The History of Cabbage Patch Dolls

The Creator

• Xavier Roberts was an art student when he first began making soft sculpture figures. He was working as the manager of a craft store to put himself through school when he came up with the idea of selling the dolls, which he called Little People, with adoption papers.

BabyLand General Hospital

• In 1978 Xavier began marketing his Little People dolls. That year he opened BabyLand General Hospital in a renovated medical clinic to sell the dolls.

Mass Production

• In 1983 Xavier sold the rights to produce the dolls to a toy company, and the name was changed to Cabbage Patch Kids. The mass-produced dolls differ from the handmade ones in that they have vinyl heads and are smaller in size.

Success

• The Cabbage Patch Kids were so successful when introduced in 1983 that production could not keep up with demand. More than 3 million were sold, or adopted in Cabbage Patch terms.

Milestone

• In 2003 the 25th anniversary of BabyLand General Hospital was celebrated. Xavier Roberts, appeared at a signing event for the first time in 15 years.

The Present

• In 2007 a groundbreaking was held for a new home for BabyLand General Hospital. A large complex with a retail store, a historical archive for the Cabbage Patch Kids and meeting facilities, it is intended to be a destination for those interested in the dolls.