This is not a drill—the OG American Girl dolls are BACK

If you spent hours and hours diving head-first into the historical tales of the American Girl dolls of yesteryear, boy have I got good news for you: the OG girls are back. That’s right, you can now buy any one of them like it’s 1994 all over again. Or, you know, you could share them with your kids—totally up to you!

In honor of American Girl’s 35th anniversary, Mattel announced the return of the brand’s historic, six original characters that started it all—Samantha Parkington, Kirsten Larson, Molly McIntire, Felicity Merriman, Addy Walker and Josefina Montoya. Samantha, Kirsten, and Molly were the first three American Girl dolls in the series that came out in 1986 and retired between 2008-2013. Felicity, Addy and Josefina were added to the collection in the ’90s and retired about a decade ago. Because they haven’t been available for purchase in so long, many of the original dolls are listed for thousands of dollars on eBay.

Thankfully, you don’t have to squander a king’s ransom for them now.

“For 35 years, American Girl has created powerful stories with smart, courageous heroines that have helped shape an entire generation of women,” said Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl in a press release. “As we celebrate this major milestone, we’re thrilled to recognize the very first generation of American girls who grew up with these beloved, original characters and made them the phenomenon they are today.”

You and your kids can re-discover the joys of American Girl history together, which is pretty awesome. Today’s dolls are great, but there’s just something special about the historical significance of the original gang and the nostalgia millennial moms feel about them. Learning about periods of American history like the Revolutionary War, World War II, slavery, pioneers and New Mexico prior to the Mexican-American war is invaluable. These books don’t sugarcoat American history, but they do present it in an age-appropriate and engrossing way that made early bookworms out of many of us.

Personally, I was a Molly McIntire girl through and through. Though my original doll from childhood didn’t make it through my parents’ divorce and the selling of my childhood home, my little sister saved up and bought me a new one years later. I eventually gave it to my daughter, and we’re currently reading the Molly series right now every night before bed. She loves Molly because I did, and it’s truly something special that these dolls can spread such joy through generations.

The dolls will come dressed in their signature original outfits, set in a retro-inspired box which will also include the first paperback book (sigh, all the feels) in the character’s series. Each doll is priced at $150 and is available for purchase right now!

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