Beanie Mania

You know, it all started innocently enougn. I had a few stuffed animals and decided I really liked beanie babies, they were so soft and cute. I had one made by Ty and several other oddball brands. Then, one time when I was talking to a friend via email, I mentioned I liked beanies, she said she had one she wanted to send me. A Ty poodle that still had all tags attached, in perfect condition. I told her not to worry about, but she insisted on sending it. I have to say, the day it arrived in the mail, I was hooked. When I put it next to my other Ty beanie, all the other oddballs just paled in comparison.

The Ty's were just so awesome, compared to the others. I mean this little poodle, GiGi, looked just like a miniature version of a real poodle! Suddenly, all my other beanies and stuffed animals got relegated into exile and the Ty beanies took the spot of prominent display.

I had never been able to afford to pick up many more of them, except an odd stray or two at a yardsale, then one day, I walked in to my local Goodwill and lo and behold, a shelf of Ty beanies, and all at discount prices!!!!! I was in heaven.

I picked up several more at reasonable prices, much to my DH's chagrin, and carried them home to add to my meager collection. However, I am sure you can all see where this is going, the "meager" collection has just kept growing. I began to find discount and half-price Ty Beanie Babies in many stores all over.

I found McDonald's Teenie Beanies from various promotions, special beanies that were exclusives to various stores, and some I bought just because their little fuzzy faces stole my heart. Then curiosity struck, I began to wonder if there were a lot of collectors out there, and if some of these beanies might actually be worth something.

So I said to myself, "Hey self, you've got a computer with internet access, why don't you just Google it and find out?" Then I said, "You are right self, that is a good idea!" So self and I went on a hunt and found ourselves swamped with information.

There is a whole dictionary of references for Beanieology, to help you understand beanie terms, as well as a Beanie Search to check out the various beanies out there.

Of course, the most important thing, if you are interested in collecting, is to make sure you have authentic Ty beanies. There are various generations to both the tush tags and the signature hangtags. By learning about these and their differences, you can learn to tell if a beanie is real or fake.

And yes, it is true folks, Ty Beanie Babies have become so popular that people have taken to making fradulent furries, to try and make money. There have been several instances of these counterfeit beanies, and some people have found themselves with jail time! Here's a great example of a fake Sting the Stingray beanie that someone came across. As you collect them, and read more about them, you will begin to recognize the traits of an authentic Ty Beanie Baby.

For those really worried about their collections, you can spend a few dollars, and have your Ty Beanies authenticated. These "Authenticators" will have you mail them your beanie, make sure it isn't a fake, seal it in a plastic showcase for you, and ship it back with a certificate of authenticity. Of course, this can increase the collectible resale value of your beanie, but personally, I can't see the point of having a beanie, whose softness I can't feel and enjoy.

All the Ty regular beanies have birthdays which are shown on their hangtags, however if you are missing the tag and what to find out your fuzzy's birthday, or maybe just see which one shares yours, you can check their birthdays here.

Of course, as with any mass produced item, there have occasionally been Beanie Baby bloopers. Some of these raise the collectible value, and some are just interesting novelties. One of my favorites, that I happened to luck into, is Waves the Whale with Echo's tags. This resulted when they were manufacturing both beanies in some facilities and mixed up the tags!

You can get Beanie Baby Checlists to help keep track of your collection, and learn the complete history of Ty Beanie Babies.

Each beanie is eventually retired, which increased their collectibility and values. Ty has also gradually expanded their production to include new products such as Beanie Buddys and Pinkys. All of their new products have gained extreme collectibility, just like their original Beanies did.

There are many places to browse and check the value of your Ty Beanie Babies, such as The Beanie Hut and Turtle Trail.

Some that were limited in production are very rare and hard to find. These of course have a very high value. One of the rarest is Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant, his value is estimated anywhere between 2 to 5 THOUSAND dollars. America the Bear, with his ears reversed, is another hard to find beanie, and goes for anywhere from 150dollars and up.

There are even Message Boards, where we beanie lovers can talk about our latest finds, do beanie art, and discuss our favorites.

While I haven't lucked into any extremely rare beanies yet, I do have a nice collection going, some of which have good values accruing. I found Baldy the Eagle, who is currently worth about 20bucks, much more than what I spent on him. Erin the Green Irish Bear, who is about 12bucks, Seaweed the Otter, valued at 15dollars, andWaddle the Penguin, who goes for about 17dollars.

Then of course, I have my favorite, a bear created for Cincp De Mayo, named Pinata.

I have now taken most of my old stuffed animals, and generic beanies and moved them even further into exile, in my yard sale pile. I had to make room for all my Ty beanies, I am up to about 70 of them by now, in various sizes.

And to think, it all started because of GiGi. I know it's not your fault, LOL, but I will blame you anyway, you know who are, and THANKS AGAIN. GiGi is in a good home and still in mint condition!

Posted by at June 15, 2005 03:56 PM

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