Kids today have so many toys, and when they outgrow them and move on to the next fad, parents have to decide whether to encourage the child to donate the toy, sell it, or pack it away, possibly for the next generation. Sometimes it can be tempting to declutter all those boxes in the attic, some of which hold treasured toys, and some of which hold other items that might be more valuable than we realize.

We would urge you not to get rid of any older item until you find out what it could be worth. If you had an American Girl doll back in the 1980s, we hope you still have her.

If you were born in the 1980s or anytime thereafter and if you’re a girl or if you have a daughter, you’ve most likely heard of American Girl dolls.

Today, there are 22 American Girl stores around the world, and there are multiple dolls for girls to choose from. These dolls range from soft baby dolls for little girls to the traditional 18” dolls for older girls. Some of the 18″ dolls represent historical time periods, and some of the dolls feature different hair, skin and eye colors to look just like the little girl who brings her home.

While girls today certainly have a range of American Girl dolls to choose from, and while they can enjoy looking at the dolls and all of their accessories in a local store, that was not the case when the dolls were first released.

American Girl first debuted with a catalog that was released in 1986. These catalogs included just 3 dolls, Molly McIntire, Kirsten Larson, and Samantha Parkington. The dolls featured several accessories, and they were mailed to the little girl’s home. There wasn’t a store to shop in. There weren’t many options. But these were  the dolls that started it all.

While these dolls were popular among little girls, they have all been retired. Samantha was archived in 2009 but rereleased in 2014. Molly was archived in 2013, and Kirsten was retired in 2010.

If you happened to own one of the original Samantha, Molly or Kirsten dolls from 1986, if you still have that doll packed away somewhere and if that doll and her original accessories are in pristine condition, you could be sitting on a small fortune.

Right now on ebay there are Samantha, Molly and Kirsten dolls going for thousands of dollars. If you happen to have more than one doll, there are sets going for upwards of $10,000. These treasured dolls were definitely worth saving.

Do you have an original American Girl doll packed away somewhere? If you decide to sell her, let us know how much she ends up being worth!