Review: FAO Schwarz® 2023 Toy Soldier Doll

Retail Price: $300
Year Released: 2023
Found at: American Girl
SKU: HRB29
Manufacturer: American Girl
Materials:

• Doll: Vinyl, cotton, polyester fill
• Hat: PU, Swarovski® crystals, elastic strap
• Jacket: Cotton velveteen, nylon/poly fringe trim, Velcro, Swarovski® crystals
• Skirt: Nylon mesh, elastic, nylon taffeta
• Belt: Metal, nylon taffeta, Velcro, Swarovski® crystals
• Earrings: Metal, Swarovski® crystals
• Boots: PU, plastic, metallic elastic, Velcro
• Gloves: Poly spandex knit
• Underwear: Cotton, elastic
• Socks: Cotton
• Numbered certificate: Paper

Doll

The doll itself features the Josefina mold, blue pinwheel eyes, skin tone 25 (tan skin with warm neutral undertones), and long curly dark brown hair with light brown highlights. She has thicker painted eyebrows and painted eyelashes like Evette and current Truly Me Josefina mold dolls. She is a unique doll in that her combination has never been produced prior to this release.

Her combination is gorgeous – the dark brown hair works really well with the warmer medium skin tone and the blue eyes add a touch to make her stand out. The wig is longer than most AG wigs, similar to Maritza length. The curls are plentiful, similar to Truly Me 108.

Outfit

The outfit is very well sewn and high quality. The red top is made of a velveteen material and velcros in the front. However, it is not lined, so you may want to keep an eye on that for possible staining. The buttons are made from Swavorski crystals and there are additional crystals that decorate the sleeves.

The skirt is 4 layers – a base cotton layer and 3 layers of chiffon with an elastic waist. It has the right amount of volume. The belt is separate and velcros in back and is decorated with crystals.

The hat is well structured and the gold braiding raises it up a notch. Just a note that the “wooden” blocks aren’t actually wood, more like foam with material on the front and back sides. The boots are a shiny patent material and Velcro in back. If you are taking off the boots, be careful, as I had the Velcro catch on the sock worn underneath.

Overall Thoughts

I think this doll is lovely. Is the price appropriate? Eh…(I had a gift card which helped offset some of the cost directly out of my pocket.) However, I did like the doll itself, which was a factor. However, I wish the doll has the special eyeshadow that past collector dolls featured. In addition, I can see myself using bits of this outfit for mix and match, unlike dolls where the outfit is a whole dress.

That said, I still think you should only get this doll is you 100% want it. With AG releasing multiple collector dolls this year, I would prioritize what you absolutely love over fear of missing out or buying into the collector label just for the collector label.