If you grew up in the 80’s or the 90’s or even the early 2000’s, chances are you or your sibling loved and cherished a Cabbage Patch Kid. You wouldn’t have been the only kid in your street to be loving your doll though, as these dolls similar to Barbie’s became a global sensation with many keen collectors still holding onto their original dolls 40 years later.
What is a Cabbage Patch Kid?
CABBAGE PATCH 2004 Play Along. Legs Are Marked /dirty Original Clothes - $31.20. Cabbage Patch 2004 Play Along. Legs Are Marked /dirty Original Clothes.
For those of you who did not grow up in the time of Cabbage Patch Kids, you may have not even heard of them prior to stumbling upon this article. While dolls such as Barbies are recognized globally, what saw the Cabbage Patch Kid stand out against other dolls was their cuddly nature. While the Baby Alive Doll produced around the same time had many interactive features, the simplicity of the Cabbage Patch Kids (CPK) was what little girls during this period were seeking.
Cabbage Patch Kids 2006 Play Along Doll Retro Patch Baby Newborn Ethnic $89.99 $ 89. 99 Cabbage Patch Kids 14' Kids - Blonde Hair/Brown Eye Girl Doll in Rocker Fashion 4.8 out of 5 stars 418 $34.99 $ 34. Cabbage Patch Kids Doll 2004 Play Along PA-15 CPK Xavier Roberts Green Signature. 2004 cabbage patch doll with floral jacket.
The Cabbage Patch Kid is by no means the most valuable collector’s doll to date, although it was their cuddly and soft nature that set them apart from other big brand dolls during their initial production. The original dolls had woolen hair, plush bodies, and somewhat chubby fingers. Xavier Robert’s who was the designer and craftsman of these dolls stitched them in a similar way to how his mother would make quilts.
While the Cabbage Patch Kid may sound like ‘just another doll’, what added to their popularity was the fact that each doll came with their own adoption papers, the dolls were soft, meaning they could be taken to bed just like a fluffy animal and they were somewhat ugly but in a cute way. The legend (story) behind how the dolls had came to be also made it feel as though the adoption process was real for many little girls who had been gifted a Cabbage Patch Kid. In the earlier years of production, the company also stated that no two dolls were identical. This meant every child in the street had their own unique doll.
Recognizing a Cabbage Patch Kid
While the dolls have been around for many decades, they still sport the same look. Cabbage Patch Dolls can be distinguished by their:
- Wool or Yarn Hair (depending on when it was produced)
- Cubby Face, Arms, and Legs
- Soft Cloth Bodies
- Vinyl Faces (unless produced in the very early years)
- Measure Approximately 16 Inches Tall
In some limited edition makes of the Cabbage Patch Doll, porcelain or an all-vinyl body can be noted.
The History of the Cabbage Patch Doll
The very first Cabbage Patch Dolls were released in 1983. The official Cabbage Patch Dolls came many years after Xavier Robert’s original designs which he handcrafted and titled ‘Little People Originals’. While Xavier’s first creations were popular, the introduction of ‘Cabbage Patch Dolls’ saw 3 million of the dolls being adopted by the end of their first year of production. During late 1983, the doll even makes the front cover of Newsweek due to their popularity amongst young girls and boys alike. While there have been thousands upon thousands of different Cabbage Patch Kids produced over the past 40 odd years, the dolls that represent a person or special event such as the US Olympic Team Mascot Dolls remain among the most valuable. Each of the dolls tells it’s own story and even comes with a birth certificate.
By 1999, 95 million Cabbage Patch Dolls had been sold around the globe.The amount of these dolls that exist globally significantly reduces their overall collectible value.
While the Coleco company produced the dolls between their primitive years, 1982 until 1988, the craze of the Cabbage Patch began to decline and in 1994, many years after Coleco filed for bankruptcy, Mattel began producing Cabbage Patch Kids. Mattel mimicked the original dolls in their re-release of Cabbage Patch Kids. Many mothers and fathers who had fond memories of these dolls during their childhood purchased one for their own children.
The First Cabbage Patch Doll
Cabbage Patch creator Xavier Roberts copyrighted his design in 1976 and sold the rights to company Giant Coleco in 1982. Dolls that were made prior to the Coleco handover are worth the most.
When speaking about the first Cabbage Patch Doll, many refer to the very first dolls produced by Xavier Robert’s which he originally titled ‘Little People Originals’ (1976-1981). The Little People Originals were all hand-crafted by Xavier himself and were signed in permanent marker on their bottoms. As Xavier saw the popularity of his ‘Little People Originals’ grow, he opened ‘Babyland General’, which became the home of the cuddly dolls. He invited the public to come to ‘Babyland General’ where children could adopt out their very own ‘Little People Original’ doll. Similar to his later works of art, ‘The Cabbage Patch Dolls’, the ‘Little People’ came with adoption papers. While the original ‘Little People’ by Xavier were handcrafted, later in 1982 Coleco purchased the rights to start producing very similar dolls under the name ‘Cabbage Patch Kids’. While the ‘Little People Original’ are much rarer than the ‘Cabbage Patch Kids’, both of these dolls produced in the early years are highly sought after and can see their owners being handed quite a sum of cash.
During the 1980’s, a Cabbage Patch Kid sold for $30.00 USD.
The Cabbage Patch Dolls were not only an instant hit during the 1980’s but could also be described as a ‘fad’ within this decade. Every second little girl was asking Santa Claus for one in 1983, even so much so that the shopping centers who sold these were crowded with moms trying to get their hands on one in time for Christmas before they sold out.
Determining the Age of Your Cabbage Patch Kid
Unlike some of the other big brand toys produced during the 80s and the 90s, Cabbage Patch Kids were often well marked with their year of manufacture.
Xavier Robert’s, the founder of the dolls and a craftsman himself, in the early years of the company would use a different color to sign his name. For example, during 1983 a true Cabbage Patch Kid or Little People will have a black signature, green was used in 1984, blue was used in 1985, red was used in 1986, aqua was used in 1987, lavender was used in 1988 and rose was used in 1989. If you have one of the earlier produced dolls, or you are looking to purchase one as a vintage collectible, ensure that the signature color matches up with the proposed manufacture date.
When the Coleco company sold the Cabbage Patch Dolls, the boxes were often marked with the year of manufacture. While the style of the boxes changed over the years, the date was often front and foremost. The Coleco 1983 boxes do not sport a banner while those produced in the years following do.
The original Cabbage Patch Kids stood between 16 and 18 inches tall while the Preemies measured between 14 and 15 inches. The Coleco produced a number of specialty lines of the dolls during their peak time and it is these limited edition style CPK’s that often fetch the highest prices at auction. During 1985, Coleco produced special edition kids such as twins, world travelers, and western kids and later in 1986 specialty kids such as the astronauts and all-stars were released. Following this, in 1987, Coleco released a Cabbage Patch Kid designed to be able to be bathed and another kid that could talk.
What Makes a Cabbage Patch Kid Valuable?
Some of the dolls are more sought after including those with red fuzzy hair known as ‘Red Fuzzies’ and those dolls without any hair known as ‘Baldies’. While many of the Cabbage Patch Dolls can see their owner making back their money or making a small amount of money, those handcrafted by Xavier himself prior to 1982 see the biggest return.
- Birth Certificate – Dolls with original birth certificates can be worth upwards of $40.00 USD more than those without.
- Original Boxes – While the ‘Little People’ collection did not come with boxes, those produced under the ‘Cabbage Patch Kid’ brand did.
The condition of the doll, the rarity, the skin and hair color, whether or not the original accessories are included as well as the birth certificate and box all determine how much someone may be willing to pay come auction.
Valuable Cabbage Patch Kids from Your Childhood
For most of the Cabbage Patch Kids, no two are the exact same. Whether they have different eye colors or hair colors, it was their uniqueness along with their adaptability that made the world fall in love with them time and time again. While in more recent years, you can find identical Cabbage Patch Dolls, in their earlier years, especially when they were handcrafted by Xavier himself, the dolls were each their own little people. This means that each doll does not have a set collectible value and the price of each really depends on supply and demand. There are a number of things that can make one doll more valuable than another and we mention those in the section above.
Cabbage Patch Kids that are deemed as ‘vintage’ being produced prior to 1990, are far more valuable than those produced in more recent years.
Little People Dolls that are Worth a Small Fortune
Barry Fritz
Adam Gregory
Cabbage Patch Dolls that are Worth a Small Fortune
Teresa Ann
James Dudley
Ann Greta
Cabbage Patch Anniversary Dolls
10th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid (Zora Mae)
15th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid (Number of Dolls and Names)
Cabbage Patch Play Along 2004 Toy
20th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid (Number of Different Versions)
25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid (Many Different Styles)
30th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid (Number of Designs)
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PLAY ALONG IS EXPECTING!
This Summer, THE 80's Collectible Phenomenon Will Be Born to a New Generation!
Cabbage Patch Play Along 2004 Toy
Deerfield Beach, FL (January 27, 2004) – Going back to a simpler time where we 'kids could still be kids' Play Along has entered into a licensing agreement with Original Appalachian Artworks,™ Inc. represented by 4Kids Entertainment, to introduce the world-famous Cabbage Patch Kids™® - for a whole new generation! The 'Kids' will be 'up for adoption' at all major retailers in the U.S. and Canada beginning Summer 2004.
'In today's world where children are asked to grow up way too fast, where a rattle has given way to a computer mouse, and electronic pets and bratty dolls are all the rage, what could be better than to give children their chance to really experience and enjoy childhood for as long as they can?' asked Jay Foreman, CEO Play Along. 'The basic essence of what the Cabbage Patch Kids captured twenty years ago is now more relevant than ever, as adopting and caring for a Kid of their very own is so basic, yet fresh in a world where extreme video games have become the norm.'
Play Along plans to stay true to the legacy and universal themes the Cabbage Patch Kids captured when they first entered the market in the early 80's. Truly believing that being unique and 'one of a kind' is what makes each and every Kid so special, Play Along plans to capture the heart and soul of this amazing brand and share it with anyone who adopts a Cabbage Patch Kid who will fill their hearts with love.
The phenomenon began in 1983, when designer Xavier Roberts introduced the world to Cabbage Patch Kids. From the beginning, Roberts captured attention by making each character an individual with its own personality, so every Kid was truly one of a kind and unique. All the Kids were up for adoption and needed good, nurturing homes to call their very own. In their first six months, more than two million Cabbage Patch Kids were sold. By 1999, more than 95 million Cabbage Patch Kids were sold!
And, Keep in touch with Play Along! We are carefully monitoring the progress of the Mother Cabbage, who will give birth to her all new Cabbage Patch Kids this summer. In the meantime, her sonogram is looking great and the experts at Play Along will continue to closely watch her until the big day arrives!
About Play Along
Play Along, an award-winning toy company and one of the fastest growing in the toy industry, made its debut in 1999 with the Britney Spears doll line that went on to break all records for sales of an individual personality doll. Since then, the company has moved towards the top of the licensed toy industry, producing a string of popular toy lines including one of the hottest in the world right now, the Care Bears. Play Along's diversified brand portfolio also includes THE DOG, Curly Qs, Teletubbies, The Lord of the Rings and new for the Summer of 2004 – the Cabbage Patch Kids! For more information visit the company's web site at http://www.playalongtoys.com
About Original Appalachian Artworks
Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. (OAA), founded in 1978 by Cabbage Patch Kids creator Xavier Roberts, is a privately held corporation located in Cleveland, Georgia. Headquarters to the world famous Cabbage Patch Kids brand and home to BabyLand General Hospital, one of Georgia's top tourist attractions, OAA also manages a wide range of other projects while continuing to deliver hand-stitched one-of-a-kind, soft-sculpture Cabbage Patch Kids. http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com
About 4Kids Entertainment
Headquartered in New York City with international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. 4Kids, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, provides domestic and international merchandise licensing; television, film, music and home video production and distribution; media planning and buying; product development; and Web site development. For further information, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.4KidsEntertainment.com. Check mk enterprise edition download.
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