All of the information provided is strictly based on my own experience and observation, and in collaboration with other collectors. I’m not affiliated with American Girl or Pleasant Company in any way and do not have any insider knowledge or connections with either company.
Released in September, 1986, Samantha was the Victorian orphan who came to live with her wealthy grandmother in New York City. She had curly, light brown hair pulled into a half-pony and tied with a ribbon, and striking brown eyes with long lashes. Originally this doll sold for $75, but for an extra $20, Pleasant Rowland signed and numbered the doll, signing about 900 Samantha dolls in 1986.
Her eyes have long, dramatic, and curly lashes and light reddish brown eyes. She has wispy light brown hair with bangs that are typically very long. The wig cap has a solid strip of elastic at the neckline. One feature of 1986 dolls are their unmistakable creamy translucence in the vinyl. They have a very soft complexion and can either have peachy colored makeup or pink makeup. There are at least 2 different shades of “amber” eyes, one being the light reddish brown, and also a paler, more “golden amber” that is much less red, but nonetheless very light, even lighter than a traditional “amber”. Most often the peachy makeup tones dolls have the traditional “amber” eyes, and the pink makeup tones have the “golden amber” variety. Both are very uncommon and rare, but the “golden amber” eyes are most often seen only in the month of November, 1986 and some select early 1987 dolls.
1986 white body dolls are characteristic of their small, connected teeth. There are at least 3 known variations of connected teeth, with the addition of larger, boxy teeth (typical of early 1987 dolls) introduced in October for Samantha. You may see amber Samantha dolls with any of these teeth variations, and a few amber Samantha’s have been seen into early 1987.
Amber Samantha’s wig is not very long. It is, however, fairly curly with many short hairs along the edges of the wig, including the neckline and at the temples. It is not uncommon for the short hairs to also be throughout the wig, giving her a very thick haired appearance.
A 1986 Samantha doll would have arrived in a first edition “ribbon style” maroon box along with American Girls Collection tissue paper. The heart sticker on the box was printed in red ink, either “SDP” or “SDH” depending on whether or not the doll came with a Paperback book or Hardcover book. The hand sticker was a gold rectangle that says “MADE IN WEST GERMANY” in black letters. Her meet dress would have a paper tag with the copyright date of 1986 made in West Germany and Velcro on the back that was in 2 pieces. Her meet tights were not tagged and has a thin elastic strip sewn into the waistline. They reach very high up the torso and she did not come with meet bloomers.
Small, connected teeth. The teeth paint are connected on the top portion of the mouth. There are 3 variations known.
Outfit: Included checked taffeta dress (with 2-piece Velcro enclosure, as pictured), ribbed black tights (with a single, thin piece of elastic sewn into the waist band), black plastic shoes, and checked taffeta hair ribbon. (Note that the earliest dolls DID NOT come with bloomers.) Tag on the dress is made of paper and says 1986.
Box Top: Maroon with vertical ribbon and RED ink on the heart sticker. Codes are: SDP, SDH, or SDC (depending on what type of book was included: paperback or hardcover, and if the doll was signed, the code was SDC, along with a hand-written number coinciding with the number of the doll).
Box Bottom: Folded and stapled corners. Rectangular sticker with SMO or handwritten number.
Numbered and Signed Dolls: For an additional $20, dolls were numbered and signed by Pleasant Rowland. For Samantha, approximately numbers 1 through 900 were signed in 1986.
In about November 1986, there are some variations in the “amber” color of her eyes, with some being a shade lighter than the norm, and also a shade darker (“dark amber”).
Always, and even with the difference in shading, Samantha’s 1986 decals have a distinct difference in color between the iris and of the lines and pupil.
October 1986 to December 1986 variant: Big teeth were introduced during this time, and while they are a little different than ’87 big teeth, it can be very hard to tell the difference. Many times this can be confusing to collectors (Is it 86 or 87??), but always look for the other indicators to pinpoint the time frame. What does the wig cap look like? In this case, your answer will almost always lie there. (See more examples of big teeth in the section for 1987.)