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Non-Tech : MAT - Mattel - toysRthem -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mark Marcellus who wrote (54)	6/28/1998 9:40:00 PM
From: Grainne	Respond to of 706

Mark, the analysis in your post is certainly logical. But I think what is missing is an understanding of the American Girl dolls' market. There is no way Mattel could mass market these dolls effectively trying to lower the prices, because then what makes them special would be gone. There is a certain segment of the market which values exclusivity as a status symbol. Bringing the prices down, or even seeing these dolls and their accessories in stores, might attract other girls, but it would destroy part of what is so appealing about them. These are heirloom dolls--they all come with the option of buying a trunk which holds the dolls and all their stuff, so that the girls can save them for the next generation. I really think that unless Mattel leaves the product strategy as it has been totally intact, the brand will be ruined.