Notes & Random Thoughts
Here are some interesting things I have found... these are just my opinions, but they are usually CORRECT!!! :)
Fungus Spots (Mostly referred to as VDS - Vinyl
Deterioration Syndrome)
Fungus causes dark spots but can also cause loss of pigment!
Another thought is that maybe the chemical makeup of the different scents affects how the FUNGUS affects the plastic. I only thought about this since I have seen soooo many Gooseberrys & Jelly Bears with fungus... and other certain dolls that seem to turn up more often with the problem. Maybe it is the light color of those pets that shows the darkening more visibly. I also have seen a lot more flat hands dolls with fungus on their bodies than any other. Not so much on their faces though.
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One thing that I do recommend is to keep your dolls dry, clean, and cool. Warmth & moisture will cause any fungus to flourish, and I have read that it also "feeds" on the plasticizer that is added to the plastic to make it soft and squishy. I wash everything I get, even if I risk taking the scent out. If something feels sticky - WASH IT. I inspected some minis of mine not too long ago, and they had regained their stickiness. So, I gave them another bath. I'd rather have them not smell than eaten up with fungus. Just a suggestion :)
Strawberry Shortcake Price Guide
I get so aggravated when I see anything about that ridiculous price guide that was ACTUALLY published! It makes me cringe to think that someone is either THAT DUMB, or they really wanted to something exploit they know nothing about (for profit.) I will never, ever buy it... and I hope there are enough bad reviews to keep others from wasting their money.
The cover shows an SSC Berrykin in regular SSC clothes, and they paired a Mint Tulip with a Party Pleaser Marsh Mallard. I should have published a book. Why didn't I think of that. I'm no expert, but geez... I can at least dress the dolls correctly! ! !
Cinnamon Apple Pie!
My favorite SSC scent when I was little was the Purple Pieman. (The miniatures of him.) Yankee Candle has a scent called "Home Sweet Home" that smells a lot like him to me. YUM!!!
Sweet Sleepers in Canada / Berrykins up North
Why were Sweet Sleepers so popular in Canada - or were they more widely distributed? Sold for a longer amount of time? It seemed like every one on eBay at one point was from Canada - most of my old ones came from there. Also is it true that Berrykins were only released in the North?
Copyrights
The graphics on my site edited by me. Most of them are scanned from stickers, catalogs, books, cards, etc. A few I have collected from around the web and "fixed." Either way, they are copyrighted by American Greetings, TCFC. So, basically, I don't want to hear that you think any of these images belong to you. I'm tired of the immaturity on these message boards and websites.... grow up and learn to share. It'll be fun to see these all over the web soon, just like all my graphics from about five years ago, when I had my old website. People are still using ones that I know came from me - and they don't even know it :)
The reason I am making a big deal of this is because I was treated pretty rudely on a message board for using something that was drawn by someone else. Honest mistake... I thought I found it on a free graphics site, but obviously not. I guess a lot of you have made the same mistake considering you are using some of my old graphics!! That message board is filled with very strange people, so I canceled my account. Don't bother with that place - I got ripped off there by a "diehard" collector... and people worry about buying things on eBay!!
Artists
I wonder how many different artists drew SSC graphics? There are so many different styles of drawings in the books, coloring books, on the boxes, and on other items. They are obviously by different people.... it is interesting that they didn't stick to just one distinct drawing style.
Hard Pets vs. Soft Pets
Do you have a Parfait that is soft & squishy, and another that is really hard? There are quite a few variations in the pets. So far, I have figured out that all the pets I have that are hard, are marked with the letter "K" along with a number. Like, A.G.C. 1982 K10. The soft ones just have a number. There are a few other odd variations.
Did they change from one plastic formulation to another? Or did they just like to mix it up?? I even have had two Jelly Bears that were different sizes and their faces didn't look the same!