For the main Cabbage Patch Kids page click here.
The Koosas of Wykoosa Valley were ‘pets’ for the Cabbage Patch Kids and came in 3 varieties- cats, dogs and lions (lions? Why yes, of course lions- what kid doesn’t have a lion in the back yard?). They were designed in 1983/84 by Appalachian Artworks and Coleco, and being pets, Koosas did not come already named; you could send in the included certificate to get a name sticker for your Koosa to attach to the tag on his/her collar. They had cloth bodies and moulded vinyl heads with shaped ears and various fur’dos ranging from topknots to full yarn manes around the face and even came in a CPK-style box with holes poked into the side for air. and went to market in 1985.
Debuting in 1986, rarer, second-wave Koosas sport a patch around one eye. Some of these dolls have red and white striped bodies and some have more plush, plump bodies. There were also pets for the pets: smaller Koosa Playmates the same size as the CPK Playmates dolls. And of course, like their ‘Kid counterparts, Koosas came in small rubber poseable figures with yarn hair and even smaller PVC collectible figures.
According to the official story on a poseables box, “The ‘Kids had heard tales of unusual creatures who lived in the Wykoosa Valley, and were thought to bring good luck. When Colonel Casey, the kindly stork, rescued these enchanted creatures from the big flood, the ‘Kids called them ‘Koosas.’ As more and more arrived, the ‘Kids set out to find special friends like you to share the ‘Koosas love. Each poseable ‘Koosa has arms, legs and a head that turns, so you can have lots of fun posing them in many ways. You’ll want to add these cuddly and mischievious poseable ‘Koosas to your own special Cabbage Patch Kids family.”
Well, I desperately wanted a Koosa for years but I think my parents figured since I had a decidedly unfeminine obsession with animals and wouldn’t touch the 7 Cabbage Patch Kids I already had, they weren’t wasting any money on anything else from the big Patch. Koosas can be found from Coleco or Panosh Place (who manufactured the posables and figurines), and (rarely) from Tsukuda of Japan in the following varieties:
Series 1: 1985
Koosa Cats
Koosa Dogs
Koosa Lions
Koosa Care Centre
Series 2: 1986
“Eyepatch” Koosas (patch over right or left eye)
Koosa Playmates (small cat, dog, lion)
Koosa Poseable Figurines
Koosa Plastic Figurines (some of these had amazing detail)
Koosa Clothing:
Red/purple plaid sundress w/ lace ruffle
Green/blue plaid sundress w/ lace ruffle
Polka-dotted light pink jumper w/ front ribbon
White, heart-print jumper w/ front ribbon
Blue corduroy overall shorts w/ rainbow straps w/ Elephant, car, giraffe, bear or duck applique
Yellow corduroy overall shorts w/ rainbow straps w/ Elephant, car, giraffe, bear or duck applique
Red corduroy overall shorts w/ rainbow straps w/ Elephant, car, giraffe, bear or duck applique
Aqua shortall
Yellow shortall
Blue denim shortall w/ front pocket
Aqua shirt w/ Elephant, car, giraffe, bear or duck applique
Tan shirt w/ Elephant, car, giraffe, bear or duck applique
Known Prototypes:
1. Beige soft-sculptured lions (3) with brown eyes and blushed cheeks, red/ beige plush mane and red/magenta/orange/gold striped bodies. All wear tortoiseshell-like collars, 2 have plain orange short, sleeved shirts, one wears a yellow version. Tagged with a small body tag reading Original Appalachian Artworks.
2. Brown soft sculptured kitty w/ tan/ white striped body, brown tuft of hair and blue eyes, dressed in blue smocked sundress with blue hair-ribbon (3)
3. Beige soft sculptured puppy w/ brown tuft of hair, dressed in blue denim overalls w/red buttons and blue striped straps and trim
4. Identical soft puppy w/ grey striped overal straps and trim
5. Green eyed, dark brown velvety kitty/ lion with plush mane and tan face / ears/ tuft wearing white lace apron w/ green striped straps and bow(2)
6. Beige soft sculptured puppies w/ 2 tone tuft of hair, bright cheeks and blue eyes, dressed in blue denim overalls w/red buttons and blue striped straps and trim (3), 1 wears a metallic collar
Light brown soft-scuptured kitty w/ no hair, brown eyes and a black nose, dressed in denim overalls with a white/red striped body. Has a body tag marked 1983 Original Appalachian Artworks.
7. Green plushy bunny with broad ears, red heart nose and blue eyes. The face is closer to one of the soft-sculptured ‘Kids and the body is thick and round like a Furskin bear.
8. Girl baby puppy w/ soft plushie bodies and vinyl heads. Has thick pink hair tuft and blue eyes, a white w/ pink trim baby tee and pawprint necklace on a pink ribbon. Body is pink with pink spots.
9. Boy baby puppy w/ soft plushie body and vinyl head, has thick blue hair tuft, grey eyes and body is blue with blue spots (2)
10. “Bald” Koosa baby puppy with tuftless peach-coloured vinyl head and blue eyes, plushie peach/ peach spotted body and yellow bib
11. “Bald” Koosa baby kitty w/ tuftless aqua -coloured vinyl head and blue eyes, plushie blue /blue spotted body and peachbib with lace trim
12. Light beige Koosa kitty with vinyl head, grey eyes and light blue hair tuft. Has a soft body with defined fingers and toes, and wears a collar and tag, blue, lace-trimmed romper with pink bows at the straps and a blue hair-ribbon
13. Ideal-boxed yellow lion w/ vinyl head, yellow and white mane and blue, close-set eyes.
14. Koosa headmould for PVC figure- “sleeping” face kitty
Koosa Ad 1984 courtesy Jason Harder
Koosa Ad 2 courtesy wwwgjackca
Furskins: “Meet the Furskins…the cutest country critters you ever did see! Each one has a removable outfit includin’ a hat and hickin’ boots! All eight of these softly flocked and fully poseable Furskins bears are ready fur playin’, collectin’, or just plain havin’ fun!”
Created by Xavier Roberts and produced by Panosh Place/ Coleco / Original Appalachian Artworks in the 1980s, Furskins were the country cousins to the Cabbage Patch Kids who lived in Moody Hollow. There were 16 plush characters total, smaller plush versions and also poseables issued through Wendy’s. I think I had Cecelia and while now I think they’re adorable, as a kid the only thing I thought they were good for was swiping those solid little boots off of to put on other toy animals 🙂
Coleco 1st 8 issue:
Orville T (aviator)
Jedgar (sheriff)
Selma Jean (possum queen)
Fannie Faye (school marm)
Boone (bee keeper)
Farrell (postmaster)
Dudley Furskin (store manager)
Hattie (baker)
Coleco 2nd 8 issue:
Bubba (potato farmer)
Cecelia (handywoman?)
Hank “Spitball” (baseball player)
June Mae (squaredancer)
Lila Claire
Persimmon (baker’s assistant)
J Livingstone Clayton “Scout” (scout)
Thistle (the baby)
Wendy’s Furskin Dolls
Farrell, Hattie, Boone, Dudley
American Graphics Furskin dolls 6″
Jedgar, Orville T., Selma Jean, Fannie Fay
Panosh Place Furskin dolls 4″
Dudley, Boone, Farrell, Hattie, Bubba, Cece, Lila Claire, Thistle, Persimmon, Hank Spitball, Jedgar, Junie Mae, Scout, Orville T., Selma Jean
KidWorks PVC Miniatures
Hattie, Lila Clair, Cece, Thistle, Persimmon, Junie Mae, Scout, Bubba, Hank Spitball, Boone, Farrell, Dudley
Hide and Seek Furskins (Baby Furskins)
Molasses, Jam, Flour, Sugar, Candy, Honey
Other Furskin Merchandise
Calendars
Greeting Cards, Christmas Cards
Hallowe’en Costume
Posters
Jigsaw Puzzles
Shaped Moneybanks
Shoulder Bag, Collapsible Travel bag, Tote bags
Moody Hollow General Store Playset w/ doll
Moody Hollow Express Train w/3 figures
CPK Pets
The pets came out in 1986/87 and were mass-produced plush cats, dogs and bears with a soft-sculptured look, tuft of hair between the ears and oversized feet reminiscent of Furskin bears. At 6″ high these critters came in a shallwow box with a ribbon collar w/ goldtone CPK logo, leash and a paper hangtag to write a name on. With distinctive little tongues sticking out and a variety of colour combinations, the pets were also unique in that their eyes were basically plastic ‘Kid eyes stuck onto soft-sculptured heads unlike the animal-shaped eyes of Koosas or the painted eyes of other soft-sculptured works. While the dogs and cats stood on all fours, the pet bears sat on chubby hind-legs and were more plushy and round in appearance with oversized back paws. Of the pets, the bears are hardest to find.
CPK Ponies
There were 2 types of equine friends for the Cabbage Patch Kids who had everything else on earth- Show Ponies who came on their own with ribbons and show accessories or with western-themed ‘Kids (there was even a circus pony). The 1990s, Crimp n Curl Ponies who were closer to their My Little Pony Cousins. The former were stuffed horses with yarn hair, bridles and saddles which you could balance your ‘Kid on to ride and the latter were more plastic-y but still sturdy with lots more accoutrements and colours.
Show Ponies courtesy tracy80sgirl
Crimp n Curl CPK Ponies courtesy ghostofthedoll
Later Pets
Coleco CPK cloth dog and cat
CPK plush bear with collar and lead
Crimp ‘n Curl Pets. yarn hair – dog, cat
Mattel furry pets w/ plastic moulded faces- dog, cat
Sources:
see main Cabbage Patch Kids page
Tabby’s Toys
Koosas of Wykoosa Valley Facebook Page (Alex G. Jack, Peridot Gaudet)