In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children’s toys.  

Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America — igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season. 

And the frenzy didn’t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before.

Previously on VSE: The Furby Files

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Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza’s story in his book The Life, available on Amazon.

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Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans. 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
From School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez
Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Social Clips by Yarberry Media
Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English

Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 

In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children&rsquo;s toys. &nbsp;
Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America &mdash; igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season.&nbsp;
And the frenzy didn&rsquo;t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before.
Previously on VSE: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-furby-files/id1727423228?i=1000673274343">The Furby Files</a>
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Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza&rsquo;s story in his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Story-About-Brooklyn-Seduced-ebook/dp/B01MS2A02A">The Life</a>, available on Amazon.
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Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.&nbsp;
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Jake Rossen Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Story Editor is Virginia Prescott Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher From School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin Thompson Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Social Clips by Yarberry Media Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English
Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to <a href="mailto:veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com">veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Very Special Episodes

The Cabbage Patch Crisis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/eca3aeea-d937-4cf4-9e14-b3b5012a3c33/transcript

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