Instructions
Check what material the head of the Cabbage Patch doll is made of. The original dolls were made entirely out of cloth whereas later editions had vinyl heads.
Turn the doll over and look on his left butt cheek for Xavier Roberts' signature. The color of the signature changed each year; for example, blue in 1985, red in 1986 and aqua in 1987. Black was only used on first edition dolls, with the exception of 1984 Preemies.
Look at the bottom of the signature for a date. First edition Cabbage Patch dolls did not include a date.
Check the label of the Cabbage Patch doll, located on its side of every doll. All dolls have the name of their manufacturer on this label, which changed several times throughout the years. Coleco manufactured the dolls during their first few years.