Circus Kids got their own horses in 1986 when the Circus Ponies came out. Did you know their saddles hide a clothing code surprise?
Another surprise addition to the clothing code matrix has been discovered.
There are several CPK horses, and they have been sold by various companies over the years. In 1985, Coleco produced and sold plush horses both with their Western Wear Kids and separately. These horses are called Show Ponies. Then, in 1986, they put out Circus Ponies as part of the Circus Kids line. They are the same plush horses and came in the same Show Pony boxes, except they had a Circus Pony sticker on the window pane. These horses came with different accessories and different birth certificates. Sometimes they came in a white windowless carton instead of the barn-shaped box.
Courtesy of Zopyors.Courtesyof Ref. #3Courtesy of Ref. #3
A Circus Pony came with a bridle with head plume, reversible fringed saddle, and leg warmers. There were only two versions of the saddle produced by the CC factory.
420A: A light pink saddle with dark pink fringe and yellow stars. The reverse side is white with multicoloured polka dots (I think?) The leg warmers are light pink. [I still need pictures if you have one.]
420B: A dark pink saddle with yellow fringe and green polka dots with yellow dots. The reverse side is white with multicoloured square dots. The leg warmers are dark pink.
Photos courtesy of Lisa Rogers.
What’s so interesting is that the saddles are on the clothing matrix! They have the code #420. Now, it’s hard to keep track of, but there are very few items in the 400s. A few transitional Hasbro BBB outfits (400-403), 1988 regular outfits (402-405), and Furskins outfits (430s). That’s it. So, finding these in the 400s is very random.
I wonder what other 400s items we haven’t found yet. After all, we haven’t got anything with the number 440 or higher! Do you?
Fun Facts
It is interesting that the horses were produced by the Korean WJ factory, but the saddles were made at the Chinese CC factory. No code match here! I wonder if all the pieces were made at the same factory.
This is the catalogue picture used by Coleco to advertise the Circus Ponies.
As Hasbro took over production of the Cabbage Patch brand, chaos ensued. Find out what collectors means by ‘transitional’ and how this is reflected in the clothing.
Transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
(Google Dictionary)
In this instance, we’re referring to the transition from Coleco to Hasbro as the manufacturer of the Cabbage Patch brand, 1989 – 1990. This progression, and the chaos it caused, can be seen in the tags used in their clothes. It occurs in five stages.
Stage 1 Tags: 9 – Amsterdam and Gloversville, NY – Coleco
Coleco began using the location Amsterdam, NY, on their tags in late 1987 (I think) and continued until sometime in 1989. Then they switched to Gloversville, NY, the last known Coleco location used on their tags. Consequently, Gloversville tags only occurred in outfits that came out in the first 6-months of 1989. These outfits all have 9 – in front of their outfit code. (See Part 2: The Code Addition for an explanation). Some of the outfits produced in 1989 were designed earlier but weren’t sold until then.
Outfits series sold at this time (that I know of):
The codes in these outfits have the 9 –, indicating they are also from 1989, but they are made by a different company. These tags have a Coleco-like clothing code and factory code but are now listed as being made by Hasbro out of Pawtucket, RI. They introduced a new factory code H101, likely intending the H to indicate Hasbro. This happened because Hasbro bought out Coleco in July of 1989 (Ref#3, p. 176).
Courtesy of Jodi Issacs
Outfits series sold at this time (that I know of):
Following along with the year labelling convention, if 9- is for 1989, then the 0 – would be for 1990. So, these outfits were sold in 1990. However, the tag looks more Hasbro-like than Coleco now. In addition, there are very few outfits with this code. The only outfits produced at this time were the BBB 400s. series (Future Post). These outfits are likely the last of the Coleco designs Hasbro used OR their first attempts at their own designs. My guess is the latter, as all four outfits in this series mimic the look of earlier Coleco-produced outfits.
Stage 4 Tags: Hasbro tag
By this stage, the tags are all Hasbro, and there are no codes on them at all. It appears that, although they considered or tried to keep using the Coleco coding system, they gave it up rather quickly, likely sometime in 1990.
Outfits series sold at this time (that I know of):
Outfits #148, #151
Outfits #116 – #120
Hasbro produced versions of some 800-815 series
Some early Hasbro BBB outfits
Some early Hasbro regular kid outfits (generally a duplicate in some way of a Coleco outfit)
Hasbro Fashions Line – packaged (likely but not confirmed by tag yet)
Courtesy of Jodi IssacsCourtesy of Heather Woodie
Stage 5 Tags: No tag
By 1991, Hasbro was producing their own kids and clothes. None of the outfits are tagged. Some of these lines include Babies (BBBs), Babyland Kids, Poseables (replaced the regular kids), Birthday Kids, Preschoolers, Designer Line Kids and Kissin’ Kids. (Ref#2, p.104))
Although many dolls were sold in these two years, what most collectors refer to as a ‘Transitional doll’ is very specific and quite sought after, as few were produced. These dolls are an amalgam of Hasbro and Coleco parts. One might have a Coleco head, Hasbro body, and Coleco outfit. Or a Coleco body and head, but wear a Hasbro-tagged outfit. There are several possible combinations. (Ref#3, p. 176)
Selling off Coleco Stock
During the Transitional period, you could find odd packages of Cabbage Patch clothing and accessories that were being sold off by Coleco and Hasbro. For example, you might find a Coleco outfit on a Hasbro board and in others, it’s a mishmash of items that don’t belong together on what looks to be an unauthorized board, but isn’t. Hasbro used a variety of avenues to rid themselves of leftover stock. Refer to PTP: Packaged Outfits: Questions and (Some) Answers for more information.
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.
1986 BoxLater Coleco BoxHasbro Box1986 Birth CertificateLater Birth certificateTransitional BC
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.
Transitional Body TagHasbro Body 1Hasbro Body 2Photo courtesy of Zoe Milburn.Courtesy of an eBay ad.Baby found on eBay with a P tag.
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 transitionalToddlers and for Hasbro Preschoolers.
FYI: Not all colours shownFactory codes
Finally, Furskin pacifiers look similar to BBB pacifiers, but the mouth protuberance is larger in diameter.
Furskin vs. BBB pacifiers
BBB’s and Vinyl Discolouration (Pox)
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.
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
Courtesy of Jodi’s Punki Patch.
BBB or Preemie . . . That is the question
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.
Courtesy of Heather Woodie.Courtesy of Jodi’s Punki Patch.
Transitional and Hasbro Outfits
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.
Coleco #682Transitional Hasbro #400#400 pictures courtesy of Sabrina Vanissa Adams.
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.
Care of BBB outfits
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.
BeforeAfterHalf/ Half
Your sweater shaver will also work on the cotton-based outfits as it will remove the pills and pulls.
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
Description
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.
518K OK
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.
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)
Factory Variations
Although this outfit was produced by at least three different factories, I cannot find any obvious factory variations.
Similar Outfits
#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!
Other Information
> 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.
One of the more popular and most frequently replicated boys outfits, these overalls look cute on almost any kid! Who wouldn’t want to have their stuffie friend on their overalls!?
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
Description
This outfit consists of a t-shirt and a pair of overalls. The shirt always has a striped pattern. The overalls are a solid colour with differently coloured piping around the bib, buttons, and leg cuffs. It also has a large brown teddy bear patch with the Cabbage Patch Kid logo on the tummy, in the middle of the chest. This outfit came exclusively on ‘boy’ dolls. This outfit came with blue striped sneakers.
517D
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 was likely because the company was using up old stock.
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)
Factory Variations – none (at this time)
Similar Outfits
Given the large patch on the chest of this outfit, it’s very hard to confuse it with any other outfit. However, if the shirt is separated from the overalls, they could potentially be confused with shirts from other outfits; however, as these shirts are always tagged, so the confusion would be short-lived.
Other Information
> This outfit is one of the most popular 500s outfits. Consequently, it has been replicated by many talented seamstresses. A pattern has even been created and is available from Diana’s Patch on Etsy. Handmade overalls can be ordered (at the time of this update) from Originals By Sue.
Brazil outfit made by Dianne’s Cabbage Patch Finery (custom order) and the others were made by Leanne Tattersall.
> The red overalls (517?) are generally considered very hard to find.
Photo courtesy of Kat Perhouse.
> Fun fact: A prototype version of this outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 3, 16). The shirt isn’t striped like the final version, but the overalls are quite similar!
These babies are ready for a wonderful fall day! Windbreakers, sneakers, and leaves – a great combination!
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
Description
This outfit consists of a t-shirt, a jacket and pants. The t-shirt is white cotton with an arched Cabbage Patch Kids patch front middle. The pants are pin-striped cotton. The jacket is made of windbreaker material with a zipper at the front. The main jacket is one colour and the inserts across the chest and on the sleeves are two other colours. This outfit was sold on dolls identified as boys. This outfit came with blue striped sneakers.
516K OK
It is believed that the outfit did not start being manufactured until 1986, instead of 1985 like most of the others in this series. Consequently, it has a shorter manufacturing time and is harder to find. There’s no known explanation for this. For details, refer back to the summary post. Generally, this outfit came out on kids, but it can also be found packaged. This was likely done during the ‘inventory clean out’ that happened later.
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.
Variations
This outfit was made by the KT and OK factories. I have not recorded one instance where an outfit was made by both factories. I can not see any difference between the outfits made at the KT factory and those made at the OK factory.
Similar Outfits
#10 Windbreaker Outfit: This is part of the 1983 series and was likely the inspiration for this outfit. The major differences include a sold coloured shirt and jeans, not cotton pants.
Packaged windbreaker Outfit – I do not have code information recorded for this outfit. It’s likely from the transitional 100s series.
> Fun fact: A prototype version of this outfit can be seen in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 4). Although very similar, the shirt has a larger transfer on it rather than the usual embroidered patch.
One of the more popular boys outfits, these rompers have such a fun colour scheme, you can help but smile!
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
Description
This outfit consists of a romper that is either striped (heavy denim) or a solid colour (heavy cotton). The front bib is edged in piping and has six decorative buttons. The shirt is made of three solid-coloured sections: the trunk and each sleeve. This outfit came with either regular lace-up shoes or blue striped sneakers. This outfit came exclusively on ‘boy’ dolls.
514K OKSample shirt
Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. We know it was sold later, as it has been found packaged. Packaged Button Romper outfits, and those found on later kids, were likely because the company was using up old stock.
Long-time collectors believe that this outfit only came in the six versions described below. However, 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.
Factory Variations
Only two factories have been recorded producing this outfit, and no factory variations have been noted. Some variation can be seen in the logo patch, but I’m not sure if that’s a factory variation or not.
Similar Outfits
I believe that The Button Romper is most closely related to the original jean romper outfit. However, the button Romper doesn’t come with a hat.
16J OK
Other Information
> Fun fact: A prototype version of this outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 3, 17). As far as I know, this version of this outfit was never produced. The logo patch looks very different too.
Warm and cozy and ready for a romp in the snow! Don’t forget the toque!
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
Description
This outfit consists of a one-piece suit, toque, and scarf. The suit is made of corduroy and has a cotton ruffle that runs from shoulder to shoulder across the front and a matching ruff at the neck. The scarf and hat are knit. The hat generally has a pink pom-pom except for the yellow and purple outfits, which have a matching coloured pom-pom. The scarf is striped by the two colours of the outfit and white. It has a curved Cabbage Patch Kids logo near the fringe.This outfit came with regular lace-up shoes.
513H OK
Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. If it is found on later kids, it was likely because the company was using up old stock.
Long-time collectors believe that this outfit only came in the six versions described below. However, 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.
Factory Variations
There are variations between KT and OK. The KT scarf is longer and has longer fringe. The knitted ruffles on the OK suit are wider and the knit of the OK hat is tighter. The KT had is longer.
As the PMI factory did not make many 500s series outfits, this is the rarest version of this outfit and I do not have one to make any comparisons with.
513S PMI; Picture courtesy of Jodi’s Punki Patch.
Similar Outfits – none
Other Information
> Fun fact: A prototype version of this outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 2). As far as I know, this version of this outfit was never produced.
Ruffled and frilly, this outfit allows for an outdoor adventure while feeling all dressed up.
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
Description
This outfit consists of a shirt, a jacket and pants. The shirt’s solid-coloured cotton with an arched Cabbage Patch Kids patch front middle. The pants are a solid colour or slightly striped cotton. The jackets are made of windbreaker material with a zipper at the front. There are coloured/patterned ruffles that run around from the front and over the shoulders. A matching ruffle is at the armholes. This outfit was sold on dolls identified as girls. This outfit came with striped sneakers.
512A KT – Photo courtesy of Jodi’s Punki Patch
It is believed that the outfit did not start being manufactured until 1986, instead of 1985 like most of the others in this series. Consequently, it has a shorter manufacturing time and is harder to find. There’s no known explanation for this. For details, refer back to the summary post. This outfit only came out on kids. If it’s found packaged, it was done during the ‘inventory clean out’ that happened later.
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.
Variations
This outfit was made by the KT and OK factories. I have not recorded one instance where an outfit was made by both factories. I can not see any difference between the outfits made at the KT factory and those made at the OK factory.
Similar Outfits
#10 Windbreaker Outfit: This is part of the 1983 series and was likely the inspiration for this outfit. The major differences include a sold coloured shirt and jeans, not cotton pants.
> Fun fact: A prototype version of this outfit can be seen in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 5). The most interesting difference is that, in the final design, the logo is no longer on the jacket, it’s on the shirt
Harder to find than the Portrait Dresses, I believe only three versions of this outfit were made. Do you have any?
Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series
Description
This outfit consists of a dress and solid coloured tights. The dress has an arched Cabbage Patch Kids patch in the center of the chest. It changes colour with each version of the outfit. The trunk and skirt are made of fleecy sweatshirt material, and the sleeves and waistband are a different material and striped. I am unsure which type of shoe this outfit came with. It was either Mary Janes or regular lace-ups.
511H
Although the majority of this series came out in 1985, and some are thought to have come out in 1986, this outfit is the oddest of all. It is a mimic version of the original Portrait Dress and sources are unsure when it came out. One source believes it was 1986 (Ref. #3, p. 401); another source lists them as having come out in 1987 (Ref. #4, Vol. 3 Issue 9/10/11, p.7). Either way, it likely wasn’t in production very long and is considered a harder-to-find outfit.
I hypothesize that Coleco found the large CPK doll patch of the Portrait Dresses to be too costly to produce and switched to the logo patch to reduce costs.
I believe that this is a complete list of the versions of this outfit, that only three were produced, and that they were only produced by the OK factory. However, I could be wrong. 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.
