Shopping & Purchasing Inside the Shopping Area

Once you are admitted into the Shopping Area there is no limit on how long you can shop; however, we ask that you do so efficiently so as to allow waiting shoppers to enter as soon as possible. Please be respectful of other shoppers. Owing to the limited space, you will need to keep moving while you are shopping. Please do not stand in one area to tally purchases or wait for others.

You may only enter the warehouse once per ticket, so please make sure you have picked up all the items you wish to purchase.

Please note that there are no restrooms in the sale area and you will not be able to leave and return once you have your wristband. Plan on visiting the restroom before you line up to enter the shopping area.

Be kind to the volunteers
All of the staff helping you with purchases are volunteers. Some have worked year-round to help prepare the product for you, while others are just volunteering for the day. Volunteers make everything the sale does possible, so please be kind and respectful to them. Anyone bullying our volunteers may have their tickets voided and be asked to leave. Let’s make the sale a positive experience for everyone.

About Our Inventory
All product is sold “as-is.” As much of our product includes returns to American Girl, there may be minor blemishes or some accessories may be missing. Inspect all items carefully before you purchase them, as we will not be able to issue refunds after the sale. Do not open sealed boxes or bags.

All girl-sized clothing is in sealed bags; do not open the bags or try on clothing. (Girl clothing sizes tend to run small.)

This year we have a very large quantity of many different kinds of doll clothing and smaller accessories—too many to display everything at one time. Accessories will be set out on tables and volunteers will replenish the tables as they empty. You can only shop from the accessories currently set out for purchase; you cannot look through the accessory boxes or ask a volunteer to do so for you. There is a Limited Treasures section for items we only have one or two of, including some unusual or older items, so be sure to check that section for particularly unusual finds.

Voucher Items
Voucher items are in extremely large boxes, such as doll houses or large furniture sets. Within the Shopping Area you can look at a picture of the voucher item and get a paper voucher to purchase it. After purchase, you’ll pull your vehicle around to a designated pickup point behind the Exhibition Hall to claim your item. Note that the voucher items come in BIG boxes. You will want to measure your cargo space ahead of time. You must be able to load your voucher item into your vehicle yourself. Refunds will not be given for voucher items that you cannot transport home. 

Tallying & Checkout
When you are ready to check out, join the exit line. When you get to the head of the line, a volunteer will escort you to a tally station. There, another volunteer will check your wristbands to determine how many items you may purchase, make a list of all of your goods and their prices, and give you an invoice. You will then take the invoice and items to a cashier who will accept your payment and give you a receipt. Please look over your tally and receipt carefully to ensure that you have all the items and that all totals are correct. 

Payment
For payment, we accept ONLY cash or credit/debit/gift cards issued by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. We DO NOT accept checks, traveler’s checks, PayPal, Apple Pay, or credit cards saved on phones. As we are not run by American Girl, we cannot accept American Girl gift cards, promotional dollars, or coupons. Vendors in the Vendor Market may accept other forms of payment; inquire with them directly.

Taking Your Purchases Home
After paying you and all your companions will exit the sale area. Your wristbands will be removed and voided before you exit.

Once your purchase is complete you will need to carry your items to your car yourself. This year we are not able to provide carts or volunteers to watch purchases. There are two levels of pickup lanes next to the exposition hall, and you can leave a member of your party to watch your purchases while you pull up your vehicle. Please be as efficient as possible in bringing your car around and packing up. Or you can carry your purchases to your car—this year parking is much closer than at previous sales.

If you have purchased voucher items, directions to the pickup area will be printed on the voucher itself. You will need to get out of your vehicle and load your own items yourself.

This year we will not have an on-site shipping partner; however, there are several UPS stores and USPS offices within a short drive of Alliant Energy Center if you wish to ship your purchases home.

Inventory, Pricing & Payment

• All of our product is donated by American Girl/Mattel and comes from their overstock or returned merchandise. Quantities vary widely.
  • All products are sold AS IS, with no returns, refunds, or exchanges. All dolls are inspected by our volunteers and care is taken to ensure the dolls are in very good condition.
  • Dolls may come with or without some small accessories or books.
  • Packaging may be imperfect. We focus on the quality of the product, not the box. Dolls may or may not be secured in their boxes.
  • Truly Me doll outfits may vary. 
• Prices are on average 30% less than store purchases. Some items may be reduced further depending on inventory. 
  • Check our blog for prices. Sunday prices are posted by 10 pm on Saturday night.
  • Madison Children’s Museum reserves the right to set prices based on availability from year to year. 
• Just like at a garage sale, we do not hold back any merchandise. We start out with the widest variety of products and items sell out as the day goes on.
  • With the inventory donated to us this year, we anticipate that we will likely still have some dolls by the end of the day on Saturday but selection may be limited.
  • We’ve been given particularly massive quantities of accessories this year, including doll clothes, furniture, and smaller accessory sets. There will be plenty of accessories available all Saturday and into Sunday.
• We do not issue a complete list of all items and cannot confirm the presence of individual items ahead of the sale. A few days before the sale we will issue a list of item categories and prices to ticket holders.
• For payments, we accept cash or credit/debit/gift card issued by Visa, Master Card, Discover, or American Express cards.
  • We DO NOT accept checks, traveler’s checks, PayPal, Apple Pay, or credit cards saved on phones.
  • Vendors in the Vendor Market may accept other forms of payment; inquire with them directly.

Rules & Regulations

Our goal is to ensure a safe, pleasant experience for all American Girl Benefit Sale participants, volunteers, and staff.