Saturday, May 26, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Cabbage Patch Dolls - The Beginning
The Beginning.
In 1976, 21 year old art student Xavier Roberts rediscovered "needle molding" a German technique of fabric sculpture from the early 1800's. Robert's mother was a quilter and he had been interested in quilting and had learned how to quilt from her. Combining the two skills, he created his first soft sculpture.
Roberts was working his way through art school as Manager of the Unicoi Craft Shop in Helen, GA. where he had learned marketing while working there, and he used his skills to market his adoptable Little People as they were first called with a birth certificate.
Roberts entered the Osceola Art Show in Kissimmee, Florida with "Dexter", one of his adoptable little people and won a first place ribbon. Back home in Georgia, Roberts and five of his art school friends began Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. They renovated the old L. G. Neal Medical Clinic, a turn of the century medical facility in Cleveland, Georgia, calling it Baby Land General Hospital. Here the needle sculptured dolls were birthed and adopted to their owners complete with birth certificate. These dolls are different from the mass produced dolls as their heads were cloth and they were hand made. Not being able to produce the dolls fast enough a contract was give to Coleco to mass produce the dolls and the rest is history.
In 1976, 21 year old art student Xavier Roberts rediscovered "needle molding" a German technique of fabric sculpture from the early 1800's. Robert's mother was a quilter and he had been interested in quilting and had learned how to quilt from her. Combining the two skills, he created his first soft sculpture.
Roberts was working his way through art school as Manager of the Unicoi Craft Shop in Helen, GA. where he had learned marketing while working there, and he used his skills to market his adoptable Little People as they were first called with a birth certificate.
Roberts entered the Osceola Art Show in Kissimmee, Florida with "Dexter", one of his adoptable little people and won a first place ribbon. Back home in Georgia, Roberts and five of his art school friends began Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. They renovated the old L. G. Neal Medical Clinic, a turn of the century medical facility in Cleveland, Georgia, calling it Baby Land General Hospital. Here the needle sculptured dolls were birthed and adopted to their owners complete with birth certificate. These dolls are different from the mass produced dolls as their heads were cloth and they were hand made. Not being able to produce the dolls fast enough a contract was give to Coleco to mass produce the dolls and the rest is history.
Collecting Cabbage Patch Dolls
Collecting Cabbage Patch Dolls
In 1982 Cabbage Patch Dolls became the hottest doll on the market. Christmas of that year saw adults fighting in the store to buy the doll for their children for Christmas. While children
still buy new CPKs every year, most CPKs are owned by collectors. It's not
unheard of for an avid collector to have their doll rooms filled with Cabbage Patch Kids. Many of these collectors trace
their CPK roots to the early CPK crazes of the 1980s. Some were children then,
and now remember their first CPK as a beloved doll. Others were parents, who
quickly become more engrossed in the craze for CPKs than their children were,
and realised that dolls purchased and stored without opening might be valuable
decades later.
There are also many
special Cabbage Patch places that collect 'unwanted' Cabbage Patch Kids. The
'unwanted' CPKs are generally the ones that are in too poor of a condition to
attract collectors, or do not have their boxes or papers. These orphanages may
find their dolls at garage sales or the local Goodwill, or may receive them as
donations. Most of the orphanages have a small 'doll hospital' on site, where
incoming dolls are cleaned up and repaired if need be. These dolls can then be
'adopted' for a low fee by the public.
A collector might pay a
few thousand dollars for a rare soft-sculptured doll, or as much as a few
hundred for one of more rare types of mass market CPKs.
The value of these dolls may depend on the following:
- manufacturer,
- year made,
- type of CPK,
- head shape,
- hairstyle and colour,
- eye colour,
- ethnicity of doll,
- clothing,
- condition of doll, papers, and box, and
- where and when the doll is being sold.
Identifying your Doll
Cabbage Patch.
Identifying your Cabbage Patch by the head mold can give you a lot of
information about your doll. It can also be a complicated job.
Coleco used twenty seven molds. The Coleco mold number is imprinted
in the vinyl and centered at the lower back of the head. Raised
numbers in a box on some Coleco heads are meaningless manufacturing
codes. Coleco used single or double digit numbers one through twenty
one omitting the numbers seven and thirteen, thirty, thirty six, forty
four and forty five.
Years of issue and mold number:
1983 - 84
#1 – No dimples, small eyes small smile.
# 2 – Two dimples. Large nose and eyes.
# 3 – One Dimple on left cheek, large eyes. (smaller eyes on heads
made in Hong Kong)
# 4 – Small hole in mouth. Has two dimples. (Very sought after head
mold by collectors)
1985
# 5 – Has one tooth and two dimples,
# 6 – Has a fat face, a pacifier, two dimples and chubby cheeks.
No # 7
# 8 – Big nose. Small smile and had large ears to support eye glasses.
# 9 – Has two dimples, big ears and a silly grin.
# 10 – Has two bottom teeth, chubby cheeks and two dimples.
# 11 – Has a pink tongue sticking out of mouth. Has two dimples.
(This mold was used for many clowns and the Baseball Kids).
# 12 – Has two dimples, a long nose, and a smirky smile.
# 13 – No mold
# 14 – One dimple on the right cheek. Double chin and a fat face.
# 15 – Strained smile and no dimples.
# 16 – Has a dimple in chin, but none in cheeks.
1987
# 17 – Has two top teeth.
# 18 – Has one dimple and an open mouth.
# 19 - Has eight teeth
# 20 - No dimples, This mold was used most for Splash Kids and
toddlers.
# 21 – Dimple in the right cheek. Open mouth with a small tongue
# 22 – This is a grow hair doll. Chubby cheeks, big smile with one tooth.
# 23 – Crooked smile, pink tongue, no dimples.
# 24 – No dimples, crooked smile.
# 25 – 27 No description
In 1983 – 84 only four face molds were used. #'s 1, 2, 3, & 4. In
1985 four moreface molds were added. The dolls were available during
these years in only black and white skin tones. Coleco only freckled
the # 2 face mold with the small eyes in 1983, and the # 1 face mold
in 1985.
Some of the rare and hard to find dolls made during this time are:
Black CPK's made with freckles are especially hard to find, but all
the 1983 freckled are highly collectable.
Boy CPK's with gold, auburn, lemon or red fuzzy hair.
# 4 pacifier kids are hard to find and extremely collectable.
Girl CPK;s with auburn ponytail.
Gray-eyed girls
# 5's with brown hair and blue eyes.
There are oddities in each issue that make that particular doll rare.
Example several dolls made at one factory that have smaller or
larger eyes or a certain small number of dolls that have a different
eye color. You have to really know the dolls and the factory that
made them to identify these odd dolls.
Another interesting identifier of Cabbage Patch dolls is the body tag
sewn into the side seam of the dolls. Coleco contracted with a number
of factories to make the dolls. On these tags of the Coleco
manufactured dolls is a code that tells at which factory produced the
doll. These codes are a one, two or three letter code on the tags.
The codes are as follows and the factory it identifies:
IC – The smallest number mass produced CPK's were produced by this
factory. The dolls produced at this factory have porcelein looking
faces and near perfect hands and feet. The boys have short loop hair
styles and the girls usually have short braids or ponytails. There
were several IC factories and the codes for them are as follows:
IC1, IC2, IC3, IC6.
KT – Kam Yan Toy Factory. One of only three factories in 1983 to
produce freckled kids.
OK – Kader Factory. Largest factory located in 1983 in Hong Kong and
in China thereafter. The only factory that has continued to made the
dolls since 1983.Some of the #3 dolls made at this factory have a
small smudge at the top of the left eye.
P – The Perfedacta Factory. Some of the first dolls produced at this
factory were 18 inch dolls, two inches longer than the standard 16
inch. Dolls were first produced at this factory in 1983 in Hong Kong.
The # 2 head molds all had smaller eyes and many had freckles. Many
of the dolls produced at this factory have come down with the "CPK
pox", a mold growth on the plastic. To clean the pox off use Twin
PINES 9-11 or Removes It.
PMI – Located in China this factory made CPK's in 1984 and part of
1985 when demand was the highest. The dolls produced at this factory
have well shaped thin bodies and small hands. Many #1's have larger
eyes than the OK produced dolls. These dolls have a reverse pox,
small white spots with rings . Use the cleaning method listed above
SS/WS Factories. Made later dolls and clothing.
UT Factory. Located in Taiwan. Made dolls in 1984 and 85. These
dolls are hard to find. They have porcelain looking faces and high
cheek color. The dolls from this factory were not produced for a long
period of time and are the most beautiful. They are the favorite
among collectors. The UT factory was a large producer of CPK clothing.
Head, Eye and Hair of Coleco Cabbage Patch Dolls 4
Head Molds Of Coleco Cabbage Patch Dolls
The molds used for the heads of the Coleco Cabbage Patch Dolls dictates the facial
features and expressions of the doll. Some CPKs have dimples, or
teeth, or (removable) pacifiers - all of these features are dictated by the head mold used . For those CPKs
manufactured by Coleco, which head mold was used can have a significant impact
on the current value of the doll.
- Coleco Head Mold #1 has no dimples, and is most often seen in the early
Coleco CPKs made in 1983 and 1984.
- Coleco Head Mold #2 has two dimples and a longer nose. This is one of the
most common Coleco head molds.
- Coleco Head Mold #3 has one dimple on the left side.
- Coleco Head Mold #4 has two dimples and a removable pacifier. These "paci kids",
as they are known among collectors, are more valuable than some with the
other head molds.
- Coleco Head Mold #5 has two dimples and a single front tooth. This head
mold was especially common in the CPK Twins. Some of the #5 kids came with
retainers or 'headgear'.
- Coleco Head Mold #6 has one dimple on the left side, a removable pacifier,
and a considerably wider face than #4.
- Coleco Head Mold #8 has a wider face with a dimple on the left side. This
head mold has larger ears, as most of these CPKs came with glasses - the
glasses won't stay on the CPKs with smaller ears.
After mold number eight , the head molds
get progressively uglier . Not surprisingly, these dolls tend not to be worth has much as
those with the earlier head molds.
Eyes
Besides the variation in
head molds, CPKs also came with a variety of eye sizes and colours. Some CPKs
had small eyes, others had large ones. The most common eye colours were blue,
green, and brown, but CPKs with violet eyes were also produced.
Hair Styles
While some Cabbage Patch
Kids are "baldies", most CPKs have yarn hair. Cabbage Patch Kids have
been produced with black, brown, light brown,
blond,
red, and orange hair. Not surprisingly, there is a wider variation among hairstyles
in the girl dolls than in the boys.. Infant CPKs sometimes have a single tuft,
rather than a full head of yarn hair. Hairstyle is another factor that can
influence the value of a CPK to a collector.
Hairstyles on boy
Cabbage Patch Kids have included:
- Loops,
in which the hair consists of approximately 1 inch loops throughout.
- Shag,
in which the hair consists of approximately 1 inch straight hair, like a
shag carpet.
- Fuzzy,
in which the hair feels and looks more like the fur on a stuffed animal
than like yarn hair. These dolls tend to be more valuable than other boy
CPKs.
Hairstyles on girl
Cabbage Patch Kids have included:
- Loops,
similar to the style in boys, in which the hair consists of approximately
1 inch loops throughout.
- Ponytails,
both single and double, with a few rows of loops for bangs.
- Braids,
tied with ribbons, with a few rows of loops for bangs. Most CPKs with
braids have 2 braids, but some were produced with a single braid.
Identifying Year of Manufacture Cabbage Patch Dolls by Signature Colors
- Listed below are the years of manufacture, the color of the signature, and the manufacturer of the Cabbage Patch dolls for that year
- 1983 - Black (Coleco)
- 1984 - Black (Coleco Preemies and Foreign Kids, Green
(Coleco and Foreign Kids)
- 1985 - Blue (Coleco and Foreign Kids)
- 1986 - Red (Coleco)
- 1987 - Aqua (Coleco)
- 1988 - Lavender (Coleco)
- 1989 - Rose (Coleco)
- 1990 - Mauve (Hasbro)
- 1991 - Teal (Hasbro)
- 1992 - Royal Blue (Hasbro)
- 1993 - Forest Green (Hasbro)
- 1994 - Burgundy (Hasbro)
- 1995 - Purple (Mattel)
- 1996 - Pine green (Mattel)
- 1997 - Blue/grey (Mattel), Grey (Mattel Keepsake
Edition)
- 1998 - Maroon (Mattel), Black (Mattel 15th Anniversary)
Coleco Doll Boxes
Boxes. Coleco used the yellow and green cellophane-windowed box with
a dark green insert from 1983 – 86. The 1984 – 85 boxes have rose-
red dated banners on the front. In 1986 the banner says "Official".
The box colors changed in 1987 to aqua and yellow with an aqua liner.
All the Coleco specialty lines had distinctive large boxes. The
Astronauts came in silver space capsules, Circus Kids in yellow and
red "Circus Tents". World Travelers came in travel trunks with
handles. Western Kids and Show Ponies came in barns and Cornsilk
kids were standing before a cardboard dresser. Hasbro has continued
the distinctive packaging for each product subgroup, but used smaller
more compact boxes. Mattel replaced the cellophane window with clear
plastic and used a green Cabbage Patch Bud logo print for the side
panels. Liners vary in color and design.
Collectors of these dolls do not agree whether a doll should be
kept "mint in box". Some like the Barbie collectors feel a doll
looses value when removed from it s original packaging. Others fell
Cabbage Patch Kids by their very nature as "Little People" are
intended to be unboxed so they can be cuddled and posed in play
scenes. The soft Sculpture Originals have never been boxed.
Space is also a factor on whether to box or unbox. The large boxes
damage easily and the colors can bleed onto the dolls unless special
care is taken. Most collectors, yours truly included hate boxes and
refuse to be a box collector. We want to love and enjoy our dolls.
a dark green insert from 1983 – 86. The 1984 – 85 boxes have rose-
red dated banners on the front. In 1986 the banner says "Official".
The box colors changed in 1987 to aqua and yellow with an aqua liner.
All the Coleco specialty lines had distinctive large boxes. The
Astronauts came in silver space capsules, Circus Kids in yellow and
red "Circus Tents". World Travelers came in travel trunks with
handles. Western Kids and Show Ponies came in barns and Cornsilk
kids were standing before a cardboard dresser. Hasbro has continued
the distinctive packaging for each product subgroup, but used smaller
more compact boxes. Mattel replaced the cellophane window with clear
plastic and used a green Cabbage Patch Bud logo print for the side
panels. Liners vary in color and design.
Collectors of these dolls do not agree whether a doll should be
kept "mint in box". Some like the Barbie collectors feel a doll
looses value when removed from it s original packaging. Others fell
Cabbage Patch Kids by their very nature as "Little People" are
intended to be unboxed so they can be cuddled and posed in play
scenes. The soft Sculpture Originals have never been boxed.
Space is also a factor on whether to box or unbox. The large boxes
damage easily and the colors can bleed onto the dolls unless special
care is taken. Most collectors, yours truly included hate boxes and
refuse to be a box collector. We want to love and enjoy our dolls.
Rare Coleco Cabbage Patch Dolls
The Cabbage Patch Kids. Toy makers do not release how many of each
doll in any given year they are producing. Therefore only time can
tell us which doll is rare and hard to find. Always factory mistakes
and when only a few of any design are made these immediately become
the rarities. Only when collectors stay in touch and let it be known
what they are looking for do they realize what doll is a rarity.
Just be careful that a rare doll is not one that has been tampered
with and made a rarity.
One of the most well known and hard to find Cabbage Patch dolls is
the Coleco 1983 freckled kids (The # 2 mold with small eyes) are very
hard to find in mint condition. Especially those with dark skin.
It was realized early in 1984 that the Cabbage Patch dolls appealed
not only to the little girls, but also to their mother's and
grandmothers. Some collectors treat their dolls as members of the
family. They dress them for holidays, take them on trips and pose
them around the house. Some collectors want only the very pristine
mint in box dolls and other search flea market and garage sales
looking for the doll to restore. No two collectors are alike. Do
you have a Cabbage Patch collection? Where do you fall in the
collecting category?
As you know I am a garage sale collector and I have had many Cabbage
Patch dolls I have restored and I am always looking for just the
right original clothing or accessory and shoes. I also have had a few
Koosa Dolls and some Furskins. If you don't know about Koosa's and
Furskins they are an extension of the Cabbage Patch line. I will
cover them in a future article. Also in my collection is an
original Cabbage Patch doll from the Doll Hospital in Cleveland, GA.
She is not dressed in her original clothing and I do not know her
name.
One day I will send her to the hospital in Cleveland, GA and have her
redressed, as I understand they do this for their dolls. They will
also clean a dirty one.
This will end our study of Cabbage Patch dolls for now
Saturday, May 19, 2012
June 9, 2012 World Doll Day
WORLD DOLL DAY
Second Saturday in June
Calendar for June 2012 (United States)
| June | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Letter From Mildred Seeley - World Doll Day
Mildred Seeley founded World Doll Day with a letter written in 1986. Following is the letter:
The Letter
Since you have not heard of World Doll Day? This is not surprising as of an hour ago, I hadn't conceived the idea. Give a doll to a grown up, a child, or family friend.
Think of it this way and ship a doll to another country. I have always felt that the common doll could be an instrument of world understanding. From the first time I started writing books on doll making, I had the hope that dolls would help make friends all over the world and develop a little love among all.
World Doll Day will also be a day for doll exhibits. It is my hope that all libraries will have a special doll exhibit. Museums will publicize their doll exhibits and have special doll exhibits at this time. Magazines will put out special editions. Doll stores will put on campaigns weeks ahead. Doll Makers will make special dolls for World Doll Day. There will be doll competitions with World Doll Day awards, plaques and trophies.
The logo is made from artist Boots Tyner's doll representing a child. The child carries a German bisque doll to represent this doll collectors gift. Feel free to copy the logo or have one made.
Everyone can enjoy the fun as there are no fees, no permission needed, no obligations, nobody owns the day, no club, no company. It's a free- for- all, take up the day, its ideas and fly with it. Lets do it know. World Doll Day.
If you think World Doll Day is a good idea, then appoint yourself a committee of one to do something about
it--only then can it become a reality. Would you tell five people, ask them to tell five people, and each of them tell five people and so on. World Doll Day's birthday is June 14, 1986.
Sincerely
Mil and Vernon Seeley
P.S.
This letter may be copied and copied again and again until the world knows about World Doll Day.
The Letter
Since you have not heard of World Doll Day? This is not surprising as of an hour ago, I hadn't conceived the idea. Give a doll to a grown up, a child, or family friend.
Think of it this way and ship a doll to another country. I have always felt that the common doll could be an instrument of world understanding. From the first time I started writing books on doll making, I had the hope that dolls would help make friends all over the world and develop a little love among all.
World Doll Day will also be a day for doll exhibits. It is my hope that all libraries will have a special doll exhibit. Museums will publicize their doll exhibits and have special doll exhibits at this time. Magazines will put out special editions. Doll stores will put on campaigns weeks ahead. Doll Makers will make special dolls for World Doll Day. There will be doll competitions with World Doll Day awards, plaques and trophies.
The logo is made from artist Boots Tyner's doll representing a child. The child carries a German bisque doll to represent this doll collectors gift. Feel free to copy the logo or have one made.
Everyone can enjoy the fun as there are no fees, no permission needed, no obligations, nobody owns the day, no club, no company. It's a free- for- all, take up the day, its ideas and fly with it. Lets do it know. World Doll Day.
If you think World Doll Day is a good idea, then appoint yourself a committee of one to do something about
it--only then can it become a reality. Would you tell five people, ask them to tell five people, and each of them tell five people and so on. World Doll Day's birthday is June 14, 1986.
Sincerely
Mil and Vernon Seeley
P.S.
This letter may be copied and copied again and again until the world knows about World Doll Day.
Spread the Word And Make An Exhibit
Celebrate World Doll Day. Spread the word. Tell your friends, especially your doll friends. Write me in the comments and tell me what you are doing to celebrate the day. I am posting this information now, rather than wait until June 9, so everyone can celebrate the day and spread the word. Mildred Seeley was a famous doll collector. Her collection was breathtaking. She was primarily responsible for all the resurgence of doll collecting and especially the interest in antique dolls. In the future I will do an article on her. There is so much history to dolls. So much to learn, so little time.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)