The Cabbage Patch Kids line was first produced by Coleco in 1982 and featured dolls with hard plastic heads, cloth bodies, and yarn hair. The dolls were based on soft fabric sculptures made by artist Xavier Roberts, although it was later determined that he had stolen the design from a folk doll artist named Martha Nelson Thomas.
By 1983, Cabbage Patch Kids were one of the most popular must-have toys, which led to them being sold out at toy stores all over the country. As demand for the dolls far exceeded the supply, parents fought in toy aisles to get the last doll on the shelf or were willing to pay high prices to anyone lucky enough to have gotten one.
In addition to the dolls, the Cabbage Patch Kids line included many other toys such as poseable figures, PVC miniature figurines, pet cats, dogs and lions called Koosas, and lots of clothes and accessories to take care of your Kid. By 1985, Cabbage Patch Kids branded products included just about everything imaginable: books, lunch boxes, school supplies, clothing, and even a breakfast cereal.
By 1988, sales of the dolls had declined and Coleco filed for bankruptcy. Hasbro purchased the toy line and produced the toys until 1994. The line has switched hands many times over the years and was owned by Mattel, Toys "R" Us, Play Along Toys, Jakks Pacific, and currently Wicked Cool Toys.
Although Cabbage Patch Kids dolls are still being produced to this day, the line has never regained the popularity these beloved toys had in the 1980s.