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American Girl dolls are costly for most Americans.
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But sales of the dolls are strong,
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even at a time when many people are concerned about the economy.
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Kaeli Chang has several American Girl dolls,
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including one that looks just like her.
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She and the doll wear the same kind of clothing.
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“We got matching outfits and I love to match with my doll.
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And it makes me feel kinda cool because I have a friend just like me.”
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We spoke with Kaeli and her mother Liane Whalen-Chang
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at the American Girl store in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
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“I have nine American Girl dolls all together
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’cause my mom’s an awesome shopper.”
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“What I like about it is that it kind of
brings back the innocence of the kids.
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They grow up too fast.
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And so the American Girl allows her to just
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be a little girl a little bit longer.”
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Kaeli got her first American Girl doll
just after she was born.
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That was the beginning of her collection.
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A single American Girl doll sells for 100 dollars.
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Extra clothing can increase the cost.
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Valerie Tripp has written more than 30 American Girl books.
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She loves writing for eight-year-old girls.
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“We wanted to speak to girls
who are eight, nine,ten years old
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and say whatever your passion is,
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whatever you are interested in right now,
you know, hang onto that.”
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She says, most of them are reading by themselves for the first time.
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“The ability to walk in somebody else’s
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shoes is a wonderful life skill.
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And if you can read about someone who lived in a
different time and kind of walk into her world,
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isn’t that a wonderful way of, you know, learning?”