Signature Colours/Years (on bum)

Cabbage Patch Kids were copyrighted in 1978 and 1982, but mass-market dolls were not sold until 1983. Each year Coleco, and then later companies changed the colour of the signature. This means you can figure out a doll’s year of manufacture/sale by knowing the company that made it and then looking at their bum.

Coleco
Hasbro
Mattel
Toys R’Us
Play Along
JAKKS Pacific
Wicked Cool Toys

Several excellent sites list CPK signature colours. However, I recently acquired a large number of PA and JP dolls which has allowed me to fill in some holes. Consequently, I’ve duplicated some work done by Diana’s Patch, Ref #3 (p. 23 -27) and others, but I have also added information. I will update this list as I get dolls that fill in the holes.

Coleco (1983-1989)

Signature on the bum of a 1983 cabbage patch. It is black.
1983 (Black)
Signature on the bum of a 1984 cabbage patch. It is green with out a date.
1984 – Green without date (earlier)
Signature on the bum of a 1984 cabbage patch. It is green with a date.
1984 – Green with the date (later)
Signature on the bum of a 1984 foreign cabbage patch kid. It is black with the date.
1984- Preemies and Foreign kids
Signature on the bum of a 1985 cabbage patch kid. It is blue.
1985 – blue
Signature on the bum of a 1985 AA cabbage patch kid. It is black.
1985 – Black on some AA kids
Signature on the bum of a 1986 cabbage patch kid. It is red or dark pink.
1986 – Red/ Dark Pink
Signature on the bum of a 1987 cabbage patch kid. It is aqua.
1987 – Aqua
Signature on the bum of a 1988 cabbage patch kid. It is purple.
1988 – Purple
Signature on the bum of a 1989 cabbage patch kid. It is light pink or rose coloured.
1989 – Light pink/ rose .
1989 – Early Designer Line Kids

Hasbro (1990-1994)

  1. Mauve– 1990 (transitional) – Mauve
  2. Teal – 1991 (transitional)
  3. Royal Blue – 1992
  4. Forest Green – 1993
  5. Burgundy – 1994 .

Mattel (1995-2001)

  • 1995 – Purple
Signature on the bum of a 1996 cabbage patch kid. It is green.
1996- Pine Green
1996 – Olympi Kids
  • 1997 – Blue-Grey
  •                Grey – Keepsake Collection
  • 1998 –  Maroon, Black (15th Anniversary) .

Toys R’Us (2001-2004)

The First year that TRU’s were produced, their side tags were embroidered in gold. The rest of the years were purple.

2001 – Dark purple
2002 – Dark Green
2003 (Spring) – Hot Pin
2003 – Silver (20th Anniversary Kids)

2005 – Forest Green (Fantasy Edition)

Signature on the bum of a 2003 20th Anniversary cabbage patch kid. It is dark pink.
2003 (Fall) – Hot Pink
2004 – Dark Blue (Pet and Sleepover Edition)

2005 (Fall) – Glittery blue (Holiday Edition)

Information gleaned from the TRU Cabbage Patch Kids Facebook page in this photo album.

Play Along (2004-2009)

These signatures followed the same colour pattern as the Coleco signatures until 2006.

Signature on the bum of a 2004 cabbage patch kid. It is black.
2004 – Kids and AVON Babies
Signature on the bum of a 2005 cabbage patch kid. It is green.
2005 – Green
Signature on the bum of a 2006 cabbage patch kid. It is blue.
2006 – Blue
Signature on the bum of a 2007 cabbage patch kid. It is red.
2006 – Red
Signature on the bum of a 2008 25th Anniversary cabbage patch kid. It is black.
2007 – Dark Pink
Signature on the bum of a 2008 cabbage patch kid. It is black.
2008 – Black.

JAKKS Pacific (2009-2014)

Signature on the bum of a 2009 cabbage patch kid. It is purple.
2009 – Purple

2010 – UNKNOWN

Signature on the bum of a 2011 cabbage patch kid. It is aqua.
2011 – Aqua
Signature on the bum of a 2012 cabbage patch kid. It is orange.
2012 – Orange
Signature on the bum of a 2013 cabbage patch kid. It is celery green.
2013 – Celery Green .
2014 – Blue

Wicked Cool Toys (2014 – Present)

2015 – UNKNOWN

2016 – Hot pink
2017 – Red

2018 – Current