Another reason I think commentary channels are doing so well right now is that a lot of the audience rediscovering AGTube grew up with the brand and now are able to think critically about and have more nuanced conversations around AG. We can appreciate the nostalgia and the things they do well, but we can also have conversations about consumerism, class, inclusion, and the brand’s shortcomings in a way that younger audiences maybe can’t. Great video!
Yes! I’m a sociology major so I’m always thinking about inequalities and social justice! It’s definitely interesting to look at things from your childhood with a more critical lens
I’ve noticed the rise in popularity of commentary videos as well. Although they’re great to watch and entertaining a good AGSM is always fun to watch as well. I’m hoping AGSMs don’t die off but I’m really glad to be apart of this community!
So usually when I want to watch videos I put them in a tab for watch later… I still have Halloween agsm’s in my watch later because they require full concentration unlike a commentary video tbh
As someone who has comeback into AGTube recently for nostalgia, I agree with everything you said about it! Because I was trying to find old channels that I used to watch, I’ve also found newer ones that I now find myself watching more frequently, and that’s because those channels make commentary videos and they seem to catch my attention more.
I love doing "passive tasks" like cleaning my room, working on a thumbnail or just organizing things with a commentary video on in the background. You don't need to be glued to a screen so they are more convenient to watch.
I meant to write this when I originally watched it but I got distracted!!! This is such a great and detailed analysis! It’s really great to hear problems we all face put so intelligently and eloquently! I love that you included other AGtubers! It’s so nice to actually see an optimistic outlook on AGtube’s transition into the future. And I love that you gave us advice on moving forward!! This comment is getting long but I also have to share my opinion I don’t think that AGtube can die. As long as there are dolls and people who love them, AGtube will exist. It might not be the old way of it, but we will be here. I don’t think I’ll ever stop making agsms because I love telling stories, but I am interested in branching out to new niches! Also, since I feel like many AGtubers haven’t figured out what to do with shorts, I’ll offer my own use for them, since it would be cool to see more people make shorts like mine. I film a little timelapse of whatever AGtube thing I’m doing and I make a quick commentary or story about ag. Obviously it might not work for everyone, but i think they’re fun and easy to fill in bouts of what would be inactivity. That’s my take… excellent video, Ally!!!!
I so appreciate you making this video. For me, it is often so discouraging to spend hours on an AGSM, only for YT to push it down in the algorithm and disable comments. The problem is that AGSMs tend to be the type of content I enjoy making the most, as I tend to be more into the filmmaking side of dolls rather than just the collecting side. I find it hard just to give up making AGSMs but I quite frankly don’t see the point anymore. There is already a stigma in the general public that any type of animation is “made for kids” (with an example being in an interview with a Disney CEO several months ago where he said that ‘adults wouldn’t be interested in watching Disney animations anyway’). It is even worse for doll animators where the stigma that dolls are for kids adds to the stigma about animation.
Does he not know Disney adults exist… like there was the animated spider man movie that was for adults! Your agsm’s are hilarious though so keep it up’
You put this together SO WELL!!! Lots of good thoughts and information. I’m excited to see where AGtube is going. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this!!❤️
Thank you for this overview! I am An Old, who didn't grow up with AGSMs (...or UA-cam...), and I have no nostalgia whatsoever for AGSMs, so whenever I see videos where people are talking about AGTube dying I'm always so confused, because there are so many channels I follow and watch! This helped put things in perspective for me, since I only got into collecting last year, when the original 6 were re-released. I adore commentary channels and will happily watch the same type of video over and over again, such as tier rankings, simply because I put UA-cam on in the background while I'm working, and it's exactly what I need to get my AG fix while also doing my job (also, ADHD brain demands multiple streams of input). But I recognize that I am 5-10 years older than so many of the people on AGTube, which means my interests and needs may be very different. I have really enjoyed commentaries, hauls, reviews, collection overviews, etc. Thank you again for creating this video and getting the perspectives of other creators that I enjoy; keep up the great work!
I really loved hearing about how much agtube has changed. I honestly feel like the style of videos has changed with us as we’ve got older we can enjoy sit down videos that talk about different things and we can form our own opinions and ideas about.
I LOVE THIS VIDEO. thank you for addressing this, ally! when kris talked about agsms i totally get that and agree with that. in 2020 when i started my channel my content wasn’t great but my videos got 100s to even 1000s of views. now, though, i put weeks of work into my content but sometime it barely reaches 100. although views aren’t everything and not ultimately why i started my channel it is still discouraging to see them decrease. and of course it isn’t only my channel! it’s all over AGTube. this is and awesome video though, Ally! so well composed and well thought out! thanks for reading this book of a comment lol
This is short compared to the truly me rebrand video I mentioned lol! I will say this time of year views usually start going up with GOTY hype, so if you lean into that hopefully you'll gain more views
I have watched AGTube since Stephenswodadancer, the Queen would make videos, and I prefer the shift from making stop motions. I prefer commentary. I personally only watch videos from UA-camrs that only collect American Girl dolls, but that's just me.I don't mind watching these types of videos repeatedly because they are updated and different every time someone uploads them. (Doll Collections, Hauls, Tours of AG Places, Updates of New American Girl Stuff, Reviews, & Doll Room Tours)
Your deep dives are so great! I love listening to these videos while I’m doing my homework ♥️ also my views drop soooo much if I don’t upload a video every week and it’s so difficult with Agsm vids!
This was very interesting. I didn't start collecting AG until my daughter was 6 and I was 41, so I didn't watch AGTube back when it started. I've really only been watching for the last couple of years, and mostly commentary channels. I watch a few stop motions here and there, but I'm more interested in people's doll collections, what their dolls are wearing, what they purchased, etc. Thanks for sharing!
This was a AMAZING VIDEO! You basically said what I’ve been thinking for months! I definitely agree with you that one of the reasons that AGtube is “dying” is because most of our mentors such as mixipixie7 and basilmentos are leaving that community. I think this can be a problem because these channels encourage younger channels to make more creative videos and not just going with the trends. I think it’s fine that they are leaving cause, you know, their growing up and now have responsibilities to attend to but the problem is that so many of them are leaving and all at once! It kind of puts us in a state of shock!😅 I also think one of the problems is that there are so many agtubers now, which is fine but the fact that there are so many means that it’s harder to find smaller channels. Back in the early days of agtube when a new channel popped up they would automatically get hundreds of subscribers and that is one reason that they ended up being our mentors! I feel it may be harder now for channels to take their place is because their are so many channels. I mainly make agsm’s on my channel so I like more of the channels that post creative content and less commentary videos and I can definitely see a decrease in agsm makers. Some creators make agsm’s but quickly find out that it takes and enormous amount of patience and so they stop posting agsm’s. But I do agree with you that agtube can become great again and it is not completely dead! I really enjoyed this video!! ~Sofia P.s. sorry this comment sort of became a essay!😅😅
This was so informative!!! I am so happy someone finally addressed this, and you did an amazing job elaborating. You actually made me realize I defiantly try and cater to a younger audience just bc that’s where the views are lol. The algorithm is crazy and, at least in my case, pushes my commentary videos to cap out around 1k on a good week. When my agmv got over 140k views I remember all the dm’s I got of people being blown away, since you hardly see that many people watching doll content anymore. It truly gives me hope to see the community grow, and I think this video is an amazing first step🥰
I think you covered everything so so well ive been a fan over agtube since basil mentos and now having my own channel im going towards making more and more american girl doll content specifically for the nostalgia from my childhood and i hope to see the agtube community come back to life and grow again
I’ve been a collector for about 10 years now, I miss the old ag tube. I loved watching everyone’s videos that was a big part of my childhood. i still love watching videos about ag and I always will. I also believe posting agsm’s on tiktok might help the community along with other ag videos.
I hope agtube is not dying, and we won’t be saying “those were the good ol’ days”. I just came back to agtube after being gone a year, due to changes in my personal life . I really miss making videos and talking to old friends on agtube❤️ I hope we can inspire this new generation💕
I was away from AG tube between 2012 and 2021, so A LOT changed when I came back 😅 I personally love commentary content, so I was okay with the stop motion content being largely replaced by it, but it would be nice to see more creativity, like you said. I'm glad to be back in the community, you all are doing amazing stuff!
Thanks for having me in the video! I don't feel like agtube is dead but also wonder why there is such a big jump between mid sized creators (idk what to call people between 1k to like 10k) and big creators. Hopefully I can be a big creator one day!
I hope we both can! You make RH content too which is helpful for gaining that audience! I consider myself a big creator within the AG niche (who is active and does not cater for kids), but still small on youtube overall
What a great reflection! Recently, I rejoined the AGIG / AGTube community after leaving in 2015. I actually interviewed Basilmentos this week, which you can find on my channel. I love your content and hopefully more people will join in on the fun!
This video was so informative and interesting! I started my UA-cam channel last year and I had no idea about the old AGtube era. My channel is a DIY crafts and tutorials for dolls, so it’s a little different than most AG channels. I don’t have many subscribers or views but I’m having so much fun sharing my craft ideas with other who collect dolls as well! Thank you for sharing your ideas on how a AGtube is shifting, but still an active community. I absolutely love being part of this community and connecting with others on here!
This was a very interesting video for me as a new channel. As a more mature creator I was not aware of the history of AG UA-cam. I have been trying different things on my channel including even a few very short stop motions. I love doing them so much but they are very time consuming. It seems that a new mixed generation of content creators seems to be on the horizon. I do agree that nostalgia is a big thing now with the baby boomers really looking back to their childhoods and reminiscing with toys and dolls they loved as a child. I am new to AG dolls as they came out when I was already an adult but discovering them now has been such a joy. The historical line has been a great alternative to the extremely expensive antique bisque dolls. I am happy to hear that the ag UA-cam community welcomes and embraces content of different styles and is inclusive of older creators with stories to tell. Thank you for this video!
I don’t have time to watch this right now, but this seems like a very interesting video! I can’t wait to see your opinions on this topic, because I noticed a severe lack of stop motions on AGTube nowadays. I do like listening to commentary videos though, I like to turn them on while I do homework lol
I have to start my 2nd of three papers worth 50% of my grade today AND start studying for a test worth 45% of my grade. I’d be too distracted to watch a video though.
My AGTube niche idea is a storytime channel that uses dolls to act out the stories from ordinary life and stuff like that. Your channel is the reason why I’m in the AG community and stuff.
Outstanding video you explained everything so well ❤ I usually don't watch longer videos like this but this one was so very entertaining. Yessss I always do chores and stuff while watching commentary vids Iove them
I like the newer type content better and hope to see it expand. I would never watch stop motions personally though I appreciate the creativity. I love the doll hosts and wish there were several per video versus one. It really allows me to appreciate the dolls. Hopefully creators continue and ultimately find their adult audience in the new paradigm. Love seeing creators all talking together in one video.
Sorry idk where else to comment this but I've been binging your content, it brings me so much joy to see people are still making videos about American girl, makes me wanna get back into it myself lol! Great video!
Ally, you did a great job with this! I love your deep dives. It made me smile when you talked about what we can do to keep this a vibrant community (post GOOD content, post regularly, shout out each other, seek out and support small channels, etc) because I was like, "Yes. I'm doing all the things. I'm helping!" lol Anyway, this was a great video and I appreciate you.
@@AllycatlovesAG I'm in the minority of agtubers for a number of reasons (my age, the fact that I started collecting as an adult, etc) and I suspect that I'm in the minority because I have a career I love and am pretty fairly compensated for my time, so monetizing my channel isn't really a goal. That said, I LOVE the comments and engagement from subscribers. I love knowing we're all doing our part (watching, commenting, sharing, creating, etc) to create and maintain a meaningful community. So I definitely hope it grows for that reason!
@@AllycatlovesAG Also, I love that this video has gotten so many comments. When I have time later this week, I'm going to take a second look at the handles of everyone commenting and see how many new channels I can subscribe to ;-)
such a great video! the youtube content changes are still so annoying. Because our videos are appropriate for kids....but we want our comments available to all! Thank you for the awesome video!!!
I really hope that by supporting each other, we can bring agtube back!! It makes me so sad when I search up agsm and the only videos I see are from months, or even years ago.
Also, does anyone remember this channel from around the peak time of Agtube. It was similar to basilmentos in the fact that the stopmotions were super well done. She filmed a lot of her videos outside but unfortunately deleted her channel. If anyone knows the name I would be so grateful!
11:58 about saying that Chloe and AGOSF aren't apart of the community any more, I have to agree. If you watch either of their videos you can tell that they aren't really making videos for fun, they're just doing it for views, money etc. I especially feel bad for Chloe because she's a teenager, who grew out of dolls. She shouldn't be forced to make videos if there are other things she's into (volleyball, makeup, shopping, getting good grades, etc), yet she is. And I think that's part of why she sold her entire collection a year or two ago and only posts once every few months. Now I can't speak much about AGOSf since I don't watch her anymore, but when I did probably about 90% of her videos was just 5 videos she had previously uploaded over the past week or so into one long video
See I love the commentary videos and never enjoyed AGSMs. So I would, and have, absolutely watch your older videos a year or so later. The more AG commentary, the better!
We definitely need to support each other since we are all have small channels compared to old AgTube channels, and I'm not just saying that as a smaller channel, I know of many small channels that make amazing content, and they deserve to be seen, but with the way AgTube is nowadays is much harder for them to get views. Great video, it was an amazing dive into AgTube and all its facets!
Agreed, and AGTubers need to take an effort to watch and comment on the others' videos. Being so busy, like I am now, it seems impossible to take the time out to do that even though there once was a time when that was a part of my daily routine. I miss that as I'm sure many AGTubers do, but making the effort is what's important now.
I think nostalgia is going to be a massive thing, not just in AG-tube, but I also think with films and theme parks. I think we are about to see a massive wave of nostalgia take over many different areas of the media.
I love AGtube and it makes me sad to think of this happening. I am a doll collector and I’ve just started getting into American girl I recently got my third one so it really makes me sad to see all these amazing creators leave
I come to UA-cam as an adult collector and have no patience with stop motion movies done by teenagers. I love the commentators and openings of products that I consider buying. I have given a bunch of UA-camrs a chance but you are right. They need to post more regularly and frequently. I like the ones where you fix up a doll, where you make good crafts and sewing/knitting for the dolls. My favourite is "a thousand splendid dolls" and it is just really regrettable that they don't allow comment section due to a lot of negative comments in the past. I only watch their AG videos though. The really excellent commentator UA-camrs just don't post enough. Sigh. I have been toying with the thought of starting myself but I am probably not technically able to, unfortunately, and I am a very private person who doesn't want to "put myself out there".
If you enjoy sewing and fixing up dolls, I recommend Lots2See. She's an adult collector who posts very frequently and has a series on her channel where she fixes up old dolls, customizes them and sews a matching outfit.
I usually make longer videos but I will occasionally make shorts. My shorts are often of me sewing doll clothes or organizing doll things. I have also noticed that my stop motions don’t get as many views as my shorts and other videos which makes me kind of sad because I spend a lot of time on them, but even through all of this I still enjoy making videos whether they do well or not. I try to post once a week and also try to put out a variety of different videos
The example videos for AGMV and dance were from her channel! I just often forget to include her because her era was before I watched AGTube, so I don't have any nostalgia for her channel and thus it slips my mind when thinking of channels
I miss the og agtubers like chloes American doll channel, mixiepixie7, and of course the doll place and i hope somewhere in the near future they will become active again
on the topic of short vs long content we are in a very twilight zone era on youtube. Like yeah reels perform great but also you have content creators that post like... ONE video a month but its like 4 hours long and they rake in millions of views because its some deep dive into a random topic. It's a weird time to be a creator because you either have to make very short content (Reels) or very long content (video essays) and everyone in the middle is kinda left to fend for themselves imo
Most videos I watch are between 15-20 minutes. I do enjoy a good deep dive (I watched one about the Devlish hairdresser games the other day, very entertaining) but I don't always have time to watch them compared to a simple 10 minute video
Yes, there are channels dedicated to short videos. One channel I know that has a bigger following is Lily’s unicorn. I believe they have around 3k. They are usually a relatable style video, transition, mini stop motion, and more. So it’s closer to a TikTok style of video.
Coppa is what made me leave. Pretty much all the agtubers I grew up with left. I gave up on trying anything with my channel, and high school just got busier.
I’ve been thinking maybe I should bring AGMVs back. With my own music. That might make the most sense for me. I still haven’t really posted any AG videos yet but I so want to.
Being an AG content creator myself, I just make videos because I am passionate about AG. Being in the minority (I am an Asian gay male in the Philippines) the odds are stacked against me. I noticed that most of the people who made it big in AGtube are a certain type (white, female, it helps if they are pretty). But anyway, what I am saying is that even if nobody watches my content, I will keep doing it for me.
I think what makes the AG community unique is that most people are anonymous. It doesn’t matter what people look like, just their art, collection and quality! Agjitters is also Filipino, the doll studio by Kris is not female (I’m seeing more and more male creators join agtube which is great) so I don’t think your appearance would affect your growth
@@AllycatlovesAG I agree to a certain extent. While it is not going to affect my growth, those who look a certain way get big faster. Again, not complaining since AGtube is my hobby and I just do whatever makes me happy. I guess in a way it is sort of a good thing since I can do whatever I like without really pandering to my viewers. I didn't know AGjitters was also Filipino, I haven't been able to watch her videos. I will have to check her out.
Actually I've had a pretty active sewing channels for AG dolls for the past two years. The algorithm seems to be very slow to picking it up, and I was starting to think not many were interested in sewing for dolls. I only get over 25 views when I upload a commentary videos, which really are not my favorite ones.
My favourite were the channels that sewed modern trendy doll clothes, but I do love historical fashion more and more these days. I'll defiantly check out your channel!
I do want to start doing stop motions and series but want to do a more “mature” take. Like pg 13, edgy jokes, a couple cuss words, I’m an adult collector and me personally I can’t see myself making kid friendly videos. But I don’t know if anyone would actually be interested even though I have many ideas and have been planning on a big series for years
I don’t watch series’ that much but I’d be interested. The community is so used to being kid friendly that people may get offended if you dont put a disclaimer (I got a comment from someone that I didn’t warn them before saying “shitty”), but I don’t mind it. I make my dolls adults so they definitely swear
I feel like i wanna help bring agtube back to life😊😁🤩 I still need to learn what all i need to know before i start & gather vid ideas, but i feel it would bring other people happyiness as well as myself. I am new to posting vids but i have a few ag dolls so i think i have a good baseline for startup. I dont care how much money i make from the vids if any, i just feel like it would be something that can make others happy includeing myself. It would give me more of a purpose than i feel like i have now😊😁🙏🏻☮️💖🦋🦄
love love love this video. i could talk about this subject for HOURS. i hope one day we get back easy views and subs because it’s discouraging - and the comments stuff is the worst for me because my comments DRIVE me, and because i post when will be suitable for my US viewers to watch it means it’s like 3 am for me a lot of the time - so i can’t keep an eye on them all the time. i always appreciate your dms so so much and try to do the same when i see other comments off !
I started watching because if Stephanswodadancer. I didn’t really like agsm but I’m an adult. I did dieta get into mixiepixie7’s agsm mostly because I watched her non agsm videos. I like the commentary videos the best.
Perhaps there is more potential for an ag platform on tiktok. UA-cam as a platform has also reached its peak in a way, its not as booming as it was before.
Tik Tok could all end one day like vine… I feel like a lot of Tik Tok is mostly suggested videos and you don’t have the same bond with a creator like you do on UA-cam if that makes sense
I wish I knew why UA-cam decides to turn off my comments. I’m 25 years old I’m doing Vlogmas this year and only one of my videos has comments enabled I don’t know what to do I thought by doing Vlogmas I could get more people to come over to my channel since I’m posting every day but it looks like that’s not going to happen. I can post videos of dressing my dolls (so not showing my face) and comments will be enabled the second I show my face my comments get disabled. Hello UA-cam I’m an adult. So if you know any suggestions I would really appreciate it. By the way this video was very informative thank you. Edit: looks like they decided to turn off comments of me dressing my ag dolls, They were enabled for a month don’t know what changed there.
I wish they would at least send a notification that they got disabled like they do for copyrighted content. I don’t know how I lucked out and avoided the disabled comments
HALLO from old Germany and sorry for my Bad old schoolenglish . I want to have AG you tube video and i hope , you the Amerikans make Videos for my .in Germany de don't have AG dolls , gut i have 8 An dolls , my Favorit is Caroline Abbot and i Love her , pls make more Agvideos on UA-cam ,pls .
thoughts while watching this video!! - as someone who has been on agtube since 2009ish, when i say “agtube is dead,” i mainly mean the agtube from my childhood is dead. just like flickr or MySpace (which are still around believe it or not), agtube is still around but people will generally say it’s “dead,” as a phrase. doesn’t mean people aren’t still on it - agtube is basically one giant ad for American Girl (#consumerism) we are all subtly advertising with every upload…even a lot of our channel names have “AG” in them. wish i didn’t but it’s too late lmao - agtube does heavily rely on kids and i know a lot of kids watch my videos. it’s my favorite thing when I see kids who get inspired by my videos or want to make their own after seeing one of my stop motions! i know my neighbors watch my videos and truthfully, knowing that young kids can get a little joy from watching something that I created is why i don’t want to give up on doing AGSMs (plus i add them to my portfolio) even if they do awful on UA-cam. bc even if it affects one person I’m glad i made a little happiness in the world! i just wish i was able to see the comments from people :/ that’s the worst part of COPPA for sure…not the lack of views, but the lack of comments :((
Another reason I think commentary channels are doing so well right now is that a lot of the audience rediscovering AGTube grew up with the brand and now are able to think critically about and have more nuanced conversations around AG. We can appreciate the nostalgia and the things they do well, but we can also have conversations about consumerism, class, inclusion, and the brand’s shortcomings in a way that younger audiences maybe can’t. Great video!
Yes! I’m a sociology major so I’m always thinking about inequalities and social justice! It’s definitely interesting to look at things from your childhood with a more critical lens
This is an EXCELLENT point - totally agree!
I’ve noticed the rise in popularity of commentary videos as well. Although they’re great to watch and entertaining a good AGSM is always fun to watch as well. I’m hoping AGSMs don’t die off but I’m really glad to be apart of this community!
So usually when I want to watch videos I put them in a tab for watch later… I still have Halloween agsm’s in my watch later because they require full concentration unlike a commentary video tbh
As someone who has comeback into AGTube recently for nostalgia, I agree with everything you said about it! Because I was trying to find old channels that I used to watch, I’ve also found newer ones that I now find myself watching more frequently, and that’s because those channels make commentary videos and they seem to catch my attention more.
I love doing "passive tasks" like cleaning my room, working on a thumbnail or just organizing things with a commentary video on in the background. You don't need to be glued to a screen so they are more convenient to watch.
I meant to write this when I originally watched it but I got distracted!!!
This is such a great and detailed analysis! It’s really great to hear problems we all face put so intelligently and eloquently! I love that you included other AGtubers!
It’s so nice to actually see an optimistic outlook on AGtube’s transition into the future. And I love that you gave us advice on moving forward!!
This comment is getting long but I also have to share my opinion
I don’t think that AGtube can die. As long as there are dolls and people who love them, AGtube will exist. It might not be the old way of it, but we will be here.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop making agsms because I love telling stories, but I am interested in branching out to new niches!
Also, since I feel like many AGtubers haven’t figured out what to do with shorts, I’ll offer my own use for them, since it would be cool to see more people make shorts like mine. I film a little timelapse of whatever AGtube thing I’m doing and I make a quick commentary or story about ag. Obviously it might not work for everyone, but i think they’re fun and easy to fill in bouts of what would be inactivity.
That’s my take… excellent video, Ally!!!!
This was a wonderful deep dive of AGTube. I am so glad to see that so many others agree with me that AGTube isn’t dying but shifting to a new era.
I so appreciate you making this video. For me, it is often so discouraging to spend hours on an AGSM, only for YT to push it down in the algorithm and disable comments. The problem is that AGSMs tend to be the type of content I enjoy making the most, as I tend to be more into the filmmaking side of dolls rather than just the collecting side. I find it hard just to give up making AGSMs but I quite frankly don’t see the point anymore.
There is already a stigma in the general public that any type of animation is “made for kids” (with an example being in an interview with a Disney CEO several months ago where he said that ‘adults wouldn’t be interested in watching Disney animations anyway’). It is even worse for doll animators where the stigma that dolls are for kids adds to the stigma about animation.
Does he not know Disney adults exist… like there was the animated spider man movie that was for adults! Your agsm’s are hilarious though so keep it up’
It’s so strange because UA-cam allows comments for Lego StopMotions but not AGSM it’s just so frustrating
You put this together SO WELL!!! Lots of good thoughts and information. I’m excited to see where AGtube is going. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this!!❤️
Thanks for letting me interview you! I’m proud of myself for getting it done because this video was a beast to plan, film and edit
Thank you for this overview! I am An Old, who didn't grow up with AGSMs (...or UA-cam...), and I have no nostalgia whatsoever for AGSMs, so whenever I see videos where people are talking about AGTube dying I'm always so confused, because there are so many channels I follow and watch! This helped put things in perspective for me, since I only got into collecting last year, when the original 6 were re-released. I adore commentary channels and will happily watch the same type of video over and over again, such as tier rankings, simply because I put UA-cam on in the background while I'm working, and it's exactly what I need to get my AG fix while also doing my job (also, ADHD brain demands multiple streams of input). But I recognize that I am 5-10 years older than so many of the people on AGTube, which means my interests and needs may be very different. I have really enjoyed commentaries, hauls, reviews, collection overviews, etc. Thank you again for creating this video and getting the perspectives of other creators that I enjoy; keep up the great work!
I really loved hearing about how much agtube has changed. I honestly feel like the style of videos has changed with us as we’ve got older we can enjoy sit down videos that talk about different things and we can form our own opinions and ideas about.
A lot of people who watched agsm’s when they were younger grew up and just talk about their passion instead
I LOVE THIS VIDEO. thank you for addressing this, ally! when kris talked about agsms i totally get that and agree with that. in 2020 when i started my channel my content wasn’t great but my videos got 100s to even 1000s of views. now, though, i put weeks of work into my content but sometime it barely reaches 100. although views aren’t everything and not ultimately why i started my channel it is still discouraging to see them decrease. and of course it isn’t only my channel! it’s all over AGTube. this is and awesome video though, Ally! so well composed and well thought out!
thanks for reading this book of a comment lol
This is short compared to the truly me rebrand video I mentioned lol! I will say this time of year views usually start going up with GOTY hype, so if you lean into that hopefully you'll gain more views
I have watched AGTube since Stephenswodadancer, the Queen would make videos, and I prefer the shift from making stop motions. I prefer commentary. I personally only watch videos from UA-camrs that only collect American Girl dolls, but that's just me.I don't mind watching these types of videos repeatedly because they are updated and different every time someone uploads them. (Doll Collections, Hauls, Tours of AG Places, Updates of New American Girl Stuff, Reviews, & Doll Room Tours)
You’ve been around for almost all of agtube! Wow!
Your deep dives are so great! I love listening to these videos while I’m doing my homework ♥️ also my views drop soooo much if I don’t upload a video every week and it’s so difficult with Agsm vids!
This was very interesting. I didn't start collecting AG until my daughter was 6 and I was 41, so I didn't watch AGTube back when it started. I've really only been watching for the last couple of years, and mostly commentary channels. I watch a few stop motions here and there, but I'm more interested in people's doll collections, what their dolls are wearing, what they purchased, etc. Thanks for sharing!
This was a AMAZING VIDEO! You basically said what I’ve been thinking for months! I definitely agree with you that one of the reasons that AGtube is “dying” is because most of our mentors such as mixipixie7 and basilmentos are leaving that community. I think this can be a problem because these channels encourage younger channels to make more creative videos and not just going with the trends. I think it’s fine that they are leaving cause, you know, their growing up and now have responsibilities to attend to but the problem is that so many of them are leaving and all at once! It kind of puts us in a state of shock!😅 I also think one of the problems is that there are so many agtubers now, which is fine but the fact that there are so many means that it’s harder to find smaller channels. Back in the early days of agtube when a new channel popped up they would automatically get hundreds of subscribers and that is one reason that they ended up being our mentors! I feel it may be harder now for channels to take their place is because their are so many channels. I mainly make agsm’s on my channel so I like more of the channels that post creative content and less commentary videos and I can definitely see a decrease in agsm makers. Some creators make agsm’s but quickly find out that it takes and enormous amount of patience and so they stop posting agsm’s. But I do agree with you that agtube can become great again and it is not completely dead! I really enjoyed this video!! ~Sofia
P.s. sorry this comment sort of became a essay!😅😅
Really well said!
This was so informative!!! I am so happy someone finally addressed this, and you did an amazing job elaborating. You actually made me realize I defiantly try and cater to a younger audience just bc that’s where the views are lol. The algorithm is crazy and, at least in my case, pushes my commentary videos to cap out around 1k on a good week. When my agmv got over 140k views I remember all the dm’s I got of people being blown away, since you hardly see that many people watching doll content anymore. It truly gives me hope to see the community grow, and I think this video is an amazing first step🥰
A video posted three months ago and has over 100k views? That is amazing! You rarely see views like that these days
I think you covered everything so so well ive been a fan over agtube since basil mentos and now having my own channel im going towards making more and more american girl doll content specifically for the nostalgia from my childhood and i hope to see the agtube community come back to life and grow again
I’ve been a collector for about 10 years now, I miss the old ag tube. I loved watching everyone’s videos that was a big part of my childhood. i still love watching videos about ag and I always will. I also believe posting agsm’s on tiktok might help the community along with other ag videos.
I hope agtube is not dying, and we won’t be saying “those were the good ol’ days”. I just came back to agtube after being gone a year, due to changes in my personal life . I really miss making videos and talking to old friends on agtube❤️ I hope we can inspire this new generation💕
I was away from AG tube between 2012 and 2021, so A LOT changed when I came back 😅 I personally love commentary content, so I was okay with the stop motion content being largely replaced by it, but it would be nice to see more creativity, like you said. I'm glad to be back in the community, you all are doing amazing stuff!
Thanks for having me in the video! I don't feel like agtube is dead but also wonder why there is such a big jump between mid sized creators (idk what to call people between 1k to like 10k) and big creators. Hopefully I can be a big creator one day!
I hope we both can! You make RH content too which is helpful for gaining that audience! I consider myself a big creator within the AG niche (who is active and does not cater for kids), but still small on youtube overall
What a great reflection!
Recently, I rejoined the AGIG / AGTube community after leaving in 2015. I actually interviewed Basilmentos this week, which you can find on my channel.
I love your content and hopefully more people will join in on the fun!
That’s cool! I’ll have to watch
This video was so informative and interesting! I started my UA-cam channel last year and I had no idea about the old AGtube era. My channel is a DIY crafts and tutorials for dolls, so it’s a little different than most AG channels. I don’t have many subscribers or views but I’m having so much fun sharing my craft ideas with other who collect dolls as well! Thank you for sharing your ideas on how a AGtube is shifting, but still an active community. I absolutely love being part of this community and connecting with others on here!
I thought you would have started earlier because I always see you in my comments!
@@AllycatlovesAG haha well I definitely comment on your channel a lot!
This was a very interesting video for me as a new channel. As a more mature creator I was not aware of the history of AG UA-cam. I have been trying different things on my channel including even a few very short stop motions. I love doing them so much but they are very time consuming. It seems that a new mixed generation of content creators seems to be on the horizon. I do agree that nostalgia is a big thing now with the baby boomers really looking back to their childhoods and reminiscing with toys and dolls they loved as a child. I am new to AG dolls as they came out when I was already an adult but discovering them now has been such a joy. The historical line has been a great alternative to the extremely expensive antique bisque dolls. I am happy to hear that the ag UA-cam community welcomes and embraces content of different styles and is inclusive of older creators with stories to tell. Thank you for this video!
I don’t have time to watch this right now, but this seems like a very interesting video! I can’t wait to see your opinions on this topic, because I noticed a severe lack of stop motions on AGTube nowadays. I do like listening to commentary videos though, I like to turn them on while I do homework lol
I have to start my 2nd of three papers worth 50% of my grade today AND start studying for a test worth 45% of my grade. I’d be too distracted to watch a video though.
My AGTube niche idea is a storytime channel that uses dolls to act out the stories from ordinary life and stuff like that.
Your channel is the reason why I’m in the AG community and stuff.
Ooh really cool! I’ve seen a few videos do that but never an entire channel dedicated to it! Like those draw my life videos but with dolls
Outstanding video you explained everything so well ❤ I usually don't watch longer videos like this but this one was so very entertaining. Yessss I always do chores and stuff while watching commentary vids Iove them
I like the newer type content better and hope to see it expand. I would never watch stop motions personally though I appreciate the creativity. I love the doll hosts and wish there were several per video versus one. It really allows me to appreciate the dolls. Hopefully creators continue and ultimately find their adult audience in the new paradigm. Love seeing creators all talking together in one video.
Sorry idk where else to comment this but I've been binging your content, it brings me so much joy to see people are still making videos about American girl, makes me wanna get back into it myself lol! Great video!
Thank you so much! If you’re looking for more content there are a bunch of other amazing adult collectors on UA-cam!
Ally, you did a great job with this! I love your deep dives. It made me smile when you talked about what we can do to keep this a vibrant community (post GOOD content, post regularly, shout out each other, seek out and support small channels, etc) because I was like, "Yes. I'm doing all the things. I'm helping!" lol Anyway, this was a great video and I appreciate you.
You know I love your content, so thank you for creating quality content for the community! I hope your channel grows a ton!
@@AllycatlovesAG I'm in the minority of agtubers for a number of reasons (my age, the fact that I started collecting as an adult, etc) and I suspect that I'm in the minority because I have a career I love and am pretty fairly compensated for my time, so monetizing my channel isn't really a goal. That said, I LOVE the comments and engagement from subscribers. I love knowing we're all doing our part (watching, commenting, sharing, creating, etc) to create and maintain a meaningful community. So I definitely hope it grows for that reason!
@@AllycatlovesAG Also, I love that this video has gotten so many comments. When I have time later this week, I'm going to take a second look at the handles of everyone commenting and see how many new channels I can subscribe to ;-)
such a great video! the youtube content changes are still so annoying. Because our videos are appropriate for kids....but we want our comments available to all! Thank you for the awesome video!!!
I really hope that by supporting each other, we can bring agtube back!! It makes me so sad when I search up agsm and the only videos I see are from months, or even years ago.
Also, does anyone remember this channel from around the peak time of Agtube. It was similar to basilmentos in the fact that the stopmotions were super well done. She filmed a lot of her videos outside but unfortunately deleted her channel. If anyone knows the name I would be so grateful!
darlingdollies deleted her channel, so probably her!
11:58 about saying that Chloe and AGOSF aren't apart of the community any more, I have to agree. If you watch either of their videos you can tell that they aren't really making videos for fun, they're just doing it for views, money etc. I especially feel bad for Chloe because she's a teenager, who grew out of dolls. She shouldn't be forced to make videos if there are other things she's into (volleyball, makeup, shopping, getting good grades, etc), yet she is. And I think that's part of why she sold her entire collection a year or two ago and only posts once every few months.
Now I can't speak much about AGOSf since I don't watch her anymore, but when I did probably about 90% of her videos was just 5 videos she had previously uploaded over the past week or so into one long video
See I love the commentary videos and never enjoyed AGSMs. So I would, and have, absolutely watch your older videos a year or so later. The more AG commentary, the better!
Good to hear! I guess certain videos are fun to look back on such as new doll releases and seeing how opinions change
We definitely need to support each other since we are all have small channels compared to old AgTube channels, and I'm not just saying that as a smaller channel, I know of many small channels that make amazing content, and they deserve to be seen, but with the way AgTube is nowadays is much harder for them to get views. Great video, it was an amazing dive into AgTube and all its facets!
Agreed, and AGTubers need to take an effort to watch and comment on the others' videos. Being so busy, like I am now, it seems impossible to take the time out to do that even though there once was a time when that was a part of my daily routine. I miss that as I'm sure many AGTubers do, but making the effort is what's important now.
I just started collecting AG dolls. I really like the channels I have found. I hope you keep creating content. Thanks for posting.
It’s finals season so I will try my best to stay active! Congrats on getting into doll collecting!
@@AllycatlovesAG good luck with finals 👍🏼.
@@itsallagagd9381 Thank you! I’m procrastinating working on my papers lol
Enjoyed your video. Thank you for all the information.
I think nostalgia is going to be a massive thing, not just in AG-tube, but I also think with films and theme parks. I think we are about to see a massive wave of nostalgia take over many different areas of the media.
I hope so! I’ve been watching a bunch of deep dive videos on childhood flash games so I’m definitely seeing lots of 2000’s nostalgia content
Thanks for the idea for a AG sewing channel. ❤
Very interesting video 😊 really enjoyed watching it.
I love AGtube and it makes me sad to think of this happening. I am a doll collector and I’ve just started getting into American girl I recently got my third one so it really makes me sad to see all these amazing creators leave
There are tons of active small channels that are waiting to be discovered!
I come to UA-cam as an adult collector and have no patience with stop motion movies done by teenagers. I love the commentators and openings of products that I consider buying. I have given a bunch of UA-camrs a chance but you are right. They need to post more regularly and frequently. I like the ones where you fix up a doll, where you make good crafts and sewing/knitting for the dolls. My favourite is "a thousand splendid dolls" and it is just really regrettable that they don't allow comment section due to a lot of negative comments in the past. I only watch their AG videos though.
The really excellent commentator UA-camrs just don't post enough. Sigh. I have been toying with the thought of starting myself but I am probably not technically able to, unfortunately, and I am a very private person who doesn't want to "put myself out there".
If you enjoy sewing and fixing up dolls, I recommend Lots2See. She's an adult collector who posts very frequently and has a series on her channel where she fixes up old dolls, customizes them and sews a matching outfit.
I usually make longer videos but I will occasionally make shorts. My shorts are often of me sewing doll clothes or organizing doll things. I have also noticed that my stop motions don’t get as many views as my shorts and other videos which makes me kind of sad because I spend a lot of time on them, but even through all of this I still enjoy making videos whether they do well or not. I try to post once a week and also try to put out a variety of different videos
I just subbed good video, I talked about a similar topic añil while ago, I miss so many agtubers
Thoughtful video!
Love it!!
Please don’t forget stephenswodadancer! She inspired people like basilmentos and other creators at the golden age of of AGtube
Yessss
The example videos for AGMV and dance were from her channel! I just often forget to include her because her era was before I watched AGTube, so I don't have any nostalgia for her channel and thus it slips my mind when thinking of channels
I miss the og agtubers like chloes American doll channel, mixiepixie7, and of course the doll place and i hope somewhere in the near future they will become active again
I'm actively in contact with thedollplace and they're doing well! Not sure if/when they will return to youtube, but we still chat!
on the topic of short vs long content we are in a very twilight zone era on youtube. Like yeah reels perform great but also you have content creators that post like... ONE video a month but its like 4 hours long and they rake in millions of views because its some deep dive into a random topic. It's a weird time to be a creator because you either have to make very short content (Reels) or very long content (video essays) and everyone in the middle is kinda left to fend for themselves imo
fending for myself rn lmao
Most videos I watch are between 15-20 minutes. I do enjoy a good deep dive (I watched one about the Devlish hairdresser games the other day, very entertaining) but I don't always have time to watch them compared to a simple 10 minute video
15:19 turning on a video and multitasking
Me listening at work 👀
Yes, there are channels dedicated to short videos. One channel I know that has a bigger following is Lily’s unicorn. I believe they have around 3k. They are usually a relatable style video, transition, mini stop motion, and more. So it’s closer to a TikTok style of video.
I don't think I've ever heard of them. Good ti know
Yes sewing clothes (either by hand or on the machine) for AG/OG (18”) dolls!!! 😍
hi could you do a video in where you talk about what stuff use use to make and create your videos. thank you!! ❤
I think I have touched on it before in a few videos... here is one ua-cam.com/video/Tx2k4GJlzVA/v-deo.html
Coppa is what made me leave. Pretty much all the agtubers I grew up with left. I gave up on trying anything with my channel, and high school just got busier.
I’ve been thinking maybe I should bring AGMVs back. With my own music. That might make the most sense for me. I still haven’t really posted any AG videos yet but I so want to.
Great video! 😊
A part of me would love to start a channel for ag for fun, as im in uk and its pretty niche here but idk
I really do hate coppa. I used to post agsms and now I have left😢. This video makes me want to join agtube again.
Being an AG content creator myself, I just make videos because I am passionate about AG. Being in the minority (I am an Asian gay male in the Philippines) the odds are stacked against me. I noticed that most of the people who made it big in AGtube are a certain type (white, female, it helps if they are pretty). But anyway, what I am saying is that even if nobody watches my content, I will keep doing it for me.
I think what makes the AG community unique is that most people are anonymous. It doesn’t matter what people look like, just their art, collection and quality! Agjitters is also Filipino, the doll studio by Kris is not female (I’m seeing more and more male creators join agtube which is great) so I don’t think your appearance would affect your growth
@@AllycatlovesAG I agree to a certain extent. While it is not going to affect my growth, those who look a certain way get big faster. Again, not complaining since AGtube is my hobby and I just do whatever makes me happy. I guess in a way it is sort of a good thing since I can do whatever I like without really pandering to my viewers. I didn't know AGjitters was also Filipino, I haven't been able to watch her videos. I will have to check her out.
19:29 sign me up😂😂😂
Check out Emcot. She has a small channel with videos about American Girl dolls and Disney Parks.
YES! I love those things combined
Why am I sad lol
😭😭😭😭
Watch cute animal videos
Actually I've had a pretty active sewing channels for AG dolls for the past two years. The algorithm seems to be very slow to picking it up, and I was starting to think not many were interested in sewing for dolls. I only get over 25 views when I upload a commentary videos, which really are not my favorite ones.
My favourite were the channels that sewed modern trendy doll clothes, but I do love historical fashion more and more these days. I'll defiantly check out your channel!
I just got a new doll any recommendations it’s Caroline
I do want to start doing stop motions and series but want to do a more “mature” take. Like pg 13, edgy jokes, a couple cuss words, I’m an adult collector and me personally I can’t see myself making kid friendly videos. But I don’t know if anyone would actually be interested even though I have many ideas and have been planning on a big series for years
I don’t watch series’ that much but I’d be interested. The community is so used to being kid friendly that people may get offended if you dont put a disclaimer (I got a comment from someone that I didn’t warn them before saying “shitty”), but I don’t mind it. I make my dolls adults so they definitely swear
I feel like i wanna help bring agtube back to life😊😁🤩 I still need to learn what all i need to know before i start & gather vid ideas, but i feel it would bring other people happyiness as well as myself. I am new to posting vids but i have a few ag dolls so i think i have a good baseline for startup. I dont care how much money i make from the vids if any, i just feel like it would be something that can make others happy includeing myself. It would give me more of a purpose than i feel like i have now😊😁🙏🏻☮️💖🦋🦄
That's defiantly a good reason to start a channel! Good luck
love love love this video. i could talk about this subject for HOURS. i hope one day we get back easy views and subs because it’s discouraging - and the comments stuff is the worst for me because my comments DRIVE me, and because i post when will be suitable for my US viewers to watch it means it’s like 3 am for me a lot of the time - so i can’t keep an eye on them all the time. i always appreciate your dms so so much and try to do the same when i see other comments off !
I like alot of different types of agtube videos
I believe one reason is bc American girl is going down hill…a lot of their stuff they sell now looks like Walmart sruff. It’s very sad
I do agree on that for GOTY and TM stuff, but the historical dolls are what makes AG stand out from other lines in my opinion
I started watching because if Stephanswodadancer. I didn’t really like agsm but I’m an adult. I did dieta get into mixiepixie7’s agsm mostly because I watched her non agsm videos.
I like the commentary videos the best.
Interesting as Micah was known for agsm’s. But she did make a few videos with her room mates, PO Box videos etc
Perhaps there is more potential for an ag platform on tiktok. UA-cam as a platform has also reached its peak in a way, its not as booming as it was before.
Tik Tok could all end one day like vine… I feel like a lot of Tik Tok is mostly suggested videos and you don’t have the same bond with a creator like you do on UA-cam if that makes sense
I wish I knew why UA-cam decides to turn off my comments. I’m 25 years old I’m doing Vlogmas this year and only one of my videos has comments enabled I don’t know what to do I thought by doing Vlogmas I could get more people to come over to my channel since I’m posting every day but it looks like that’s not going to happen. I can post videos of dressing my dolls (so not showing my face) and comments will be enabled the second I show my face my comments get disabled. Hello UA-cam I’m an adult. So if you know any suggestions I would really appreciate it. By the way this video was very informative thank you.
Edit: looks like they decided to turn off comments of me dressing my ag dolls, They were enabled for a month don’t know what changed there.
I wish they would at least send a notification that they got disabled like they do for copyrighted content. I don’t know how I lucked out and avoided the disabled comments
@@AllycatlovesAG same they really should do that.
It's interesting how some people have that problem and some don't. I wish there was a way to get an answer from real people.
@@SomethingBeautifulHandcrafts yeah it’s very interesting. I hope we’ll find an answer to it soon.
what community?
Agtube
That is wrong. Dolls can be for kids. Even though some of them are bad, I still love American Girl Dolls.
I know, but the target audience for many of us are adults. We may talk about more mature subjects and use more mature language
I’m a subscriber and UA-cam never recommend your channel. I don’t understand why. I believe that’s also hurting AGTube.
If you’re a subscriber did my video appear in your subscription feed? Or do you mean home page?
HALLO from old Germany and sorry for my Bad old schoolenglish . I want to have AG you tube video and i hope , you the Amerikans make Videos for my .in Germany de don't have AG dolls , gut i have 8 An dolls , my Favorit is Caroline Abbot and i Love her , pls make more Agvideos on UA-cam ,pls .
first?
Yes for real lol! It’s about UA-cam this video is not attracting an audience haha
@@AllycatlovesAG dude mine too i got like nothing in 30 min still
thoughts while watching this video!!
- as someone who has been on agtube since 2009ish, when i say “agtube is dead,” i mainly mean the agtube from my childhood is dead. just like flickr or MySpace (which are still around believe it or not), agtube is still around but people will generally say it’s “dead,” as a phrase. doesn’t mean people aren’t still on it
- agtube is basically one giant ad for American Girl (#consumerism) we are all subtly advertising with every upload…even a lot of our channel names have “AG” in them. wish i didn’t but it’s too late lmao
- agtube does heavily rely on kids and i know a lot of kids watch my videos. it’s my favorite thing when I see kids who get inspired by my videos or want to make their own after seeing one of my stop motions! i know my neighbors watch my videos and truthfully, knowing that young kids can get a little joy from watching something that I created is why i don’t want to give up on doing AGSMs (plus i add them to my portfolio) even if they do awful on UA-cam. bc even if it affects one person I’m glad i made a little happiness in the world! i just wish i was able to see the comments from people :/ that’s the worst part of COPPA for sure…not the lack of views, but the lack of comments :((