These pants are the bane of my A-type personality. It’s VERY difficult to differentiate one pair of jeans from the other. Jeans are never tagged. Some of the factory differences are VERY subtle. It’s also hard to find correct information as you have to get it from a MIB kid to know the jeans are correct. Jeans can be switched out so easily and it’s done frequently.
As a consequence, this section is rather sparse. Here’s what I know.
OK Factory Jeans Characteristics
Tend to be shorter than other pants but not always
Why know how to identify the factory of an outfit #10 shirt, after all, they’re tagged! But, what if you can’t see the tag in the picture? What if it’s been cut off?
Version 1: A thin cotton t-shirt material. Known factories: OK Version 2: A thicker synthetic material. Known factories: P, PMI, LF, IJ, WW
In general, Version 2 tends to be larger (physically) than Version 1.
OK (top) vs. PMI (bottom)OK (top) vs P (bottom)
Foreign Shirts
I don’t know much about the shirts that come with the foreign outfits except for Jesmar outfits.
Jesmar shirts are sometimes solidly coloured but are generally striped. However, the colours are not always ways and [insert colour here]. I also have one shirt recorded that’s white with small polka dots. They are often a very thin fabric, are badly sewn with very thin hems, and have unfinished bottom hems. Some also have typical Jesmar Velcro.
Other Outfits
The shirt for the 25th Anniversary Windbreaker outfit likely doesn’t have a tag in it. It will be purple and white. However, I can’t confirm this as I’ve never actually seen it myself. This is the only girl’s 25th Anniversary outfit I don’t own.
The shirt for outfit #100 is blue and white striped and the most obvious difference from outfit #10 shirt is the red CPK logo on the chest.
The majority of CPK windbreaker jackets from outfit #10 aren’t tagged. If the jacket gets separated from the original outfit, it can be difficult to tell which shirt/jeans go with it. The shirts are tagged. So, if you can figure out the jacket’s factory, you can match it to the right shirt.
You can use the following characteristics to help determine which factory made a jacket.
Keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive. It is only based on what I can confirm as of publication. I always appreciate getting new or conflicting information.
Hem Elastic
There are two types of hems: exposed elastic and enclosed elastic.
Exposed elastic is visible and is attached using two lines of sewing. Known factories: OK, IJ
Enclosed elastic isn’t visible. It is enclosed in jacket fabric. It is a large strip of elastic, which is only sewn into the jacket at either end. Known factories: P, PMI, KT, LF
Exposed ElasticEnclosed Elastic
Zippers
All Coleco zippers are plastic with a metal pull, and most have KKK on the zipper pull. I have found VKK on some P factory zippers, but not all. If you have another zipper on your jacket, it is likely from a foreign factory (See below) or is aftermarket
KKK Zipper PullVKK Zipper Pull
CPK Logo
The logo seems to vary the most. There are two basic versions. One sits at almost 90 degrees from the zipper and bottom hem. The other is at more of an angle/curve.
Logo at 90 degreesLogo at different curve/angle
The logos also come in varying sizes and shades of green. In some cases, they just look a bit different. Here are the logos that I have identified so far.
OK factory logoPMI factory logoP factory logoKT factory logoLF factory logoIJ factory logo
Foreign outfits
Jesmar: The logo is different. It has a shadow outline and is smaller than the OK one. It is applied quite far from the zipper. These jackets tend to be very thin fabric. The zipper pull is a different shape.
Lily Ledy: These jackets seem to come with a zipper or button closure or no closure system at all. For jackets with a zipper, the pull is very distinctive in shape.
Triang Pedigree: These jackets have a wide white zipper but the pull itself is silver metal.
Tsukuda: According to my records, Tsukuda jackets close with velcro. I would like to confirm this.
Special thanks to Andrea’s Cabbie-kids for some of the previous pictures and information.
Other Information
> In the only two examples of KT windbreaker outfits that I have, the tag is in the jacket, not the shirt. So, if you get a shirt without a tag, it must be KT.
> One 25th Anniversary outfit was the windbreaker outfit. It’s purple. Here is a comparison of the PA windbreaker versus a Coleco OK jacket.
PA vs Coleco OKPA vs Coleco OK
> Outfit #100 is a windbreaker outfit. The most obvious and unmistakable difference in the jacket is the lack of a logo. The outfit tag is in the jacket, not the shirt.
I’ve completed the sleeper set; my first completed set! Meet my little dreamers.
My first, and probably only ever, complete outfit set!
The Sleeper outfit (#2) is one of the original 1983 Series outfits and has the least number of letters used in the clothing codes. It is the ‘easiest’ to collect all the different versions. Although I have a few that are recorded as being produced by two factories, I have decided that my ‘set’ is complete with one example of each letter. (AKA, one of each colour)
As this outfit was only produced for one year, and I am an A-type personality, I wanted to make sure the kids and the clothing matched. Therefore, the majority of these kids are 1983 bald kids, and the clothing factory matches the doll’s factory. It took me quite some time to find the last kid, Walker. I’ve had his sleeper for over a year!
Outfits may look the same, but take a closer look. There may be more differences than you thought.. Learn more about WHY I want to record all the factory variations when it comes to CPK outfits.
You get a new outfit, and you wander over to Hilary’s Cabbage Patch Clothes Closet to see if it’s already been recorded. You look at the spreadsheet. Yep! The red and white gingham dress is already there.
But wait! You’ve only looked at the description. You still need to check the factory! What if the one you have was made by a different factory? This is important!
“But why?”, you ask. Well, this is why.
I have four swing dresses that look almost identical but were all made by different factories and use three different clothing codes. How can I record all of the outfits if I don’t know how many factories made each outfit?
The WW and SS factory dresses are 1Q. The PMI dress is 1S. The P dress is 1G.
I have noted in the past that letters P, Q, and R have the primary factory SS and tend to replicate previous letters in pattern/style/colour. In this case, the swing dress PMI letters S and T have as many as six different patterns/looks for only two letters. It’s a mess! To learn more about the multiple PMI dresses, visit PTP: An abundance of patterns – PMI swing dresses.
This may explain why they all look almost the same, but more importantly, how do you tell them apart?
Differences
The lace on the sleeves of the PMI dress is gathered. None of the other versions have this.
The PMI dress is sewn with red thread (to match the dress). The others are all done with white thread.
The SS dress has elastic in the sleeves. The others don’t.
The fabric of the collar of the WW dress is lighter, not as heavy/thick as the other three.
The width, fabric weight, and shade of red of the ribbons vary by factory, although this may also be fabric lot variability.
How wide the lace at the sleeves is varies by the factory.
The WW dress has a Taiwanese silk label. The others are China factories.
By knowing the factory of the dress, you can determine if it’s potentially original to the doll and/or what factory the doll may be.
The Mystery Dress
I have a 5th dress, but this one is different from the others. I can’t remember where I got it from, and for some reason, I had originally labelled it WS. Based on the Velcro, I would label it WS. However, it has no tag. It doesn’t look like a tag was ever removed.
Is it a factory fluke? Is it handmade? Is it an aftermarket copy? Is there some other explanation?
Although very similar to the others, it has some significant differences too.
For the most part, it is the same size, pattern, and fabric. It even has a silk label, but . . .
The silk tag looks odd, not like any of the others.
The collar isn’t white, it’s the dress’s gingham pattern.
The ribbon is made of actual ribbon, not fabric.
There is no ‘flap’ of fabric at the V of the collar.
The sleeves have elastic (similar to the SS dress, but unlike any of the others).
The sewing was done by machine, but the finishing is slightly different from all the others.
I believe this to be an amazing handmade replica of a classic Swing Dress. What do you think?
They’re mistake gives us another opportunity see behind the scenes of outfit production.
A few months ago Stephania Blum found a rather unique and interesting outfit and I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to see it. Although Coleco outfits are generally well made using good materials, sometimes weird stuff crops up.
She figures they accidentally used the beginning or end of a fabric roll to make the blouse area of this Frilly dress (4L CC).
Another collector, Laura Fulton, ran it through Google Translate.
After some research, the text seems to say the following:
Trueran – a type of poplin fabric; can be dyed White: colour Shanghai, China: location it was produced, perhaps? Shanghai is on the coast of the East China Sea and producers would have had easy access to the ports there. (Update Note: Google translate didn’t quite get it right, the word Lixi is not there. Special Thanks to Kylie Redfern for the new information)
This is a CC factory outfit so it never came on a kid. It’s just a fluke that they used the fabric in such as way that it was completely legible!
This cat is lounging where it shouldn’t be! Any theories?
. . . and this one is VERY odd! (Update: Mystery solved below)
Has anyone ever seen a cat patch on a denim romper? This is a boxed 1983 OK factory kid in a 1983 denim romper (see Beneficial Buttons for more info) with a random cat patch on it. This outfit does NOT come with a patch on it! (See PTP: Plentiful Patches Pt. 1) The owner said she got him like this.
Update: Mystery mostly solved! This little man is Jesmar and that makes all the sense! Jesmar did some rather weird stuff with their outfits. For details, visit Jesmars and J Clothing . Now, why someone at the Jesmar factory decided to do it . . .who knows?
Special thanks to Amy London for bringing this kid to my attention and providing the picture.
Sometimes the fabric an outfit is made out of can give you an idea about where it was made.
Do you have an outfit made from an unusual fabric? What does it mean?
From experience, I’ve noted that from 1983 to 1984, certain factories used specific fabrics for some outfits. This means that if an outfit is made from a certain fabric, you’ll have some idea of what factory/place may have made it.
I’m sorting this list in two ways; first by fabric type, second by outfit. The first group had more than one or two outfits made with it. Please note, I’m not an expert in fabrics, so if I’ve used the wrong term/label please let me know!
This fabric was used by all Taiwanese factories for the Corduroy Suit (#5), Ruffled Overalls (#12), and preemie Sailor Romper (#14).
Chinese vs. TaiwaneseChinese vs. TaiwaneseTaiwanese vs. ChinesePhotos courtesy of Lynn Finley and Jodi Isaacs.
Soft Felt-like Material
This fabric was used by Taiwanese IC and WW factories for the Corduroy Suit (#5), and Elephant Romper (#7). NOTE: WW factory outfit from the 1983 series are HTF.
Photos courtesy of Sarah Bensette-Renaud and Sherri Evans Downey.
I believe that this fabric was only used by the OK factory for the Elephant Romper (#7), however, I have a very limited sample size. It was also used for Jesmar Preemie bunny outfits.
Photos courtesy of Gia Levato and Jennifer Pelfrey.
NOTE: Velveteen was used for other outfits too, but they are later outfits and it wasn’t factory or outfit indicative.
Heavy Canvas fabric
This fabric was used by some Jesmar factories for Swing dresses and Yoke dresses.
Pictures courtesy of Jennifer Pelfrey.
BY OUTFIT
Striped Jogging Suit (#18) – Most of them have cotton material at the arms and legs. However, some are made with a silkier, thicker, more synthetic material. This fabric was used by the P, PMI, LF, and IJ factories (that I know of).
USA FactoryPMI FactoryPhotos courtesy of Sarah Bensette-Renaud and Jodi Isaacs.
31 Tracksuit (#8) – Taiwanese material is not very fuzzy and is very thin.
USA Pinafore Dress – The pinafore section of these dresses is a very thin cotton, almost translucent.
Photos courtesy of Jodi Isaacs.
Fake jean cotton fabric – This was only used for Jesmar Denim Rompers.
Jesmar Tights – Rather than the regular silky cotton material, some Jesmar tights are made of a more knitted type fabric. They were generally short and did not fit well.
Although many Hong Kong outfits are exactly the same as their later counterparts, there are some differences. What are they?
Cabbage Patch Kids were produced in Hong Kong for a short time before production was moved to mainland China. This seems to be well known, but no sources I can find tell us exactly when production moved or how long it lasted in Hong Kong.
Dolls produced in Hong Kong are generally considered to be of higher quality with thicker hair, nicer complexions, and well-made clothes. A double Hong Kong kid has “Made in Hong Kong” on both their neck and their body tag. A triple Hong Kong kid also has it on their clothing tag. For pictures, visit here.
When production shifted to China, it seems that the factories were able to continue acquiring most of the materials they had been using in Hong Kong, but not all. For some outfits, there are some clear differences between the Hong Kong version and the later Chinese one.
In most cases, the differences are slight. The pattern may be slightly different, or the colour is a shade darker.
China vs HK Portrait dress pattern
China (upper) vs. HK Yoke dress
Hong Kong Frilly Dress, 4C Courtesy of Angela Jaquith Bellamy
China Frilly Dress, 4C
HK Bubble Romper, 9B Courtesy of Chris Hansing Tallman
China Bubble Romper, 9B Courtesy of Heidi Feridanad
Stand Outs
In other cases, there are extreme differences that make these outfits stand out. In each of these cases, we cannot definitively attribute the difference to being a Hong Kong outfit. These could also be VERY early outfits that came before the final version was decided upon. However, in each case (except the Ducky Dress), I do not have any examples of HK outfits that do not carry these characteristics. Do you?
Button Ducky Dresses: Early Hong Kong Ducky Dresses came with buttons, not Velcro closures, and are structurally different. Visit #11 Ducky Dress for details.
Hong Kong Jean Rompers: The only example of an HK version of this outfit that I’ve seen came with metal fasteners, unlike the later plastic buttons.
Courtesy of Jamie Osterbuhr.
Hong Kong Ruffled Overalls: I’ve seen only two HK examples of this outfit, and both came with metal snap closures, not plastic buttons, at both the straps and the inside leg seam.
12C KT HK, Snaps
12K OK, Velcro
12C Courtesy of Grace Jones.
Hong Kong Striped Jogging Suits: I’ve seen only two HK versions of this outfit, both owned by the same person, who bought them from two different people. Both tops (which have the HK tag) have small patches on the collar. We can assume they weren’t attached by the previous owners as this would be a highly unlikely coincidence. So, is this specific to HK versions of this outfit? More examples are needed to know.
HK Striped Jogging Suits, Courtesy of Carey Reiss Jarchow.
Regular Striped Jogging Suit
Finally, and just to make things even more complicated, there may have been factory differences amongst Hong Kong outfits! These two early Ducky Dresses, both marked 11D, are from different factories and are obviously different colours.
11D KT HK, Courtesy of Jamie Osterbuhr.
11D OK HK, Courtesy of Michelle LeRoux.
Interestingly, outfits with clear buttons are also considered to be ‘early’ and were only produced in 1983. Clear buttons were used on HK outfits, but clearly not all of them. When did they switch to clear buttons on outfits like the Ruffled Overalls and Jean Romper? For details on the button debate visit Beneficial Buttons.
Do you have any HK outfits that are slightly different than their later counterparts?
Sailor Suits (#20) are made of heavy cotton fabric, almost jean heavy. They all are. Sometimes the fabric is slightly different, Taiwan vs. China, but it’s still a heavy cotton material. Right?
Apparently not. Recently, I acquired a Sailor Suit made of thin cotton material, similar to the material used in the 1983 dresses. It’s hard to see the difference in the picture, but it’s there.
Regular vs Odd
Regular vs Odd
Top: Odd, Bottom: KT
The accent cord appears to be different as well.
However, everything else is the same. Same patch, same structure, same sizing . . . even the same tag! That’s right, it’s tagged KT factory.
Why?
My only theory is that they ran out of fabric but wanted to continue production. They grabbed another red material that they had handy from making other outfits and continued the run. Another factory fluke.
What do you think? What else could have caused this to happen? Have you ever seen something similar?
