American Girl releases $5,000 holiday doll covered in Swarovski crystals
Diamonds are this American Girl doll's new best friend.
American Girl released a blinged-out holiday doll draped in 5,000 Swarovski crystals and beads for a cool $5,000 – that’s $4,000 more than what most middle-income families have saved.
The American Girl Holiday Collector Doll. (Courtesy of American Girl).
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The Mattel-owned doll maker teamed up with Swarovski crystals to create three of the diamond-encrusted dolls with one available at each of the American Girl flagship locations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Each took more than 40 hours to hand embellish, the brand said in a press release. The dolls are adorned in a regal white ball gown and Swarovski crystal tiara.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAT | MATTEL INC. | 16.26 | -0.05 | -0.31% |
Swarovski will also deck out the flagship American Girl stores with 130 pounds of crystal stardust and another 350 sparkling Swarovski crystal strands. The star-studded window display will be unveiled Friday to kick off the holiday shopping season. Fans will get exclusive photo opportunities and get access to free hairstyling for dolls and girls at the American Girl Salon along with food and special giveaways -- another push to bring experiential events to retail.
Buyers with big pockets can get the holiday doll delivered ahead of the holidays, and the dolls will also be on display in stores so fans can gawk and take selfies with her.
Most American Girl Dolls cost $98 each, with Baby Dolls priced at $60. Those looking for a more budget-friendly version of the Swarovski crystal dress can opt for a sequins outfit priced at $36.
Sales of dolls are up 5 percent this year, according to Mattel’s third-quarter report. And Barbie sales make up 10 percent of the category. What's more, Mattel reported $1,481.6 million in net sales for the third quarter, 3 percent this year, and 4 percent since last year.