Changes: Bitty Baby

Revision as of 21:25, 13 April 2021

Bitty Baby is a baby doll released by American Girl. Originally marketed as Our New Baby and designed to get children used to a new baby in the family, Bitty Baby was later modified into the current line and marketed as a infant girl of about one year in age that young children are "caring" for. She originally came with Bitty Bear until 2013, and a plush wishing star from 2013 to 2014; currently, a basic Bitty Baby does not come with any extras. The marketing of the line is similar to the way the Truly Me dolls are, in that Bitty dolls do not come with names and have varying clothing.

Bitty Baby Doll Anatomy

WhiteFloralSleeper — Bitty Baby in the White Floral Sleeper.

Bitty Baby dolls are 15" tall. In order to accommodate the lower age range suggested and play with younger children, they do not have rotating limbs like American Girl Dolls; the arms and legs are sewn and attached to the cloth body firmly.^[1] The cloth body comes down past the shoulders and thighs. The hair is molded and painted directly onto the head. Bitty Babies have sleep eyes. The neck strings when present fastened on the left side of the neck; now this is where the zip-tie is closed and sewn closed.

History

Our New Baby

Main article: Our New Baby

Our New Baby was the predecessor to Bitty Baby and was marketed as a baby doll that could be a boy or girl. Clothes were sold for both presented genders, as well.

Bitty Baby

With the release of Bitty Baby in 1995, gone was the marketing of the doll as being either gender. Bitty Baby was now marketed and displayed as a baby girl. She came with Bitty Bear, who starred in the small books that came with Bitty and her outfits. The racial designations were removed from the dolls; they were now marketed by their skin tones like the American Girl of Today.

In 2000 when Mattel took over, Bitty Babies received the harder eyelashes that became standard.

In 2007, extra items for Bitty Bear began to be phased out of the outfits. Outfits would come with toys or accessories, but not always items for Bitty Bear.

In 2011, three new dolls were introduced, a brown-haired, blue-eyed doll; a red-haired, blue/gray-eyed doll; and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed doll. The blonde-haired, grey-eyed doll was retired.

Bitty blondgreen — Bitty Baby in the Cuddly Star Sleeper with the Wishing Star and the white version of *Bitty Baby and Me*.

In 2013, the line was revamped; Bitty Bear was removed from the line and replaced with a plush "Wishing Star." Full picture books were released as separate purchases and dolls came with a copy of Bitty Baby and Me (which was also available separately). This led to a cost raise of $80, a significant price rise from the $55 the dolls had been previously.

The line was expanded to include eleven dolls in total (not including the retired doll), which were updated molds for older dolls. Added were a brown-haired, green-eyed doll; a blonde-haired, green-eyed doll; a blonde-haired, brown-eyed doll; and a medium skinned "African American" doll. Various soft, brightly colored stuffed animals for Bitty were released as well, essentially replacing Bitty Bear; the stuffed animals are targeted towards the purchaser and not the doll. Bitty Baby is also less of a character and more of a doll and companion to a younger child in the targeted age range.

Bitty Wish Star — Bitty Baby Wishing Star.

In 2015, Bitty Baby dolls no longer came with the book by default, although the book remained available. The plush wishing star was discontinued. The cost lowered back to $60 from $80 because of the removal of the book bundled with the doll^[2].

Later that year, a change in meet outfits was made, offering three options; a new doll purchase also came with a song download. (The song download was later removed.) Six of the dolls were retired: dark brown hair with blue eyes; red hair with blue-grey eyes; the medium skinned "African American"; blonde hair with brown eyes; dark brown hair with green eyes; and blond hair with green eyes. A red-haired, hazel-eyed doll was released, leaving the available number at six.

Visual Gallery of Bitty Babies

Italicized dolls are retired.

Bitty Baby Clothing and Accessories

See: List of Bitty Baby Clothing, List of Bitty Baby Accessories and Furniture

Bitty Baby clothing helps market Bitty Baby as an infant. Most outfits come with soft soled shoes and fit over the diaper.

From 1995 to 2007, outfits almost always came with additional components for Bitty Bear; from 1995 to 2013, outfits often came with a small activity book or story starring Bitty Bear. In 2013 outfits no longer came with books, as the separate picture books were available; some books were tied to outfits. Outfits that have a Dress Like Your Doll outfit will range in for Girls' sizes 3-7 and are generally modified to be less infantile.

Bitty Baby outfits will fit on 18" dolls. Pants are shorter and so appear as capri pants, and skirts can vary. Shoes may or may not fit.

Bitty Baby Meet Outfits

Bitty Babies were originally sold in a white print sleeper that was not available as a separate purchase. This was essentially the first Meet outfit and so all other meet outfits are numbered after this one. Bitty Baby meet outfits are always footed sleepers and come with a cloth diaper. Unlike Bitty Twins or My American Girls the outfits are not generally based on contemporary styles, but are still regularly updated.

With the revamp in 2013, outfits were not available for separate purchase and included a plush "wish star".

2013: Cuddly Star Sleeper

In 2015, three Meet outfits were released; only one can be picked at doll purchase, with all outfits available separately. In 2016 another option was offered, the Stripey Sleeper; the others remained available, and this continued in 2017 and 2019 with three sleepers available at purchase. Dolls also come in a diaper and a pink bodysuit.

2015: Pink Butterfly Sleeper, Purple Daisy Sleeper, or White Floral Sleeper
2016: Stripey Sleeper
2017: Colorful Dots Outfit, Stripes and Ruffles Sleeper Playful Floral Sleeper
2019: Snuggly Pink Sleeper, Lovable Rainbow Sleeper, Darling Dots Sleeper

Picture and Activity Books

There were seven Bitty Baby picture books from 2013 until about 2015. Unlike previous books that came with Bitty Baby Outfits, these focused on Bitty Baby as a doll to the child reading the book and a companion in creative, imaginative play.

Activity books were also available:

These books were later phased out with the only available book as Love from Morning to Night, a book of song lyrics and accompanying song CD. This was later retired in 2018, and currently no books are available with or featuring Bitty Baby.

References and Footnotes

↑ Doll Features, American Girl Site.
↑ Official Twitter, accessed 2015-1-14.
↑ This doll has "textured" hair and can be seen as closest to African-American.
↑ Clarified to "dark" in 2013.
↑ This doll can be seen as Asian.
↑ This doll can be seen as Latina.
↑ This doll has "textured" hair and can be seen as closest to biracially or light-skinned African-American.

[1] Doll Features, American Girl Site.

[2] Official Twitter, accessed 2015-1-14.

[3] This doll has "textured" hair and can be seen as closest to African-American.

[4] Clarified to "dark" in 2013.

[5] This doll can be seen as Asian.

[6] This doll can be seen as Latina.

[7] This doll has "textured" hair and can be seen as closest to biracially or light-skinned African-American.

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@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 With the release of Bitty Baby in ''1995'', gone was the marketing of the doll as being either gender. Bitty Baby was now marketed and displayed as a baby girl. She came with [[Bitty Bear]], who starred in the small books that came with Bitty and her outfits. The racial designations were removed from the dolls; they were now marketed by their skin tones like the [[Just Like You|American Girl of Today]].
-In ''2000'' when Mattel took over, Bitty received the harder eyelashes that became standard.
+In ''2000'' when Mattel took over, Bitty Babies received the harder eyelashes that became standard.
 In ''2007'', extra items for [[Bitty Bear]] began to be phased out of the outfits. Outfits would come with toys or accessories, but not always items for Bitty Bear.