2

-#3

-#5

-#6

-#7

-#8

-#9

-#10

-#12

-#13

-#14

-#15

-#16

-#17

-#19

-#20

-#21

-#22

-#23

-#24

-#25

-#27

-#29

-#32

-#33

-#34

-#35

-#36

-#37

-#38

-#39

-#41

-#42

-#43

-#44

-#48

-#49

-#51

-#52

-#55

-#56

-#57

-#59

-#60

-#61

-#63

This mold was also one of the available molds for the "Dolls without Hair", released in 2012.

Addy Mold

(1993)

The Addy mold was first used for the historical doll of the same name, introduced in 1993.  Addy was the first African American doll to join the lineup.  Her face mold has also been used for several My AG dolls, but as yet has not been used for a Girl of the Year.

Historicals/BeForevers:

-Addy Walker

Girl of the Year:

-None

My American Girl:

-#1

-#11

-#18 

-#26 (pictured above)

-#31

-#45

-#50

-#58

#4 Mold

(1995)

This unique mold was only used for one doll:  AGOT/Just Like You #4.  First introduced in 1995, this cute mold has fair skin and Asian features.  American Girl never used her for any other characters, historical or otherwise, and in 2012, the face mold was discontinued.  

Historicals/BeForevers:

-None

Girl of the Year:

-None

My American Girl:

-#4 (pictured above)

To see all of the original "American Girl of Today" faces, click HERE. :)

Josefina Mold

(1997)

The Josefina mold was first developed for the lovely Josefina Montoya, introduced in 1997.  This mold seems to be very popular with collectors (and happens to be one of my favorites).  It has been used for Historical dolls, GOTY dolls, and a couple of My AGs. 

Historicals/BeForevers:

-Elizabeth Cole (Best friend of Felicity)

-Josefina Montoya

-Nellie O'Malley (Best friend of Samantha)

-Rebecca Rubin (pictured above)

-Julie Albright 

Girl of the Year:

-Marisol Luna (2005)

-Chrissa Maxwell (2009)

-McKenna Brooks (2012)

-Grace Maxwell (2015)

My American Girl:

-#28

-#53

This mold was also one of the available molds for the "Dolls without Hair", released in 2012.

Kaya Mold

(2002)

The Kaya mold is another unique mold that has only been used for one doll.  Kaya was released in 2002.  Her mold is special because she is the only doll made by American Girl with her mouth closed.  The reason? Kaya is from the Nez Perce tribe, and in their culture it is considered impolite to show one's teeth.

Historicals/BeForevers: 

-Kaya (pictured above)

Girl of the Year: 

-None

My American Girl:

-None

Jess Mold

(2006)

The Jess mold was developed for the Girl of the Year character for 2006.  Jess's character is of Japanese and Irish descent.  Her mold has been used again several times, and some have speculated that this mold will take the place of the #4 mold for any future Asian dolls, unless American Girl decides to develop a new mold.

Historicals/BeForevers:

-Ivy Ling (best friend of Julie Albright)

Girl of the Year:

-Jess McConnell (2006) (pictured above)

-Kanani Akina (2011)

My American Girl:

-#30

-#40

-#54

-#64

Sonali Mold

(2009) 

The lovely Sonali mold was first used for Sonali Matthews, one of the best friends of Chrissa Maxwell, the Girl of the Year for 2009.  The Sonali character was of East Indian descent, but this versatile mold has also been used for African American characters, such as Cecile Rey (pictured above).

Historicals/BeForevers: 

-Cecile Rey 

Girl of the Year:  

-Sonali Matthews (Best Friend of Chrissa-2009)

My American Girl:  

-#46

-#47

-#62

This mold was also one of the available molds for the "Dolls without Hair", released in 2012.

Marie-Grace Mold

(2011)

The Marie-Grace mold is the newest face mold from American girl.  It was developed for the historical character Marie-Grace Gardiner, released in 2011.  The Marie-Grace mold is similar to the Josefina mold, but her face features a pointier chin, a slightly different nose, and smaller lips than Josefina's.

Historicals/BeForevers:  

-Marie-Grace Gardiner

Girl of the Year:  

-None

My American Girl:  

-None

I thought I'd wrap things up by sharing photos of similar molds next to each other for easy comparison.  Because I took these photos horizontally, I couldn't enlarge them any more or they would have interfered with my sidebars.  You can click on any of the pictures for a closer look. :)

Josefina and Classic Molds:

As you can see, the Josefina mold features a thinner face, a slightly longer, flatter nose, and fuller lips than the classic mold.  The eyes also have a slightly different shape.

Josefina and Marie-Grace Molds:

When Marie-Grace was first released, many thought she had the Josefina mold.  However, when comparing the two next to each other, you can really see the differences.  The Josefina mold is fuller in the cheeks, and the Marie-Grace mold is more heart-shaped.  The MG mold also has a smaller mouth and her eyes and nose are slightly different than those of the Josefina mold.  Another interesting fact about the Marie-Grace mold is that it doesn't always photograph well, but the dolls are gorgeous in person!  

Jess and #4 Molds: 

The Jess and #4 molds definitely have their differences, too.  The Jess mold is fuller in the face, the nose is smaller, and the eyes are wider, while #4's eyes are more almond-shaped and her face is thinner.

Addy and Sonali Molds:

The Addy mold features fuller cheeks, a bigger nose, and wider lips, while the Sonali mold features an overall rounder face, a smaller nose and mouth, and rounder eyes.

Addy, Sonali, and Kaya Molds: 

This picture is even more difficult to see with three of them in it, but I wanted to show the uniqueness of Kaya's face mold from the others.

One of the things I enjoy and appreciate about American Girl is the beautiful spectrum of skin, hair, and eye colors they provide in their dolls, as well as their variety in facial molds.  As I've mentioned on the blog before, one of the things I really want to get across to my girls is the beauty in all skin tones.  Having multi-cultural dolls is an excellent way to get that message across. :)  And how boring our world would be if we were all the same size, shape, and color.  I'm glad God gave us variety and beauty in our different ways. :)

Congratulations!  You've officially made it to the end of this incredibly long post (the only kind I'm good at). ;)  I hope you found this information helpful.  Any thoughts?  Questions?  I'd love to hear from you.  Just leave me a comment below. :)