Strawberry Shortcake Dolls

People in marketing are up against a great deal of pressure to sell products. Not only do they need to sell their ideas to the manufactures of the products, but to the public as well. It is very hard to predict what will sell well and what will not. Different parts of the country may embrace a product and other areas will have nothing to do with it. In order to appeal to a national market you have to know and understand the people you are selling to. The marketer has to know products as well as human nature. And sometimes it simply comes down to the timing of the advertising campaign.

There are a few products that stand the test of time well. Many of these are toys. Toys pass the time test well because if the parent liked the toy as a child they are more apt to buy it for their children. One item that I am surprised is still very popular is the strawberry shortcake dolls. These soft cloth dolls have survived a couple of generations of children. They were popular in the seventies and are still a hit with kids today. The reason I am surprised that they have survived is that the strawberry shortcake dolls are not animated, they do not talk or light up there is nothing high tech about them, yet young girls love to play with them. There is a full line of strawberry shortcake dolls as well as accessories. When my nieces were little they had strawberry shortcake pajamas. They also had decorations in their rooms with the strawberry shortcake dolls on them. Even at that time these dolls were old fashioned with their pinafores and bonnets. My nieces liked them because it reminded them of their favorite television show Little House on the Prairie.

I am glad to see that girls still like to play with dolls that represent a simpler time. The television show is no longer on and there has not been a similar one to take its place. It seems that the television programming is more interested in having us watch people compete against each other in reality shows instead of having story lines of family life and values. I am glad that the toy manufacturers have not followed suit. Sure there are many toys that are high tech with bells, whistles and electronics, but it is important that we still have simple playthings for our children to use their imaginations and create their own story lines with. These simpler toys are easier on parents also because they do not need to assemble them or get batteries for the child to have fun with them.