✿ Cabbage Patch Kids ✿

Cabbage Patch Kids had their heyday in the 1980's, but they've left a lasting impact on the toy market we know today. I had 1 3/4 Cabbage Patch dolls when I was growing up in the 90's... Let me explain: One was part of the "Paintin' Faces" collection which included a selection of stencils and little makeup sticks meant to be used on both your Cabbage Patch Kid and You. I also had a small (what I'm considering 1/2 of the 1 3/4 quantity) CPK that came in a little pink carrying case that opened up to be a nursery, with a rocking horse, a crib/playpen, and a toy box. And last but not least, the 1/4 CPK I had was the blonde figure skater with a teal dress toy from McDonald's. lol.

For some reason I never got a "real" CPK--my childhood definition of that being the dolls with the plastic head, yarn hair, and soft bodies--even though they were so up my alley. But that changed when I became old enough (probably considered too old by some people's standards even though I might have been 10 at the most). I bought my first "real" CPK from a neighbour's garage sale. She wasn't one of the original 1980's dolls, but was probably made sometime in the early 90's. I loved her anyway. (She was donated a long time ago and I hope she's living her best life somewhere now!) She sated whatever that CPK bug was in me for a while, until I began going on the internet and exploring communities in MSN and Yahoo groups and discovered the real-real CPKs: The original soft sculptures.

For a year or so I was part of a very lovely MSN group comprised mostly of older ladies who collected the soft sculpture 'Kids. They would post photos of them on their trips to Babyland General Hospital, where CPKs were first created, or out and about... whatever! In the same way there are now subreddits and FB groups etc. for Squishmallows and Build-A-Bears, the MSN group was like the early social media version of those.

Being in Canada when everything was U.S.-centric (let's be honest, it still is lol) was difficult and meant I had to jump through hoops most 12-year-olds don't jump through to get my hands on a--very reasonably-priced but still expensive for a preteen--soft sculpture CPK. But I did it! One of my parents' friends helped me navigate eBay and let me use their account, and at last I had a real "softie"! I probably annoyed those kind ladies with how much I talked about her or shared photos, but they were, every one of them, thoroughly patient and kind with me.

I loved it in that group and was devastated when my mother made me leave because of her own fear of the internet. However, before I left, it helped me to realize it was okay to like dolls or collect things no matter how old you were, and those ladies will always have a special little place in my heart. :')

Yvonne Betty - 1984 Purple Edition Soft Sculpture

This is she!! The softie!!

I was delighted when going through old things to find a CD of scanned images (yes, these were taken on a film camera, developed, and then scanned so I could upload them to the MSN group!) containing the earliest (~2004) and best photos of Yvonne.

She came from Pennsylvania to live with me in 2004 and has been here ever since with no plans to travel any time soon. Her Xavier Roberts signature stamp is a blue-green colour.

Over the years, Yvonne was a solid little bestie. She weathered some awful mental health stuff with me and helped me get through it. She used to be a bed buddy frequently, but for years now she's sat in a little rocking chair either on the stairs or in my room, watching over all the plushies. I'm so grateful to have her and like to change up her outfits based on the seasons.


Popcorn and a movie


I... don't know. I just don't know lol


Yvonne in 2023 <3

Play-Along 'Kids

Coming Soon!