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Ty Inc. introduced the first nine Beanie
Babies (The Original Nine) in early 1994. All of them are now retired.
Flash the Dolphin and Splash the Whale retired in May, 1997. Legs the Frog and
Spot the Dog retired October 1, 1997, Cubbie the Bear retired this January of
1998,
and Patti the Platypus, Pinchers the Lobster, and Squealer the Pig retired May
1, 1998.
Chocolate just retired Jan 1, 1999.
For a Text-Only list of Currents and Retireds, see the Basics
Page.
Since 1996, these cuddly creatures, complete with clever name,
birthdate, and special poem, have spawned a cultural
phenomenon that has eclipsed the Cabbage Patch Doll craze
of the 1980s. The boom began in the Midwest and by
Christmas of 1996, spread to both coasts.
There are more than 100 Beanies, and about two-thirds of
them are no longer made. Retirement greatly increases a toy's value to
collectors.
When McDonald's included
Teenie Beanie Babies in Happy
Meals in spring of 1997, customers
snapped up the five-week supply --
100 million toys -- in just a matter of days.
When the Chicago Cubs promised to give Cubbie
the bear to the first 10,000 children at a home game, 38,849
fans showed up, setting an attendance record.
DON'T CLIP THAT TAG! Beanie Babies lose 50
percent of their value when the "swing tag" -- the red
cardboard tag attached to all Beanies with a piece of plastic
-- is cut off. Even scuffed or bent tags reduce the value, so
one of the hottest accessories are plastic tag protectors.
In the Beanie world, mutations are desirable.
Tags with misspellings, manufacturing errors such as the
wrong number of legs, and other mistakes inspire glee.
Minor variations in design also make a difference.
You will notice that some of the Beanie names change, often to avoid copyright
conflicts. Doodle the rooster became
Strut after Chick-fil-A pointed out that it
uses a Doodle character in its advertising. Tabasco the bull
was replaced by Snort, for obvious reasons.
If you want to buy, sell or trade Beanies, take
some time to educate yourself. Check the Bookstore
for Price Guides and this online site:
http://beaniemom.com/beanprimar14.html.
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