Podcast Introduction and Previous Coverage

• Third time discussing Cabbage Patch Kids on "Stuff You Should Know"
• Previous mentions: Christmas gifts episode, must-have toys episode
• Chuck's sister owns one of first 75 Little People dolls, hand-signed by Xavier Roberts
• Josh has two Cabbage Patch Kids, not worth much money currently
• Original Xavier Roberts craft fair dolls worth $1,000-$2,000, eBay listings around $150

Cabbage Patch Kids Description and 1983 Craze

• Huge Christmas phenomenon December 1983
• Described as "open arm denied seemingly dull-witted with mop-haired faces only mothers could love" (Semantics Journal, 1986)
• Rumor: Ronald Reagan commissioned design to prepare Americans for nuclear war mutant offspring
• Official magical origin story: Xavier Roberts followed bunny bee through waterfall, discovered Cabbage Patch where bunny bees sprinkled dust creating babies
• Otis Lee first Cabbage Patch Kid asked Xavier to help find homes in human world
• Founded Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia for adoptions

Xavier Roberts and Little People Origins (1977-1982)

• Xavier Roberts studied art at Truitt McConnell College, Cleveland, Georgia
• Discovered German 19th century needle molding technique
• Started making "Little People" dolls in 1977
• Sold at craft fairs, gift shops like Unicoi State Park
• $40 price point (equivalent to ~$100 today)
• Won first place at Osceola art show, Kissimmee, Florida with doll named "Dexter"
• Founded Original Appalachian Artworks
• Opened Babyland General in converted medical center
• Staff dressed as nurses/doctors, helped babies be "born" from cabbages
• Featured on TV show "Real People," made Newsweek, Wall Street Journal by 1980
• Underground cult market developing, selling above retail price

Coleco Partnership and Mass Production (1982-1985)

• Xavier Roberts partnered with Coleco in 1982
• Initially kept "Little People" name
• Switched from hand-sewn heads to vinyl heads for mass production
• Kept cloth bodies, sized down to 16 inches
• Created variety: different ethnicities, skin colors, freckles, dimples, eye/hair colors
• Each doll unique with own name, birth date, adoption certificate
• Changed name to "Cabbage Patch Kids" - better marketing potential
• $30 adoption fee ($78 in today's money)
• Coleco leveraged media contacts for massive press coverage

Christmas 1983 Phenomenon

• Newsweek cover December 12, 1983: girl with Cabbage Patch Kid
• Sold 3+ million by end of 1983
• Supply shortage created unprecedented toy frenzy
• Parents driving across state lines, flying to London to buy dolls
• Physical altercations in stores
• Zaire department store, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: manager with baseball bat throwing dolls into crowd
• Stores moved distribution to loading docks to avoid fights
• Secondary market boom, black market markup
• Milwaukee DJ prank: claimed B-26 bomber would drop 2,000 dolls over baseball stadium, dozens showed up in -7°F wind chill with credit cards

Continued Success and Cultural Impact

• 1984: Another Christmas must-have toy
• $2 billion in sales during 1984
• Rare toy to span two Christmas seasons successfully
• Christopher Xavier rode NASA space shuttle mission 1985
• Became U.S. Olympic team mascot 1992, went to Barcelona
• Featured on postage stamp
• Over 32 years: 130 million dolls sold (would be 10th most populous country)
• One born every 6.8 seconds

Coleco Decline and License Changes

• Coleco focused on video games, eventually went bankrupt 1980s
• License sold to various companies: Mattel, Hasbro, Toys R Us, currently Play Along Inc
• Attempts to recapture success: talking dolls, swimming dolls
• Mattel's "Snack Time Kids" recalled - ate children's fingers/hair
• Quality declined mid-1990s: shrunk to 14 inches, full vinyl bodies
• 2003: Toys R Us 20th anniversary brought back 18-20 inch dolls with cloth bodies
• Current versions recreate original 1983 style for nostalgia market

True Origin Story: Martha Nelson Thomas

• Xavier Roberts "ripped off" folk artist Martha Nelson Thomas
• Martha created "Little Doll Babies" using same German needle molding technique
• 1975 black and white photo shows Martha surrounded by dolls identical to Cabbage Patch Kids
• Initial agreement: Xavier would sell Martha's dolls in gift shops
• Disagreement over $40 price point, Martha thought too expensive
• Xavier wrote letter threatening to make similar dolls if couldn't sell hers
• Martha's friend spotted her dolls at Atlanta airport, realized Xavier was copying design
• 7-year lawsuit filed by Martha
• Martha didn't copyright dolls (wouldn't sign children), Xavier stamped signature on each doll's butt
• 1985 settlement: undisclosed sum, enough to put Martha's kids through college
• Xavier acknowledged taking her idea as part of settlement
• Xavier complained about knockoffs while settling plagiarism case

Garbage Pail Kids Parody (1985-1988)

• Tops Trading Cards created Garbage Pail Kids parody 1985
• 15 series released 1985-1988
• Names like Atom Bomb, Boney Tony, Squash Josh
• Art Spiegelman (creator of "Maus") helped conceptualize
• Xavier Roberts sued, forced design changes but parody continued
• Bad TV show (aired only in Europe), legendarily bad movie
• Demonstrated Cabbage Patch Kids' cultural impact - sustained cottage parody industry

Current Status and Listener Mail

• Still produced by Play Along Inc
• Nostalgia market: adults buying for their children
• Beaver video recommendation: "Beef the Beaver" makes dams in house using household items
• Shout-out to Budge family