The Cabbage Patch Dolls were some of the ugliest and yet most popular dolls ever made. The Cabbage Patch Kid dolls were the brainchild of Xavier Roberts - a sculptor who lived in Georgia.
They originally began life in 1978 as part of an art exhibition where Xavier Roberts offered them for adoption. He later began selling them at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia. Xavier Roberts managed to convert an old clinic into a little shop where he sold the Cabbage Patch Dolls. He went the whole hog with this set-up, making everyone who worked there dress up and act as doctors and nurses, making sure that they cared for the dolls as if they were real children. The "shop" where the Cabbage Patch Kids were originally sold was fondly regarded as a birthing nursery and adoption centre. Roberts proved himself to be a very successful marketing boffin, and after word got round about his 'maternity ward' he made several television appearances and word soon spread.
The dolls were ugly with podgy round faces, stumpy arms and small close-set eyes. A computer-controlled manufacturing process randomly made small changes to each doll so that no two dolls were the same. The doll came complete with an adoption card, which the new owner would send off with their details. On the first birthday of the doll Coleco would send out a birthday card for the doll.
Spotted by toy manufacturer Coleco, the Cabbage Patch Dolls started being mass-produced in 1982. Shortly after, they were on the wish list of many children at Christmas. The dolls became so popular that at some stores parents ended up fist-fighting in stores to get their hands on one and police were called to calm potential riots.
Unfortunately Coleco went bust in 1985 following a dip in sales, but luckily it didn't take the Cabbage Patch Dolls with it. They were later taken on by a whole host of different successful toy manufacturers including Hasbro, Mattel, Toys R Us and Play Along. Failing to slow in popularity, the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls line sprouted off to include Cabbage Patch Dolls that could play kazoos and the Cabbage Patch Kids 'Snacktime Kids', complete with a mouth mechanism to allow them to "eat" plastic snacks. However, these weren't on the shelves very long as they were withdrawn from the market after children managed to get their fingers or hair stuck in the doll's mouth.
In 1986 the Talking Cabbage Patch Kids were released. These included a voice chip, touch sensors and an infrared device for communicating with other dolls. As well as interacting with the person playing with the doll, the Talking Cabbage Patch Kids would also be able to detect when another doll was nearby and would suggest playing with it. The two dolls would also be able to talk to one another - even if the conversation was a little primitive and random! Unfortunately the Talking Cabbage Patch Kids had limited success as it had a very high price tag for its time, and ideally required more than one doll in order to get the best out of it.
Xavier Roberts originally called the Cabbage Patch Dolls "Little People".
Babyland General, where Xavier Roberts first sold his Cabbage Patch kids is still a prime tourist spot with hundreds of tourists visiting the birthplace every year.
Although commonly thought of as being part of the same line, the Garbage Pail Kids were nothing to do with Xavier Roberts Cabbage Patch Kids. In fact, Xavier Roberts was so miffed by the release of Garbage Pail Kids that he sued Topps, the makers of the Garbage Pail Kids trading cards for trademark infringement. The pair managed to settle the case out of court under the agreement that Topps would alter the artwork so the characters didn't resemble the Cabbage Patch Kids quite so closely.
An urban legend circulated in the 80s that if you send a broken Cabbage Patch Doll for repair the manufacturers would issue a death certificate for the doll.
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Lesley said:
I had loads of these. They were the best dolls ever, I dislike dolls but these are an exception to the scary doll rules........
i love my cabbage patch kid doll said:
well i have a doll yes but what i can remember is the day i adopted her i went online to fill out her papers but i want to go back to that site she was a safari baby doll she came with a orange jacket black jeans with orange seems a backpack and real hair blond :) and blue eyes and i just cant seem to find this site :/
Tuesday February 2, 2010, 09:28 PM
poohbear said:
I still have my original 1985 Cabbage Patch Doll she has brown pigtails and blue eyes.
Tuesday April 27, 2010, 08:43 PM
i won't tell my name said:
i heard in one version that some cabbage patch kids were given back to their owners in coffins suitable to burrie. do you think this is true?
Saturday June 19, 2010, 07:07 PM
Mel said:
I remember getting one of these one christmas and I remember it being that little bit extra special cos I came with a birth certificate and that made me want to look after it more than anything else I had ever owned before. Not sure where it is now, I'm such an awful doll mummy?
Monday August 9, 2010, 03:08 PM
Anne said:
Xavier Roberts has a cabbagepatchkids.com. That had the history and collectors club information. The person who wants the site she went to might try there. I have a Play Along version I'm trying to unload on Bonanza if someone wants a blue eyed blond fairly inexpensively.
Saturday May 28, 2011, 07:59 PM
random person said:
i have my cabbage patch doll on the desk right here. she has almost no hair , green eyes and i got her when i was about 1 year old.
she has a pink dress to wear.i think she is very cute.
Tuesday September 13, 2011, 08:00 PM
i said:
they are so cute
Tuesday September 13, 2011, 08:01 PM
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