Nostalgia Toy #1: Strawberry Shortcake
August 10, 2006 by Kerri Aldrich
Filed under Children's Toys, Nostalgia Toys
This is the first post in a series where I’ll be sharing what were some of my favorite toys growing up. Specifically, toys that are still around and that are still entertaining my kids ALL these years later. I don’t know exactly how many posts will be in this series. I really am incapable of planning that far ahead. But there will at least be a #2, I promise. Where there’s a one, there must be a two.
Anyway, Strawberry Shortcake was one of my favorites growing up. I had a friend who lived on base just down the street from me. One of our moms would call the other, we’d meet halfway down the street, and then we’d spend hours playing with Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Muffin, The Purple Pieman, and all the others.
My sister and I had an entire Strawberry Shortcake themed room, from the matching Strawberry Shortcake canopy beds to the Strawberry Shortcake trashcan. We were surrounded by the little tart dessert.
My daughter now has a couple Strawberry Shortcake dolls. She’s not into her quite as much as I was, but does love the Strawberry Shortcake ballerina doll, and the kid-sized Strawberry Shortcake leotard that she would wear to ballet class.
It’s fun to see an old favorite of mine reappear after all those years. But, I do have a question. Where in the world did Strawberry Shortcake find the fountain of youth? I mean, I don’t expect the makers to age the dolls, but Strawberry Shortcake looks younger now than she did 25 years ago. Maybe not. Maybe she just got a new stylist. She certainly didn’t have that cute hip little hat when I was younger. It was frumpy and looked more like a strawberry on her head.
I don’t know. What do you think? I kinda miss the frumpy Strawberry Shortcake.
It does disturb me that my generation of toys is now being referred to as “vintage.” Does that make me vintage, too? Hmmm…mabye I need to get the number to Strawberry’s stylist. Or maybe I just need to start sporting this cute tee. Whaddya think?
I also loved strawberry shortcake – especially that the dolls smelled so good! My 3-year old’s favorite toys are now the same that mine once were — makes me wonder about how much my own interests and memories are shaping her future personality
at least for now. this thought comes from a test/research that i just took at http://www.personality100.com (not sure if this works – just in case, here is an alternate link- personality test – about how similar kids end up being to their parents as they get older. Pretty interesting idea!
Dani: Thanks for commenting here! I was meaning to mention the scents! Yes, they made it more fun to play with them. I wonder if there’s some psychology study there, with toys and scents…hmmmm. I’ll have to go check out that personality website. Looks like fun!
I had a Strawberry Shortcake doll when I was young. She had that strawberry-scented breath. Oh how I LOVED to smell that.
Twenty-plus years later, my Strawberry Shortcake doll STILL has her scented breath. My sister and I were just discussing that the other day, and wondering what kind of toxic chemicals we have been exposed to all these years by smelling that doll. LOL
lol. How funny, because I was thinking the same thing! Maybe I can blame those fumes for my habit of walking into a room and immediately forgetting why I did! But, yes, she smelled so pretty.
I absolutely loved your post! Strawberry Shortcake is my 18-month-old daughter’s favorite.
One of the books I often read to her is “Apple Dumplin’s Day” which is about Stawberry’s baby sister. My daughter has a dolly that she sleeps with. One day, she called the doll “Apple.” Its not suposed to be that character, but there are enough similarities that it DOES look like her.
Since then, I’ve been buying all sorts of Strawberry Shortcake things. She has a “purse” that she loves to carry around like a big girl. And she’ll actually watch the DVD that we bought– other things on TV she just ignores, even Dora and Elmo.
Perhaps I’m going overboard in buying her S.S. things, but it really is nostalgic for me. I love that she’s playing with things that I once did.
Becky L: I don’t think I ever knew Apple Dumplin’ was SS’s sister, and my sister even had her. I think I had Cherry Cobbler (the website says it’s Cherry Cuddler, but I always thought it was Cobbler!), and she was a cutie. So fun that you’re daughter loves the dolls, too!
Strawberry Shortcake is the best!!
http://www.toysntoons.com/strawberryshortcake/
I prefer the old version of strawberry shortcake personally.
I LOVED Strawberry Shortcake! I used to have a couple of Orange Blossom dolls.