An adorable little red-haired girl came around in 1979 that changed the way people looked at strawberry shortcake forever--it was no longer just a food. Strawberry Shortcake was originally designed to be part of a greeting card line for American Greetings. Her popularity was so great that Kenner Toy Company picked up the character and created a doll. This wasn't just any doll--each Strawberry Shortcake doll was made to give off a long-lasting fragrance that was either based on a fruit, flower, or candy. This marketing gimmick by Kenner worked like a charm. Soon, Strawberry had many friends that little girls could choose from as well. Once the child got all of the friends, she could get the house and the load of furniture that went with it. Strawberry Shortcake's friends included Blueberry Muffin, Lemon Meringue, and
Huckleberry Pie. The very first dolls came only with a brush, while the later series included pets for each doll. To identify an original Strawberry Shortcake, look for the flat, outstretched hands that were curled by the time the next series was released. The newer series was followed by Party Pleasers (cuddly babies who blew sweet-smelling kisses), sleeping dolls, rag dolls, and the Berrykin line. As if that wasn't enough, children's clothing, bedding, and furniture were created with the character's logo on it. In fact, the market was so overcome with the merchandise that when her popularity waned in the mid-1980s, it did the doll line in. Today, the little red-haired girl is back and is enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
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