Recently, I took my daughter to the American Girl store at the Mall of America here in Minneapolis.

This was no regular trip to the store. This was an event. We made reservations for lunch at the café, and the night before she readied her Kit Kittredge doll with a new outfit and hairdo.

I had no idea how big of a deal this was going to be, but I was looking forward to finding out what the fuss was all about.

The new American Girl Doll, Nicki, costs $86, by far the priciest doll in the collection. Her dog will set you back $24. The horse is $62, but its accessories are another $34. So all told, you're talking about spending over $150 on a doll for a girl.

One of the the hottest items in the doll category is the Bratz doll, which costs around $9. Which would you rather see on your daughter's wish list?

According to a Wall Street Journal article [subscription], American Girl Nicki is athletic and loves animals. "She skis like a demon, rides horses, trains guide dogs, plans school parties, washes the dishes, battles popularity crises, and helps her little brother with his math homework."

Over at the Bratz webpage, we see Sasha: "My friends call me 'Bunny Boo' because I love the hip-hop thang."

A look at pictures of the dolls is also very revealing. While Nicki is dressed ready for activity and fun, Bratz Megan, Roxxi, and Sasha are dressed like ... well, let's just say they are dressed in a way that very few parents would want their eight-year-olds to dress.