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Xavier Roberts invents Cabbage Patch Kids.
With the help of four other women, Roberts creates the Martha Nelson inspired doll. -
Coleco takes over
The dolls attracted the attention of toy manufacturer Coleco, who began mass-production in 1982 -
Hasbro takes over
Hasbro took over the rights to produce Cabbage Patch dolls in 1988 as Coleco went bankrupt, and continued to make the dolls with various gimmicks. -
Mattel takes over
In 1995, Mattel took over the Cabbage Patch brand, including production. -
Toys R Us takes over
In 2001, retailer Toys "R" Us took over the Cabbage Patch brand from Mattel, producing 20-inch Kids and 18-inch babies, both with cloth bodies and vinyl heads. They were packaged in cardboard cabbage leaf seats. In 2001, the 20-inch dolls debuted in the Times Square flagship store. These were created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the line, and were available both online and in stores around the US. -
Play Along and QVC take over
The Toys "R" Us line lasted until Play Along toys obtained exclusive licensing rights to produce the Cabbage Patch Kids doll line. In 2003, Play Along started a partnership with QVC to launch each new line with a special QVC limited edition keepsake edition doll, which was only available from QVC.
