Included with the original Pleasant Company dolls was a letter with a message to the parents. Here is the letter I found with a 1988 Samantha doll:
It reads:
“A MESSAGE TO PARENTS
The American Girls Collection was created to give girls a sense of America’s past and an awareness of the traditions of girlhood that mothers and daughters have shared for generations.
We designed the Collection so that play and learning experiences would be closely intertwined for girls ages 6-11. Throughout this broad age span a girl’s abilities, needs, and interests change many times. We therefore created products that allow girls to learn about the past in many different ways and with items that are appropriate for them at different stages of growing up.
Clearly, girls of all ages will love to play with the dolls and learn about period clothing as they change their outfits. The books are written so girls in third grade and above can read them independently. The stories are narrated on audio-cassette so younger girls can enjoy them, too. The accessory kits, which contain miniature historical reproductions, are intended for girls over eight who will take care of these items, use them safely, and enjoy the more detailed, in-depth lessons they teach about the past.
Although all items from The American Girls Collection come gift-wrapped, we have made it possible for you to open the boxes and examine the products before giving them to some lucky young girl. Simply open the band at the bottom of the gift box. If, after examining the product, you feel it is inappropriate for the recipient at her present stage of development, please return it to Pleasant Company for complete credit, refund, or exchange.
We want every girl who receives The American Girls Collection to love it and learn from it. You play an important part in making certain that her experience is a memorable one by giving her the right pieces of the Collection at the right time.
Thank you for helping us pass on the wonderful traditions of growing up in America today’s young girls.
Sincerely yours,
Pleasant T. Rowland
President
P.S. If you have any comments to share with me about The American Girls Collection, please take a few moments to write. With input from you, we can make future additions to the Collection even more meaningful. Our address is: Pleasant Company, Dept. PL, 7 N. Pinckney Street, Madison, WI 53703.”
Have you ever seen this letter before? Did you receive a doll with this letter? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.