APPROXIMATE RELEASE DATE: 1995-2020
HEAD MOLD: "Classic"
PERSONAL FUN FACT: My sister and I had actually jointly planned out getting Girl of Today dolls. By Christmas 1998, we had both collected the entire existing historical line. I had Addy, Samantha, and Felicity. Colleen had Molly, Josefina, and Kirsten. But we both craved more new dolls, so together we plotted out which Girl of Today dolls we would get. We even had their names picked out in advance, and I recall we used to write stories about them together. However, Colleen decided to wait to get her Girl of Today for her birthday, instead of Christmas. I couldn't wait, so I got my first Girl of Today (#3), aka Angela for Christmas 1999. So at the beginning of February, about a month after I got Angie, Colleen opened Valerie--#GT16. In hindsight, Colleen believes she chose Valerie because she looked like Samantha (who she secretly liked at the time). She was named after Valerie Tripp, the author of many American Girl books, but most importantly to Colleen, she wrote Molly's. I still remember vividly the night we surprised Colleen with Val. She was in the shower, so Mom and Dad quickly pulled her gifts out of hiding and lit all the candles on the cake. The lights were off, and the candles were lit when Colleen came into the dining room after her shower. I was eight years old at the time, so I was incredibly jealous of the party. I think that's a rather unflattering fact of life when you are a sister....jealousy. Anyways, Colleen opened up Valerie, a non American Girl outfit for her, and a few other things. Mom knew I'd get jealous, so she picked out Samantha paper dolls (an excellent choice), and a wire wig brush, which would later be the tool I balded my first Addy head with. Colleen tells me that she had immediate regret about Valerie. She realized in that moment that the only doll for her was Molly. Doll "infidelity" was not for her. Not long after, she tucked Kirsten, Josefina, and Valerie behind her mirror in her room downstairs. I guess she figured if the dolls were out of sight, it was like they never happened. Being the doll glutton I am, I took great pity on the abandoned American Girls. I figured why should they pay for Colleen's mistake. I don't know how exactly it happened, but one day the conversation turned toward the rejected Kirsten, Josefina, and Kirsten dolls. Colleen decided that I could have them. That way, the dolls would be loved, but they wouldn't weigh on her "guilty" conscience. It wasn't until I rescued them that the three girls were part of the "family" again.
For that reason, I've always felt bad for Val. Angela may not have ever been my favorite, but I always did love her, and she was never truly resented or shunned. I also took great pride in maintaining Angela's appearance. I hadn't been as careful with my first three American Girls, despite all my efforts. I feel like Angela was the first doll I succeeded in keeping fairly pristine. Valerie on the other hand was not played with often by Colleen, and on top of that was poorly groomed, if ever. I think Valerie was a source of great resentment for Colleen, so the two never bonded. It might sound silly, but when you are a kid, you take dolls VERY seriously. The thought of upsetting your favorite doll by "replacing" her with another is quite devastating. I never really had that issue, since I've always been...well a doll polygamist! I can't just pick one, thus why Valerie made such a great addition to my mini American Girl clan. Valerie has had a good life though ever since those early days. She is always seated next to her sister Angela, regardless of where they are displayed (in the cabinet, at the table, etc). She gets to wear all the Girl of Today clothes I picked out for Marisol for Christmas 2005. Whenever there is a photo session, grooming session, or whether we are just admiring my dolls, Valerie is always included. I guess just the sheer fact that she gets to be out in plain sight rather than shoved being a mirror collecting dust, is quite the upgrade. Even during my doll hiatus as a teenager, I carefully covered her with a plastic bag, like I did with all my American Girls, while Dad and I redid my bedroom. The dolls couldn't remain in there, so we had to stash them safely away from the construction area what with all the painting, plastering, etc. Plus, she was one of the few privileged dolls who got to STAY in my bedroom when I was "too cool" for them for five years. I couldn't bear the thought of my American Girls, who were my delicate pride and joys, being shoved in a container somewhere in the basement, which looked like an episode of "Hoarders." It's ironic really that Colleen disregarded Valerie and shunned her when she was still very much a doll fanatic, but I took more pride/care of her when I had nothing to do with dolls. But I will say that Colleen has no ill will towards Val nowadays. In fact, she only doles out compliments. Plus, Colleen is usually the one who dresses the American Girls seasonally, so her and Val get lots of quality time together. Val might have started out as a "mistake" of sorts, but she's become a staple in our doll family. I just can't imagine not seeing her everyday, sitting at that handmade AG sized table, smiling back at her three modern American Girl sisters!
