The doll that put Cleveland, Georgia, on the map has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
Cabbage Patch Kids were among four classic toys voted into the Hall of Fame this year. The collection is housed at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Chief curator Chris Bensch announced the inductees Friday on Good Morning America.
“They were so different from any other dolls of the time. They were sort of cute, homely,” said Bensch. “And what made them special was that they were computer produced so that they could have so many variables — skin color, eye shade, hairstyle. There were so many varieties that you could get one that looked like you, and they also were adopted. You weren’t buying a doll; you were getting an adopted baby.”
This year The Strong inducted four toys rather than the usual three in recognition of the Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary. Other toys to make the cut this year include baseball cards, Nerf toys, and the Fisher-Price Corn Popper.
Bensch said the inductees meet the museum’s criteria of “longevity, recognition factor, and play value.”
Grateful
The National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play was established in 1998 to honor toys that have inspired decades of children and adults.
Each year people are asked to vote for their favorite toys. The three toys that receive the most public votes are submitted on one ballot and join the other top three submissions from members of a National Selection Advisory Committee.
“We’re thrilled and want to thank all those in the area who voted for the kids for this honor,” says Margaret McLean, Director of Corporate Communications for Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, the home and ‘birthplace’ of Cabbage Kids and Little People.
WRWH Radio contributed to this report
