Collecting Bitty Baby

The Bitty Baby doll from the American Girls line of dolls is a wonderful starter doll for young children.  Speaking from personal experience, there is something about them that captures the imagination of young girls.  Personally, I believe it is the personalized feel of the different designs, but I suppose it would be best to ask a young girl if you are looking for a truly candid and honest opinion.  Doll collecting is a very popular hobby in many parts of the world.  In some cases, dolls are passed down from mother to daughter through multiple generations.  Even the simplest dolls can carry precious memories across the years when properly taken care of and maintained.   One of the more popular collectible dolls today is the American Girl line of 18 inch dolls.  Each of the American Girl dolls comes with their own story and teaches young children about a specific time in history through a related story told in book form.  For younger children, the same company that produces American Girl dolls, also produces a smaller fifteen inch baby doll name Bitty Baby which is intended for children ages three and up.  The dolls and bears my own children have stayed the most attached to are the ones they received when they were very young.  Those dolls are the ones that even my oldest daughter always keeps track of and takes care not to misplace.  There are a couple of Bitty Babies included in that elite collection.

Types of Bitty Babies

The Bitty Baby doll is available in a variety of skin tones, eye colors and body types to match the wants and needs of doll collectors.  Owning a variety of the dolls gives parents the opportunity to introduce the concept of understanding that no two people are the same.  This ties in very nicely with the whole American Girl concept of teaching about understanding other people from other times and building up children's self esteem.

Bitty Baby dolls are basically a "starter" model for potential American Girl collectors and can easily be integrated into any American Girl doll collection that a child might build up as he or she grows.  The Bitty Babies do not come associated with any particular story as the American Girls do.  They are still, at their core, a nice baby doll for little ones to play with when they are very young.

Each Bitty Baby comes with its own Bitty Bear and a book for parents to read with their child.  In addition to those basics, collectors also can find nursery items for Bitty Baby and a wide variety of Bitty Baby accessories.  When purchasing the dolls new, there is an option to purchase the doll with Bitty Bear and just the book, or an entire "starter" package which comes with additional Bitty Baby accessories and as you might expect, a higher price tag.  There are also matching Bitty Baby outfits that come in sizes for little girls to wear while they are playing with their dolls.

If you are a collector of American Girl dolls and accessories or you are encouraging your child to collect, it might be a wise move to acquaint yourself with eBay or yard sales.  There are many Bitty Baby clothes and accessories available for collectors on eBay.  Many of these items are hard to find and quite a few have been retired.  Clothing for Bitty Babies is almost always available in abundance on eBay for those who prefer to look for savings or who are determined to find one particular outfit which has eluded them. 

Helping your children to start collecting when they are young is a great way to forge a special bond.  Having something special in common can help keep lines of communication open even as your child grows.  For someone starting out, Bitty Babies are a wonderful option to consider.