Remember When Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls were Hot Items for Christmas?
83REMEMBER WHEN...?
Were you around to remember when the Cabbage Patch Kids were the hottest items around at Christmas-time?
Every kid...especially girls wanted one or more for Christmas in the early 1980's!
For quite some time these were the most sought after gift for birthdays, Christmas and any other suitable gift giving occasion.
There was an absolute frenzy in the stores when new arrivals would be placed on the shelves.
Tug of war fights even broke out among frazzled parents trying to get just that right Cabbage Patch Kid doll for their little one that year.
Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls
Cabbage Patch Kids
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CABBAGE PATCH COLLECTORS
My niece and almost every one of her friends back in the 1980's became Cabbage Patch collectors of those hot items and one did not suffice. Oh no!
Each one of my niece's little friends would bring armfuls of the custom dolls to each other's houses and play with them.
How many did you get for Christmas this year?
Notes between the children would be compared and every parent, aunt and uncle, grandparent or other person giving gifts knew without a doubt what was on top of the desired wish list in those days.
Fortunately as the years passed, fights would no longer break out in retail stores as the supply of Cabbage Patch Kids increased.
The originators of the Cabbage Patch Kids were not only creative but had sheer marketing genius!
Originally called "Little People" the dolls were made of cloth and had distinctive puckered faces that were sold in craft shows.
Roger Schlaifer and his wife, Susanne got the world wide distributing rights to the dolls and renamed them Cabbage Patch Kids.
A story was attached to each doll.
Each one was supposedly "rescued" from a cabbage patch (the story was a bit more involved and can be read in the wikipedia link above for those that are interested) and good homes had to be acquired for them just as if they were being truly adopted.
Cabbage Patch Kids: First Christmas...
Collection of Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids "TV Commercial"
COLLECTIBLE DOLLS
A birth certificate accompanied each Cabbage Patch Kid and production was generated in larger volume from "Babyland General Hospital" in Cleveland, Georgia to accompany the ever increasing demand.
Great marketing strategy!
While there have been different manufacturers and ownership of the Cabbage Patch Kids throughout the years including entities like Coleco, Hasbro and Mattel, the ingenious marketing continued and evolved.
CABBAGE PATCH KIDS ACCESSORIES
Not only did my niece and other little girls want the Cabbage Patch Kids, but just like any other dolls they also wanted to be able to change their clothes and thus a large line of Cabbage Patch Kids accessories was born.
Boy Cabbage Patch Kids were created along with girl dolls and baby dolls.
My niece even had a Cabbage Patch horse that had been given to her by her Daddy as a gift.
1990 Cabbage Patch Kids Commercial
Collectible Cabbage Patch Kids
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CABBAGE PATCH KIDS
In 1983 prior to Christmas, these handcrafted dolls called Cabbage Patch Kids made the front cover of Newsweek Magazine!
The rush was on to get these specially made dolls for everyone's Christmas list that year!
Amazingly in all this time since those early days the toy makers have continuously been making Cabbage Patch Kids although in different mediums and sizes. I did not know when I started this hub if they were still popular with youngsters today.
From those first cloth dolls to some being made of plastic and even some porcelain ones, these Cabbage Patch Kids continue to entice children into wanting them.
Older collectors who might or might not have had them when they were children also collect them for the value that grows over time.
The fact that the 1992 U.S. Olympic team had the Cabbage Patch Kids as their official mascot did not hurt their popularity!
Nor did the fact of a U.S. commemorative stamp being issued in 1999 hurt publicity.
It helped keep Cabbage Patch Kids in people's minds and hearts.
Cabbage Patch Kids "Carvel Celebration"
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25th Anniversary Celebration of the Cabbage Patch Kids
Are Cabbage Patch Kids on your Christmas list this year?
These little darlings have provided one of the longest running successful doll franchises in American history.
While they might not have quite the hype that they did in the heyday of the 1980's when adults literally pushed and shoved their way into stores to acquire the latest and most sought after Cabbage Patch Kid, ones you purchase today just might become a hot item for collectors of the future. Who would have thought that this craze would have lasted this long?
Remember when Cabbage Patch Kids were hot items for Christmas? They may now be just warm instead of red hot, but they are still around and desired by your little ones! Make your life easy...avoid the crowds...and shop online. You might find things here that you cannot even locate in your local stores.
Cabbage Patch Kids collection video
Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid when you were young?
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Other Christmas or holiday related hubs by Peggy W...
- Funny Dog Story about How NOT to decorate a Christmas Tree!
- Types of Christmas Garlands for the Christmas Tree and Elsewhere
- Cheese Gift Baskets ~ Buy Cheese Online for the Holidays or Anytime
- Snowmen Ornaments ~ Christmas Tree Decorations ~ Frosty the Snowman
- Lapland Holidays in North Pole or Sunny Spain for Santa Claus?
- Collectible Nutcrackers for your Christmas Displays and the Nutcracker Ballet
- Reindeer Ornaments and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- Buy Christmas Ornaments Online for Different Breed Dog Lovers
- Icicles and Snowflake Ornaments ~ I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
- Themed Christmas Tree Decorations for NBA Basketball Lovers
- Upside Down Turkey ~ Easy Recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Anytime
- Sterling Silver Christmas Ornaments ~ Unique Crystal Christmas Ornaments ~ Best Gifts Online Shoppin
- Buy Christmas Ornaments Online for Cat Lovers
- Easy Good Recipe - Christmas Cookies from our neighbor Mrs. Tanner
- How to - Holiday Stress Reduction
Song tells the story of the Cabbage Patch Kids
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Hey girls I have a red yarn headed cabbage patch doll still in the box, but the birth certificate is gone, but she has a pacifier in her mouth and a white dress with lil flowers on it. Can someone tell me how much she's worth & how old she really is?
Hi alocsin,
That must have been something to see...a grown woman fussing over a Cabbage Patch Kids doll as though it were real. Probably a bit strange to witness first-hand. Thanks for your comment.
I certainly remember the hubbub these caused back in the day. I don't think it was just kids either. I saw a fully grown women take hers out in a stroller on a mall one day, and lifting it and fussing over it like it was a baby. Voting this Up and Interesting.
Hi KoffeeKlatch Gals,
That was the marketing ploy back then...to have all the little girls wanting their "family" of Cabbage Patch kids dolls. It worked in many cases! Did they keep any of them? Many are now quite collectible and are still being sold. Thanks for your comment and votes.
Peggy, you have brought back some great memories. IAll three of my girls wanted the cabbage Patch Kids. When they first came out I went crazy trying to get each one a doll of their own. I can remember going into New York and paying *0 something dollars for a bald one. It was all woth it. My girls spent hours playing with them. Of course, one was not enough. They all had to have their own little family. Up, interesting and awesome.
Hi DzyMsLizzy,
Sounds like you had a house full of the Cabbage Patch dolls for a while there...and even sewed for them! I'll bet that the clothes were a hit in the craft fairs! Thanks for sharing what they meant to you...and still do to the one daughter of yours that has kept them over the years.
Hello ThePracticalMommy,
Nice to know that you got your share of the Cabbage Patch dolls when they were such hot items and that you are now able to pass them on to your daughter and even get a new one for her. Thanks for your comment and for sharing this with others.
Hi barbergirl28,
So glad that this hub about the Cabbage Patch kids brought back so many memories for you. Thanks for your comment and sharing of this hub with others.
My daughters collected these when they were in high school, well past the "playing with dolls" stage of life. If I tried to tease them by "playing" with a doll, I would get scolded, "Those are not toys! They are collector's items!"
I had told them at the time that their "cabbage collection" (they had 14 dolls between them) were enough grandchildren for me. --They of course did not listen, and both married and had kids of their own. LOL
The eldest recently got tired of them, and sold them. The younger daughter still has hers.
I had a single doll that I used as a model for the "cabbage" doll clothes I made to sell at craft fairs for a while. She wore a prominent sign around her neck stating that she was not for sale. She is now in the permanent custody of daughter #2. ;-)
Great hub! My husband's uncle was one of those people who fought his way through the crowds to get a few of the Cabbage Patch dolls during the crazy years and ended up on the front cover of a newspaper for it! I had quite a few of them, being a child of the 80s. I still remember my first one. He was a preemie named Hugo Ryan and was dressed in a little sailor outfit. He's the only one I don't still have from my collection.
Now that I have a daughter, I brought out all of my dolls to share with her, plus I gave her one of her own for her birthday. The dolls aren't what they used to be, but they bring back so many good memories nonetheless. :)
Voted up and sharing!
I remember Cabbage Patch Kids... they were my favorite. Sadly, I didn't have too many because I also remember how expensive they were. I think if I look through my old toys that have been passed down to my kids, I could probably find one of my old ones. I have also purchased new ones for my kids. Ultimately, I think these are the ultimate gift. After all, these dolls are not only fun, but they are durable and built to last. With the added story each doll has, these are unique and definately a treasure. I always try to find one that has a birthday that matches whoever I am getting them for! Thanks for sharing and bringing back and explosion of memories! :)
Hi Brett,
The Cabbage Patch dolls were certainly a craze and people apparently still collect them today. My niece donated hers to a charity when she "outgrew" them. Bet she wishes she had hung onto them looking at some of the prices they are getting today! Thanks for your comment and your sharing of this hub. :))
Yes, I remember these from when I was at school, it was a mass craze!! Thanks for the 'blast from the past'.
SOCIALLY SHARING and voting up.
Hello birdwing2,
I would start by checking Amazon and Ebay prices to see what the Cabbage Patch Kids pricing is like. Depending upon where you live, there might be some doll collectors in your area or auction houses that also purchase items outright. At least these places are a starting point. If other people reading this hub have suggestions, please feel free to leave other suggestions. Thanks!
I have some from wayyyyyy long ago the orginal ones with birth certificates, in boxes and with clothes. Perfect condition How do i find out what they are worth. I even have the set of twins.
Hi jonnycuddleberry,
Thanks for mentioning the fact that the cabbage patch kids were the mascot for the 1992 olympic team. Corrected that typo! As to them still being popular, I was amazed at some of the prices they continue to get on sites like Amazon. There are still collectors out there! Beanie babies fortunately cost less for the parents and grandparents and other gift givers making their children happy. Thanks for your comment. :))
Hi Peggy, I think that the cabbage patch kids were the official mascot of the 1992 olympic team, not the 1982 olympic team. I am not sure if the cabbage patch kids are still as big a sensation today as they were back in the 1980s. When I was younger, in the 1990's beanie babies were all the craze!
Hi Sheree,
For sure the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were popular! Nice to hear from you and know that you profited from that craze in the 80's. Also nice to know that the company is a good one from your perspective as a worker. Thanks for your comment.
I worked for Coleco Toys/ Hasbro toys in New York State during the early 80's. I spent months on the assembly lines in the Gloversville & Amsterdam plants packaging those dolls, I remember putting in a lot of overtime trying to keep up with the demand there was for them. It was a Great company to work for & a very popular doll!
Hello LadyLyell,
I take it that you have some Cabbage Patch memories of your own. Nice that this hub could ressurect them for you. :) Thanks for your comment.
Hello shea duane,
I was also too old but my niece was at the right age when the Cabbage Patch kids dolls first came out. Many parents went crazy trying to find the right ones for their children standing in long lines at certain stores and scrambling when the doors opened to grab them off of the shelves. I remember seeing newscasts showing that. Crazy! Maybe you should write a hub about your favorite doll? Thanks for your comment.
Hi moonlake,
Who knows? By now your Cabbage Patch Kids Doll may be more valuable than you think! Depends upon how hard you played with it and it's condition. Thanks for your comment.
Hi leahlefler,
Wow! Your mom got a bargain because of the mismarked pricing on that Cabbage Patch doll. I was surprised to know that they are still popular even now with some of them getting much higher prices than the originals. Think collector values! Thanks for your memories of your Cabbage Patch kids and your comment.
Well you have certainly brought back some memories!
I was too old for the cabbage patch kids, but i loved my baby tender love! great hub.
I remember them, I think I still have one packed away that I bought for myself.
I had two cabbage patch kids - I had named them Jonathan and Laura, lol! I absolutely loved them as a child - of course, they were the "hot toy" of the 1980's. My sister had a cabbage patch preemie doll, and then there were the "cornsilk kids" that came out later - she had one of those, too. I remember that they were expensive dolls - my mom got my second one when it was accidentally marked down to $8 - the store corrected that error as soon as my mom was through checking out, lol!
Hi bea,
Nice that you have your memories of the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and still have most of them. Perhaps you will pass them on someday to some special little girl who will enjoy them as much as you have? Thanks for your comment.
I remember coming home from school one day and my mother a big surprise for me. She bought me a cabbage patch kid. I was really surprised she did that, she had my aunt to another part of the state, and my mother given her the money to buy one. It was a great day when she bought me one, I didn't even recall asking for one. As I got a little older, my mother found cabbage patch figures that were a few inches tall, I loved them, and had a bunch of them, they've been played with, I still have most of them.
Hi Cheryl,
I had no idea that Cabbage Patch Kids were still popular today when I started writing this hub. I just remembered how they were such hot items for Christmas back in the 1980's. Amazing how this popularity has lasted!
Thanks for sharing the excitement and the true story of owning a Cabbage Patch Doll. Their popularity has been around for a long time.
Hi Hello, hello,
Cabbage Patch Kids were cute once one got used to them as a kind of homespun look. Thanks for the visit and comment.
They were really cute. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Granny's House,
People go bonkers over the wierdest things! Breaking car windows to steal a Cabbage Patch Kid. Crazy! Apparently people are still purchasing them but that type of frenzy has died down, thank heavens. Did your daughter's hang onto theirs through the years or was it a passing fancy with them?
I remember when people were selling them on the black market and would brake car windows to steal one out of a car.
All my daughters had one
Hello pakpub,
Your niece's Cabbage Patch doll might be worth some money if it has been kept in reasonably good shape. Looking at the prices for some of these older Cabbage Patch Kids...it would seem so. This certainly takes some of us back to memories of those days! And for today's youngsters, they can develop their own memories of Cabbage Patch Kids since they are still being sold. Thanks for the comment.
I remember that year. I think it was 1982. I was able to buy my niece one for Christmas. She loved and it still has the Cabbage Patch Doll. Nice hub!
Hi SteveoMc,
Yes...that would have been the perfect position to be in...that of profiting from the Cabbage Patch Kids sales whether for Christmas or any other occasion. Fighting over a toy! Crazy! Glad that I was not a clerk in a store trying to keep peace back then!
I thought they were the worst thing yet. And there were a few riots with people fighting over the stupid things. At the time, I wished I was selling them though. It was quite a marketing achievement.
Hi Ethel,
Haha! I just had to laugh. When I first saw those Cabbage Patch Kids I also thought that they were a bit peculiar looking with those pushed in faces. Just proves that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." :-)
Hi Micky,
Cabbage Patch Kids did apply to a certain "taste" however. Ha!
Hi dahoglund,
I couldn't agree with you more. I don't think that people should fight over the acquisition of any toy be they Cabbage Patch Kids or anything else for that matter. Distorted values...yes! I'm just amazed that they are still around after this many years!
Yes I remember these peculiar looking dolls. Not as a child though :)
Cabbage patch dolls never did taste good though!
I remember all the frenzy. It is fads like that that I find rather disturbing. The dolls might be great and the idea great but when people start fighting over them, I think values are distroeted.
Hello Happyboomernurse,
I did not realize that they were still being sold either until I started doing some research. Would you believe that prior to the last Presidential election in the U.S. that Cabbage Patch Kids were made in the likeness of all of the candidates? There are Barack Obama, Joseph Biden, John McCain and Sarah Palin Cabbage Patch dolls out there! Obviously somebody keeps purchasing them to have made them this popular for so many years!
Hi Peggy. My son had one when he was five and so did his girl and boy friends.
I think my son's doll was dressed like an astronaut. Didn't realize these dolls were still around.
It was fun reading this hub. You did a great job on it.
Peggy W Hub Author 5 weeks ago
Hi christymichelle,
You might try checking sites like Ebay and Amazon which routinely sell the vintage Cabbage Patch Kids to find out how much your doll is worth. Good luck in finding your exact one.