Celebrating 40 years of Delivering & Adopting Babies
Cleveland, GA – September 4, 2018 - Soft dolls have been around for centuries and thanks to the 40-year success of Xavier Roberts’ Little People® and Cabbage Patch Kids, they continue to be an important part of our culture today.
The current licensee for the toy version of Cabbage Patch Kids is Wicked Cool Toys. Offering a wide range of Cabbage Patch Kids toys including the extremely popular “Cuties” and “Adoptimals”, Wicked Cool Toys’ newest crop of celebratory sweet deliveries is arriving now at retail nationwide. The toy Cabbage Patch Kids and their pets are proud of their history and want you to celebrate this huge milestone with them!
Historical Background
In 1977 Xavier Roberts, a young art student, enrolled in a small college in Cleveland, Georgia. During this time he combined his talent for clay sculpture and his study of a technique called “needle molding” to create his own original version of soft sculptured babies. His efforts were aided by his experience in quilting, learned from his mother at an early age.
Xavier’s first creations were called The Little People and he offered them for “adoption” at regional craft fairs. Prospective parents were told he had found them in a Cabbage Patch and they had to take an oath to be a good parent before adopting. By 1978, he opened his own small company, Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. He and a few close friends set about to offer soft sculpture versions of kids and babies through mom and pop gift stores throughout the country. For added realism they dressed the Little People in used shoes and clothing purchased from local yard sales. Each of the Little People came with a birth certificate and adoption papers.
In 1982, Original Appalachian Artworks granted a licensing agreement to Coleco Industries of Hartford, Connecticut. With this licensing agreement came the first use of the trademark “Cabbage Patch Kids”. In 1983 Coleco’s toy version of the Cabbage Patch Kids was introduced to the public and became the best selling baby doll of all time.
In 2018 Original Appalachian Artworks continues the tradition of offering hand stitched one-of-a-kind soft sculpture kids and babies from Cleveland, Georgia. These individual works of art are available exclusively through BabyLand General Hospital, the home of the Cabbage Patch Kids.
On September 8th of 2018, Original Appalachian Artworks and Wicked Cool Toys are celebrating the birthday of the Cabbage Patch Kids at BabyLand General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia. As always, admission is free. There will be lots of fun and free activities for children as well as free cupcakes and ice cream while they last. Prizes will be awarded all day and the grand prize will be a one of a kind soft sculpture Little Person signed by Xavier Roberts, commemorating 40 years of delivering babies.
A Glimpse Inside the Birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Kids
Toy Cabbage Patch Kids celebrate 35 years with a new line of adorable products from Wicked Cool Toys! Adopt your very own Cabbage Patch Kid who each has a unique name and birthday… just like you!
Experience the World of Cabbage Patch Kids and BabyLand General!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxDKhQOirPk
When: Saturday, September 8, 2018
Where: BabyLand General® - 300 N.O.K. Dr., Cleveland, GA 30528
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lots of Free Activities
About Cabbage Patch Kids:
Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc (OAA) owner of the Cabbage Patch Kids brand, was founded in 1978 by Xavier Roberts the artist who created the Little People and Cabbage Patch Kids. It is a privately held corporation located in Cleveland, Georgia. Doing business as BabyLand General Hospital for over 40 years OAA has continued to create in the USA, one-of-a kind, hand-stitched soft-sculpture art known as Little People and Cabbage Patch Kids. Open year round BabyLand General welcomes visitors to the North Georgia mountains at 300 N.O.K. Drive and to its website.
Original Appalachian Artworks Social Media
Website: www.cabbagepatchkids.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cabbagepatchkidsfanpage
Twitter: @cpkusa
About Wicked Cool Toys:
Founded in 2012, Wicked Cool Toys (Wicked Cool Toys LLC/WCT) a leader in innovative play, creates, designs, manufactures and markets a dynamic, fun portfolio of licensed and owned-IP toys for all ages. WCT’s portfolio includes global master toy partnerships with Pokémon (ex-Asia), Cabbage Patch Kids®, Teddy Ruxpin as well as key licensing deals with Crayola, Nickelodeon, CozyPhones, MasterChef Junior, WWE®, Wild Kratts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, and owned-IP Egg Babies, Xtreme Cycle, Cat Paw and My Girl’s Dollhouse. Visit www.wickedcooltoys.com and follow the Company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. www.facebook.com/wickedcooltoys - @wickedcooltoys
Wicked Cool Toys Social Media
Website: www.wickedcooltoys.com
Facebook: cabbagepatchkidsproducts
Instagram: @CPKUSA
Twitter: @WickedCoolToys
Media Contacts:
Janis Van Tine, Vice President
GennComm for Wicked Cool Toys
(810) 839-0117 Janis@genncomm.com
Margaret Hata McLean, OAA Director of Corporate CommunicationsBabyLand General® Hospital706-865-2171, Ext. 241 margaret.mclean@cabbagepatchkids.com
Courtesy of Babyland General Hospital.