One Million Moms vs. American Girl

[chaotic life]

You can get sharpie off of the dolls with rubbing alcohol or using a dry erase marker to break it up. We had a Samantha I had to de-sharpie once.

Mostly, I buy the dolls and accessories come from handmade or Target. Occasionally we buy something, mostly on sale. I cannot remember who the doll of the year that had the horse Picasso was. That was my youngest's first. After two years of begging, we bit the bullet and bought the blasted horse. She wants the hot air ballon and nope, not gonna happen--SAGE, that's the blasted name!

[applejack]

I'm just gonna spoiler this cause it has nothing to do with the topic at hand and most people probably don't care about cheap doll care methods.  

Aw, Josefina was my biggest want when I was a little girl. Still don't have her, though I do have a modern girl who shares her face mold that I got when my friend gifted me a doll who'd been in rough shape that she fixed up as a birthday surprise. 

If the marker has set in after all this time (and it does, that vinyl is really soft and porous and holds stains like crazy), there's some stuff called Remove-Zit through Twin Pines of Maine. You smear the goop on the affected parts and wrap them in plastic wrap, and then put the doll in a sunny window to catch the sun, making sure you cover all the other parts of her so she doesn't fade in the sun. (and they do fade) Give her some time, check often, reapply the Remove-Zit often, but that should do the trick. May take a few days or weeks, but I've never heard anyone say it didn't work.

For the hair, you could do a Downy Dunk. Instructions for that are here. Then if you keep a bottle of braid spray around for general upkeep (braid spray is what black women use on their braided hairstyles, American Girl hair is made of the same high quality kankelon) and use it when her hair gets brushed and styled, she should look amazing for years to come!

If she needs restringing or anything, in addition to the (rather spendy) AG hospital, there are people who will do it for cheaper/cost of supplies and shipping! *raises hand* Restringing's a piece of cake, I'd be happy to help you if it needed done, or there's online instructions too.