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I acquired my
first Sea Wees inside my Christmas stocking in 1979. The
Christmas Shelly came into my life was one of the best
Christmases of my life. The only one that ranks above it is the
Christmas I got my Baby Alive. I remember my brother woke me up
on a bitter cold Saturday morning at 4:30 AM so we could run
downstairs to see what we got for Christmas. The Christmas rule
in my house is you can have your stocking, but you must wait
until Mom and Dad get up to open your presents. So the very
first thing I did once I came downstairs was go get my stocking
off the couch. I remember it was stuffed to the brim. I remember
being slightly confused when I pulled the Sea Wees out of my
stocking as it was so big. Usually you only get very small stuff
in your stocking and Shelly was a bit bigger than I expected.
I had never seen
a Sea Wees before so I'm sure you could have read the mystery
and excitement in my face. The card back had been folded in half
and stuffed deep into my stocking. I remember there was a
coloring book, a twirly light up spinner (I REALLY want one of
those again), Dolly Cola, and my new Sea Wees. The Sea Wees I
plucked from the inside of my stocking was Shelly Sea Wees. She
was one of the original Sea Wees that came alone, with a lily
pad and comb. I loved her from the moment I first took her out
of my stocking. I still remember her smell and the feel of her
hair and stiffness of her lily pad. She took center place on my
dresser and has been the second favorite doll of all my years of
owning dolls. My musical Raggedy Ann ranks above her and my Baby
Alive ranks below her. You see my love for Shelly Sea Wees was
instantaneous. She looks like my best friend Shameka. I was
separated from Shameka due to the move that took me from
the only home I had ever known to this big empty two story
house. Ah, if you only knew the countless hours I have spent
combing the internet looking for my lost friend. That's why in
the end I wore out three Shelly Sea Wees growing up and current
unbroken one sits on the shelf where I can always look up to see
her during the day.
Why do I still collect Sea Wees? The
real answer is I never stopped playing with them. When I "grew
up" and put away my shortcakes and baby dolls in favor of boy
bands and unicorn posters.... I was really hiding a secret. My
nieces came to visit and I let them play with my dolls, but I
kept my Sea Wees in the house with me. I would take them out and
clean them after the girls were finished along with my Shortcake
and eventually my Star Wars and polish and clean them,
straighten them up, put ribbons back in their hair, etc. Then I
would put one or two in a drawer before putting the rest out in
the garage. I would comb their hair late at night when no one
was watching. I have never stopped being fascinated by Sea Wees.
I have always liked small dolls, the smaller the better. You could smuggle them into church and Mom would never know you were playing with dolls when you should have been listening to the sermon. You could also pack a dozen to take with you to your grandparents house. I have a feeling that should I have been born later in life I would have loved Charmkins and Polly Pocket, but Little Kiddles and Soda Pop girls, Sea Wees, and eventually my Strawberry Shortcake were my favorite small dolls from my childhood. One of my favorite things to do with dolls was comb their hair. Sea Wees are perfect for combing hair. They even came with a comb that you could grip and use. I also liked Sea Wees because you could play with them in the tub. Up until that time, the only tub toys were toys for little babies. Imagine a hot bubble bath, a good Nancy Drew book and lots of Sea Wees. Can you say heaven? Sea Wees also have generational appeal. Sea Wees are simple dolls. Imagination takes over and you can have a hidden species that you protect, play princess, etc. They also have that simple smile that generations of young girls have treasured in loving Raggedy Ann. I have found the more simple a doll is the more play you get out of the doll. Accessories make the play more fun. A technological toy may be attractive and eye catching, but in the end the simple toy will get the most play as it is easier to manipulate and has a wider range of interactivity. After all isn't that was play is all about? If Sea Wees are ever re-issued by Hasbro, as Hasbro bought out Kenner years back, I would like to see some very minor changes. I want dolls that don't scuff so easily. It would be great if new Sea Wees floated in the middle of the water, rather than on top or on the bottom. I would like to see arms and tails more like Bend-Ums so that you can pose your Mermaids. I would like to see more hair colors. Maybe even some color changing hair Sea Wees. More snap on clothes, accessories and small playsets would be a great idea. I would also like to see some wind-up swimming Sea Wees. I defiantly want the necks to be more stable so that they don't break off all the time. This was a problem with all Kenner Action Figures and Dolls. I would like to see playsets for all types of dolls, instead of just an island how about a lagoon with a waterfall, coral reef castle, or an iceberg palace? |
My Sea Wees Story
