Barn Dance & BBQ Set

Barn Dance & BBQ Set | Our Generation

I’m a stickler for details when it comes to accessory sets – which is why in the past I haven’t really given the Our Generation sets a second glance. But after hearing a lot of fellow collectors rave about the newer accessories, I’ve been checking the OG aisle at Target periodically to see what’s new. I almost got the Love a Luau set, but it wasn’t enough to really sway me.

But then yesterday I saw this Barn Dance & BBQ set… and as the Monkees song goes, “Now I’m a believer!”

Summer in a set!

The set sells for $16.99 at Target. Can you imagine what this set would cost if it were made by American Girl? Probably five times as much! That said, the OG set materials do feel a little cheaper – but they photograph just as well (and that’s all I really care about).

So, without further ado, Arista and I would like to invite you to take a closer look at this set!

Grab a bandana; this here’s a barn dance!

Bandana

The bandana is made from soft, thin material that’s printed on one side and triangle-shaped. The edges are folded over and sewn, which is nice, but the giant OG tag is a little annoying.

The set minus the bandana.

The Set comes with the bandana, an invitation, three corn cobs, a basket of buffalo wings and legs, two hot dogs, two paper plates, two sodas, a harmonica, a BBQ grill (minor assembly required), and a horseshoe toss game. Let’s start with the most essential part of any shindig – the food!

Looks good enough to eat!

The Food

I’ve been wanting some more non-dessert foods for my dolls – particularly more “fun” foods, like these summertime favorites. I’m really impressed by the nice paint job on all of these items, too! The hot dogs look very realistic and the corn has individually painted kernels to give them more depth. The chicken isn’t as nicely detailed, but the realistic colors make up for that. The cluster of legs and wings are glued to a paper-lined plastic container, but the hot dogs and corn are separate from the paper plates.

Nothing says summer like a BBQ!

The Grill

This little grill is pretty cute – and it looks just like a small, portable grill! It comes in six separate pieces – three legs, one grill grate, one grill lid and the grill body. It’s pretty easy to assemble – just stick the legs into the sockets, place the grill grate on top and you’re good to go!

Invite and Party Amusements

The Invite, Harmonica and Horseshoe Game

The majority of what I do for a living involves graphic design, so I’m pretty picky about it in anything I purchase. This little flyer’s not bad! There’s a few things I would’ve done differently, but it’s better than I expected from a minor accessory. It’s a lot easier to take a picture of a barn or grill and slap “BBQ PARTY” above it, so the fact that they spent time to design a realistic invite is pretty nice. The harmonica and horseshoe game are both nicely detailed as well. I’m not sure if the harmonica actually works (I didn’t want to test it out), but it’s a good size for the dolls. On the other hand, the horseshoe game seems a little small. Maybe as a portable, table top version?

Overall, this is a pretty nice set for under $20! The scale is a little off for some of the pieces, but since I’m mostly using them for picture props, it’s not much of a deal breaker. As much as I love American Girl, it’s nice to see other companies getting into the mix with cute accessories.