First Issue Strawberry Shortcake Dolls

First Issue Strawberry Shortcake doll with flat handsThe First Issue Strawberry Shortcake dolls were released in 1979. The line included just four characters: Strawberry Shortcake herself, Huckleberry Pie, Apple Dumplin, and Blueberry Muffin. All of the dolls had flat hands rather than the curved hands that came later, so they're often referred to as Flat Hands dolls. 

Apple Dumplin was the only First Issue doll that came with a pet, Tea Time Turtle. The First Issue turtle was made of hard plastic and rested on all four feet. Later editions of the dolls included pets for all of the characters, and Tea Time Turtle was made of softer plastic and had an upright pose.

Although later versions of the dolls had curved hands that could hold accessories, all of the baby characters have flat hands regardless of when they were released.

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