In the beginning, Strawberry Shortcake was....a greeting card! She was produced by American Greetings Corporation after 1979. As AGC created cards, not toys, Strawberry Shortcake toys were manufactured by Kenner in 1980 and included:

• Strawberry Shortcake
• Huckleberry Pie
• Blueberry Muffin
• Apple Dumplin' with Tea Time Turtle

These dolls had flat hands. Brilliant marketing minds then realized, hey! If the hands were curved, they could hold things! Kids could accessorize! Another marketing line can be born!

What else would kids like? Pets, of course. Thus, later editions of Strawberry Shortcake dolls came with their individual pets and included:

• Strawberry Shortcake and Custard the Cat
• Angel Cake and Souffle the Skunk
• Apricot and Hopsalot the Bunny
• Blueberry Muffin and Cheesecake the Mouse
• Butter Cookie and Jelly Bear
• Cherry Cuddler and Gooseberry
• Huckleberry Pie and Pupcake the ... Pup
• Lime Chiffon and Parfait the Parrot
• Lemon Meringue and Frappe the Frog
• Orange Blossom and Marmalade the Butterfly
• Purple Pieman and Berry the Bird
• Sour Grapes and Dregs the Snake
• Raspberry Tart and Rhubarb the Monkey

These dolls had curved hands. They were wonderous! They were magnificent! They were popular!

They made bazillions of children quite delighted. So! Some years later, Strawberry Land embraced diversity and added the International Friends:

• Almond Tea and Marza Panda - hailed from China
• Café Olé and Burrito the donkey - hailed from Mexico
• Crêpe Suzette and Eclair the poodle - hailed from France
• the twins Lem and Ada and Sugar Woofer - hailed from England
• Mint Tulip and Marsh Mallard the duck came - hailed from Holland

Life was good. Other toys that were introduced to the Strawberry Shortcake line included Minatures (1980-1984), Party Pleasers (1984), and the Berrykin line (1985). And as all parents know, children have creative imaginations, so accessories were also added like the:

• Atari Strawberry Shortcake
• Berry Baby Bassinette
• Berry Baby Buggy
• Berry Bake Shop
• Berry Busy Bug
• Berry Cycle
• Berry Cycle Tricycle
• Berry Happy Home
• Big Berry Trolley
• Blueberry Muffin Shoppe
• Carousel
• Carrying Cases
• Garden House
• Raspberry Tart Soda Shoppe
• Snail Cart
• Strawberry Mini House

Of course, the above is for play....what about life's most important necessities? Yes indeed, other Strawberry Shortcake items that cuddled our kids included:

As you can see, Strawberry Shortcake swept the market...and then kinda sorta fizzled a weeee bit.

Until, that is....

2002! Strawberry Shortcake was reinvented (and I got to meet the designer, Cindy Patton, at the 2004 convention! But I digress).

As you can see, the following comparison shows some basic changes between New Strawberry Shortcake verses Vintage Strawberry Shortcake:

As you can see, Strawberry has been modernized for the 21st century big-time. But! Her original characteristics of sweetness and kindness remain the same....indeed, even enhanced by her additional adventurous spirit, creativity and verve.

Strawberry Shortcake isn't the only Strawberry Land character who has sprouted a brand new look. Currently, there is also:

And what's that I hear you ask? Are there any adventures of Strawberry Shortcake? You bet there are - you can choose from books, videos, DVDs and software, not to mention great Strawberry Finds below!

Continue to enjoy your visit!

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