APPROXIMATE RELEASE DATE: 2013
HEAD MOLD: "Classic;" pierced ears
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I think if I were writing a book dedicated to my Saige, I would have to title it something along the lines of "The Odyssey: Saige's Journey." Seriously, there was a moment in time where I never thought I'd get Saige, and when I finally had cornered one, it seemed as though she'd never arrive. Let's travel back in time to 2013, where this tale begins. I started collecting dolls again in 2011, after a five year break. While I did occasionally dabble with American Girls, I definitely wouldn't say I was fully invested in them until 2014. However, I did spend my fair share of time perusing Youtube, watching videos featuring other people's American Girls. In those early days, I not only learned some rudimentary restoration techniques, but I also formed attachments to certain dolls. The two that stand out in my memory from those early days are Julie and Saige. I quickly became infatuated with the pair. Julie's hippie 70s style and Saige's indie, horse loving artist vibe were irresistible. If I had been fully in the swing of American Girl collecting, I can't deny that I would have purchased Saige in 2013.
Unfortunately for myself, but luckily for my wallet, Girl of the Years were only available for one year originally. That meant once Saige retired in 2013, I could only purchase her on the secondhand market. I browsed eBay dozens of times for Saige, even before I regularly bought American Girl stuff online. Sadly, she was quite pricey, having just retired. Plus, it didn't help that the Girl of the Year line wasn't as old as it is now. I'm sure the dolls had more novelty back then than they do presently. As a result, there was more competition via internet sales at that time. I didn't have the funds to splurge on Saige, and I was apprehensive about getting another Girl of the Year anyways. I put the idea out of my mind. It quickly returned when I cracked and bought Isabelle at the American Girl Place Boston in 2014. I couldn't deny that Saige had a much cooler collection than pretty much all the Girl of the Year dolls who had been put out. She had more outfits than the oldest characters, and less gimmicky ones compared to McKenna and Isabelle (who had strongly themed wardrobes). Saige was an artist, a horse rider, and had some casual outfits too! I could relate to her interests, unlike the previous sporty dolls. And who could resist that blue eyed, freckled face?
In retrospect, I'm very surprised that it took me nearly ten years to finally commit to getting Saige. In 2016, I added THREE Girl of the Year dolls to my collection: the recently retired Grace, Lindsey the flea market rescue, and Jess who I secretly admired since she came out in 2006. Something that's been a consistent in my life is that I can be quite impulsive when it comes to dolls. Once an idea gets in my head, I often can't let it go. That's how many dolls became part of my collection, when I hadn't previously put energy into considering them. On the other hand, I can also be very great at talking myself OUT of getting dolls. I go through phases of feeling very "shoppy" and then feeling very reserved with spending money. Since it already had been several years since I first wanted Saige, it was easier putting her off further. There was also a time when we simply didn't have the funds to buy any American Girls (which is why I waited until 2021 to get Gabriela, for instance).
Funnily enough, of all the Girl of the Year dolls, it seemed that universe was pressuring me the MOST to get her. I saw Saige quite a few times in my flea market travels. The seller I got my beloved McKenna from had Saige too. When I first spotted a couple of American Girl dolls during the spring of 2019, I immediately detected Saige. However, she was $35 and dressed in the Shimmer & Lace outfit, which I already owned. Had she been wearing something from her own wardrobe, I honestly couldn't have left her behind. By the time the dolls were discounted to $20 in the fall, I became immensely distracted by McKenna. I do recall that Colleen offered to get Saige as well. I suppose I was feeling stingy that day when it came to Miss Copeland. That wasn't the last time I encountered Saige either. Even more recently I've stumbled upon her at the same flea market. There was the Saige with a pixie cut we saw during the summer of 2021, the other gal with questionable locks we saw in 2021 and 2022, and another inside the building who was wedged behind a few Bitty Twins. None of them ever had the perfect combination to woo me into purchasing her: the right price, the right day, the right condition, and decent attire. Colleen was convinced that if I rejected SO many Saige dolls that I surely must not want her anymore. I did consistently say that while Saige WAS one of my favorite Girl of the Year dolls, I didn't "need" to own her.
What could have changed my mind and prompted the pursuit of Saige, when I'm such a doll fanatic but I continued to reject her? It's quite the funny, unexpected series of events that took place in August of 2022. That year the flea market was the slowest it had been in probably a decade. Weekend after weekend we came home entirely empty handed, or without finding any treasures worth the time/gas money. Even our favorite regular sellers had hit a dry spell...they didn't have new dolls often, and when they did they weren't ones we wanted. One Sunday we rounded the elderly couple's table (we have bought many Monster High dolls from them in the past). I noticed on the other end of the booth that there were new American Girls. After inspecting the pile of Barbies we rejected every week, I walked over to the larger ladies. I saw Julie, Wellie Wishers Willa, and Nicki...Girl of the Year 2007. I was never particularly fond of Nicki, nor had this been our first encounter in the wild. It being such a dry flea market season though, I was admittedly more interested than I normally would have been. Right away I deduced that she had butchered hair (and she was $40, dressed in random clothes). We ended up leaving the flea market, once again without anything in hand. While waiting for Colleen at the gas station, I glanced online using my phone to see how much new heads for American Girls cost (just out of curiosity). I concluded that it simply wouldn't be worth the price of a new head and Nicki herself. When Colleen returned we joked about how easy I was to persuade into liking/wanting a doll. She suggested that part of Nicki's appeal was that her freckled face and blue eyes were reminiscent of Lindsey's (a personal fave in my collection). Then it clicked in my head...Nicki bared some resemblance to SAIGE! She even had a horse lover theme in her collection too!
That was all it took, ironically. Saige herself hadn't ever planted a seed that grew long enough to put down roots. But that woe begone Nicki had for whatever reason (lucky for her, she must have been bought by someone else...so don't worry). I began to stalk Saige dolls that week on eBay and Mercari. I concluded that since I had last put effort into browsing for Saige, her prices had dropped tremendously. First I made an offer for a doll on Mercari, who was fully dressed for less than $50. There must have been some listing error, because within minutes I got an automated message from Mercari saying the listing was removed (and all the seller's other items too). I found an even better option on eBay the next day or so. This gal was wearing her "meet" outfit, but also came with her Sparkle Dress and Parade Outfit (with a few accessories too). If nobody bid the next morning, this lot would be a decent deal. I ended up winning the bid, but I didn't hear anything from the seller for over a week. They were a fairly new seller, with only two feedback ratings. I was starting to feel concerned...eBay automatically pays the seller. So I was out the money but with no word on my doll. Colleen messaged the seller after the first week had passed. They were fairly quick to respond, said they had just gotten back from vacation, and would ship Saige that week. They tried to sell us Picasso (Saige's horse, who they listed separately). But for the price and the fact that they wanted to transaction to take place outside of eBay, we passed. I noticed a few hours later that we'd gotten another message. This time, the seller said it was "only fair" that they ship just one of the two outfits, and keep the other. I was having an 18 hour migraine attack that day, so I simply couldn't deal with all of this pointless stress. I wished I had not bid on this doll, since it was turning into such an ordeal. Several more days past, but the seller never responded to Colleen's message (which stated that we bid on that particular lot because of BOTH the outfits). Finally she reached out to the seller again, being super polite, and asked to touch base about the doll and if we were still getting her since there had been a discrepancy about what they wanted to send us. The seller stated they would ship both outfits and the doll, sometime the next day. They sent us a picture of the receipt from where they dropped her off, the following afternoon. Weirdly, the tracking NEVER updated. a couple of days passed but Saige was supposedly still stuck in California. Out of the blue, the one morning I did NOT check her tracking, Saige had arrived in our state and was out for delivery. She showed up a few hours before Colleen had to go to a work meeting. All was well--everything we'd bid on was there and Saige was in decent shape. The listing pictures had been low quality, so I had truly taken a gamble on this doll. I was able to clean her up before we left to Colleen's work. I should note that we had a similar issue on Mercari in regards to two of Saige's outfits...the seller never shipped, but kept listing new items. It seemed as though we hit a streak of bad luck, and it just so happened to revolve around Saige.
I had been deeply concerned about whether or not I'd be able to enjoy Saige when it had been such a struggle getting my doll. Usually my internet transactions go very smoothly. Sure, some sellers take longer to ship, but I'm patient. When my doll arrived, I was just so happy to see her that all the stress of her journey melted away. I even left the seller great feedback because I was so grateful. I honestly thought this doll was going to fall through, and that I'd have to find another. I regretted my impulse to bid on that particular lot. I couldn't be happier and more in love with my Saige, and I'm not sorry she is the doll that finally broke me. I had already waited so long to purchase her, that having the two week eBay debacle wasn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. Once I had washed away the grime from her previous home, it was as if Saige had been here since 2013. I had felt a similar bond with Kira, who I bought earlier in the summer. Colleen likes to joke that 2022 is the "Year of the Girls" since we got Corinne, Gwynn, Kira, and Saige. But with Saige, it was even stronger since she had been discussed for nine long years...when I was a newbie collector. I had the most fun ever designing her earrings and jewelry to go with her ensembles. I even tried a roller set for the first time on an American Girl--Saige's hair was so dry I had to boil wash it straight, but I wanted loose waves. In many regards, she reminds me of my beloved Cecile--a doll I pined for over the years, who was "meant to be." It just took a long time for her to get here...but Saige and I are both happy she survived the odyssey and is finally home where she belongs.
