The Cabbage Patch Kids Backstory That Even The Biggest Collectors Weren't Aware Of

The 1980s were a big decade for toy fads. The Rubik’s Cube, My Little Pony, and Transformers were all snapped up in their millions. Every kid wanted the latest novelty under their Christmas tree. But if there was one toy that really captured the hearts of children — and some adults — during the ’80s, it was Cabbage Patch Kids.

In 1984 alone, the dolls — along with the clothes, cereals, lunch boxes, and heaps of other Cabbage Patch merchandise —brought in more than $2 billion in revenue. And the toys themselves created a desire that verged on hysteria. Fights even broke out when some stores couldn’t meet the public demand.

The guy responsible for this soft-doll obsession? Xavier Roberts, who had a classic rags-to-riches backstory. After losing their father in a car crash, Roberts and his five siblings were raised by a single mother. And to put himself through college, he did pretty much every odd job there was.

“I wasn’t too smart in school. My only As were in art,” Roberts told The Washington Post in 1983. “I used to make things — pots and clay figures, kind of wild things — and sell them to the other students.” It was during this time that the future doll maker apparently began to produce art made from textiles.

“I started making soft-sculpture plants and wall hangings, then pigs and clowns, experimenting,” Roberts went on. “I’d had a teddy bear as a little boy. They’re cuddly. People like nice, soft, friendly things to hold. I have lots of nieces and nephews… so in 1977, I started copying [dolls] in soft sculpture.”

According to Roberts, his mother had taught him how to sculpt with fabric. He also said that he had produced the first of his dolls, or “Little People,” while still in college. And luckily for him, his soft-sculptured figures went down well at craft fairs. This motivated Roberts and some friends to buy an old medical facility and turn it into a store where the dolls were made and sold. In time, they became the Cabbage Patch Kids that millions around the world would grow to know and love.

What made Cabbage Patch Kids special, however, was their gimmick. Each doll came with “official” adoption papers. Yep, they were “adopted,” not bought. Computer technology also allowed for each doll to be customized during manufacture. Unlike other mass-produced toys, no two of these cuddly playthings were exactly alike.

The craze for Cabbage Patch Kids made Xavier Roberts a millionaire and minor celebrity before he had even turned 30. But while his tale of self-made success was inspiring, was it the truth? Well, according to friends and relatives of the now-deceased folk artist Martha Nelson Thomas, it wasn’t.

Thomas, from Mayfield, Kentucky, had a story similar to the one claimed by Roberts. She began working with soft sculpture in the ’70s while at art school and specialized in making dolls. Thomas called these creations “Doll Babies” and sold each one with an individual adoption certificate. Sound familiar?

In a 1984 interview with The Washington Post, Thomas explained the idea behind the adoption certificates. “I wanted people to know how much I cared about each doll. I gave each doll a name, but I couldn’t bear to write on them anywhere, so I attached papers to them instead,” she said.

One of Thomas’ customers was Roberts, who bought the Doll Babies to resell at a gift shop. In an interview for the 2015 Vice documentary The Secret History of Cabbage Patch Kids, Guy Mendes, a friend of Thomas, says the artist was uncomfortable with the high prices the dolls were being sold for. As a result, she took the toys back with her.

But that wasn’t the end of the matter. Allegedly, Thomas would receive a letter from Roberts saying that he would just sell his own dolls if he couldn’t have any more of Thomas’ stock. And the ones Roberts produced were similar to Thomas’ in many ways. Like the Doll Babies, the new dolls were soft-sculptured children. They also came with their own adoption certificates.

Then Roberts claimed ownership of the idea. He even went as far as putting his signature on every Cabbage Patch Kid. Thomas, for her part, never signed her dolls, believing that children “adopted” them to become part of their families. “As Martha said, there’s no place to sign a baby,” Mendes told Vice.

As for Thomas’ reaction to Roberts’ dolls? “Martha was heartbroken,” Mendes said to Vice. “This guy appeared on the national scene, claiming to have created this new kind of doll, and making lots of money, making millions. Martha’s making nothing. He took her idea, and he made a fortune.”

But while the artist and her husband Tucker Thomas were just making ends meet, it wasn’t the money that was the issue. “[Martha] did not want the Doll Babies to be mass-produced,” Tucker explained to Vice. “She felt like her babies had become toys.”

So, in 1980, Thomas sued Roberts for breaching her intellectual property rights. Unfortunately for her, she had not marked her dolls with a copyright sign, as she thought it would detract from the illusion that they were real children. Even so, Roberts eventually settled with her for an undisclosed sum for “unfair competition practices.”

After the court case, Thomas was happy to put the controversy behind her. “The most important thing for Martha,” her husband told Vice, “was something was said about her having some sort of influence on the doll, and we got that as part of the settlement.” Although the details of the pay-out weren’t released, it was at least enough to cover the Thomas children’s education.

As for where we are now? Well, Roberts continues making money from the Cabbage Patch Kids, which is now one of the most enduring doll brands ever. He also went on to create another fad in Furskins bears, although they never reached the heights of his original dolls. And, apparently, he still lives in Georgia, where he shuns the limelight.

Thomas, meanwhile, sadly passed away in 2013. Attendees at her funeral were invited to bring any dolls she had made and to put them on a pew at the front. Yet her widower seems to bear little ill-will towards Roberts. “Martha and I had a wonderful life together,” Tucker told Vice. “It wasn’t elaborate, but it was wonderful. I’m not going to trade in that life for a few dollars.”

And while the Cabbage Patch Kids fad eventually ended, Barbie has remained consistently popular. But how much do you really know about the blonde icon? These obscure Barbie facts — from real names to rebound relationships — may just make you see Ken’s other half in a whole new light.

You may not know her name, but Barbara Handler’s an integral part of the Barbie story. As a youngster, she’d spend much of her playtime creating her own world with paper dolls. And this gave her mother Ruth, who alongside her father Elliot founded Mattel, the inspiration to launch a new doll that’d be entirely 3D.

Like many globe-conquering superstars, Barbie was born with an entirely different name. Yes, the doll was christened Barbara Millicent Roberts, in honor of creator Ruth Handler’s daughter. Not that this gesture was particularly appreciated at the time. In a 1989 interview with People magazine, the very human Barbara revealed, “I did not like it. It is very strange to have a doll named after you.”

You could say that the original Barbie’s main designer may have been a little overqualified. Jack Ryan was a Yale graduate who’d previously spent many years in the field of aerospace. Even more remarkably, the man was partly responsible for the design of government missile systems Sparrow III and Hawk!

The eventful life of Barbie designer Jack Ryan continued in 1975 when he walked down the aisle with screen icon Zsa Zsa Gabor. Sadly, though, by this point, his partnership with Mattel had significantly soured. Jack later ended up suing the toy giant in a royalties case that was eventually resolved outside the courtroom.

Barbie apparently has another enduring children’s icon to thank for her rise to fame. In 1955 its makers Mattel became one of the toy industry’s first year-long sponsors of a TV show. And that series just happened to be the phenomenon that is The Mickey Mouse Club. Barbie appeared in every commercial break — and the rest is history.

Forget the Black Eyed Peas. Long before Fergie became a member of the hip-hop chart-toppers, the singer had the chance to share the spotlight with an even more famous name. Yes, just like Maureen McCormick and Mila Kunis, the “Glamorous” hit-maker was in a Barbie TV commercial during her early years.

It’s hard to imagine Barbie sporting anything other than long blonde locks. Back in her early days, though, the doll was also sold as a brunette. But consumer power soon proved that when it comes to kids’ toys, blondes do have much more fun — and the alternative was forced to take a backseat.

Thanks to her pursed lips, Barbie appeared to be quite the moody doll during her first 12 years of existence. But thankfully that all changed when Malibu Barbie hit the shelves in 1971. This particular version allowed Mattel’s finest to show off both her sparkling white teeth and glowing smile.

Many Barbie fans were left devastated in 2004 when she and her boyfriend of 43 years decided to call it a day. The blonde bombshell didn’t waste any time in finding a rebound, either. That same year she started dating Californian Blaine Gordon. But Ken didn’t give up without a fight. And after re-emerging with a new look, he and Barbie reconnected in 2011. Aww.

Barbie may be as American as apple pie, but she does have at least a bit of Britishness in her family tree. Yes, in 1966 a doll of her English cousin hit the stores. Francie Fairchild remained on shelves for a full ten years before being retired. She then returned just in time for Kate and William’s royal wedding in 2011.

Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Nicki Minaj are just a few of the famous faces who have been given the Barbie doll treatment over the years. But the first celebrity to receive such an honor was, in fact, supermodel Twiggy. Sporting a green, blue, and yellow mini-dress complete with matching boots, the Twiggy doll debuted in 1967.

Mattel found itself in legal trouble the moment it first premiered its creation. Yes, after seeing Barbie displayed at the 1959 New York Toy Fair, rival firm Greiner & Hausser filed an infringement lawsuit. It believed the doll shared too many similarities with its own, Lilli. But the case was eventually settled four years later away from the courtroom.

Turns out that Barbie beat Neil Armstrong and co. to the punch. Yes, in 1965 an astronaut version of the doll that’d already been to space was launched. That’s a full four years before the Moon landing of the Apollo 11 mission, meaning that the leap for mankind wasn’t so giant after all.

So which version of Mattel’s finest would you expect to be the best-selling of all time? Malibu Barbie, perhaps? Maybe Superstar Barbie? Well, the Guinness World Records organization states that Totally Hair Barbie is at the top of the charts. Debuting in 1992, the doll’s since shifted over 10 million units!

Barbie became headline news in the real-estate world in 2013, when it was revealed that she was putting her Malibu dream house on the market. According to an official Mattel press statement, the doll was asking for $25 million for her 8,500-square-foot home. A fair price, you may say, considering that reportedly “it’s the only property in Malibu with truly unobstructed views of the ocean.”

If you needed any further proof of Barbie’s colossal impact, then this is it. According to Fortune magazine, a version of the doll’s sold every three seconds! And using their math skills, newspaper The Daily Telegraph worked out that the total number of Barbies purchased could wrap around the world no fewer than six times.

In 1966 German youngster Bettina Dorfmann was gifted her first ever Barbie doll. And the present obviously made a significant impression on the then-five-year-old. Because Bettina has since become the world’s most dedicated Barbie collector. Yes, you’d have to go some way to beat her stash — she has no fewer than 15,000 dolls to her name.

Barbie’s nothing if not versatile. The doll’s pursued over 200 different careers since first hitting the shelves in 1959. Her exhaustive resume includes everything from baseball player and ambassador for UNICEF to zoologist and flight attendant. Barbie has also won Miss America, American Idol, and a gymnastics Olympics gold medal during her ever-changing work life.

Auctioneers Christie’s put one particular Barbie doll up for sale in 2010 at a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. But this was no ordinary Barbie. It came with a Stefano Canturi-designed diamond necklace! And a wealthy fan ended up bidding $302,500 for the blinged-up toy.

In 1986 two of the biggest figures of 20th-century pop culture came together when Andy Warhol painted a portrait of Barbie. The artist had initially planned to depict a member of his entourage named “BillyBoy.” But as the latter explained to the BBC, “For some reason, I didn’t appreciate that idea. Out of annoyance, I said to him, ‘Well, if you really want to do my portrait, do a portrait of Barbie — because Barbie, c’est moi.’”

Oscar de la Renta became the first high-end fashion designer to make his mark on the Barbie world in 1984 when he gave her some “glamorous jewel tone and metallic outfits.” And the doll’s since been clothed by some of the hottest names in the industry. Vera Wang, Givenchy, and Christian Louboutin have all helped to ensure that the blonde remains the best-dressed toy on the block.

You could argue that the first of Barbie’s many career choices wasn’t exactly a stretch. Yes, before she became everything from a scuba diver to a squadron leader, Mattel’s finest earned a living as a teenage fashion model. It’s why she first arrived on the scene dressed in a monochromatic swimsuit.

Launched in 2015, Hello Barbie’s undoubtedly one of the most controversial dolls Mattel has put its name to. The toy enabled youngsters to question the blonde and receive answers in return, echoing the likes of Apple’s all-knowing Siri. But some conspiracy theorists believed that this was simply a way of obtaining voice recordings, while other skeptics argued that the doll was an invasion of privacy.

Barbie’s house has essentially doubled up as a zoo, judging by the number of animals she’s owned over the years. The Things website reports that the doll’s looked after 21 dogs, six cats, and 14 horses. If that wasn’t enough, Barbie’s also had her own chimpanzee, panda, and zebra, too!

We may still be waiting for the first-ever female U.S. president, but that isn’t for the want of trying. Barbie’s run for the most powerful seat in the world in every election of the past 30 years, bar 1996. And in 2016 the doll launched her campaign with the country’s first-ever all-female ticket.

Barbie may be considered the height of perfection by many, but she hasn’t always been anatomically correct. For the first 41 years of her existence, she was made without a belly button. Yes, it was only in 2000 that Mattel finally realized that it should give its finest creation a navel.

It was a very different era in 1965, obviously. This was the year that Slumber Party Barbie was sold with an accompanying book titled How to Lose Weight. That’s right: in a move that’d cause the doll to get canceled in the modern day, Mattel offered advice such as “don’t eat.” This version also came equipped with a bathroom scale stating that Barbie weighed 110 pounds.

Barbie got the chance to celebrate her 50th anniversary in style in 2009 when she was selected for a New York Fashion Week runway show. The doll managed to rope in several of the industry’s biggest names to help her out, too. Yes, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Juicy Couture were just a few of the giants who lent their talents to the event.

The official Barbie family tree shows that the doll has a mother named Margaret, a father named George, and no fewer than seven siblings: Skipper, Stacie, Todd, Chelsea, Kelly, Krissy, and Tutti. But rather worryingly, the latter hasn’t been seen for a very long time! Poor Tutti, who’s apparently the twin of Todd, has been missing since 1971!

Toymaker Mattel’s always trying to increase representation among its Barbie line. And in 1997 the company broke new ground when it released the first mass-market doll to use a wheelchair. More than two decades later, Mattel also created a new disability-themed range that included a Barbie who has a prosthetic leg.

Barbie literally looked different back in her early years. The original version of the doll was given a side-eye, implying that she was always either throwing some shade or had a juicy secret. It was only in 1971 that Mattel decided to make the eye in question face forward.

Ken and Barbie are pretty much the Romeo and Juliet of the doll world, albeit without the tragic ending. So it’s slightly icky to learn that the pair upon whom love’s young dream are based are actually siblings. Yes, as well as naming Barbie after her daughter Barbara, creator Ruth Handler also christened Ken in honor of her son Kenneth.

It’s fair to say that Barbie’s figure isn’t exactly in proportion. According to Mattel, her real-life measurements would come in at 38-18-28. And though some fans have tried in vain to achieve this look, it’s pretty much physically impossible. In more recent years, the toy firm’s attempted to rectify matters by creating several different body-type alternatives.

Barbie was born in Wisconsin way back in 1959, which means she should now be well into her sixties. But like the eternally young Bart Simpson, she’s never aged a day past 17. This means she’s old enough to drive but still too young to vote, drink alcohol, or purchase a lottery ticket.

The Barbie universe has spawned countless animated movies and TV shows. But she’s had to wait more than 60 years to get the live-action treatment. Margot Robbie will play the beloved doll in the film, which is simply named Barbie, while fellow Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling will star as her love interest Ken.

You may have expected Mattel to be glad of the free publicity. But instead of thanking Aqua for their annoyingly infectious hit single “Barbie Girl,” the toy firm decided to sue the band for copyright infringement. Thankfully for the Danish group, a federal appeals court in California sided with them and threw the case out.

Proving once again that they live in a completely different world to the rest of us, Beyoncé and Jay-Z once spent $80,000 on a Barbie doll. The power couple splashed out on a diamond-encrusted model for their daughter Blue Ivy’s birthday. Not that she would’ve known the difference between the blinged-up Barbie and a regular version — Blue Ivy was only one at the time.

You know you’ve definitely made it when you’re given your very own Pantone color. If you want to find the exact shade that Mattel’s used in both its products and marketing since 1959, then simply look for PMS 219. Rather handily, this is also known as Barbie Pink!

Barbie’s certainly kept up with the times. She has over 14 million Facebook fans for one thing and 1.2 million Instagram followers for another. And with more than five million subscribers, the doll’s YouTube account is the video-sharing platform’s most popular in the “girls brand” category. Can anyone say influencer?

March 9’s quite the date when it comes to national days. As well as National Get Over It Day, National Crab Meat Day, and National Meatball Day, it’s also when fans of Mattel’s finest celebrate National Barbie Day. This particular date coincides with the day when the beloved doll made its debut at New York’s American International Toy Fair in 1959.