I was a young adult when I bought these dolls. I've always appreciated the style choices the designers made for them. I found, and still find, all the clothing, just perfect! I want to get hands on and dress and redress these dolls! Still, I spent days deciding whether to free them from the their blister packs, then when I did, I sure as heck spent hours dressing and redressing them and mixing and matching the 2 outfits each came with. Of course, being a purist, I always ended the sessions putting them back in their proper outfits, but I digress. . .
In 2003 Bandai was the next toy company to have the doll license and they went completely into the zone of the characters as real little girls, proportionally sized, rather than mini girls in a big Strawberry world. But of course they lived in things like cakes and berries and what not, so it wasn't too literal in the "real world" sense. They honored the vintage well, but less directly in the looks of their characters. And also brought in some terrific new characters. More on that another time!
Anyway, Back to my point, which is the 1991 dolls ended up being this somewhat perfect bridge between the original Kenner era, and the forth coming Bandai era, though they surely didn't know that at the time. I pause now to wonder if 1991 had any influence in the decisions about the Bandai era? Hmmm
I'm not sure why the 1991 dolls weren't a sensation. Maybe it was "to soon" after the end of the Kenner years? Maybe. At least partially.
I think this is the most under-celebrated era of SSC. It came and went quietly, and people collected them now, but quietly. Conversation in the SSC circles I'm in don't often turn to the THQ era with much depth at all. I say we take today to celebrate the 1991's!!!
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