AG: GOTY 2018 Luciana Vega
Jan. 1st, 2018 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impyHappy New Year! Later I might get off my duff and post something more personal (oh, self, stop, it's too early in the year for funny) but for now, let's peruse AG's goodies for the year. Are you ready? I'm not sure I am; there's a lot going on here.
We begin with Luciana Vega, the Girl of the Year for 2018.
Let's get this out of the way. Look at Luci's collection. Look at Tenney's from last year. Look at any GOTY's collection who isn't Gabby. Now look at Z. Look at Gabby. Yeah, Z and Gabby were definitely meant to be the CC characters because their collections have far more in common than Gabby's does with any GOTY in eons.
I'm saying there is genuine effort put into Luciana's collection and it shows. It also highlights, painfully, the fact that outside of Gabby's books, there's nowhere near the effort put into her collection. Which is super obvious considering this is the first year the GOTY from last year is still very much on sale (and not hidden away on the sale but not really a sale page or anything) in the new year.
I'm pretty sure I'll do a Gabby retrospective and hopefully I'll still be able to pick her up.
Luciana Doll and Book // $115
Item#FMR54
Meet Luciana, the 2018 Girl of the Year™! She's an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to Mars. The 18" Luciana doll has warm brown eyes that open and close and straight dark-brown hair that has a bright purple streak near her ear. She has a huggable cloth body, and her movable head and limbs are made of smooth vinyl. She comes with the Luciana paperback book, plus her signature outfit:
A cosmic-print dress with attached vibrant red purse belt that she wears to Space Camp
A shiny holographic choker and special red star charm necklace she received as a baby
A pair of holographic lace-up boots
Good lord, Luciana is adorable. I'll admit I'm a sucker for the Josefina mold and purple but I love so much about her. While I wish the dress was less pink (and I loathe pink and red together, sorry) and more purple/blue because I feel that would go better with her holo shoes/choker, I still have a mighty need. Neeeeeeed. I'm not even sure the new eyes that don't close all the way is enough to keep me away. Those shoes are awesome enough that I might be swayed by them alone, honestly.
Luciana's Accessories // $25
Item#FMC76
Luciana has a blast at Space Camp and takes home some fun mementos! This set includes:
A shiny holographic backpack with a constellation graphic
A star chart for nighttime gazing
A pretend smart watch to keep her on track
Pretend dehydrated space ice cream—just like the astronauts eat!
A Space Camp log book to record her progress
A Space Camp graduation certificate
I'm kind of surprised that Gabby's accessories cost more than Luci's do. I dig the bag and the idea of a lot of this, honestly. The only thing making me hesitate is the fact that I so rarely wind up using accessories.
Luciana's Space Suit // $75
Item#FMC75
Luciana is excited to wear this space suit for her first Space Camp challenge! Features:
A space suit complete with authentic patches
An astronaut helmet with a clear visor that flips up
An equipment pack with faux knobs and dials that she needs for her first mission, along with authentic ID patches
Soft space gloves and a special mirror for her wrist that allows her to read the instruments on her equipment pack
Durable space boots
A fun booklet explaining how space suits work
Only AG Rewards members can get Luciana's Space Suit at launch! Learn more and join now at americangirl.com/rewards. Offer available in the US through July 31, 2017 or while supplies last.
You know how AG is forever doing things that I say are awesome but I can't really afford or justify the price? This is one of those things. It's something so many people hoped for whenever they heard Luciana's theme but that price. That price is killing me. Without a coupon or a sale, this won't come home. With one, I'm not sure I could say no because space suit!
Luciana's Mars Habitat // $350
Item#FMC80
Luciana’s dream is to be the first person on Mars, and this realistic habitat helps her learn what it would be like to live and work on the red planet! The habitat offers three-sided play, with more than 40 science, technology, and health accessories to set up and rearrange:
A realistic habitat with a pretend set of plants for growing, plant holder, glove box, vertical and horizontal storage boxes for equipment, two tables, and three wall hooks
Faux first aid supplies, including a bandage wrap, set of sticker bandages, thermometer, and first aid cream
Pretend rock samples, soil samples, petri dishes, box of slides, and microscope for research
Pretend headset, laptop, laptop screens, and laptop arm to communicate with mission control and record data
A set of pretend space food and container of water for meals
A pretend pair of virtual reality goggles, monitor, and set of monitor screens for remote control missions outside of the habitat
A set of photos, papers, notes, clipboard, and folder for keeping her research organized
Two dumbbells for working out to keep her muscles strong and healthy
A set of sticker sheets
A toy 3D printer that lights up and produces a prototype
A booklet, test tube tray, set of test tubes, and pair of safety glasses for conducting experiments
A control panel with joystick that lights up and comes with pre-recorded sounds (also includes the ability to record 10 sounds!) to help monitor the vitals of the habitat
Button-cell batteries included. Also requires 3 AAA batteries, not included.
This is another so cool but will never get item. I'm glad it exists and I hope it's popular, and I'm glad they aren't asking $500 for it like the bakery from years ago. I don't have much to say because as awesome as this is, I will never buy it and thus my eyes tend to glaze over. I will say that I think I'd have loved this as a kid (never would've gotten it because of the price) and I'm also pretty sure Ozma would love the chance to destroy it. ;)
Luciana's Flight Suit // $28
Item#FMC73
When Luciana puts her flight suit on for the first time, she feels one step closer to being the first person to reach Mars! This blue flight suit looks like the real thing, with a zippered front, authentic patches, and a pair of dark-blue shoes.
I'm sorry, it's difficult to type when your hands keep defaulting to the "gimme, gimme!" gestures. :P My Space Camp loving kid version is screaming, "BUY IT NOW!" at obnoxious decibles. If I'm going to nitpick, I'm not sure how long the patches will last since they look less like patches and more like stickers. But since I was worried they'd bundle this with her habitat or something, I'm just still thankful I can scoop this up the next time I make an order. And I will.
Luciana's Maker Station // $100
Item#FMC81
Luciana uses her station to design and build an inventive robot for a robotics competition. Incudes tools of the trade such as:
A robotic arm that can pick things up
A workbench for tinkering with two shelves and two bins
A poster, photo, and two clips to hold them
A measuring tape, screwdriver, and set of screws for building
A pair of safety goggles and apron
Three graph papers and three papers for ideas and sketching
A solar system model of the planets
A pretend terrarium for plants
A sticker sheet for decorating
Two MEGA CONSTRUX™ construction sets for a satellite and a rover, plus a MEGA CONSTRUX™ playbook!
Batteries included.
So, my #66 is named Mariana after a character on The Fosters who had a story arc that involved her joining a club and making a robot for a robotics competition. This has nothing to do with Luci other than most people consider 66 and Luci here to be pretty close and might be a reason to not get both.
Dunno about that, but this is a cute little set. I won't be buying because my MEGA Construx forays have not gone well. LEGO you are not, my little friend, but I understand that you're Mattel's answer to that. *shrug* Overall, this is a nifty thing but it's not on my list due to price and space constrictions.
Luciana's PJs // $24
Item#FMC72
In these comfy PJs, Luciana dreams of reaching for the stars as a real astronaut one day. Includes:
A soft purple tunic with rolled sleeves and a “To the moon and back” graphic on the front
A pair of soft dark-blue holographic-print leggings that look like the night sky
Light purple slippers with a starry metallic print
You say purple, I say pink, AG. You ever like something a lot until you look really closely and then you realize you liked the idea more than the actual product? This is one of those for me. I think the leggings are super cute and probably the saving grace of this outfit. I like the top but I've heard the decal is behaving a lot like one they released for their fall release where the blasted thing started coming apart within days of someone buying it. But I'm a Savage Garden junkie still, to this day, and while I know the saying isn't just for them, it's still enough that I must have it. Those slippers look like junk, btw. I'm also surprised that they show her with hair buns but do not include even the most basic of elastics to make that a thing.
Luciana's Telescope Projector Set // $40
Item#FMC79
Luciana loves to search for stars and planets with her trusty telescope. This set includes:
A toy telescope that lights up and projects space scenes
A tripod to hold the telescope steady.
A soft blanket to sit on
A pretend smartphone
Two smartphone screens with charts of the night sky
Of all the product pages to not get a video, you choose the one that lights up and projects something, AG? I was super curious but instead I get two pictures that tell me nothing. Nooooooooooooooothing. How are you going to convince me to buy something if I can't see what it does?
Luciana's Robotic Dog // $35
Item#FMC78
Luciana is thrilled to discover that her Space Camp team has its own mascot! This robotic dog features light-up eyes, makes more than 20 sounds, and has a posable body, a magnetic mouth that holds a toy wrench, and rolling wheels for feet. It can even wag its tail!
There's a joke about AG and overpriced pets somewhere. It's cute, but it probably won't follow me home.
Luciana's Stellar Outfit // $34
Item#FMC74
Luciana is mission-ready in this outfit she wears to learn and explore at Space Camp. Includes:
A multicolored space-dyed tank top
A varsity jacket with patches she proudly wears at camp and at home
Denim shorts with a decal heart
Bright cosmic-print sneakers
I'm not a huge fan of turtlenecks and especially tank tops at that, but I like this outfit for the most part. It's grown on me over time, considering it was the first outfit we saw Luciana in way back when. I really like the shorts and the shoes. I'm a dork. And I love how much this tiny little writeup makes it seem like Luciana loves that jacket. I've bought things for less than that.
Luciana's Visitor Center Accessories // $20
Item#FMC77
Luciana loves to explore the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and the visitor center is a highlight of her trip! Includes:
A soft gray shirt with logo
A book about space
A mini astronaut figurine
A passport to mark the journey through the visitor center
A museum brochure and bookmark
A gift shop bag to hold everything
You know what's fun? Buying gift shop stuff for your doll so it looks like she went shopping in a gift shop. It'll never fail to amuse me somehow. I think this is priced at pretty much the perfect price point. Anything more and most people would stop and think about what, exactly, they were buying.
Here I was, back in the fall, ready to say this would be another collection where I wanted the doll but not the collection and I was so very, very wrong. I think this is the first in awhile where I've wanted both. I think Grace was the last where I bought a good chunk of the actual collection (big pieces aside) as well as the doll. *thinks* She might also have been the first. Luci, I guess, is going to be the second since most of this is a bunch of "I waaaaaaaant" repeated over and over.
For those who like reality to intersect with their doll worlds, Luci has a lot in common with Alyssa Carson.
If you're feeling lucky, there are 20% off coupons floating around on catalogs again. AG. Love. We gotta talk about your terrible ideas. We really, really do. You want to improve sales? Maybe don't make it obvious in this day and age that you're so busy courting 'new' customers with sales that your best offer for regular, repeat, spend far too much customers is the right to buy a $75 outfit. Free shipping. That 20% off coupon. Something. Anything decent. Also, your die-hards have proven (look at your sales, they suck) that if they know someone else is getting a better deal (hello, 20% off), they will not buy. For a lot of them, this has turned into they will not buy at all. This is kinda the opposite of what you want.
We begin with Luciana Vega, the Girl of the Year for 2018.
Let's get this out of the way. Look at Luci's collection. Look at Tenney's from last year. Look at any GOTY's collection who isn't Gabby. Now look at Z. Look at Gabby. Yeah, Z and Gabby were definitely meant to be the CC characters because their collections have far more in common than Gabby's does with any GOTY in eons.
I'm saying there is genuine effort put into Luciana's collection and it shows. It also highlights, painfully, the fact that outside of Gabby's books, there's nowhere near the effort put into her collection. Which is super obvious considering this is the first year the GOTY from last year is still very much on sale (and not hidden away on the sale but not really a sale page or anything) in the new year.
I'm pretty sure I'll do a Gabby retrospective and hopefully I'll still be able to pick her up.
Luciana Doll and Book // $115
Item#FMR54
Meet Luciana, the 2018 Girl of the Year™! She's an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to Mars. The 18" Luciana doll has warm brown eyes that open and close and straight dark-brown hair that has a bright purple streak near her ear. She has a huggable cloth body, and her movable head and limbs are made of smooth vinyl. She comes with the Luciana paperback book, plus her signature outfit:
A cosmic-print dress with attached vibrant red purse belt that she wears to Space Camp
A shiny holographic choker and special red star charm necklace she received as a baby
A pair of holographic lace-up boots
Good lord, Luciana is adorable. I'll admit I'm a sucker for the Josefina mold and purple but I love so much about her. While I wish the dress was less pink (and I loathe pink and red together, sorry) and more purple/blue because I feel that would go better with her holo shoes/choker, I still have a mighty need. Neeeeeeed. I'm not even sure the new eyes that don't close all the way is enough to keep me away. Those shoes are awesome enough that I might be swayed by them alone, honestly.
Luciana's Accessories // $25
Item#FMC76
Luciana has a blast at Space Camp and takes home some fun mementos! This set includes:
A shiny holographic backpack with a constellation graphic
A star chart for nighttime gazing
A pretend smart watch to keep her on track
Pretend dehydrated space ice cream—just like the astronauts eat!
A Space Camp log book to record her progress
A Space Camp graduation certificate
I'm kind of surprised that Gabby's accessories cost more than Luci's do. I dig the bag and the idea of a lot of this, honestly. The only thing making me hesitate is the fact that I so rarely wind up using accessories.
Luciana's Space Suit // $75
Item#FMC75
Luciana is excited to wear this space suit for her first Space Camp challenge! Features:
A space suit complete with authentic patches
An astronaut helmet with a clear visor that flips up
An equipment pack with faux knobs and dials that she needs for her first mission, along with authentic ID patches
Soft space gloves and a special mirror for her wrist that allows her to read the instruments on her equipment pack
Durable space boots
A fun booklet explaining how space suits work
Only AG Rewards members can get Luciana's Space Suit at launch! Learn more and join now at americangirl.com/rewards. Offer available in the US through July 31, 2017 or while supplies last.
You know how AG is forever doing things that I say are awesome but I can't really afford or justify the price? This is one of those things. It's something so many people hoped for whenever they heard Luciana's theme but that price. That price is killing me. Without a coupon or a sale, this won't come home. With one, I'm not sure I could say no because space suit!
Luciana's Mars Habitat // $350
Item#FMC80
Luciana’s dream is to be the first person on Mars, and this realistic habitat helps her learn what it would be like to live and work on the red planet! The habitat offers three-sided play, with more than 40 science, technology, and health accessories to set up and rearrange:
A realistic habitat with a pretend set of plants for growing, plant holder, glove box, vertical and horizontal storage boxes for equipment, two tables, and three wall hooks
Faux first aid supplies, including a bandage wrap, set of sticker bandages, thermometer, and first aid cream
Pretend rock samples, soil samples, petri dishes, box of slides, and microscope for research
Pretend headset, laptop, laptop screens, and laptop arm to communicate with mission control and record data
A set of pretend space food and container of water for meals
A pretend pair of virtual reality goggles, monitor, and set of monitor screens for remote control missions outside of the habitat
A set of photos, papers, notes, clipboard, and folder for keeping her research organized
Two dumbbells for working out to keep her muscles strong and healthy
A set of sticker sheets
A toy 3D printer that lights up and produces a prototype
A booklet, test tube tray, set of test tubes, and pair of safety glasses for conducting experiments
A control panel with joystick that lights up and comes with pre-recorded sounds (also includes the ability to record 10 sounds!) to help monitor the vitals of the habitat
Button-cell batteries included. Also requires 3 AAA batteries, not included.
This is another so cool but will never get item. I'm glad it exists and I hope it's popular, and I'm glad they aren't asking $500 for it like the bakery from years ago. I don't have much to say because as awesome as this is, I will never buy it and thus my eyes tend to glaze over. I will say that I think I'd have loved this as a kid (never would've gotten it because of the price) and I'm also pretty sure Ozma would love the chance to destroy it. ;)
Luciana's Flight Suit // $28
Item#FMC73
When Luciana puts her flight suit on for the first time, she feels one step closer to being the first person to reach Mars! This blue flight suit looks like the real thing, with a zippered front, authentic patches, and a pair of dark-blue shoes.
I'm sorry, it's difficult to type when your hands keep defaulting to the "gimme, gimme!" gestures. :P My Space Camp loving kid version is screaming, "BUY IT NOW!" at obnoxious decibles. If I'm going to nitpick, I'm not sure how long the patches will last since they look less like patches and more like stickers. But since I was worried they'd bundle this with her habitat or something, I'm just still thankful I can scoop this up the next time I make an order. And I will.
Luciana's Maker Station // $100
Item#FMC81
Luciana uses her station to design and build an inventive robot for a robotics competition. Incudes tools of the trade such as:
A robotic arm that can pick things up
A workbench for tinkering with two shelves and two bins
A poster, photo, and two clips to hold them
A measuring tape, screwdriver, and set of screws for building
A pair of safety goggles and apron
Three graph papers and three papers for ideas and sketching
A solar system model of the planets
A pretend terrarium for plants
A sticker sheet for decorating
Two MEGA CONSTRUX™ construction sets for a satellite and a rover, plus a MEGA CONSTRUX™ playbook!
Batteries included.
So, my #66 is named Mariana after a character on The Fosters who had a story arc that involved her joining a club and making a robot for a robotics competition. This has nothing to do with Luci other than most people consider 66 and Luci here to be pretty close and might be a reason to not get both.
Dunno about that, but this is a cute little set. I won't be buying because my MEGA Construx forays have not gone well. LEGO you are not, my little friend, but I understand that you're Mattel's answer to that. *shrug* Overall, this is a nifty thing but it's not on my list due to price and space constrictions.
Luciana's PJs // $24
Item#FMC72
In these comfy PJs, Luciana dreams of reaching for the stars as a real astronaut one day. Includes:
A soft purple tunic with rolled sleeves and a “To the moon and back” graphic on the front
A pair of soft dark-blue holographic-print leggings that look like the night sky
Light purple slippers with a starry metallic print
You say purple, I say pink, AG. You ever like something a lot until you look really closely and then you realize you liked the idea more than the actual product? This is one of those for me. I think the leggings are super cute and probably the saving grace of this outfit. I like the top but I've heard the decal is behaving a lot like one they released for their fall release where the blasted thing started coming apart within days of someone buying it. But I'm a Savage Garden junkie still, to this day, and while I know the saying isn't just for them, it's still enough that I must have it. Those slippers look like junk, btw. I'm also surprised that they show her with hair buns but do not include even the most basic of elastics to make that a thing.
Luciana's Telescope Projector Set // $40
Item#FMC79
Luciana loves to search for stars and planets with her trusty telescope. This set includes:
A toy telescope that lights up and projects space scenes
A tripod to hold the telescope steady.
A soft blanket to sit on
A pretend smartphone
Two smartphone screens with charts of the night sky
Of all the product pages to not get a video, you choose the one that lights up and projects something, AG? I was super curious but instead I get two pictures that tell me nothing. Nooooooooooooooothing. How are you going to convince me to buy something if I can't see what it does?
Luciana's Robotic Dog // $35
Item#FMC78
Luciana is thrilled to discover that her Space Camp team has its own mascot! This robotic dog features light-up eyes, makes more than 20 sounds, and has a posable body, a magnetic mouth that holds a toy wrench, and rolling wheels for feet. It can even wag its tail!
There's a joke about AG and overpriced pets somewhere. It's cute, but it probably won't follow me home.
Luciana's Stellar Outfit // $34
Item#FMC74
Luciana is mission-ready in this outfit she wears to learn and explore at Space Camp. Includes:
A multicolored space-dyed tank top
A varsity jacket with patches she proudly wears at camp and at home
Denim shorts with a decal heart
Bright cosmic-print sneakers
I'm not a huge fan of turtlenecks and especially tank tops at that, but I like this outfit for the most part. It's grown on me over time, considering it was the first outfit we saw Luciana in way back when. I really like the shorts and the shoes. I'm a dork. And I love how much this tiny little writeup makes it seem like Luciana loves that jacket. I've bought things for less than that.
Luciana's Visitor Center Accessories // $20
Item#FMC77
Luciana loves to explore the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and the visitor center is a highlight of her trip! Includes:
A soft gray shirt with logo
A book about space
A mini astronaut figurine
A passport to mark the journey through the visitor center
A museum brochure and bookmark
A gift shop bag to hold everything
You know what's fun? Buying gift shop stuff for your doll so it looks like she went shopping in a gift shop. It'll never fail to amuse me somehow. I think this is priced at pretty much the perfect price point. Anything more and most people would stop and think about what, exactly, they were buying.
Here I was, back in the fall, ready to say this would be another collection where I wanted the doll but not the collection and I was so very, very wrong. I think this is the first in awhile where I've wanted both. I think Grace was the last where I bought a good chunk of the actual collection (big pieces aside) as well as the doll. *thinks* She might also have been the first. Luci, I guess, is going to be the second since most of this is a bunch of "I waaaaaaaant" repeated over and over.
For those who like reality to intersect with their doll worlds, Luci has a lot in common with Alyssa Carson.
If you're feeling lucky, there are 20% off coupons floating around on catalogs again. AG. Love. We gotta talk about your terrible ideas. We really, really do. You want to improve sales? Maybe don't make it obvious in this day and age that you're so busy courting 'new' customers with sales that your best offer for regular, repeat, spend far too much customers is the right to buy a $75 outfit. Free shipping. That 20% off coupon. Something. Anything decent. Also, your die-hards have proven (look at your sales, they suck) that if they know someone else is getting a better deal (hello, 20% off), they will not buy. For a lot of them, this has turned into they will not buy at all. This is kinda the opposite of what you want.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-01 08:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-01 09:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-02 01:52 am (UTC)LOL that song is exactly what popped into my head when I scrolled down to that picture. Love it!
This is really cute! It's making me want to write Janine-the-astrophysicist fic in the worst way!!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-02 03:31 am (UTC)And yay, SG that isn't all completely in my head. ♥