**This page is always a work in progress : )  


​A question for Collectors:

Q:  Is there a method to the madness?

A:  No method, just madness!
​
**There are many types of Cabbage Patch Kids.  I have only focused my collection on vintage mass market Cabbage Patch Kids from the early 80s, so I will only share info about CPK from that time period. There are many places to find info, and I don't want to just copy from other sites, so the info on this page is only what I know. Please visit the helpful links on the links page if what you are looking for is not here.

How to Identify Cabbage Patch Kids - 
  Basics to look for when adopting. 
After collecting for 10 years I can tell what factory a kid is from without looking at the tags. It is important to be able to identify CPK by sight, many times I have seen CPK switched and do not match the box they are in. If possible, always ask questions about the tag, signature, and head stamp info if pictures are not included. 

Signatures

Xavier Roberts signature is on the bum of each authentic Cabbage Patch Kid.  Some have dates, others do not. If there is no date the year can be identified by color. Some kids are hand signed by Xavier, mostly Softies, but some MM kids were signed at collector events!
  • 1983 - Black 
  • 1984 - Green (Preemies and Foreign kids had Black siggies this year)
  • 1985 - Blue 
  • 1986 - Red 
  • 1987 - Aqua
  • 1988 - Lavender
  • 1989 - Rose

Body Tags

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The side body tag will let you know what factory and country of origin your Kid is from. Look for the factory code which is 1, 2 or 3 letters, sometimes accompanied by a number. The Coleco factory codes are OK, KT, IC, UT, P, PMI, SS, and WS. 


*The very first Coleco Kids had embroidered tags, they are very rare!

Coleco Boxes

  • ​1983 Coleco boxes have no date banner on them. 
  • 1984 Coleco boxes have a banner. 
  • 1985 Coleco boxes have a 1985 date banner.
  • 1986 Coleco Boxes have a banner that says "The Official" instead of a date.
  • 1987 and 1988 the box colors changed and the Banner stays "The Official" like in 1986.

Coleco Editions 1983-1989

  • Cabbage Patch Kids were introduced in 1983.  'Kids were 16-18 inches tall depending on the factory.  The were bald or had a full head of hair.
  • Cabbage Patch Preemies, 1984-1985.  Preemies were 14-15 inches tall.  They were bald or had tufts of hair.  Coleco A/A Preemies had brown tufts and Caucasian Preemies had tan or yellow tufts. 
  • Couture Kids appeared in Canada wearing fur coats and hats in 1984. 
  • Specialty lines introduced in 1985: Twins, World Travelers, Western Kids to go with Show Ponies.  Special Editions were full size kids.  
  • Koosas also came out in 1985.
  • Cabbage Patch Babies (Bean Butt Babies) were introduced in 1986.  They were 12-13 inches tall.  Coleco Babies were bald.  
  • Special Editions of full size kids in 1986:  Astronauts, All Stars, Circus Kids, and Cornsilk Kids
  • Preemies re-introduced in 1987.  The new Preemie was 13 inches tall.
  • Splashin' Kids, kids that were meant to be played with in the water and Talking Kids came to market in 1987.
  • In 1988 13 inch Toddlers (The Kid in the Middle) and Growing Hair Kids were introduced.
  • 1989 was the Coleco/Hasbro Transitional year.  You find a lot of Coleco heads on Hasbro bodies.  A lot of the Designer Line Kids are marked Coleco, including the boxes.

Coleco Factory Characteristics ~ The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

After collecting for awhile, you may prefer certain factory kids, I love Jesmar and Tsukuda kids.  When it comes to Coleco kids I like OK factory kids the most as they are generally not prone to any "skin conditions."  

  • P and PMI factory kids are taller and have skinny hands and feet, the eyes are smaller looking, but have nice rich eye paint and good blushing.  Their heads tend to turn orange and get sticky and they are prone to "Pox."  Pox is the worst cabbie sickness, The P factory kids get dark spots, and the PMI kids get pinpoint dots surrounded by a light spot we call reverse pox.  The darkening and pox can get so bad that it can darken the entire head and make it look like an A/A kid head on a Caucasian kid body.  People will sometimes label them as factory mistakes.  Pox is a mold or fungus that grows in the plastic and is activated by extreme climates...Keep those P and PMI kids cool and dry!
  • IC and UT factory kids have small, firm bodies, beautiful porcelain like complexions, big eyes, and good blushing.  But for some reason they get what collectors call sea-sickness.  The beautiful porcelain color can shift to a yellowish/green color.  They are still beautiful with slight sea-sickness, just don't display them next to a tan Jesmar for example, it will exaggerate their sick look.
  • KT factory kids are tiny, small well formed hands and smaller eyes sometimes.  The heads almost resemble Preemies with hair.  On the #4 KTs they have one arched eyebrow, it is so cute!
  • OK kids are big and firm with big hands and chubby feet and legs.  They are very hug-able.  They have big eyes and smooth complexions. 
  • Bean Butt Babies were from the WS and SS factory and are prone to pox as well.  

Foreign Factory Information

Coleco kids were mainly sold in the United States and Canada, so the Cabbage Patch Kids sold in other countries are considered foreign to US collectors. They are a bit harder to find and very sought after by US collectors. There were four main foreign factories.  Remember finding a CPK from a foreign factory does not guarantee rarity or high value. The value of these kids depends on condition and originality. You should get to know foreign CPK qualities, and be able to identify them by sight if you like them.  I have seen A LOT of common Colecos in foreign boxes, so you cannot always rely on what is on the box.       
  • Jesmar, a factory in Spain produced CPK in 1984 and 1985. They did not have strict combos, clothing fabric patterns, and gender assignments. Jesmar only made CPK with head molds 1-4 and only Caucasian kids. Most of the Jesmars had freckles, but some do not and they were generally taller than Colecos. 
Jesmar kids were distributed to many different countries so the boxes and papers were in several different languages.
  • Spain - Cabbage Patch Kids was in English, but all of the writing on the box and the adoption papers were in Spanish.
  • England, distributed by Ideal - Cabbage Patch Kids
  • France, distributed by Ideal - Les Patoufs (translates to The Kids)  *Not to be confused with French Canadian Coleco kids which have P'tits Bouts de Choux on the box.
  • Germany, distributed by Arxon - Kuschel Kinder (means Cuddly Kids)
  • Italy - I Bamboli del Campo Incantato (means Field of Enchanted Dolls)
  • Sweeden - Kal Ungarna (translates to Cabbage Kids)
  • Finland - Kaalitarhan Tenavat (means Cabbage Nursery Peanuts)
  • Denmark - Kålhoved børnene (translates to Cabbage Children)
  • Tsukuda, a factory in Japan. The Tsukuda kids have beautiful complexions and butterfly patterns in the eye paint. They had uncommon hair and eye combos. They produced head molds 1-4 and A/A and Caucasian kids. The boxes have Japanese writing on them. The papers have only one name written in English and Japanese.    
  •  Lili Ledy was in mexico. These are the rarest foreign CPK. They produced Caucasian kids only with head molds 1-4. The information on the box is in Spanish.  
  • Triang Pedigree was a factory in South Africa. These kids are very hard to find in good condition. The eye paint on them never set completely, so the eyes would stay sticky. If they get dust on them, the eyes become cloudy. Triang only produced Caucasian kids with head molds 1-4.  

Replica Clothing



There are some amazing seamstresses that make clothing replicas and collectors that will pay high prices for them. A good replica is certainly worth the cost because a lot of work is put in to them just like re-roots and custom kids. Be aware, like custom kids, replicas may be sold as a rarity.
*Replica outfit and photo by Autumn's Creations - used with permission.
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Modification and Customization

Doll and toy collectors know that anything can be modified or customized. Modifying a CPK can be as simple as redressing them. Re-rooting the hair or painting the eyes or face is a bit more complicated and a lot of work, there are some beautiful custom kids out there! Just be aware, there are people that will modify a CPK and claim that it is a rarity.  

Cabbage Patch Kids for Every Generation

I only collect Mass Market CPK from 1983-1986 with a couple modern kids here and there, but there are so many types of Cabbage Patch Kids and Babies.  A brief history or timeline may be helpful here :)

Cabbage Patch Kids were created by American art student Xavier Roberts in 1978.  They were originally called "Little People".  The originals were all cloth and sold at local craft shows, then later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, GA.  They are now Called Handstitched Originals or Softies by collectors.  Softies are still made presently and sold at Babyland General or online at cabbagepatchkids.com  

*New in 2014, Softies will now be called Little People again! 

In 1982 Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. signed a long term licensing agreement allowing a major toy manufacturer to produce a Toy replica of Xavier’s hand made soft sculpture Originals.  These Toy versions are recognizable by their smaller size and vinyl heads.  "Little People" was changed to the "Cabbage Patch Kids"
  • In 1983 Coleco released mass market Cabbage Patch Kids, they made Kids, Preemies, Babies and Toddlers in many different Editions from 1983-1989. During this time the foreign market factories produced CPK from 1984-1985.
  • From 1989-1994 Hasbro took over producing Cabbage Patch Kids (there are Coleco/Hasbro transitionals made by Hasbro using left over parts from Coleco)
  • Mattel produced CPK from 1995
  • Toys R Us made CPK in 2001 (Called TRU Kids by collectors)
  • Play Along CPK were made in 2003 (Called PA Kids and Babies by collectors) 
  • Babyland Exclusive Kids and Babies (similar to TRU CPK) were introduced in 2009, sold at Babyland and cabbagepatchkids.com only
  • Jakks Pacific started producing CPK in 2011
  • In 2015 Wicked Cool Toys began making the mass market kids.