Dolly Review: Wicked Cool Toys Cabbage Patch Kids
It took a while, but I finally got my hands on some of Wicked Cool Toys Cabbage Patch Kids, sent for review. Because Cabbage Patch Kids haven’t changed very much in the past 30 years, there’s not much I can say about them! My relationship with Cabbage Patch Kids started way back in 1984. Cabbage Patch Kids, then produced by Coleco, were all the rage. They literally caused riots. (I can only imagine what would have happened if eBay existed back in 1983! Those scalper prices would have been insane! Check out some old newspaper articles written during the first few years.) My father took a part time job at a convenient store and when a shipment of Cabbage Patch Kids came in, he made sure to leave with one. (I’m sure my mom had something to do with it, too!)
Cabbage Patch Kid, Elizabeth Ann
Many kids probably had a lot more Cabbage Patch Kids than me. For the most part, I grew up with one, Elizabeth Ann. I gathered a few over the years, but as far as original Coleco ones, I didn’t get very many. I think that’s for the better, though, because if I had too many as a kid, I wouldn’t have been able to bond with Elizabeth Ann (my original Cabbage Patch Kid) as much as I did.
Fast forward to 2016, Wicked Cool Toys is now breathing new life into this classic brand. Wicked Cool Toys Cabbage Patch Kids haven’t changed that much when compared to other companies past releases. Their main goal seems to be to bring back the excitement that followed the brand back in its early years. You’ve seen that with the release of the limited edition collectible 18″ Cabbage Patch Kids released in 2015.
Keeping with tradition, all Cabbage Patch Kids come with a birth certificate. It’s printed on nice quality paper. (In this day and age, Wicked Cool Toys could have easily included a QR code or site URL to print a digital birth certificate.) Each certificate includes a unique doll name and birthday.
Like past re-imaginings of Cabbage Patch Kids, the ‘Kids’ have vinyl heads and plush bodies. The stuffing seems lighter than what has been used in the past. My original Cabbage Patch Kid, for example, seems heavier than Wicked Cool Toys newest release, even though she’s practically the same size. Wicked Cool Toys kept the facemold similar to what we’ve seen in past years.
They’ve added the element of animal adoption with their Adoptimals. The traditional Cabbage Patch Kids all come with a key. That key pairs with the Adoptimals (sold separately) and will make your Adoptimal’s collar light up and unlocks their ‘secret heartbeat’. The Adoptimals are 100% plush and scaled for the Cabbage Patch Kids size. They’re cute and some kids will really enjoy this secondary element to the Cabbage Patch Kids brand. I, personally, wouldn’t have been over the moon about it, but I could see pairing a Cabbage Patch Kid with an Adopimal for birthday gifts.
Also packaged with these two Cabbage Patch Kids that came for review was the more interactive, completely vinyl Drink and Wet Newborn. The gimmick of the Drink and Wet doll is simple– fill the provided bottle with water, feed it to your Cabbage Patch Kid Newborn and watch as the doll begins to wet its diaper. Aesthetically, the newborn is adorable. He has cute molded fingers and toes and the classic newborn face we all love.
As far as how well he works, well, he could work a little better. Half the water in the bottle went onto the poor newborns face when I was testing him out. You’ll want to use this on a table or in a room where you don’t mind if things get a little wet. Unlike some of the other interactive Cabbage Patch Kids, this one doesn’t require batteries or the use of any electronic device. Because of the tube inside the doll (I assume), the doll can’t turn his head in any direction. (You don’t know how many times I’ve tried to turn it left or right.)
So far, I think Wicked Cool Toys is doing a good job with Cabbage Patch Kids. As time passes, I’m sure they’ll be experimenting with even more ideas to make their mark on the iconic brand. For now, they seem to be taking inspiration from the past, releasing a variety of Cabbage Patch Kids in cute fashions and some fun, interactive newborns.
What do you think of Wicked Cool Toys take on Cabbage Patch Kids now that it’s been out for a while? What do you want to see from them in the future? Share your thoughts below!
*These toys were sent for review from Wicked Cool Toys in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter 
MIRIAM ELASRI replied:
Well I am a serious collector of CPK ‘S especially the original ones.I probably have almost 200 of them. So In my experience of having bought old,used dolls from anywhere I can find them. I can tell you that the synthetic hair on these new ones will probably not hold up very well. It’s the same way the original CPK Cornsilk hair.If you don’t buy one from somebody that took extreme care with it and the cornsilk hair .Then good luck.I have a few that their cornsilk hair couldn’t be saved so i either put a hat on them or a CPK costume.Another thing I never liked were the ones that had the color-changing hair. YUK! My point is-
Of course they look very pretty when you first get them,but we all know it’s not going to that nice 30 years down the road.I’m not saying just stick to the yarn but it works , it last , it’s washable. Xavier Roberts really knew what he was doing! He is sorely missed by those of us that fell in love with his work.
June 29, 2016 at 9:12 pm. Permalink.
kewpie83 replied:
I prefer yarn hair to this more natural looking hair, too, Miriam. But, kids today are so used to the synthetic hair that I understand why most of the dolls have it. The Wicked Cool Toys Team is right in saying that they do offer Classic kids, I just didn’t talk about them, because they weren’t sent for review. 🙂
June 30, 2016 at 7:37 pm. Permalink.
Wicked Cool Toys replied:
Hi Miriam! So glad to hear from an avid CPK collector! Wicked Cool Toys still manufacturers Cabbage Patch Kids with yarn hair! The “vintage” Kids are available at Toys R’ Us, as well as the Cabbage Patch Kids official website: http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com/.
And thank you Ashley for the wonderful blog post!
– The Wicked Cool Toys Team
June 30, 2016 at 9:50 am. Permalink.
kewpie83 replied:
Thanks for checking out my post, Wicked Cool Toys Team! I’m sending the coverage to my contact tonight, so you guys will have the links that way, too. 🙂
June 30, 2016 at 7:35 pm. Permalink.
Beatrix replied:
Love the baby and his legs although I never owned one I do remember the day I first saw the commercial on TV and how captivated I was at the idea of adopting a baby from a cabbage patch. You should check out Selena Esparza’s review of the 18 inch cabbage patch kids on Youtube. Her love of these dolls is infectious and you won’t be able to stop smiling. I hate to be a downer but I did come across a documentary on Youtube that stated Mr. Roberts appropriated the whole concept of the doll from the original artist, Martha Nelson Thomas, who didn’t want to sell them at what she felt was the elevated price he asked for or on that scale as they were a personal creation. She is said to never have been compensated for the riches he got from the doll. While it meant many more people could enjoy the doll credit should be given to the person who first created them, at the very least. I assume the claim is true as the documentary seems genuine. Look up the “Secret History of Cabbage Patch Kids” on Youtube.
July 1, 2016 at 12:57 pm. Permalink.
kewpie83 replied:
Sounds interesting!
July 1, 2016 at 4:31 pm. Permalink.