10 Bizarre Facts About Cabbage Patch Kids

Cabbage Patch Kids, the beloved and quirky dolls that became a cultural sensation in the ’80s, are far more than just cuddly toys. Behind their round faces and soft bodies lies a world of bizarre facts that are sure to surprise even the most dedicated fans. From the dolls’ unusual origins to their unexpected impact on pop culture, there’s more to these iconic figures than meets the eye.

Here are 10 strange and fascinating facts about Cabbage Patch Kids that might just change the way you look at these childhood treasures.

Related: 10 Toys Proving Your Grandparents Were from a Tougher Generation

10 They Eat Hair

Chewing on your own hair is a bad habit, but having your doll eat your hair is a decidedly bigger issue. And, unfortunately, one that some children had to deal with in 1997.

The Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids were intended to eat company-provided snacks, such as carrots, cookies, and French fries. If a child inserted these objects into the doll’s mouth, the battery-powered motor would move, sliding the “food” into the doll. The problem was that the motor didn’t work in reverse and couldn’t be turned off. Little girls with long hair started getting their tresses caught in the dolls’ mouths, leading to reports of Cabbage Patch Kids “eating” hair.

This led to papers calling it “the doll from Hell” and comparisons between the Snacktime Doll and Chucky, the murdering toy from Child’s Play. Despite the fact that there were only 35 total reports of this, the Snacktime Doll was discontinued the same year.^[1]

9 They Look Like Nuclear War Survivors

Cabbage Patch Kids had their heyday in the 1980s and 1990s when those chubby little babies could be found in nearly every department and toy store. This time in history was filled with anxiety around the Cold War and the impending possibility of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The nontraditional look of the Cabbage Patch dolls combined with the prevalence of nuclear war led to rumors that the dolls were actually created by the government to emulate what survivors of a nuclear holocaust might look like. The idea was that President Ronald Reagan had commissioned them as a way to get Americans used to the odd look post-nuclear war babies would have.

While there’s no evidence to support this urban legend, the large heads and uneven facial expressions are indeed reminiscent of radiation poisoning symptoms.^[2]

8 They Were the First Official Mascot of the U.S. Olympic Team

The 1992 Olympics brought some of the world’s greatest athletes to Barcelona, Spain. Among these champion runners, swimmers, and gymnasts were a few unusual additions—namely, some Cabbage Patch Dolls.

The 1992 U.S. Olympic team adopted a few Cabbage Patch Kids as their official mascots for the Summer Games. Almost 3,000 dolls, dressed in jogging suits and jackets, were taken with the team to Spain and given to children in honor of the Olympics’ theme “Friends for Life.”

Nothing like this had ever been done before, but the deputy secretary general of the U.S. Olympic Committee noted that the year’s theme and motto seemed “a natural fit for communicating with youngsters at the site of the Games.”^[3]

7 The Idea Was Stolen

Xavier Roberts is known as the creator of the famous Cabbage Patch Dolls. While that’s technically true, you may be surprised to learn that the idea was not his alone.

At 21 years old, Roberts was inspired by Kentucky artist Martha Nelson Thomas. Her soft sculptures of baby dolls each came with their own adoption papers and a birth certificate. Roberts asked Thomas if he could sell her dolls in Georgia, and she agreed. By 1978, Thomas stopped selling Roberts the dolls, so Roberts created his own.

Though he changed the look of the dolls, Thomas sued Roberts in 1979. By 1984, Cabbage Patch Kids were the most popular children’s toy in America, and Thomas sought damages for her stolen idea. They settled out of court that same year, but Thomas’s contribution to this famous toy has often been forgotten.^[4]

6 Seven Companies Have Owned the Brand

In the 1980s, most major doll companies rejected the Cabbage Patch Kids, citing that they were “too ugly” to sell to the mass market. Despite this, Coleco took on the odd dolls. Coleco filed for bankruptcy in 1988, and the rights were acquired by toy maker conglomerate Hasbro. It was during the years at Hasbro that the dolls began being marketed toward younger children.

In 1994, Mattel (manufacturer of Barbie) took over production. By 2001, Mattel’s sales were not looking promising. Cabbage Patch Dolls then debuted at the Times Square Toys “R” Us, where the rights stayed for three years. Then Play Along Toys took over, partnering with ice cream brand Carvel to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dolls. In 2011, JAKKS Pacific acquired Play Along Toys and the license for Cabbage Patch Kids. As of 2015, Wicked Cool Toys is the master manufacturer.

That makes seven companies in the doll’s short history that have sold Cabbage Patch Kids.^[5]

5 They’re in the Toy Hall of Fame

After 40 years of delighting children around the world, in 2023, Cabbage Patch Kids were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York. The inductees are nominated based on three main criteria: recognizability, play value, and number of people who have grown up playing with the toys.

Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator, said in a statement that “Cabbage Patch Kids continue to encourage imagination and storytelling for kids.” Battleship, bingo, Bop It, Choose Your Own Adventure books, Connect 4, the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, slime, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were all forced into runner-up positions thanks to the addition of the Cabbage Patch Kids, which can now be seen on display at the Strong National Museum of Play.^[6]

4 They’re Adopted, Not Purchased

If the Toy Story trilogy taught us anything, it’s that children eventually grow up and no longer need their toys. It’s a natural part of adolescence to gradually lose our emotional connections with baby dolls and action figures.

But Xavier Roberts didn’t want to accept that. When he created Cabbage Patch Dolls, he marketed them with an adoption theme. Rather than “buying” dolls, children were “adopting” them from the factory. Every doll had a unique name and came with adoption papers that could be filled out to foster a greater sense of personal connection and love between the child and the toy.^[7]

3 They Have a Signature Smell

If you’ve ever played with a Cabbage Patch Doll, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed the smell they have. Generally, it’s described as similar to baby powder, and the sweet scent comes from materials used during manufacturing.

It was added to give them more of a “real” baby feel and has remained with the dolls as a way to elicit a response of nostalgia in adults and make the doll more realistic for kids. While some find the smell overwhelming, it is also sold in candles and perfumes, proving that this marketing gimmick has been effective. It also made it easy to spot an off-brand toy being sold under the Cabbage Patch Kids name, as bogus dolls reportedly often lacked the distinct smell.^[8]

2 They Caused Riots

In 1983, Cabbage Patch Kids were the must-have gift for Christmas. Most stores in America were woefully underprepared for the intense demand for these unusual-looking toys, leading to what is now known as the “Cabbage Patch Riots.”

Large stores like Sears, JCPenney, and Macy’s reported thousands of customers rushing to the store in a panic to try and buy the toy, with not nearly enough of them to go around. This led to violence between parents, which included hitting, shoving, and trampling—one store manager reported fearing for his life and defending himself with a baseball bat. Police began to be stationed in stores around the country to maintain order, with varying effects.

Though there have been more holiday toy crazes since 1983, such as Tickle Me Elmo in 1996, the Cabbage Patch Doll riots are the most infamous.^[9]

1 You Can Watch Them Be Born at BabyLand General

Thanks to Cabbage Patch Kids, parents can now teach their children about the miracle of birth in the weirdest way possible.

BabyLand General in Cleveland, Georgia, is the only place in the world where you can “witness the birth of a hand-sculpted Cabbage Patch Kid.” If you think that’s just a weird way of saying that you can watch the plastic dolls be created, you’re wrong—BabyLand General exhibits an extensive performance of “Mother Cabbage,” the mom of all Cabbage Patch Kids.

Mother Cabbage is flanked by hundreds of baby heads sprouting from cabbages. A few times a day, the hospital goes into “code green” mode when an intercom announces that cabbage dilation is now nine leaves apart, and Mother Cabbage is assisted by nurses while she gives birth. What happens to the baby after that?

It’s available for purchase, of course! Or, as they like to say at BabyLand General, you can “adopt” the new child for the low, low price of almost $300.^[10]