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1. Where are Maplelea Girl products made?
Everything about the Maplelea Girls is done in Canada (sculpting, designing, researching, writing, illustrating, translating, etc.) with the exception of most of the actual assembly of the products. The dolls, furniture, most of the accessories and some of the girls clothing are assembled in China. The matching caps for girls and dolls are made in Vietnam. The following products are made in Canada:

1. J’adore Musique shirts for girls (BC and Ontario)
2. Maplelea Blue shirts for girls (BC and Ontario)
3. Amazing Amauti for Saila (Nunavut)
4. Pang Hat (Nunavut)

You may be interested to know that there are no vinyl doll factories in Canada. Dolls made in Canada would simply be so expensive that very few people could afford them and it would not make a viable business.

The factories in China that assemble our dolls and accessories are highly skilled, very reliable, socially responsible and ISO9001: 2000 certified. (ISO9001: 2000 is an internationally recognized certification of management quality.) They are also ICTI certified (International Council of Toy Industries).

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2. Are Maplelea Girl products safe?
We are very concerned about safety. Our products conform to the international safety standards of CPSC, ASTM F963-08, as well as the Canadian Hazardous Products Act (Toys).

The aforementioned certifications ensure that our products meet standards for phthalates, lead and other heavy metals. We test our products in the design stage and we re-test after the goods are actually produced.

Maplelea Girl products are NOT suitable for children under three years due to the choking hazard presented by small parts.

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3. Why are Maplelea Girl products so “expensive”?
It is necessary to charge the prices we do for Maplelea Girls products for the following reasons:

1. We use factories that are highly qualified, reliable and socially responsible.
2. We use superior materials and processes in the manufacture of our products.
3. We do frequent safety testing of our products.
4. We put considerable detail in our products (such as linings, embellishments, decorative stitching, real pockets, etc.)
5. We have a high degree of Canadian creative content in our products. All designing, illustrating, researching, writing, sculpting and translating is done in Canada. The cost of this creative input is higher in Canada than most other countries.
6. Our storylines and packaging designs are distinctively Canadian and therefore Maplelea Girls sell primarily in Canada. Population-wise Canada is a small country. Because of the small size of the Canadian market, our production runs are relatively small. Most doll companies make a more generic product that is suitable for a much larger international market.

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4. Are Maplelea Girls available in stores?
No, Maplelea Girls are not available in stores. Stores require a significant mark-up in order to cover their expenses. By eliminating the middleman and selling directly to consumers we are able to keep our prices as low as possible.

Maplelea Girl products are only available from www.maplelea.com. Orders can be placed on-line, by phone or by mail.

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5. What age are the Maplelea Girls recommended for?
Maplelea Girls are recommended for girls age 6 to 12+ years. The ideal age is 8 to 12+. Girls of this age will be more inclined to appreciate the fine detail and collectibility of the Maplelea play system, and be able to read the journal which is written at a Grade 4/5 reading level. These dolls are positioned as premium play products. However they also appeal to teens and doll enthusiasts of all ages.

Girls under six may have difficulty in managing the long hair and in manipulating some of the clothing items. Maplelea Girls and their accessories should NEVER be given to children under three due to the choking hazard of small parts.

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6. Does Maplelea™ come with a product guarantee?
Our system is designed to impeccable standards and we are confident you will be pleased with the quality of Maplelea™ products. If, however, you are dissatisfied with an item due to a manufacturing defect, we will gladly replace it at no charge. In the unlikely event that you need to make arrangements for a product replacement, please contact MapleleaCustomerService@grenville.com or telephone 1-800-668-4339.

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7. Is Maplelea™ suitable for both French and English speaking girls?
Yes. Maplelea is a completely bilingual play system – journals and extra journal pages are always provided in both languages within each package. The journal and journal pages for the Saila doll and outfits also include Inuktitut versions, in addition to French and English.

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8. Do Maplelea outfits fit other dolls?
All Maplelea outfits fit all Maplelea Girl dolls. Maplelea outfits also fit most other 43cm-46cm (17”-18”) hard and soft body play dolls, including American dolls. Maplelea outfits will likely not fit 17-18” toddler or pre-school dolls as Maplelea outfits are proportioned for a doll representing a girl about age 10 or 11.

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9. What is the “ethnicity” or “cultural background” of the five characters?
Brianne’s family is of Ukrainian heritage, having immigrated to Canada over 100 years ago. Jenna has both Scottish and German heritage in her background. Léonie describes herself as having "lots of French blood, but also a little Native and some Irish." Saila’s family are Inuit. Brianne, Jenna, Léonie and Saila celebrate Christmas, Easter and other similar holidays.

For Taryn and Alexi, no ethnic, cultural or religious background has been mentioned in their journals, leaving you free to create that part of their story for yourself.

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10. How did you choose the ethnic/cultural background of the Maplelea Girls?
We will be introducing new Maplelea Girls on a regular basis going forward. Each new doll will enable us to show more of Canada’s diversity, remembering that diversity refers to not just physical appearance but also family composition, home province/territory, language(s) spoken, family heritage, personality, passions, interests, etc.

We welcome suggestions and input from the public. We use that information, along with our own research and creativity to determine future characters, accessories and other products.

If you would like to provide input we encourage you to write to us at management@avonlea-traditions.com. Please note that any ideas or suggestions received become the property of Avonlea Traditions Inc. and that no compensation in provided for ideas received or used.

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11. How should the Maplelea doll and accessories be cared for?
For care instructions, please click here.

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12. Can you repair my injured doll?
For dolls that are injured or have been “loved to bits”, we recommend a visit to the Maplelea Spa. Your doll will come home completely “rejuvenated”, wearing a new, cozy Spa Gown and Slippers, accompanied by some new journal pages. Please note that this is a doll replacement service; we cannot repair your original doll. For details on the Maplelea Spa, click here.

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13. Further questions?
Should you have additional questions pertaining to Maplelea™, please contact customerservice@maplelea.com, management@avonlea-traditions.com or telephone 1-800-668-4339.