The Collector's Guide: Samantha Parkington
- Alia Boubel
- Mar 2
- 38 min read
The Pleasant Company, now known as American Girl, was founded in 1986 in Middleton, Wisconsin. Pleasant Rowland, the company's creator, started the Pleasant Company to cater to a previously untapped market of dolls for girls aged 8 to 11. At the time, the doll market was primarily divided between baby dolls for "mommy" role play and aspirational teenage dolls like Barbie.
The first Pleasant Company catalog was mailed out in the fall of 1986, targeting upscale customers. Pleasant Company dolls were priced at $65 in 1986, equivalent to about $153 in 2020 and $187 in 2025. These highly detailed dolls were luxury, heirloom-quality items and were unaffordable for many American families. Nonetheless, little girls eagerly poured over the catalogs, which increased from one yearly publication to several, including a special holiday issue.
Mattel purchased the Pleasant Company in 1998 for $700 million, completing the transition in 2000. Mattel subsequently changed the company's name to American Girl, creating a beloved childhood icon.
The Collector's Guide: Samantha Parkington
During its first year, Pleasant Company offered three dolls: Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, and Molly. American Girl announced Samantha's retirement in October 2008. Her official archiving occurred on May 31, 2009, while her six-book collection, movie, and mini doll remained available.
Samantha Parkington is an orphan who lives with her well-to-do grandmother, referred to as Grandmary, until her Uncle Gard and his new wife, Cornelia adopt her. American Girl describes her as being "raised as a proper young lady with the best of everything—but [Samantha] would rather climb a tree than sip tea." Samantha lives during the Progressive Era, specifically at the turn of the 20th century in America. While American Girl's original classification of her period as Victorian was incorrect, it is more accurately described as the Edwardian period in England or the American Progressive Era.
Samantha's narrative begins in the summer of 1904 when she is nine years old and continues until early 1906. The series primarily takes place in the fictional town of New Bedford, New York, but concludes in New York City. These events are detailed in her six-book Central Series, a collection that each early historical doll possesses, which outlines significant moments in the girls' lives. The first two books in Samantha’s collection were written by Susan S. Adler, the third was authored by Maxine Rose Schur, and the remaining three books were penned by Valerie Tripp. Nancy Niles and Dan Andreasen illustrated the complete series.
Samantha's Central Series and Other Stories
Meet Samantha: An American Girl
Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story
Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story
Happy Birthday, Samantha!: A Springtime Story
Samantha Saves the Day: A Summer Story
Changes for Samantha: A Winter Story
Samantha also appears in a series of short stories (A Most Exceptional Bridesmaid, The Mystery of the Black Pearls, The Beautiful Blue Bicycle, Nellie’s Gift, and A Very Special Talent) released from 1993 to 1999 in the American Girl Magazine. Several stories (Samantha’s Winter Party, Samantha Saves the Wedding, Samantha and the Missing Pearls, Samantha’s Blue Bicycle, and Samantha’s Special Talent) were published as individual books from 1999 to 2003. She also stars in a collection of mystery books (The Curse of Ravenscourt, The Stolen Sapphire, The Cry of the Loon, Clue in the Castle Tower, and Danger in Paris) written by Sarah Masters Buckey.
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004) was the first American Girl movie released. Movies for Felicity Merriman, Molly McIntire, and Kit Kittredge would be released in the following years. Starring AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha Parkington, Kelsey Lewis as Nellie O’Malley, and Mia Farrow as Grandmary, the film is an abridged version of Samantha’s Central Series.
Samantha's Collection
The Samantha Parkington 18-inch doll features five vinyl limbs and offers a full range of motion at her neck, shoulders, and hips. Dolls produced by Pleasant Company before 1991 had bodies made of white muslin. With the introduction of Felicity Merriman and her lower necklines, Samantha transitioned to a skin-colored cotton body.
Samantha has light skin and decal brown eyes enhanced by thick black lashes. Decal eyes feature stripes of multiple colors, unlike the standard monochrome iris. She features the Classic Mold, a term that refers to the specific mold used for her face, which debuted in 1986 and was also used for Molly McIntire and Kirsten Larson. Samantha's hair is styled in a half-ponytail and tied with a checked taffeta hair bow that matches her dress.
Samantha arrives in her Meet Outfit, which consists of a taffeta drop-waisted dress with a burgundy, brown, and ivory gingham print. The dress has a high neckline and long puffed sleeves. The front is pleated, and a burgundy satin sash with a gold buckle adorns her waist. She wears white cotton bloomers over long black ribbed tights, referred to as "stockings." Stockings are two sock-like garments held up by garters. Her shoes are black plastic Mary Janes, identical to those worn by Molly McIntire.
Accompanying Samantha is a paperback, parchment-style book titled Meet Samantha.
Samantha's Meet Accessories, sold separately from the doll, include a burgundy faux-velvet hat trimmed with rose, grey, and gold ribbons tied into a bow at the back of the crown. Earlier versions of the hat featured a rose ribbon around the band, which was later removed. Samantha is typically not shown wearing the hat; Instead, she often holds it in her hand.
Additionally, a golden heart-shaped locket brooch containing pictures of her parents inside is pinned to the front of her dress. In her rose-colored velvet clutch with golden handles, Samantha carries a reproduction Indian head penny and a white handkerchief trimmed with lace. The handkerchief originally featured embroidery of pink, blue, and yellow flowers in 1986, but in 1991, the design was updated to include only pink flowers and decorative swirls.
Samantha's School Story
Recreate Samantha’s time at Miss Crampton’s Academy for Girls, as depicted in Samantha Learns a Lesson, with Samantha’s School Collection. Dress Samantha in her Buster Brown school dress and ensure she grabs her tea tine and school supplies. After walking Nellie to Mount Bedford Public School, Samantha sits at her wooden desk. Perhaps she'll have time to perfect her "Progress in America" speech before Miss Stevens begins teaching.
Samantha's Holiday Story
Help Samantha make Christmas special for Uncle Gard and Cornelia, as she does in her third book, Samantha’s Surprise, with Samantha’s Holiday Collection. Prepare for the Christmas festivities by dressing Samantha in her cranberry party dress trimmed with white lace or decorating a gingerbread house with Cornelia. On Christmas Day, recreate Samantha’s surprise by giving her the Nutcracker doll from Cornelia and the music box from Uncle Gard. Uncle Gard makes the day even better by proposing to Cornelia, who says yes!
Samantha's Birthday Story
Celebrate Samantha's tenth birthday in style, just like she does in her fourth book, Happy Birthday, Samantha! Samantha wears a beautiful pink and white striped dress made by Jessie, the seamstress, and a rosebud circlet belonging to her mother, Lydia. Help Hawkins make Samantha's peppermint ice cream or watch Mrs. Hawkins create fancy petit fours in the kitchen. Don’t forget to unwrap Samantha’s special gift from Agnes and Agatha, a lovely mohair teddy bear.
Samantha's Summer Story
Recreate Samantha's summer in Piney Point and her visit to Teardrop Island from her fifth book, *Samantha Saves the Day*. Dress Samantha in her sailor-inspired middy and shiny bo's'n's whistle. Spend the summer pouring over Lydia's sketchbook or catching butterflies with Samantha's net!
Samantha's Winter Story
Samantha's whole world changes when she moves to New York City with her Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia in her sixth book, Changes for Samantha. Samantha faces the chilly New York winter dressed in her cozy tartan coat and fuzzy muffler. She spends her days ice skating on frozen ponds when she can handle the cold, and when she can't, she enjoys playing with paper dolls indoors.
Sweet Dreams, Samantha
After a long day spent sneaking treats from Mrs. Hawkins in the kitchen, standing for Jessie, the seamstress, teasing Eddie Ryland, and enjoying teatime with Grandmary, Samantha is finally ready to snuggle into her bed. She slips on her nightgown adorned with pretty pink ribbons and grabs her copy of The Wizard of Oz. Perhaps she can read a few chapters before falling asleep!
Samantha's Extra Outfits and Accessories
A proper lady like Samantha would have had a fancy new dress for nearly every occasion. Dress her for high society gatherings in her lawn or tea party dresses, or prepare her for outdoor adventures in her 1904 bathing suit or bird-watching outfit.
Complete Samantha’s world with her scenes and accessories. Open Samantha's Scenes and Settings book to play in her room at Grandmary's or to enjoy the summer at Pinery Point. Take a ride on Uncle Gard's three-wheeled bicycle, or play with Jip the dog!
Samantha's Collection: BeForever
On August 28, 2014, American Girl rebranded its Historical line as BeForever to appeal to modern-day consumers. “BeForever gives girls today the opportunity to explore the past, find their place in the present, and think about the possibilities the future can bring,” wrote Business Wire. Five characters from the line—Julie Albright, Kit Kittredge, Josefina Montoya, Addy Walker, and Rebecca Rubin—received a complete overhaul. New outfits, books, and accessories were released as the previously available collections retired. However, Caroline Abbott and Kaya’aton’my remained largely unchanged during the BeForever rebranding.
BeForever replaced American Girl's original Central Series with two shorter books for each character and with a Journey book. The Journey books feature narration by a present-day girl from the present day who travels in time to meet a BeForever character and share experiences with her. These books featured multiple endings. For example, Samantha’s Journey Book was titled The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha.
The BeForever rebranding was reversed in 2019, although many changes implemented between 2014 and 2019 remain.
American Girl announced the return of Samantha Parkington alongside BeForever. Samantha had a new Meet Outfit and a reimagined collection. Instead of returning her Central Series books, American Girl released abridged versions to suit the rebrand. Two composite books—Manners and Mischief, which combined elements from Samantha’s first three books, and Lost and Found, which compiled parts from her last three books—premiered with the doll in 2014. Samantha: The Gift and Samantha: Lost and Found, which combined aspects of Samantha’s short stories with her Central Series, replaced these books in 2021.
Samantha officially relaunched on the opening day of BeForever, setting a precedent for the return of archived dolls, as seen during the 35th Anniversary and the 2024 American Girls Collection rereleases. BeForever Samantha Parkington retired in December 2024.
The BeForever Samantha Parkington 18-inch doll remains unchanged from her original 1986 release. She has light skin and decal brown eyes, accented by thick black lashes. Unlike the 1986 version, the BeForever Samantha features brown feathered eyebrows instead of straight-line eyebrows. She uses the Classic Mold, and her hair is styled in a half-ponytail, secured with a burgundy velvet hair bow that matches her new Meet Outfit.
Samantha's BeForever Meet Outfit is a light pink dress overlaid with dotted white mesh. The wide neckline and short puffed sleeves are trimmed with white lace, which also lines the bottom of her knee-length puffy skirt. A burgundy velvet ribbon is tied around her waist, matching her hair bow. She wears white cotton bloomers, now layered over plain white tights. Her shoes are black plastic Mary Janes, identical to those from the 1986 release.
If Samantha was purchased before 2021, an illustrated copy of Manners and Mischief accompanied the doll; after 2021, Samantha: The Gift arrived instead.
Samantha’s BeForever Meet Accessories consist of a white lace headband adorned with a pink ribbon rosette and trims of red and pink tulle. Although Samantha is seen wearing her burgundy hair bow or white lace headband, they are not shown together. Additionally, her burgundy velvet purse, similar to the one from 1986, features a golden clasp and a thin golden chain for looping around the doll’s wrist. Her heart-shaped brooch has been replaced with a heart-shaped locket on a chain, while her Indianhead penny and handkerchief do not appear in this version.
Samantha's BeForever collection features a variety of beautiful outfits designed for her life in New York. Some pieces are reimagined classics, such as her elegant winter coat and cranberry Christmas dress, while others are completely new, like the frilly lilac frock she wears to Tyson's Ice Cream Parlor in New York City
Complete Samantha’s world with her BeForever scenes and accessories. Stop by Tyson’s Ice Cream Parlor for peppermint ice cream, Samantha’s favorite, or enjoy a sunny day in Mount Bedford at Grandmary’s garden gazebo. When it’s time for Samantha to sleep, help her slip into her white wooden canopy bed and read from The Wizard of Oz.
Dress Like Your Doll
Matching fashions for girls and their dolls have been a longstanding product line from Pleasant Company and American Girl. Outfits inspired by the original three American Girls—Samantha, Molly McIntire, and Kirsten Larson—were first introduced as early as 1987. However, these items were phased out around 2000 and remained unavailable until the launch of the BeForever line in 2014.
Child-sized versions of Samantha's plaid Meet Dress, Buster Brown Dress, Cranberry Party Dress, birthday Lace Pinafore Dress, sailor-themed Middy Dress, and Samantha's Nightgown were available for mail order through the Pleasant Company catalog.
With the release of Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004), a child-size Samantha's Holiday Coat was available for $89.
Following the BeForever rerelease of Samantha, child-sized versions of her modified Meet Dress, Floral Headband, Nightgown (now sold as a set of shirt and pants called the Ribbons and Bows Pajamas), and Pom-Pom Slippers became available online and in-store at American Girl.
Samantha's Mini Dolls
Marketed as dolls for the American Girl Dolls of Today, also known as Truly Me or Just Like You, mini dolls premiered in 1995. The first dolls released included Felicity Merriman, Kirsten Larson, Addy Walker, Samantha Parkington, and Molly McIntire. Like the 18-inch dolls, the mini dolls featured soft cloth bodies, neck strings, and jointed vinyl limbs, each selling for $20.
Samantha’s mini-doll in 1995 had brown fixed glass eyes and a brown wig styled in a half-ponytail. She came dressed in a miniature version of her Meet Outfit and included a miniature, abridged hardback copy of Meet Samantha. Note that Meet Accessories were unavailable for mini dolls.
After Mattel acquired American Girl in 2001, the mini dolls underwent a redesign, replacing their glass eyes and wigs with painted eyes and rooted hair. The doll's Meet Outfits were simplified to be more appealing on a smaller scale. This newer version was marketed as "dolls for dolls," offering a more affordable, albeit smaller, option compared to the 18-inch dolls, with Samantha's mini-doll retailing for $24.
In 2011, the 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Historical Mini Doll Collection was released for one year, featuring the available Historical dolls dressed in holiday outfits. These dolls were constructed the same way as the standard editions and sold for $22, likely the price of standard dolls before it increased to $24. Samantha was dressed in her Cranberry Party Dress and came with a miniature abridged copy of Samantha’s Surprise.
With the launch of BeForever and a complete overhaul of the mini-doll line in 2014, Samantha’s mini-doll, dressed in her meet outfit from 1986, was retired and replaced by her BeForever edition, which sold for $25. The updated mini dolls feature fully vinyl bodies and limited-range plastic joints. Samantha now arrives in her BeForever Meet Outfit with a miniature abridged version of Mischief and Manners.
In 2016, the 30th Anniversary Special Edition Mini Doll Collection was released for one year, showcasing the available BeForever dolls dressed in alternate outfits previously unreleased for mini dolls. The construction of these dolls was the same as the standard editions, and they sold for $28. Samantha arrived dressed in her Special Day Dress with a miniature abridged copy of The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha.
See You Again, Samantha!
OOAK: In collaboration with Harlem's Fashion Row designer Carly Cushnie, a one-of-a-kind modern Samantha Parkington doll was auctioned to support Girls Who Code from September 23 to 26, 2021. The doll sold for $2,514. It was dressed in an ivory jersey blouse with sheer puff sleeves and a floral printed sequin skirt. Samantha accessorized with a pink bow headband, her BeForever locket, and pink platform sandals from the Girl of the Year 2021 Kira’s Casual Outfit.
Additionally, American Girl released the American Girl Collector Tote, which featured illustrations of Samantha, Molly McIntire, Kirsten Larson, Felicity Merriman, Addy Walker, and Josefina Montoya in their modern outfits. This tote was sold for one year following the auction for $30.
35th Anniversary Edition: American Girl collectors had their first opportunity to purchase pre-BeForever Samantha Parkington in May 2021. To celebrate 35 years since the brand's inception, originally known as the Pleasant Company, American Girl re-released the first six Historical dolls: Samantha Parkington, Molly McIntire, Kirsten Larson, Felicity Merriman, Addy Walker, and Josefina Montoya. Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl, cited the enduring “core tenets of girlhood—such as friendship, family, community, doing the right thing, striving to be a better person, and inspiring greatness”—as the inspiration for reintroducing these dolls. She noted that it “seemed really culturally relevant right now to tell those stories again to a new audience” (Radloff).
This edition of Samantha was designed to replicate the original 1986 doll and accessories with some minor changes. Samantha’s velvet clutch purse is a lighter shade of pink, and her burgundy hat features the ribbon band removed from later versions. Additionally, her handkerchief has elaborate embroidery. A paperback version of "Meet Samantha," featuring the original parchment-style cover, was included with the doll and her accessories.
The 35th Anniversary Samantha Parkington Doll, Book, and Accessories were available for a limited time after May 2021 and were priced at $150.
2025 Pre-Order: In January 2025, a version of Samantha similar to the 35th Anniversary Edition will be available for preorder on the American Girl website for $160. The official release date is March 21, 2025, so little is known about this version of Samantha. Likely, the doll will closely resemble her 35th Anniversary edition, similar to the 2024 versions of Kirsten Larson, Addy Walker, and Josefina Montoya. Notably, this version of Samantha will not come with Meet Samantha but will be accompanied by A Keepsake Guide to Samantha’s World.
References and More Content to Explore
Samantha: American Girl (Part 1: the Doll, the Girl, the LEGEND) / Babbity Kate
Exploring Samantha From American Girl Doll / SarahSerif
American Girl Deep Dive (Samantha's Outfit Collection) / Lady Rebecca Fashions
Unboxing Samantha's Collection / Lady Rebecca Fashions
Meet Samantha Parkington Article / American Girl
The Collector's Guide: Samantha Parkington would not be possible without the following sources:
“American Girl Unveils BeForeverTM Line and Connects a New Generation of Girls to Timeless Stories, Inspiring Characters, and Endless Possibilities!” Business Wire, Business Wire, 28 Aug. 2014, www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140828005028/en/American-Girl-Unveils-BeForever%E2%84%A2-Line-and-Connects-a-New-Generation-of-Girls-to-Timeless-Stories-Inspiring-Characters-and-Endless-Possibilities%21.
“Meet Samantha ParkingtonTM: American Girl®.” Americangirl.Com, American Girl, www.americangirl.com/pages/samantha-parkington. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
“Samantha Parkington.” American Girl Wiki, Fandom, Inc., americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Samantha_Parkington. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Radloff, Jessica. “All 6 Original American Girl Dolls Are Coming Back.” Glamour, Glamour, 4 May 2021, www.glamour.com/story/american-girl-dolls-35th-anniversary-return.
Special thanks to American Girl Wiki for substantial research assistance, including its complete and thorough record of Kirsten's Collection, which was compiled by the combined effort of American Girl fans worldwide.
Special thanks to the Changnon Family Museum of Toys & Collectibles for their American Girl catalog scans database, which were invaluable in my quest to explore Kirsten's collection from the first catalog in 1987.
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