Nov 28 2008
Cabbage Patch Kids Mania
Picture this: you’re 5 years old and all you want is a cabbage patch kid.
Your mom takes you and your baby sister to stand in line at a nearby store selling them. You’re near the front of the line and even to your 5 year old senses the wait isn’t that long.
Along comes the security guard to open up the door and suddenly you and your baby sister in her stroller are ripped away from your mom as the orderly line breaks apart and chaotically surges forward.
Alone, you find your way to the toy section and to 2 completely emptied aisles that were minutes before filled with Cabbage Patch Kids waiting to be adopted. Adults are running around with arms and carts full of dolls. Tears begin to well in your eyes.
In an odd coincidence, earlier today, I recounted this story to John and Blake not realizing until just now that today is the 25th anniversary of that day!
My traumatic story has a somewhat happy ending. After my mom recovered my sister in her stroller she found me in the toy section and we did some shopping for boring adult stuff. She tried explaining to me that no, the people shouldn’t have pushed us; yes, they should have stayed in line; no, it wasn’t fair but that we couldn’t do anything.
While standing in the check out line I must have looked pretty sad as I stared longingly at the lady’s cart in front of us overflowing with cabbage patch kids because the lady gave me one of the dolls from her cart!
Unfortunately, he was a cast-off preemie boy with NO hair and I wanted a regular size girl WITH hair - the lady had lots of those in her cart. But she didn’t give me a choice so I said thank you and took my new preemie home.
My baby boy lived with us for many years, eventually becoming my younger sister’s doll at some point.
I used to love Cabbage Patch Kids! I had two or three of them. You could style one of the doll’s hair. The doll came with a crimper and a curling iron. The amazing thing is you could just comb the hair and start all over.
I remember that crimping and curling iron one! It looked like a lot of fun. I, of course, had the bald kid.