Cabbage Patch Kids Doll

The massively popular toy line was created by American artist Xavier Roberts and introduced to the mass market in 1983. Originally, Roberts initially handcrafted them as a soft sculpture art piece before they were licensed to Coleco for mass production.

Each doll comes with a unique birth certificate and official adoption papers to sell the concept that the child is 'adopting' the doll rather than just buying a toy. This marketing strategy was created by Xavier Roberts to foster a deep emotional attachment between the child and the doll.

The dolls sparked an unprecedented retail phenomenon known as the Cabbage Patch Riots during the 1983 Christmas shopping season. Parents across the United States literally fought in store aisles because the manufacturer, Coleco, could not produce enough dolls to meet the massive holiday demand.

While millions were produced during the height of their popularity in the 1980s, rare early models can still be highly valuable. Specifically, the original hand-stitched 'Little People' soft sculptures signed by Xavier Roberts himself are highly sought after by vintage toy collectors.