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Send your doll to the Doll Care Center for expert care that includes skin cleaning, hair brushing, restyling, and more. Choose from different treatments for 18-inch, WellieWishers, and Bitty Baby dolls and get free round-trip shipping.
- Overview
- Admittance and Restrictions
- Free Repairs
- Discontinued Dolls
- Care Center Accessories
- Repairs Available for 18" Dolls
- Repairs Available for Baby Dolls
- Repairs Available for WellieWishers
- Additional Care Center Options
- Trivia
The American Girl Doll Care Center (previously known as the American Girl Doll Hospital and originally called the Pleasant Company Doll Hospital) is a service provided by American Girl where customers can send in damaged or worn dolls in need of repair for restoration. Rather than bill itself as a doll repair service, the theme was originally of a "hospital" where dolls come in and are "healed" by a team of doctors. The name was changed to the American Girl Doll Care Center in October 2023; according to American Girl, the new name is to reflect the variety of services offers including skin cleaning, hair restoration and restyling, and other services.
The care center--previously hospital--has been around since 1988 and only fixes authentic American Girl dolls. Age or retirement status of the doll is irrelevant as long as there are parts to perform repairs. Interactive "check-up" stations with doll doctors are available at the New York and Chicago American Girl Place locations.
As of 2020, repairs are sectioned off into three categories: Doll Refresh and Renew; Doll Care and Repair, and Advanced Doll Care and Repair.
Dolls can either be shipped in from home (the form can be printed from the website) or admitted at an American Girl Place store. Dolls cannot be repaired on site at American Girl Place; when submitted at a store location, it is the same as sending from home. Forms are available in catalogs, online, or at American Girl Place. Dolls must be sent naked with no additional clothing or accessories (removable earrings must also be taken out) in a plain box with the admission form and payment. Free Shipping is available both ways for US customers; Canadian customers and international customers must pay additional shipping and delivery fees.
Due to multiple cases of unethical people sending in doll bodies to repurchase heads for resale or creating "Frankendolls", especially limited editions, replaced limbs and heads are no longer returned whatsoever and repurchase of head or body requires a complete doll to be sent in with both head and body. Parts that are replaced are not returned. As of 2023 dolls must be sent in as a complete doll, including the wig and eyes, to receive repairs and services.
All replacements or re-attachments include skin cleaning and hair brushing--wellness care--at no additional charge.
Limited Edition Dolls such as the Girls of the Year or archived dolls with unique features can be sent in for the same costs as a regular doll; the Care Center has limited amounts of unique retired head molds to replace damaged heads until supply is exhausted. (e.g. In June 2017, American Girl stated that they will no longer be able to do head replacements on Lindsey dolls as they have exhausted the supply.) Body repairs for active lines are not affected as they are less unique than specific head molds and designs. Older unique lines such as Hopscotch Hill School and Girls of Many Lands are no longer repairable.
In the case of head or limb replacement, if replacement would result in mismatched tones (such as sending in a Pre-Mattel doll for repair), a full body replacement may be made at no additional cost. Older dolls may come back with different skin tones or variations (such as a Kanani doll being returned with skin tones similar to #79). For archived dolls or dolls that are no longer available, the will do their best to match the original parts, either with exact replacements or the closest alternatives if allowed; many people are offered a chance to refuse the repair if they have an older doll. If declined, the doll will be sent back with original parts.
Any defect caused by an American Girl product or factory defect with a doll, such as Silver Eye, defective limbs in Welliewishers, or staining inflicted from an American Girl product, is fixed at no cost. This generally does not include dolls from the American Girl Benefit Sale with the exception of silver eye, as the dolls are purchased with defects expected. Doll receive the full care center treatment.
When permanent underwear was discontinued, American Girl offered body replacements to replace the permanent underwear bodies through December 2018, with a full exchange of the entire torso. This was also offered when a series of new eyes were also discontinued, with the company offering to exchange eyes (as they returned to prior styles) through 2019. Dolls sent in for these issues were not given full repair services and were sent back in plain pink paper gowns with no other perks.
AG does not guarantee replacement parts will be available for dolls archived or retired more than ten years ago. When American Girl exhausts the supply and are no longer able to do head replacements on particular dolls, dolls with unique features will be returned un-repaired if the head is the issue and in need of replacement, or the sender will be contacted with options for replacement if they so choose.
The following doll heads are known to be no longer available:
As part of the hospital theme of repairs, dolls are sent back with hospital admittance accessories in a storage box that is uniquely labeled with the care center logo.
18" Dolls are sent back with a hospital gown--now called a care center gown as of 2023--an ID bracelet, a Certificate of Good Health, a "get well" balloon (later removed), a "Get Well Soon!" Card (since 2009) and a band-aid sticker (later removed). Starting in 2013, 18" dolls were returned wearing socks.
Bitty Babies and Bitty Twins are sent back with a hospital gown and hat, a Certificate of Good Health, a "Get Well Soon!" Card, and a bandage sticker (later removed); for safety reasons, a bracelet is not included.
WellieWisher dolls are sent back with a Certificate of Good Health, hospital gown, socks, and a "Get Well Soon!" Card.
When the Hopscotch Hill School characters were available, a hospital gown was available sized for the line.
The hospital gown and various accessories have been released in multiple versions to fit various sized dolls:
Doll Refresh and Renew
The vinyl skin is cleaned, hair is brushed and restyled, and the doll is sent back with accessories. No major "surgery". This will not restore damaged hair (such as haircuts or severe damage from play) or deep stains to the vinyl such as from ink. Dolls will come back with the doll's original hair styles unless otherwise specified. Replacement of damaged eyes. Eye swapping to another color is not available; a doll will receive the same color of eyes she was sent in with. Dolls sent in with detached or loose heads or limbs can have them attached. This also includes restringing a loose doll.
Doll Care and Repair
This includes any of the Doll Refresh and Renew services, along with one of the following: Exchange of the entire head. Heads will only be exchanged for the same head sent in. Heads will not be replaced if the original head is not sent in. This will repair any haircuts, paint damage, or stains on the head. Dolls will come back with original hair styles. This may also include any specific hair accessories, but this is not guaranteed; if not, basic hair ribbons are generally tied in as available. An option to have a bald head for modern dolls was made available in 2012. Replacement of wigs alone are not offered; a doll with a damaged wig must receive a completely new head to be repaired. If a doll had pierced ears, these will be replaced in the new doll at no additional charge. This includes any replacement of any or all limbs. This includes any replacement of the cloth body. Replacement of the entire body, minus the head. Bodies will not be replaced if the original body is not sent in.
Advanced Doll Care and Repair
This includes any of the Doll Refresh and Renew services, along with two or more of the services listed in Doll Care and Repair.
Doll Refresh and Renew
The vinyl skin is cleaned, hair is brushed and restyled, and the doll is sent back with accessories. No major "surgery". This will not restore damaged hair or deep stains to the vinyl. Bitty Twins will have hairstyles restored. Replacement of damaged eyes. Like 18" dolls, Eye swapping is not available. Dolls sent in with detached heads can have them reattached.
Doll Care and Repair
This includes any of the Doll Refresh and Renew services, along with one of the following: Heads will only be exchanged for the same head sent in. Heads will not be replaced if the original head is not sent in. This will repair any haircuts, paint damage, or stains on the head. Includes torso and limbs. Because of their anatomy, Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins cannot get separate limb reattachment done; any issues with the limbs or torso will result in a complete body replacement.
Advanced Doll Care and Repair
This includes any of the Doll Refresh and Renew services, along with both a new head and a new body.
Doll Refresh and Renew
The vinyl skin and torso are cleaned, hair is brushed and restyled, and the doll is sent back with accessories. No major "surgery". This will not restore damaged hair such as cuts or deep stains to the vinyl. Dolls will come back with original hair styles unless otherwise specified.
Advanced Doll Care and Repair
This includes the Doll Refresh and Renew services as well as: Due to the anatomy of a WellieWisher Doll, there is no way to replace any component separately such as limbs, heads, eyes, hair and/or bodies separately if they are damaged or stained. Any replacements or damages needed require a full replacement of the total doll. If a doll had pierced ears, these will be replaced in the new doll at no additional charge.
Permanent piercing behind the ear(s) and fitting of a doll-sized hearing aid. This is only available for 18" dolls and is a separate cost; however a doll can be sent in only for hearing-aid placement.
Permanent piercing in the earlobe for earrings. This is available for 18" dolls without prior piercings and WellieWishers, and is a separate cost. As of 2020 it is only available as an add-on to other services and a doll cannot be sent in only for ear-piercing.
•In 1992, the doll hospital processed 8,000 dolls. In 1993, they expected to process almost 10,000 dolls. By contrast, in 2021, the hospital processed 31,000 dolls.
Oct 30, 2019 · For the sadistic hairdressers among us, there exists the American Girl Doll Hospital. First opened in 1988, the Doll Hospital has since serviced some 840,000 dolls, and can achieve miracles along the lines of head replacements, eyeball cleanings and hair transplants. (The process is as follows: You either stop by the in-store hospitals in New ...
- Jillian Quint
Learn how the American Girl Doll Hospital operates from the heart of Wisconsin since 1988, offering more than 800,000 doll repairs and wellness treatments to girls and collectors. Discover the stories and insights of the Doll Doctors, the characters and creators, and the latest news and events from the American Girl community.
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Find out how to restore your American Girl doll to its original condition with various treatments, such as skin cleaning, hair brushing, eye replacement, limb tightening, and more. Compare the costs and benefits of different treatments for 18-inch, WellieWishers, and Bitty Baby dolls.
