Woah- my fingers are so fast that my computer can't catch up with them!
Anyways, I decided to see who will retire next in the BeForever line. This is not official, and nothing on this blog is official before a trusted source (AKA American Girl, Amazon, Trademarkia, etc.) says so. But I thought it would be fun to see what chances each doll has of retiring because of the release of Melody's collection making no room in the stores for one doll and the rerelease of Felicity next year, not to mention Nanea, the Hawaiian BeForever in the works for 2017 or 2018!
Let's start at the earliest doll:
KAYA-
Why might Kaya retire?: Kaya seems to not be popular with the target market for American Girl. I never see any girls at the AG store carry around Kaya. Plus, her hair is really hard to care for. So hard, I cut my Kaya doll's hair.
Why might Kaya stay?: Kaya is a doll of color, and we all know what happened when Cecile and Ivy retired. Plus, her teepe's really cool. I'd hate to see that thing go away.
JOSEFINA-
Why might Josefina retire?: There has been a Not!Josefina Truly Me doll released (#66) recently. But that might not be the case because Addy's had a Not! doll since 1995, and she hasn't gone anywhere.
Why might Josefina stay?: American Girl is starting to note Josefina's existence, and gave her two new outfits (her first just-because-we-wanted-to outfits since 2007!) last release! Plus, see "Why Might Kaya Stay", because that first reason applies to Josefina, too.
ADDY-
Why might Addy retire?: She's been around for the longest besides Samantha (who was rereleased)- twenty-three whole years. Plus, she's starting to become online-only and lost her display case to Samantha, who had to move out for Melody.
Why might Addy stay?: My petition! Plus, look at "Why Might Kaya Stay", because that first reason applies to Addy, too!
SAMANTHA-
Why might Samantha retire?: Samantha might retire because maybe they are going to be rotating the rereleased dolls. For example, they retire Samantha for Felicity, and then in a couple years they retire Felicity for another doll (hopefully Kirsten! PLEASE! BRING BACK KIRSTEN!), and so on.
Why might Samantha stay?: The generation that loved American Girl dolls when they came out as kids in the late 80's and early 90's is now having kids of their own, and they might have nostalgia when they see Samantha and purchase her for their kids.
REBECCA-
Why might Rebecca retire?: Rebecca might retire because of her hair care difficulty. I have Rebecca and her hair is more curly than in the stock photos!
Why might Rebecca stay?: Look at "Why Might Kaya Stay", because that first reason also applies to Rebecca. Even though Rebecca's white, she's the only Jewish doll, so her retirement might cause some controversy.
KIT-
Why might Kit retire?: Kit might retire because at 16 years, she has had the longest stay in the AG lineup without one retire out of all the white dolls. Plus, she has a Not! doll and a Not! WellieWisher of the Not!Kit doll. To add to that, everyone has Kit.
Why might Kit stay?: Kit is pretty popular and has a huge collection. Plus, I love her personality. I'd hate to see Kit, or anyone, go.
MARYELLEN-
Why might Maryellen retire?: NO! MARYELLEN ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE!
Why might Maryellen stay?: HER HAIR HER EYES HER BANGS HER STORY HER RELEASE DATE EVERYTHING ABOUT HER!!!
MELODY-
Why might Melody stay?: WHAT A RHETHORICAL QUESTION.
JULIE-
Why might Julie retire?: The daughters of people who grew up in the 1970s are growing out of American Girl, so there's a loss of parent nostalgia.
Why might Julie stay?: Julie is really popular, and she has a awesome message.
So, there you have it!
AMERICAN GIRL TRIVIA: In 1993, the millionth American Girl doll was sold.
COMMENT DISCUSSION QUESTION: Who do you think will retire next?
MY ANSWER: Either Kit or Samantha.