The History of Cabbage Patch Kids

Cabbage Patch Kids were a hit toy in the 1980s – they even inspired in-store riots as parents tried to get them for their children! However, these dolls have a darker history than you might think. Each Cabbage Patch Kid came with Xavier Roberts’ signature on its rear – Roberts was the manufacturer and supposed creator of the dolls. However, the dolls were actually invented by an artist named Martha Nelson Thomas. She started working on her “doll babies,” as she called them, in the 1970s. She then sold them at craft fairs, which is where Roberts came across them. He stole her idea and turned Cabbage Patch Kids into a $2 billion dollar franchise. She later sued Roberts and they settled out of court.