Coleco Cabbage Patch Dolls

[patoodie66]

I used to be a dealer of the Coleco Cabbage Patch Kids.  I sold them all and now, I want a few for my doll collection. I know times have changed and many dolls have been destroyed but I am baffled at  the overuse of the word "rare"  and the high prices in many listings.  I caution buyers to research these dolls before they buy. African-American dolls especially have this "rare" claim. These dolls were so plentiful they were hard to sell. Maybe they are rare now, but I really doubt it. Then we have the red haired boys of 1983. These are rare now and they were rare then. BUT, has anyone noticed there are no short loopy red haired girls for sale? That is because people cut the loops and frizzed the hair, turning them into boys. If you going to bid on a supposed 1983 red haired boy, be very careful. All tags of the clothes, shoes and body should match. The first thing you need to do is make sure the signature is black. Anything else is fake. If these things check out and the doll looks like it is NRFB, then that's your best bet it is authentic.   If you are buying one as an investment, this is what you need to have to make sure you get your money back, plus. 

[soh.maryl]

Just curious -- since you seem to know a lot about CPK dolls-- why do you have to make sure the signature is black? 

[rainberri]

Its to check for the authenticity and make sure you aren't buying a replica. A lot of the old toys have some way to tell if its the real thing vs some cheap knock off. I think its why beanie babies have those special tags, to make it harder to replicate.

[soh.maryl]

Not to be argumentative, but I used to collect CPK also, having had about 200 at one time.  Space limitations forced me to downsize, but I still have a few of the original Coleco, still with the Coleco tag, with red signatures and green (or blue) signatures.  

[mandyinwonderland]

Good point. I think she just meant that the black signature represents 1983 only. Other years have other colors.

[carro-7355]

My Aunt recently passed away and she had a Cabbage Patch Kid doll still in the box with the original adoption papers. She may have meant it as a gift but she was a bit of a hoarder and I have no idea how old the doll might be.

I can see the name, though: Darda Natalie.  I was going to donate it to St. Jude's but they can't accept dolls they can't wash. Do you have any idea what it could be worth?