Hilary's Cabbage Patch Clothes Closet
Learning about 1980's Cabbage Patch Kid clothing.
Hilary Clause is making sure the stocking are hung with care, and Brekke Elf is placing the gifts just so. From all of us (all 294 of us) to all of you, we wish you a safe, healthy, and fun holiday season.
These outfits are the same as the 190s outfits and yet not. What makes these BBB outfits different?
For general information on Babies, visit Babies – A Summary
1st BBB Outfits – Pt. 1 – 190s
The 1st BBB outfits came out in 1986 on Babies. (The 6- in their clothing codes indicate the date they came out. For details, visit Tag Codes Continued: A 2nd Theory.) However, I do wonder if the outfits in this series (#199 – #203) may have been a secondary set produced or designed after the 190s. These outfits all have a few oddities about them.
I have recorded four outfits in the 200s, and all are in this series of outfits, plus #199. I believe #199 belongs in this group because, it is separated from the 190s series by the missing #198, unusual code letters were produced for it, and it is very difficult to find. Additionally, none of the recorded #199 outfits were manufactured by the WS factory, and the 200s outfits don’t appear to have been manufactured by the WS factory, just the SS and AF factories.
The primary factory for these outfits is the SS factory.
Each Baby comes with a footie outfit, a bonnet, a white felt diaper, and a blanket. The blanket trim matches the dominant colour of the outfit.
As I am including outfit #199 in this series (as well as the 190s), there are five outfits in this series. I have assigned outfit names, as I am unaware of any conventionally accepted ones. I think there are between four and eight versions of each outfit.
Like the 190s series, in general, the letters in the clothing code (A – G) are associated with a specific colour. For example, if you have an A, the outfit will be mint green no matter the outfit number. However, there are some odd situations, even more than in the 190s Series. (See the chart below.)
A – Mint Green D – Baby Pink G- Peach
B – Baby Blue E- Yellow
C – Purple F- White
My goal is to record every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of the outfits in this series that I have recorded. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to What are Clothing Tag Codes? and Factories and Companies
If you have an outfit that is not recorded here, I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.
Of the ‘additional’ letters J, N, P, and Q, I have only recorded one outfit per letter. (UPDATE May 2022: A second Q outfit has been located.) For H, I have two, #196 and #201. I have no idea why these random additional letters were produced. I don’t know if they produced these letters for all the outfits or just a few.
I have recorded AF (Thailand) produced outfits for only #200 and #203. Incidentally, these are also the most difficult to find of the 200s outfits. Were they produced by the SS factory? If not, why not? Do you have an SS version of one of these outfits? It seems many of the 190s series were made by the AF factory, but I’m not sure how many yet.
I cannot see any consistent factory variations. If you observe any, please, let me know.
> HTF Info: Outfit #200 appears to be the hardest to find. Then outfit #203.
> The ribbon in these outfits can be easily removed and replaced. Refer to the Babies summary post for additional information on cleaning and care.
> Fun fact: Prototype versions of these outfits can be found in the 1986 Coleco Catalogue, p. 86 & 87. None of these outfits were actually produced.
Experience the generosity of the amazing people from around the world who collect CPK’s as we play Grateful Gifts BINGO!
I am eternally grateful for all my cabbie friends and those who support my fabulous hobby. During this holiday season, I am reflecting on all the wonderful cabbie-related gifts I have received during my time collecting.
For each square, I will tell a story; can you? Stories can be about gifts you’ve received or gifts you’ve given.
I will be posting twice a week on Hilary’s Facebook page between now and the New Year. Join the group and experience the generosity of cabbie collectors.
Can you get 3 in a row? Can you get an X? Can you get a blackout (all 9)?
Download/save the bingo card and play yourself!
I’d love to see your stories. If you like you can post your responses on FB at Hilary’s Cabbage Patch Clothes Closet, post under my post (when I finish a square), or post on your timeline and share it with Hilary’s Cabbage Patch Clothes Closet.
However, you may post your squares in any order you like at any time.
Feel free to share this bingo card with your cabbie friends.
Today we honour all those who fight for our freedom.
Links for the photographs used in the picture:
Peacekeepers: https://www.hilltimes.com/2020/05/11/the-need-to-revive-canadian-peacekeeping-missions/247212
Funeral Service: http://data2.archives.ca/ap/a/a136820.jpg
Serving in Korea: https://www.macleans.ca/news/world/remembering-korea-roy-jardine/#gallery/roy-jardine/slide-1
Standing in Remembrance: https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2020/02/12/canadian-military-wants-to-attract-women-recruits-by-shortening-tightening-its-uniform-skirts/
Guys dining out: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156332841871612&set=a.10150266952286612&type=3
These outfits were made in Thailand . . .what the heck? (Extensive revisions made Nov 2021)
So far I have found six different outfits that have the AF factory and were Made in Thailand, all of them 1986 BBB outfits. The outfits in the 190s have the AF factory label, the 200s outfits do not. I’m not sure why. For my speculations, visit 1st BBB Outfits – Pt. 2 – 200s. For a list of known manufacturing locations, visit Factories and Companies.
Based on the look of the tag and the 6- in the code, I believe that these outfits were manufactured in 1986 with the rest of the outfits, or very soon thereafter.
So many questions! To see which AF outfits have been discovered, visit 1st BBB Outfits – Pt. 1 – 190s and 1st BBB Outfits – Pt. 2 – 200s.
Have you seen any other outfits Made in Thailand?
Special thanks to Sarah Ransom and Zoe Milburn for assisting with pictures and information about these outfits
Every baby will be snug and warm in these beautiful knit outfits, the first produced for Coleco’s Babies.
For general information on Babies, visit Babies – A Summary
This series of outfits came out in 1986 on the first Babies. (The 6- in their clothing codes indicate the date they came out. For details, visit Tag Codes Continued: A 2nd Theory.) They were made by the SS, WS, and AF factories. There doesn’t appear to be a primary factory for this series. Also, I’m unsure if all three factories produced all of the outfits but there’s a chance that most were produced by the WS and SS factories. I’m not sure about the AF factory.
Each Baby comes with an outfit with footies, a bonnet, a white felt diaper, and a blanket. The blanket trim matches the dominant colour of the outfit.
There are eight outfits in this series. I have assigned outfit names as I am unaware of any conventionally accepted ones. I think there are between six and eight versions of each outfit.
Unlike other series, in this series, the letters in the clothing code (A – G) are associated with a specific colour. For example, if you have an A, the outfit will be mint green no matter the number. Well, mostly . . . keep reading.
A – Mint Green D – Baby Pink G- Peach
B – Baby Blue E- Yellow
C – Purple F- White
There are some differences between the letters H, N, P, and Q.
Outfits #196 & #197 – It is the only two outfits with the letter H, and they’re both blue. I haven’t located a letter B (also normally blue) for outfit #196 so I wonder if this H was produced to replace B, which for some unknown reason was not produced? Do you have a blue 196B?
Outfit #199 – This is the only outfit, so far, that has the letters N, P, and Q. It is odd in several ways. I haven’t recorded many of this outfit, odd code letters have been used, and it’s a mimic of another outfit in the same series. Is it possible that this outfit belongs to PT 2, the 200s series? There is no #198, so maybe the 190s (PT. 1) went from #191 – #197, and Pt. 2 started at #199. For more information visit 1st BBB Outfits Pt. 2 – The 200s.
My goal is to record every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of the outfits in this series that I have recorded. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to What are Clothing Tag Codes? and Factories and Companies
If you have an outfit that is not recorded here, I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.
I cannot see any consistent factory variations. The SS factory may have used darker richer yarn colours, but that could also be the light when the pictures were taken in or a change in the batch of yarn being used. Collector Zoe Milburn noted that the WS yarn is somewhat itchier/scratchy than the SS and AF yarns (Messanger, Dec 2021). If you observe any others, please, let me know.
The 670s series is what I call a ‘mimic series’ as many of the 670s outfits look similar to those in the 190s series. It came out in 1987.
> HTF Info: White (F) is either the most difficult colour to find, or not all of them were produced. In general, outfit #199 is the most difficult to find.
> The ribbon in these outfits can be easily removed and replaced. Refer to the Babies summary post for additional information on cleaning and care.
> Fun fact: Prototype versions of these outfits can be found in the 1986 Coleco Catalogue, p. 86 & 87. None of these outfits were actually produced as we see here, although the yellow looks quite a bit like outfit #191.
May your kids get all the candy they can eat!
These lovely outfits were all made by Holly Walls. The ghosts even glow in the dark! The girls are loving them and the candy of course.
May your kids get all the candy they can eat!
Happy Halloween!
Coleco kept your kid in step with the current fashions of the 80’s by offering gorgeous (and warm) fur outfits. Is yours a CPK original, or an aftermarket attempt?
If you have an ‘unidentified’ fur, there are four options:
This specialty line didn’t have different head moulds, hairstyles, gimmicks or anything else related to the doll that was different. The only difference was the fur outfit they wore over top of their ‘regular’ clothes and shoes.
Sold in late 1984 and into 1985, these kids were ONLY sold in Canada. They came standing up in a box with a blue liner, a regular Canadian birth certificate, and hand-tag. When they first came out, Coleco advertised them as ‘standing kids’, which they weren’t! Some collectors were rather upset at the deception. Although they sold well in the beginning, sales trailed off quickly which was ironic, as these fur outfits were one of the only truly limited edition items that Coleco ever produced! (Ref #5, p. 63) By Oct 1987, they were already considered rare by collectors. (Ref #4, p. 3)
These dolls had head moulds #1 to #5. (Ref #5, p. 83) and came wearing a regular 1983 series outfit and shoes; however, over top was a fur coat, fur booties, and either a fur headband or a fur hat. As the fur pieces are not tagged in ANY way, we have no idea which factory produced them, and they are easy to confuse with aftermarket or homemade fur outfits.
They came in four different fur patterns. The Canadian Beaver outfit had a hat and came on boys. The Canadian Lynx, Silver Fox, and Timber Wolf patterns came with headbands and came on girls.
The outfits also came separately packaged, but again, they were only sold in Canada.
Eventually, like the Fun Furs below, these were found on twins when Coleco was getting rid of inventory. However, this was very rare. You’re a lot more likely to find Fun Furs on a twin set than Coutour Furs. Visit The Perfect Mismatch (Matching Pt. 2) for more details. (Ref#3, p.103)
(Ref#3, p. 102 & 103, Ref#2, p.68)
Fun Furs started showing up on store shelves in 1985 and, originally, only came separately packaged. They were made by the SW factory in Korea.
These furs are easy to identify as they are lined with CPK Logo patterned silk and have a large label at the neck that says Fun Fur. Each outfit came with a coat and either a headband or earmuffs. These outfits were intended only for girls, none were designed for boys.
Although there are only six displayed on the back of the box, I think they produced more than that. I have recorded outfits that aren’t in the picture, and I can’t find the dark grey version that is in the picture. Here’s what I have recorded so far:
Eventually, like with so many other specialty outfits, in order to get rid of unsold inventory, Fun Furs were put on Twin sets. It is believed that most of them were sold on Canadian Twin sets. For more details on the inventory sell-off, visit The Perfect Mismatch (Matching Pt. 2).
There were a large number of CPK sized fur outfits produced by other companies during the 80s and early 90s. Some even tried to duplicate the label inside the coat. Here are some examples.
Talented seamstresses also tried their hand at creating these delightful additions to a CPK’s wardrobe. Many used Butterick pattern #374, which was later re-released as #6984.
The smallest of the Coleco kids, Babies have a wide range of adorable outfits to choose from! Find out about BBB’s, their clothing and its care.
General Information
BBB Pacifiers
BBBs and Vinyl Discolouration (Pox)
BBB Clothing Series Summary List
Twin BBB Outfit
BBB or Preemie . . . that is the question
Transitional and Hasbro Outfits
Care of BBB outfits
These 11” dolls were called Babies by Coleco, but most collectors call them Beany Butt Babies or BBB for short. They are the smallest of the Coleco dolls and have bags of ‘beans’ in their bum or tummy. If the bag is in the bum, there is stuffing on top at the neck.
Babies were manufactured by Coleco from 1986 – 1989 and then by Hasbro until 1992. (Ref. #2, p. 14) Early accounts indicate that they sold very well (Ref. #4, May 1986, p.5)
Babies’ boxes are quite different from the other Coleco boxes. The doll itself is laid down on its side, so the box is longer than it is tall. The look of the boxes, where the birth certificate was displayed, and the look of the birth certificate changed over time.
Babies were made predominately by the WS and SS factories. I have seen only two BBBs that were made by the P factory. This may have been a factory mistake, but I have no way of knowing.
Coleco made bald Babies with head moulds 1,3,4, and 6. (Ref. #1, p. 97)
Hasbro later used additional head moulds for their kids. Some of their kids had tufts of hair and they had a wider variety of eye colours and skin tones.
Keep in mind that as Hasbro took over from Coleco some rather strange combinations of kids, outfits and boxes occured. For more information visit Transitional Period CPK Outfits – A Summary.
The pacifiers used by BBBs are significantly different from the original yellow pacifiers. They are made of softer vinyl and are generally translucent. They have a flatter ring for the hand, and the projection for the mouth is shaped differently.
The early pacifiers were the same yellow colour, but later pacifiers came out in a wide variety of colours to match the doll’s outfit. Like the originals, they are marked with the factory, but it is on the flat disc portion. These pacifiers are also used for some transitional Toddlers and for Hasbro Preschoolers.
Finally, Furskin pacifiers look similar to BBB pacifiers, but the mouth protuberance is larger in diameter.
Unfortunately, early SS factory kids are very likely to have developed or to develop vinyl discolouration. They have the dubious honour of being known as the worst for this, as the type of pox they get is generally darker and often more prolific than P factory kids.
BBB pacifiers, because they are made of vinyl, can also get pox. Unfortunately, zit cream treatment doesn’t seem to work very well on them.
For details on vinyl discolouration and how to treat it, visit Hilary’s How-to Videos.
There’s a large catalogue of BBB outfits that were created from 1986 to 1989+.
A: 1986 Knit Series Pt 1. (#191 – 199)
B: 1986 Knit Series Pt. 2 (#200 – 204)
C: 1987 Knit and Terry Series (670s – 680s)
D: Bunting Bag Series (#778 – 781) FUTURE POST
E: 1988 Series (850s 0- 860s) FUTURE POST
F: 1989 100s Series (#100 – 109) FUTURE POST
G: Random BBB packaged outfits, 1989 (#129 – 133) FUTURE POST
H: Random 400s Outfits (#400, #401, #404) FUTURE POST.
There is one very special knit BBB outfit that doesn’t have a regular code. You can learn more about it at PTP: The Twin Outfit That Isn’t
In general, we can say that if the outfit has footies, it’s a BBB outfit. However, a few of the transitional preemie outfits did have footies. So, if it seems too big for your BBB, it may be because it’s actually a preemie outfit. For information on preemie outfits, visit Preemie Outfits – An Overview.
Hasbro manufactured Babies until 1992, and the transitional period (1989-1991) BBB clothing is very interesting. Although Hasbro did start to manufacture their own outfits, they also continued to produce some of the Coleco outfits for a time.
There’s evidence that they intended to take some of the Coleco outfits and make them their own. For example, outfit 682 is almost the same as outfit 400. Why are there two of the same outfit? Because outfit 682 is the original Coleco one, and outfit 400 is the one Hasbro created.
Initially, it appears that Hasbro was going to continue coding their outfits but later changed their mind. Outfit 400 was created during this brief period. Instead of using the original Coleco code, they gave it a new one in the 400s. The outfits themselves are almost identical. The biggest difference is in the hat; one has a large fold-over, and the other does not.
Some Hasbro outfits have tags, generally transitional ones, but most don’t have a tag. In this way, we can determine if an outfit is Coleco or Hasbro, even if they look identical.
The majority of BBB outfits are knit or terry cloth. Both of these fabrics should be hand washed to reduce damage to the fibres/yarn. I also suggest that before washing, you put small pieces of Velcro on the ‘sticky’ Velcro pieces to stop new pulls or damage from developing in the wash.
They can be soaked in oxi-clean and washed with regular laundry detergent. I suggest hanging knit outfits to dry.
You can also bring them back to life by ‘defuzzing’ them. A sweater shaver works well for most outfits. You may find you need to do the edges or decorations by hand with your ‘defuzzing’ scissors.
Your sweater shaver will also work on the cotton-based outfits as it will remove the pills and pulls.
For more information on defuzzing outfits visit, Hilary’s How to Videos.
The last of the 500s series outfits, this jogging suit is perfect for enjoying the outdoors or just lounging around the house. Kids can be comfortable anywhere!
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
This outfit consists of a cotton shirt and pants. The shirt has a solid colour tank top style section and a second colour for the sleeves and neck. There is an arched Cabbage Patch Kids patch on the chest. The bottom hem of the shirt feels thinner and less ‘finished’ than the other hems.
The pants are in two sections. The top half is a third solid colour and has a sort of ruffle at the bottom. They look a bit like shorts. The remainder of the leg is the same colour as the sleeves.
This outfit came exclusively on dolls designated as being a ‘boy’.
This outfit came with blue striped sneakers.
Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. If it is found later on a kid or in a package, it’s likely because the company was using up old stock.
My goal is to find every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of each version of this outfit that I have. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to these posts: 1st Blog – Why do this project?, What are Clothing Tag Codes?, Factories and Companies
If you have an outfit that is not recorded here, I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.
It appears that some of the shirts may have come with more than one pair of overalls. This is a problem because it’s the shirts that have the information tag. This could mean that there’s more than one version of some letters. (FB Conversation, May 2020)
Although this outfit was produced by at least three different factories, I cannot find any obvious factory variations.
#8 – 31 Track Suit: Although it does not look very similar it is very easy to confuse the pants for this outfit with the pants for outfit 518. In some cases, it almost looks like they could be swapped out!
> Fun fact: Prototype versions of this outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue, p. 4 and the JC Penny Christmas Catalogue, p. 4. The blue, grey, and white version was never produced; however, the red, gold, and teal version looks a lot like the PMI outfit! In addition, they have iron-on transfers, not embroidered patches for the logos.
