Monday, February 23, 2015

Out of the Box: American Girl Kaya

In the box.
I wasn't planning on picking up another American Girl doll, but last week they had such a good sale that I couldn't help myself.  The AG historical dolls were revamped last year, and this sale -which offered a doll plus an extra outfit for half the regular price of the doll on its own seemed to be aimed at clearing out old stock.

I was surprised to be able to post about this doll today.  I've made a few purchases from American Girl over the past year, and every time the packages have taken more than a week to arrive.  But not this time: for the first time, I had a shipping notice within 24 hours and a package in my hands within a few days.

But enough about the logistics, let's talk about the doll!



The doll that I picked up is called Kaya'aton'my, a Nimíipuu/Nez Perce girl whose stories are set in 1764/65 in the US Pacific Northwest (presumably what's now Washington state).  The head mould used for this doll is unique among the AG faces in that she has a closed-mouthed smile, rather than the toothy grin that the other seven moulds have.


As with all of the historical AG dolls (which is now called "BeForever"), the doll comes with the first book in the associated series and an outfit which appears on the cover.  In this case, the default outfit is a faux-deerskin dress, matching faux-deerskin moccasin-type boots, a brown belt and four hair accessories (two faux-leather ties and a pair of shell hair decorations).
Kaya in her default outfit.

The bonus outfit that was included with the sale is called "Pow-Wow Outfit of Today" (this is the second release to have that name).  It's made of a similar type of material as her default outfit, but rather than the natural beige is a bright blue with embroidered yellow and orange accents.  This set also comes with faux-leather moccasins (which aren't included in my photos because they were a pain to put on) and includes a feathered hair comb (also not visible here):
The Pow-Wow Dress of Today, minus the boots

Both outfits are solid quality, but I wanted to put her in more modern clothes and see how she looks with my other AG dolls Josefina and Cécile.  Interestingly, although both Kaya and Josefina are described as "medium skin" in AG's material, there is actually a significant colour difference between the two, which might be useful to know for people doing repairs or making customs - Kaya would not have matched the SewAble body that I used for Josefina, for example.

Compared to AG Josefina.
Compared to Cécile
Overall, I think Kaya is a lovely doll.  She'll probably end up with a new name and a new wardrobe as she settles into my collection, but I do appreciate her outfits and enjoyed getting to examine them.  And given the sale,  I certainly can't complain about the price!


Did I mention that she has great hair?  Because she does!








19 comments:

  1. Bummed that I missed the sale, but glad that other people took advantage of it. She looks very nice in your pictures, and I think she'll fit in quite well with your group.

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    1. Thanks!
      The rumour seems to be that there might be another one of these sales on the horizon, so maybe you'll be able to catch that one. :)

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  2. She's lovely, congratulations! Also happy birthday? I think I saw somewhere that it's yours!

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  3. SewAble body? Can you change these dolls bodies like you can do with say Barbies?

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    1. You can! Most of the soft-bodied 18" dolls have heads that attach in more-or-less the same way to their bodies, so they're easy to interchange. If you're interested, I have photos of the process posted here.

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  4. Congratulations JS on another new arrival! From your photos it looks like her skin colour is a lovely tan that fits in nicely between Josefina and Cécile's colouring.
    Hugs,
    x

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    1. Thank you! And you're right, her colour is a nice midpoint between the other two. :)

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  5. What a great deal! I came to the scene after the dolls were sold out, but managed to get a few of the Historical outfits. I think Kaya is a beauty and it's interesting to see her next to some other similar skin toned AG dolls. I have always been curious about her hair! I really love her chin and bottom lip contouring-very cute. :) Happy Birthday!

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    1. Thank you! :)

      Her hair really is fabulous. It's long, but not unmanageable so, and I think it's the softest hair I've ever felt on an AG.

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  6. UGGGHH!! This does not help me, must refrain, MUST REFRAIN!! I trying to avoid the 18in dolls but this isnt helping, lol. MUST REFRAIN!! She is so cute and to have great hair to work with is even better. I didn't know you could change their bodies up so that good to know.

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    1. Heh, come over to the dark side of the 18" doll... ;)

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  7. I don't collect these types of dolls, but if they had been around when I was a kid, I'd definitely have one. They have so much personality! Love the Native American outfits and the leather jacket.

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    1. Thanks! :)

      You're right about the personality that they seem to have - I think that's the biggest part of their charm.

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  8. Eighteen inches? Whew, I'm safe. I can appreciate her cuteness without having to get her. Congrats on getting her on sale.

    Hope you had a great birthday, too.

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  9. I like Kaya's closed-mouth look. She's very cute! I don't collect AG, but if I did, I would have to make all kinds of beaded jewelry for Kaya. She looks like a gal who would appreciate beads. :)

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    1. Heh, you're right - I think she'd definitely appreciate beadwork. Something to add to the project list, maybe! ;)

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