April 2001 News

==April 30, 2001==
And the WINNER IS:
http://www.ty.com/pb/winner/winner_classy.html

Ty post the following message on the boards.
WOW! Look at all of those votes!
Ty Warner (10:15 pm. Apr 29, 2001 )
Message Id: 862190 Ty Warner writes: We're down to the wire now! I can't wait to see who the winner will be! Remember it's all up to you, so keep on voting! http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg862190.html

And The Winner Is…
Today is the day when we learn who 'The People's Beanie' will be. Is it Classy or Fancy? Will the new style bear prevail over the old style? Is blue the favorite over purple? Check the Ty site later this morning for the answers to these questions and more. Click Here For A Link To Ty.com

==April 29, 2001==
Now on Northern Trade winds
New Releases: Fun facts and Trivia about our latest newbies!
Canadian Issy Update
CGTA Trade show most likely spot for Canadian Exclusive
Lulu's final report Now at http://www.northtradewinds.com/

New Contest @ BeanySpot!!
We've kicked off April Showers Bring May Flowers, the contest!! Prizes include, Germania, & More!! Play today! http://www.beanyspot.com for more information.

Win Dearest and Hero @ Michael's Beantown
Michael's Beantown has just started two brand-new contests, "Who's the Dearest," an essay contest to win Dearest, as well as "Survivor," where the last person remaining in this competition of immunity challenges and tribal councils will win Hero!
News source - Michael's Beantown - http://michaelsbeantown.cjb.net/

NEW CONTESTS START SOON
It's getting very close to the end of the month so you know there will be a new contest or two starting up at Planet Beans. Andrea of Andrea's Attic is donating 3 Issy's to be given to 3 separate winners. Nathan of the Beanie Zoo is donating a set of the latest releases excluding Issy to be given to one lucky winner. These contests will start on May 1st so details will shortly follow. ;o)

==April 28, 2001==
View From Canadian Collector
Robin from Canada writes: "The beanie market in Canada seems just about dead. There are loads of shelf sitters like, Shamrock, Eggs, Kaleidoscope, Hairy and Beginning Buddies. The new Buddies have just arrived but they are very easy to find. The new introductions are a disappointment for Canada, I was expecting a Canadian exclusive to follow, especially a Chinook buddy. After the country exclusive beanies were retired, they were replaced in Britain, Japan and US with exclusive Buddies, but not in Canada. Europe and the US also now have another exclusive beanie. Ty seems to have forgotten the collector in Canada and many of the beanies have never showed up Black Batty Buddy, Periwinkle, Speckles, Sunny, and Issy. Robin.

Issy Arrives In The UK
David drops us a note from the UK to say that Issy was delivered to many UK Ty retailers on Friday. As normal the UK version of Issy has the 'BEANIES' hang tag, instead of the small silver star of the USA versions. With some of the versions of the Issy Beanie having lower production numbers than others, we wonder how this UK variation will figure into the value of some of these bears.

CONTEST TIME IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
I've decided that it's time to have some fun and let our hair down! My next contest will be called (Beanie Personality, one on one) Which Beanie reminds you of yourself?

You will be asked to submit a paragraph or more explaining which Beanie reminds you of YOU! Please know that all entries will be posted and shared with others. Use your imagination, have fun and be as descriptive as you wish! Poems, animation, jokes, riddles and rhymes are welcomed! Remember, these entries will be shared so please mind your manners! You will be allowed to submit (1) entry a day for 7 days. During the 7-day time period all received entries will be posted for all to enjoy. On the 8th day 7 winners will be chosen.

A prize list will be shared on the first day of this contest for you to view. Look for more details to follow! Ms. Janie

==April 27, 2001==
You will be Missed
Lulu from North Trade Winds writes: "Life has been extremely busy for me these days. I've been fixing up our new home and growing an enormous garden. Since the weather has warmed up my girls have three times more energy than usual. After long consideration, I have decided to end my Beanie writing days. I still love Beanies and Ty products but I find it very hard to commit myself to writing on the computer when my heart wants to be outdoors with my family. Thanks so much for giving me a space to write in. I have enjoyed it very much. I feel so lucky to have met so many wonderful people along the way. Best wishes to you and all the wonderful readers out there. Thanks everybody! Lulu (Richards comment - I for one will miss you, I feel privileged to have met you, your support has always meant so much and I would like to thank you not only for the wonderful articles but for your friendship. I would like to wish yourself and family good luck and best wishes for everything you do in the future).

JUMBiES NEWEST RELEASE, the TiBEAR, has just arrived! The TiBEAR is now being shipped to stores and should be available as early as next week in some locations. Tucker the "Tibear" (TM) has replaced endangered species "Giraffalo" (TM) in SERiES ONE. Billy the GIRAFFALO (TM) is now in the JUMBiELAND Reserve (TM).

From: Underground Bean
"Just thought you would find this information useful -
The Four Seasons bear - ISSY - In the Asian region is NOT CALLED THE FOUR SEASONS HOTELS -
In Hong Kong the hotel is the REGENT HOTEL HONG KONG
IN Malaysia - REGENT HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR
SYDNEY - REGENT HOTEL SYDNEY
SINGAPORE - REGENT HOTEL SINGAPORE
Also the bears are not available at the individual hotels- unlike ISSY NEW YORK - so if you go to a Four Seasons say in London etc etc they dont have them and they have only been shipped to USA orders not overseas !!! Regards"
Source: Lester F., ENGLAND
Thanks Lester for the great information - I had no idea.

THE FINAL VOTE
http://www.ty.com/pb/final/finalvote.html
Now there are 2 - FANCY & CLASSY
Vote for the bear you would most like to see become the 1st People's Beanie.
Pick a poem and a birthday.. then wait to see if the one YOU picked is the real WINNER.

Sunny the Beanie Baby has just joined up with BeanySpot to offer Suggestions, Advice, & More to people that use the "Sunny's Suggestions" page. Visit http://www.beanyspot.com/ss.html for more info!

Predictions is a new page at BeanySpot which predicts the future of Retirements, Relasements, etc. If you'd like to see the "Weekly Beanie" made by a great webmaster herself visit http://www.beanyspot.com/predict.html

A special note from Ms. Janie
Just a quick note to inform you that if you visit my site in the next day or so and I'm not there it's because I am moving to a new server. Just know that this problem, if any will be temporary (LESS than a few hours) and I WILL be back!

Eloise Leads the Charge At Star-Studded Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Kids for Kids Event!
From: Ms. Janie
(Business Wire) Eloise to Fans: "Everyone Knows I Absolutely Love, Love, Love For the full story, go to: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010425/2369.html

==April 25, 2001==
U.S. Postal Service Becomes An eBay Customer
From: Ms. Janie
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night can keep the U.S. Post Office from delivering parcels to their destination. But when the recipient has moved and left no forwarding address, the Post Office sends the package to the same place millions of individuals go to unload their unwanted stuff: eBay. The wildly popular Internet auction site eBay Inc. (NasdaqNM:EBAY - news) is certainly not best known for the business it operates as a clearinghouse for wayward packages. In fact many of the site's most ardent users are unaware of this curious little service, where shoppers can bid on things that started out as birthday gifts and care packages -- anything from books and videos to extra-large men's underwear and ``Body By Jake'' exercise machines. But for several months the Post Office has been expanding its presence on eBay, and bidders are gradually discovering it as a place that offers even better bargains than on other parts of the site, and a voyeuristic glimpse inside some brown paper packages to boot. ``A number of items that are mailed every day have improper addresses on them; perhaps the recipient has moved on, or is using a fake name,'' explained Dan Coy, senior manager of business development at eBay. It's unusual that both the shipping address and the return address are wrong, but not unheard of. And with the massive volume of mail the Post Office processes every day, that leaves a lot of homeless packages. And while it may sound odd to those who still think of eBay as a place to bid on Beanie Babies, the postal service site on eBay is actually indicative of the company's massive shift in recent years from a place that connected individual buyers and sellers, to one where big businesses sell heavy equipment like machinery and process bulk orders. A number of retailers now use eBay to liquidate unsold merchandise. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010424/wr/column_pluggedin_dc_4.html

ANOTHER CONTEST AT ANDREA'S ATTIC
Andrea's Attic is hosting another great contest! This time the prizes are: Germania Buddy, Sakura Buddy, Halo II Buddy
and many others! For more details check out our website: http://www.andreasattic.com

UNITY - THE EUROPE EXCLUSIVE
I expect to see this price rise quite rapidly. Keep an eye on this price tag and we'll see just how valuable the Unity Bear
will be. You can order at the price shown by clicking on the price tag.

Fortune Cookie
From: Bean eWonderland
Ryan Connell has just joined BeanySpot to write a wonderful weekly article on his new page called Fortune Cookie!
Come visit the page this week to see what he has got to say about Unity Visit Here:

Issy set for the UK?
From: Bean eWonderland
I went to my local Ty retailer store yesterday and was told that England would be getting Issy bears delivered. They had just had a visit from their sales rep and he said the next order form would state they could order Issy, the store owner seemed pretty certain and confident about this. (Bean eWonderlands comment - This should still be treated as a rumour but if it is true then I am sure all UK collectors will be happy).

LOOKING FOR DECORATED OR DYED BEANIES?
Visit Itzmeagain's Decorated Beans at http://www.itzmeagain.com/ for some gorgeous decorations and dyed Beanies and Buddies at great prices. Speaking with first-hand knowledge.. these are WONDERFUL!!

==April 24, 2001==
Mother to make quilt of clothes of daughter killed in tornado
From: Ms. Janie and sent in via email from a reader
Hope and Halo survive the devastation. Surrounded by scrapbooks and family photographs, pieces of Joy Mackey's life sit on her mother's dining room table. Mackey's clothing is among the possessions Betty Hicks salvaged after a tornado Dec. 16 took the life of her daughter and grandson, Scott Mackey After the tornado that killed 11 people in Tuscaloosa, Hicks said the family began finding lost items such as photographs, clothing and personal items. A military medal that once belonged to Mackey's husband and a couple of her Beanie Baby toys -- two bears named "Halo" and "Hope" -- were among the items the family recovered. View the story in it's entirety HERE

Don't be mislead by UK Zipcode on hangtags UK TAGS WITH ZIP CODES ARE REAL!-
http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/ukbuddytags.html

Questionable Buckingham?
From: Bean eWonderland and Cajun Connection
PBBAGS have followed up their fake Sakura article and they now take a look at some questionable Buckingham Beanie Babies. View Here

Lottery Madness at RyeByPost
From: Ms. Janie
6 Numbers = Billionaire #1 Bear
5 Numbers + Bonus Number = New York Issy with Card
5 Numbers = Unity the Bear
4 Numbers = Britannia Beanie Bear
3 Numbers = Valentina Beanie & Buddy Duo
The weekly lottery is totally free to play and you can enter daily, you just need to register/join at RyeByPost to receive your very own Unique ID number. http://www.ryebypost.com/productsframeset.htm

RETIREMENT - SNIFFER & HOWL
http://www.ty.com/announcements/ret_042401howl.html

==April 23, 2001==
Anderson gala glitters, glows
From: Ms. Janie
Godiva is a fitting name for a star attraction in one of the Mississippi Coast's social events of the year. Saturday night they gathered - the Swetmans, the Kennedys, the Loves, the O'Keefes, the Mavars, the Pringles, to name a few. The men wore tuxedoes. The women wore, well, "some of them are like, whoaaa, kinda out there." Those were the words of Olivia Boney, not yet a teen-ager and the youngest person in the ballroom of the Grand Casino's Island View Hotel in Biloxi. She also was the temporary keeper of chocolate Godiva. Values ranged from two to four figures. Among enticements to open wallets Saturday night were a trip for 20 on the Glenn L. Swetman schooner, or a trip to Horn Island on the new Caribiana. A body wrap, a giant teddy bear, a birthday party at McDonald's - complete with Beanie babies - handmade dolls, designer clothing and an interesting array of art beckoned patrons to open their wallets. Some of the artists were there, too. View HERE

ANDREA'S NEW CONTEST
From: Andrea
We are planning a new contest that will begin on Thursday, April 26th, 2001 You must register between now and Wednesday, April 25th, 2001 to be eligible to participate! The contest theme: We have a “Beanie Fairy” that for 8 days will pick a new winner each day to win prizes such as Germania Buddy, Sakura Buddy and many others! We will ask a trivia question each day in the newsletter, which is how you gain entries. But we ask that you please register by midnight, Pacific Time Wednesday so you can play! After registering for Andrea's newsletter you need to send your complete first and last name, along with your e mail address to: register@andreasattic.com YOU MUST REGISTER BEFORE THE APRIL 25TH DEADLINE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY!

==April 22, 2001==
UNITY'S FLAG.. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
From: Ms. Janie
Deb from Doodles post an educational piece of information on the flag on Unity's chest. EU Flag The EU (European Union) is a treaty based 'organization', currently consisting of 15 member countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) The official flag, above, consists of 12 stars. http://doodlespage.com/

Ty on HBO
I just saw a little comedy thing on HBO now - they did a little thing about Beanie Babies. "It started with a little teenie Bongo which I found in a McDonalds Happy Meal... It told me to get Hoppity the Bunny, Legs the Frog, Bubbles the Fish, and Peanut the Elephant."

At the end, the lady was talking to her Bongo teenie which she kept hidden in a tin box.

Heather
The Daily Bean
http://www.heatherlea.com

COMMENTS FROM READERS:
I HIT THE ISSY MOTHERLOAD! (YESTERDAY'S NEWS)
Hi,
First of all I want to thank you for having such a great newsletter and website. I really appreciate all of the people like yourself who put so much time and energy into their websites. Planet Beans is among my favorite Beanie sites! I agree with you about the Issys, I finally found them on Monday, and I could have bought up to three, but I bought one. Later, I might get ones with some of the tush tags I like, but for now, I'm going to leave some for the next collector to come in. I also get SmartCollecting newsletters,
and when I read that comment in there, I was a bit disgusted. By the way, I thought that retailers were getting only 24 Issys, 36 possible, so how did she get 39???!!! Thank you for your time and a great newsletter and website!
Michelle
=====
Hi Lisa!
I just wanted to quickly comment on your comment about the lady getting 39 Issys. A business is out to get profit and I think the Hallmark was more worried about maybe not selling all the Issys they received that they would just sell it to anybody. To some businesses, it doesn't matter where they get the money from their products, as long as they make money! :o)

Smiles,
Ryan (Collectiblez)

==April 21, 2001==
More On 'Unity'
From: Beanieholics
Sal from Sal's Attic explains the significance behind Ty's newest European release called 'Unity'.
Click Here For More On Unity

NO DEAREST IN THE UK?!
Susan of Happy Beanz shares the following on the Beanie Phenomenon Guestbook

"I don't think the UK will be getting Dearest because we celebrated Mothers Day back in March, before Dearest was announced. I did ask my retailer about Issy and she said we'd be getting him in 'June', but she has said other things in the past that never happened, so it could go either way with that one??? Who knows with Ty! TeeHee. I did speak to their Ty rep last week and he said Ty from now on will be releasing 5-6 beanies every month, and each beanie will be retired within 2 months."

Who Wants to be a BeanBagaire... with The Daily Bean's permission, we are proud to reintroduce this all time hit game to WIN A SEWN-ON PATCH BRITANNIA!!!

WIN GERMANIA... BeanKid's NEWSCenter is giving away a RETIRED GERMANIA Beanie Baby at BeanKid.net! Go today for more information on how to win this wonderful bear!

Regards,

Kody Looper
BeanKid's NEWSCenter
kody@beankid.net
www.beankid.net

I HIT THE ISSY MOTHERLOAD!
From: Smart Collecting
"I went to my local Hallmark today and got 39 of the 47 Issy's listed on your site. And yes, I can confirm that there is and Issy with a Kuala Lumpur tush. I got one today. I also got all of the other new beanies including Dearest and Hero. Was tickled to see Dearest's birthday is same as my mama's. So...only 8 more Issy's to go for me! Happy hunting!" Winnie, FL"

Planet Beans Comment: While I'm sure Winnie is more than thrilled with her Issy luck.. there are many many of us that have yet to find even ONE for ourselves. I think it's unfortunate that this person was able to purchase 39 at one Hallmark store. ALL of the Hallmarks I've been in limit to one per person. Does this person have connections or is this store just not being fair to other paying customers?

Bean Watcher
From: Bean eWonderland
Ty retired Runner the Mustelaide on April 11, 2001. Runner is the first Beanie Baby to be sold with two distinctly different poem versions. Which of the two is more rare? How has the novelty of the more rare version affected its price? How did the market react to the retirement of both versions? Read the Bean Watcher's thoughts on this Beanie Baby by clicking HERE

Tami sends in the following:
TY ON THE CYBERBOARD
http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg851713.html
People's Beanie
Ty Warner (04:09 pm. Apr 20, 2001 )
Message Id: 851713
Ty Warner writes:
Hi Guys!

Hope you're having fun voting for the People's Beanie! Pretty soon I'll know which one you want me to make.

May the best bear win!

Ty

P.S. Your vote really does count!

==April 20, 2001==
Auction site beats Wall Street forecasts, raises growth targets
From: Ms. Janie
Just think, it all started with Beanie. First-quarter earnings at eBay Inc. were well beyond Wall Street expectations Thursday, and the online auction site increased its revenue forecasts for the next two quarters. In the first three months of the year, eBay earned $21 million, or 8 cents a share, more than 11 times the profits of $1.8 million, or 1 cent per share, in the first quarter of 2000. Excluding one-time charges, eBay earned $30.6 million, or 11 cents per share, up from $4.4 million, or 2 cents a share, a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call had been expecting earnings of 8 cents per share, excluding charges. Revenue soared 79 percent to $154.1 million, from $85.9 million in the year-ago period. "In the face of a difficult economic environment, eBay has seen outstanding growth on all fronts," CEO Meg Whitman said. "We continue to see great growth opportunities in the U.S. and around the world." http://www.in-forum.com/ap/view.cgi?id=1093019

Retailers Vote
From: Bean eWonderland
Thank you to Joshua who has sent us a link to the page where Ty retailers can transfer 'In Store' votes for the peoples beanie. View Here: As Joshua rightly points out, the retailer could easily 'influence' the outcome if the incorrect number should be entered into the spaces provided.

==April 19, 2001==
A quick note from Ms. Janie
Webmasters dedicate a lot of time to their news pages and we would appreciate that if you share a story from our sites that you CLEARLY indicate where you found it originally. It does become bothersome when a viewer of my site sends me information to share with my readers and someone shares it with another site without the proper credit. This has happened to many webmasters including myself. We all try to get along and support each other but we need your help regarding this matter. I say, share all you want, news is news, just PLEASE credit your source! Thank you, Ms. Janie

HELP FIGHT BREAST CANCER
From: Ms. Janie
Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Bear, for a fantastic price of $3.00, and all proceeds go to the crusade. This is the newest of several items that Avon sells for their crusade. To see this cute bear and to check the other special products available go to: www.youravon.com/vhefner. Please forward this information to any friends or family that you think would like to know about the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Bear. Thanks! And do have fun shopping! "Avon is the world's largest corporate supporter of the breast cancer cause, and the only company to target significant funding to help disadvantaged women obtain clinical care." You can read more about "Avon's Breast Cancer Crusade" by going to: www.avoncrusade.com. Let me know if I can be of help to you, and thank you for registering with Avon, I hope that it will be a source of help, and enjoyment to you. Your e-representative, Virginia http://www.youravon.com/vhefner

JUMBO hunt has officially started!!
This is a scavenger hunt, with 7 sites participating, and over 50 prizes donated!!!!. Along with the Jumbo Hunt, we have included 3 - four day Junior hunts. All the details can be found HERE:
Check out the contests on Nina's new website: http://www.itzmeagain.com

==April 18, 2001==
Ty Tops List of Best-Selling Gifts Priced Under $10
From: Ms. Janie
NEW YORK- As the economy continues to lag, many in the gift industry are hoping that the theory that the industry is somewhat immune to the economy is true. The thinking goes that because gift items are impulse buys, they should continue to sell well, especially when people need quick pick-me-ups to buoy them in these rough times. With that in mind, four major giftware companies ranked at the top of the list of best-selling items that are priced at less than $10 in April, according to the 300 randomly sampled retailers polled for Giftware Business' monthly POSwire survey. Ty was the bestseller in this category, as it normally is. Russ Berrie, Hallmark and Yankee Candle occupied the second, third and fourth best-selling spots, respectively.

BeanKid's NEWSCenter and Ryebypost.com are teaming up to bring you a new contest to win SEWN-ON PATCH Britannia! We will be hosting the first "Who Wants to Be a Beanbagaire from BKNC" starting May 1st. But you must register to become a contestant before April 29th! Be sure to go to www.beankid.net today for information on how to register for this wonderful contest!

The JUMBO hunt begins TODAY!! (click on the graphic)
Planet Beans is proud to be a sponsor of this great contest.

New Buddy?
From: Doodle's Page
Kerstin from Germany has written with some interesting news. (Although she has provided very reliable information in the past, please treat as a RUMOR for now, until further information is available.)

Translated email:

"Have you heard anything about a new Buddy named "Happy Easter" ? He has the Style Number 9003. One of my German Ty-Dealers has phoned me that he "received" them as a gift from the Ty Rep. The dealer has called me stating that the Tag Line reads " Happy Easter " and he is a Buddy. I think this to be true, as the Style numbers beginning with 9 are Buddies. He is brown and has " kräuselig " ("I can't translate this") fur. I have bought "it" from my Dealer and "it should be here" in three or four days. I will make a picture for you and give you more details when "it" arrives.
Greetings, Kerstin

Parking ploy is devious, but it's not unethical
From: Bean eWonderland
The movie theatre downtown gives four hours of free parking with a ticket purchase. In the afternoons, tickets are only $4.75, and the parking would normally cost $8 for that time. So I buy the ticket and forgo the movie. Any ethical problem with this? Your manoeuvre seems a little devious but not unethical. While it does disregard the intent of the incentive plan, which is to draw more folks to the movies, it is legit in that you play by the rules. Such premiums often lead people to adopt elaborate stratagems -- throw away the McFood and keep the collectible Beanie Babies. (Or is it eat the Beanie Babies and collect the durable food? Better check with your doctor).

Collectiblez [ http://www.collectiblez.net ] has now added new Baby Ty & Beanie Kids Searchable Indexes with complete information about the particular item in regards to introduction, status, date of birth etc. The pages also convey a monthly price graph of what the certain item is currently worth as well as a price tag of its last sale price from MetaExchange.com. In addition, Collectiblez has also introduced a new Beanie Kids hang tags page with information of the three different versions of hang tags! Visit Collectiblez for more details!

==April 17, 2001==
People's Beanie a lie?
From: Nathan - BeansEverywhere
I just received this via e-mail! I have a friend that works for a floral shop that sells Beanies and she told me that the Beanie named winner is already in production and the whole "Peoples Beanie" thing is a lie. She is usually a pretty reliable source for Beanie news but I guess we will never know the truth for sure as Ty hasn't included voting results on their site. I guess the only way well know for sure is if Winner is not actually the winner. If any webmaster uses this, please give us our respected credit! THANKS! Nathan

READER'S COMMENTS
JAN SENDS THE FOLLOWING:
Lisa, In response to Nathan's comments..... If Ty posted the results of each vote tally, wouldn't it take the element of surprise away? We could all look at the numbers and figure out who would probably be the next one to go! Also, I believe in the validity of this vote as it would be hard for a manufacturer to have millions of Beanies made up in advance, only to sit in a warehouse for months until this summer when Ty has said the People's Beanie will be released. He may be a rich man, but he didn't get there by making unwise decisions like that! I suspect that the people at Ty have a pretty good idea at this point who actually will end up the 'winner' in this contest, from the votes cast thus far, but lets not preclude ANY of these Beanies yet. I've watched all of the message boards and each of these Beanies have a loyal following. The winner may surprise all of us!!

From: Ms. Janie
Sal also shares the following: Kiwi sent us some interesting information from the EGPAF Spring 2001 -Update - brochure outlining Ty's contributions to this worthy cause. You can find it at the following link: http://www.salsattic.com/hotnews9.htm

Woman Arrested
From: Bean eWonderland
Amy Writes: There was a lady Arrested in Eau Claire Wisconsin for stealing a Beanie Baby at the store she works at in Oakwood mall. She has been put in jail for five days for trying to steal it. This has not yet been in the paper, I know this because she is my dad's girl friend. She is going to tell me about it more tonight, woo hoo. I think she is the dumbest person in the world.

==April 16, 2001==
Nothing much to report. If anything exciting happens, I will keep you updated. :o)

==April 15, 2001==
=Happy Easter!!=
I wish for each of you, a blessed day with family and friends. May today give you many reasons to smile and feel thankful for what you have and allow you one day to not dwell on what you don't. God Bless!! :o)

Acts of kindness share Hope in difficult times
From: Ms. Janie
It started out as a simple, impersonal sales transaction on the Internet. A man in Milwaukee selling Beanie Babies to a family in Seattle. What Roger Bodart didn't know was that he was helping to restore hope, quite literally, to a young girl who has seen and felt how fragile life can be, and how heartbreaking. Bodart, who is 67 and lives on the northwest side, is an Internet auction broker. He sells things for people, usually by posting them on eBay, the vast cyber-marketplace. In late March, a Seattle woman named Mari Ingram submitted the winning bid for five Beanie Babies offered by Bodart. Then she sent an e-mail to him that said, "I hope to get these as soon as possible. They are for my 8-year-old daughter who is going through chemotherapy treatments." You think you know now what this story is about. So did Bodart. He wrote back to Ingram. "My wife, Barbara, went through a bone marrow transplant for breast cancer and I had the radiated seeds for prostate cancer. Both are doing well. It has been four years for Barbara. Give our love to your daughter. The Beanie Babies will ship today - priority." Bodart and his wife boxed up the five Beanies at the store they run, Avenue Card and Gift, 8816 W. North Ave. Barbara wrote a note to the girl saying she felt they were linked, the two of them, by their struggle to survive. Then she placed an extra Beanie Baby in the box. It was Hope, a 6-inch-tall tan bear kneeling with eyes closed and hands folded in prayer. Read the remaining of this story at the following link. http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/apr01/stincol15041401a.asp

It's an old story: a girl and her dog Beanies and dogs, a hard combo to beat!
From: Ms. Janie
I am convinced that there is no devotion greater than that between my daughter Jean and our relatively new mutt, Abby. Jean must proclaim, "I love you so much, Abby" at least 100 times a day. She hugs Abby every time she leaves the house, even if it's just a trip to the mailbox. She lets the dog sleep in her bed (the only piece of furniture the dog is allowed on). She gets down on all fours and lets Abby lick her face. She continues to do this despite my protests and her brothers' tauntings: "Do you know where that tongue has been?" Even before we had Abby, my daughter and her friends were infatuated with cats, dogs and horses. They spent countless hours playing some kind of make-believe game involving Jean's mountain of stuffed animals. They would wrap the belts of their robes around the stuffed animals' necks and pretend they were leashes. They would tend to the stuffed animals' imaginary ailments at their imaginary veterinary clinic. They would meow and bark and pretend to be animals themselves. To this day, my daughter and her friends enjoy playing with their Beanie Babies more than any other toy. While my daughter was busy keeping track of her Beanie Babies' names and birthdays and planning parties and outings for them, my sons built forts on opposite ends of the living room and used the fur-covered bean bags as artillery. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/041401/nes_5901334.shtml

WIN free JUMBIES for a year!
Check out your chance at winning these wacky beanbags full of charming details. http://www.msjanie.com/pix/freejumbies.html

SALLY WINEY NEWS
From: Ms. Janie
Sally Winey's representation of the bear made in 1902 that is in the Smithsonian. Limit to 2002 Handmade pieces for the year of the Bear It is 15" tall made out of the same mohair that was used in 1902. They will be handmade and signed by me and have a Certificate with each one. Also it will come with a cloth bag. The cost will be $295.00 Pre orders can be made with deposit and you can choose your number after #5 Delivery will start in September. To view a photo of this bear please visit the following link - http://www.msjanie.com/pix/winey2002bear.html

For additional information please contact Sally at the following address sallywiney@msn.com Sally would also like to remind you that she will be at Thousand Oaks teaching on April 21 and 22. If you are interested you can call The Royalty Store 805-4995-8989 for information.

Young collectors show their stuff
From: Bean eWonderland
Principals often have a rule prohibiting students from bringing Pokemon trading cards, Beanie Babies and other playthings to school. The only exception might be for show-and-tell. In those instances, though, students typically bring just a single item to school to display for their classmates. At Black Hawk Elementary School Wednesday morning, it was dozens of items, from dozens of students, who brought their collections from home to put on display. The sixth annual Student Council-sponsored Hobby and Collection Day filled the gym with all different varieties of toys and collectibles. Many of the collections, of course, were simply items of a similar nature that the children had amassed as playthings over the years. There were a few serious collectors represented, though. One of them was first-grader Dalton Plumb, 7, who brought with him 50 Beanie Baby bears. And they weren't just any old Beanie bears. They were football bears with names of teams and players embroidered on them. Full Story:

ITZMEAGAIN CONTESTS
From: Nina
I will be holding a small contest Sunday night, to announce the big, super, JUMBO CONTEST which will begin next week :) http://www.itzmeagain.com/eastersunday.htm

COLLECTIBLEZ CONTEST
Collectiblez [ http://www.collectiblez.net ] is currently holding a Tyday's Fact contest where you can win Mellow the Bear by submitting Ty factoids! Visit Collectiblez for full contest details!

COMMENTS FROM READERS:
I posted the following on yesterday's news. Below you will see the comments:
This was shared by Judie in the Planet Beans Yahoo! Beanie Club
DID ANYONE NOTICE...
That these bears we "created" and are now voting on are not drawings like they were when we "created" them, but are real beanie babies now??? I think ty has them all made up and after this "people's choice" thing is over, they will all be released to the public....just my opinion.....anyone else care to express one about this???

COMMENTS FROM READERS:
~Rachel's comments: That is what I think too! :O)
~Candy's comments: Interesting thought! :)
~Terry's comments: You expressed my sentiments exactly. Am sure we will see them all on the market.
~Linda's comments: Why would he release them if we are voting for the ones we don't like? I suppose there are still enough of us who will buy at least half of them and he will still make money. I guess what I mean is we all don't dislike the same ones. And then there are those that buy the darn things just because they exist and have to get one of each especially the bears. Like me. lol
~Donna's comments: maybe they were made up from sample fabrics so that we could see the finished product. just a thought. :O)
~Teresa's comments: Yep I noticed that as well. I think Ty is trying to trick us lol
~Ryan of Collectiblez comments:
Hi Lisa! I just thought I would quickly e-mail you to say my thoughts on the People's Beanie matters.
What I think, is that Ty has made prototypes of all the combinations of People's Beanie prior to the contest. Once the nine most popular ones were picked, he would just photograph the prototype. Remember every Beanie has a prototype so he just probably took pictures of the prototype. :o) It's not fun to think in the way that Ty already has them all mass-produced in his factories and waiting for shipping lol

MarketWatch is now updated to include...
Beanie Babies: Jester-Part 1
Beanie Buddies: Ariel-Part 1
Be sure to check out these latest updates!
Regards,
Kody Looper
aka: BeanKid
kody@beankid.net

BABY HAS BEEN ELIMINATED
Who will be next? Click HERE to place your vote for the next to be eliminated.

Teenie Beanie Frenzy, Again!... We now have confirmed that there WILL be a Teenie Beanie Baby promotion at McDonald's once again in 2001! However, unlike in years past, McDonald's is keeping all information on this promotion concealed! The annual outline of the years promotions does not give dates, or any specifics on this year's Teenie Beanie promotion! What do the two mysterious companies have in store for us this year?

Hornsly's Horns
From: Bean eWonderland
One of our readers 'D2' writes: Hi, I just purchased a Hornsley Buddy and his horns were no were near the same size as each other, I have enclosed a picture for you to share. View Here:

This was shared by Judie in the Planet Beans Yahoo! Beanie Club
DID ANYONE NOTICE...
That these bears we "created" and are now voting on are not drawings like they were when we "created" them, but are real beanie babies now??? I think ty has them all made up and after this "people's choice" thing is over, they will all be released to the public....just my opinion.....anyone else care to express one about this???

Planet Beans Comments: I think the real winner has already been decided prior to the voting and we may end up seeing them all anyway. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out won't it?! On another note.. I liked the "Winner" bear but the ribbon is ALL wrong. LOL

==April 13, 2001==
CUTE TRUE BEANIE STORY
This was shared by Rose in the Planet Beans Yahoo! Beanie Club
I was talking to a friend the other day and asked her how her mother was doing (her mother suffered a stroke about a month before Thanksgiving). She was telling me how she keeps 'firing' all of her physical therapist because they make her work so hard (this is necessary if she is ever going to function on her own again, her husband is getting worn out waiting on her, they are both in there late 70s). Anyway her current therapist was working her legs (he goes to their home) and Mary was doing her usual complaining that it hurt too much and was too hard for her to do, but he just ignored her and kept working those muscles. Well Mary was getting very perturb with him and started throwing BEANIES at him from the basket next to her chair! Her tosses were rather weak and timid at first but as the therapist continued to work her legs despite the bombardment she got really ticked and started really tossing them as hard as she could. The therapist just looked up at her and said, "That's GREAT Mary!" He gently tossed them back to her (she even caught a few). And then he said, "Now do you suppose you could throw them with your other arm?" The Beanies became a part of her therapy session for the day and she went thru the rest of the session much easier :o)

TYME WILL TELL...
From: Ms. Janie
Sly points out the following: On April 4th, 2001 Ty applied for a Trademark on "TYME" and list "Wrist Watches" as The Goods and Services when applying for this trademark. Looks like Ty is going to let us Tell Tyme by his own line of watches! Maybe beanie wrist watches? I can only Hope!-LOL Tyme will tell!-LOL Happy Hunting!

EASTER CANDY IS A CHOKING HAZARD
From: Ms. Janie
Consumer groups warn on candy danger Two consumer groups are warning parents that a new Easter candy called Megga Surprize could pose a choking hazard for small children. The National Consumers League and the Consumer Federation of America say they have written to the Consumer Product Safety Council urging them to have the item recalled. They describe it as a "plastic egg mostly encased in milk chocolate and filled with paper toys." Once the candy is eaten, the plastic egg, which is 1.58 inches in diameter, still smells like chocolate and would be attractive to small children, they said. Arthur S. Jaeger, assistant director of CFA, said, "It is a recipe for tragedy." The consumer groups say a report prepared by Safety Behavior Analysis Inc. cites choking incidents involving objects of similar size and shape, stating that "widely distributed choking hazard data and technical reports indicate that spherical shapes smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter present a serious choking hazard." The groups identified the manufacturer of the candy as the Whetstone Candy Co. in St. Augustine, Fla. The company was unavailable for comment. -- http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=176666

Do We Need a Beanie Baby Fraud Statute
From: Bean eWonderland
I found an interesting article today from the American University Law Review asking the question, 'Do We Need a "Beanie Baby" Fraud Statute? It starts: This is not an Essay calling for the protection of “Peanuts,” the royal blue elephant. Nor is this Essay concerned with the confusion surrounding “Iggy,” the Iguana or “Rainbow,” the Chameleon. This Essay does not even reflect on the ramifications of Ty, Inc.’s decision to retire Beanie Babies on December 31, 1999, followed by its later decision to continue production. Rather, the focus of this Essay is on whether Congress needs to pass a specific statute to criminalize Beanie Baby fraud. Full Article:

ELIMINATION ROUND FOR PEOPLE'S BEANIE
The People's Beanie Poll is now open. Voting for this rounds ends On Sunday, April 15th. Click HERE to place your vote for elimination. I must say there are some not-so-attractive bears on that list.

BEANIE ADDICT ARTICLE
Yesterday I posted an article titled "HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE A BEANIE ADDICT"
as stated, I received this article via email from Janice yesterday... What I didn't know is this was posted over at Jannette's Forum by Merry Lou (known as Quackers on the Forum) who got the actual list from elsewhere and picked the ones she liked best to post. I, in no way, would ever intentionally post something on my site if I thought it would make anyone upset. My apologies to Merry Lou. Janice was only sharing something she enjoyed to make others smile so I thank her for that.

==April 12, 2001==
NEW CONTEST AT PLANET BEANS
Ryan of BeanySpot is sponsoring a simple contest that will be like the other trivia type contests I've been running. He is providing one winner with Bessie and Daisy Beanie Babies. Details can be found at: http://www.planetbeans.com/CowabungaContest.htm

HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE A BEANIE ADDICT
received via email from Janice yesterday...
-Your 2 year old son even knows the UPS man/woman's first name.
-You had to get a prescription for Prozac during the UPS strike.
-You stalk any child with a toy that resembles a Beanie Baby, especially pre-Oct'97 retireds.
-You've consulted with your CPA about how to possibly write off Beanie Baby expenses.
-You constantly think about retirement, and it's not your own.
-You've got every florist and gift shop that's within a 200 mile radius programmed on you speed dial.
-You've ever walked around for three days on a "Beanie high" when you finally got your hands on a hard-to-find that none of your Beanie friends have.
-You refer to your multiples as "trading power", but won't part with a single one.
-You simultaneously surf eBay, the Ty guestbook, and play Beanie Bingo while on the "net".
-You've ever stood in the rain, after hours, with a flashlight, peering through a storefront window for a tell-tale red heart-shaped tag.
-You've ever been asked by a police officer what you were doing standing in the rain, with a flashlight, peering through a storefront window after hours.
-All you computer bookmarks contain the word "Beanie" in them.
-You empty your china from the hutch and replace it with Beanies.
-After returning from a Beanie run, you don't let the kids out of the car until you check your answering machine to see if need to go again.
-You tell your family and friends you have 40 Beanies when in reality you have a secret stash of 50 (or more) hidden throughout the house.
-You beg any relative or friend you can to go stand in line to buy the 5 newest Beanies because you have to go to work.
-You've ever been late for work because your relatives or friends wouldn't stand in line to buy you the 5 newest Beanies.
-You ask your significant other to buy you a retired Beanie rather than a dozen roses for a special occasion.
-You tell your family you're going shopping when you really mean Beanie hunting.

Well, I don't know about you but I'm guilty of a few of these so I must be a Beanie Addict! LOL How about you?!

CUBS TY BEANIE BABY DEBUT
Sly shares the following with Ms. Janie this morning:
Ty Beanie Baby Debut! (1st 10,000 Children)** The Beanie Baby premiering on Sunday, May 20 will be named "Addison." The Beanie Baby will not be available for sale to the general public prior to the game. Due to the name corresponding to Wrigley Field's location, we anticipate that this item will be highly collectable. 2001 marks Ty's 15th anniversary, as well as our fifth year featuring Beanie Baby promotions. The previous image was NOT of "Addison," the Beanie Baby to be given away on May 20.

From: Ms. Janie
Peggy sends the following note:
If anyone has purchased a counterfeit EZTKT Sakura from anyone in Illinois. Please have them email: PeggyGallagher1@aol.com We need the date it was purchased. The person selling: their name, address, phone number, and email. Thanks this will help in the Ty investigation! http://www.peggyg.com

EASTER BASKETS FOR HOMELESS KIDS 2001 UPDATE!!
Lisa, wanted you to know that in just under 2 weeks with the help, once again, of the internet Beanie friends that Dee Reynolds was able to complete 87 baskets which were delivered yesterday to the shelters and food banks where they will be given out. This year has been such a huge success, in part due to your efforts and posting it in your newsletter. Thank you Lisa for helping to make this project the success it has been this year.

If you like, go check out the web site for the project. We have listed all those who donated and what went into each basket. Once again Lisa, thank you for you help in making this year the success it was! You are listed there as well as a link to your site, :-) http://www.flsuncoast.com/easter2001/

Granny Annie Muncy
Annie Muncy
http://www.flsuncoast.com

Planet Beans Comment: I'd like to personally thank everyone that supported this wonderful cause. To all of the special angels that organized and helped out with donations of items and time.. please realize that you are putting a smile on the faces of children that don't usually have much to smile about. YOU have done a great thing and kindness from the heart is the best and most heartfelt. :o)

==April 11, 2001==
RETIREMENTS = Aruba, Float, Runner and Whiskers
http://www.ty.com/announcements/ret_041101float.html
Runner was LONG overdue to retire. Float sure had a short shelf life!!

Beanies on TV
From: Bean eWonderland
On the CBS reality show, Boot Camp, they had a chance to get a personal item from their stuff that was taken from them and put in cardboard boxes on the first day. They were doing shots of the different boxes all in a line while talking about what each person would want and about winning the challenge. At a side view of one box, through the handle hole, you could easily see the head of Rosalie the white bear attic treasure with the pink flower head dress! Jack.

1,000 gather to mourn family
From: Bean eWonderland
Instead, nearly 1,000 mourners gazed on a flower-strewn shrine to lives in full bloom: a wedding doll, a T-ball trophy, a banjo, framed handprints, piano lesson books, Beanie Babies and the guitars belonging to a father and son. Dozens of pictures of daily life - deep snowfalls, Christmas mornings, a bed-jumping session and a three-kid bath - led many to shake their heads as they wiped away tears. The service brought into sharp focus that a family known for loving and giving is gone at the hands of its leader, and no one understands why. Full Story:

FUZZ ON TV
On the TV show 'Making The Band' there was clip of Fuzz Beanie Baby on top of a dresser. The dresser was in a bunk with several of the guys in it so I am not sure which it belonged to. Fuzz has now had his 15 seconds of fame! News Source-- http://www.thebeanscene.cjb.net

CORRECTION
When I watched the episode of Gideon's Crossing I didn't ever see the Holy Bears on there, I assumed I just overlooked them... today I rewatched it and didn't see them and tonight I do have confirmation from a friend that Beanies for Preemies were in fact not shown on last night's episode of Gideon's Crossing! Please update this on your sites, and I will update you all as soon as they get to the bottom of this mix-up!

==April 10, 2001==
Regulators want fast-food chains to make giveaway toys that are more child-friendly
From: Ms. Janie
(Miami Herald) Forget about who has the better burgers and fries. When it comes to picking what fast-food chain to visit, it's more often about Pokeamon and Beanie Babies. But the coveted toys tucked inside Kids' Meals and Happy Meals aren't always as harmless as they look. In just more than a year, almost 30 million of the free trinkets have been yanked off the market because of issues ranging from poor quality control to toys being given to tiny tikes who aren't old enough to use them properly. The recalls have alarmed the Cosumer Product Safety Commission. And fast-food chains are moving to take steps of their own: Burger King has hired a psychologist to evaluate toys and how children will use them, Wendy's has teamed with Hasbro to produce a new line of toddler toys by a proven name in the toy manufacturing business, and McDonald's utilizes a mannequin ``McBaby'' to test for suffocation and choking hazards. For the full story, go HERE:

Now on Northern Trade Winds
From: Ms. Janie
SPECIAL REPORT: FAKE TY ATTICS HIT CANADA!
Thank You Bear Stolen
Float Oddity "Spotted"
This and a whole bunch more now at http://www.northtradewinds.com I have received a note that the story will appear at 7 A.M. If the story is not posted by the time you view this link please visit it again.

Beanies for Preemies on Gideon's Crossing...
From: BeanKid's NEWSCenter
We are proud to present to you BeanKid's NEWSCenter's exclusive coverage of this wonderful occasion! The Holy Bear's Beanies for Preemies bear was on Gideon's Crossing, a show aired on Monday nights at 9:00 PM CST. This week, in addition to Dr. Gideon having heart problems, most of the attention was placed on a doctor's wife at the hospital that was 25 weeks pregnant with twins. The twins were diagnosed with a syndrome that means one baby is getting the blood of both babies, instead of it being separated equally. The mother goes into labor at only 25 weeks into the pregnancy. Unfortunately, one of the twins dies after birth, and one survives! Click HERE for still pictures and other info from the show.

From: Ryan of Collectiblez
Lisa, Please note BeanKid's article about the HolyBears on television is wrong. They did not appear last night on Gideon's Crossing. I have the episode on tape and it wasn't shown and even Mary from Beanies For Preemies confirms it wasn't shown.

Ryan has the following posted on his news page...

HOLYBEAR NEWS
* Gideon's Crossing On Last Night...But Where Were the Bears? *
Last night, Gideon's Crossing on ABC was aired last night at 10PM EST. The episode last night, dealt with two different situations. The situation which was to involve the Preemie Prayer HolyBears, was with premature twin Babies which were only 25 weeks old. The babies were diagnosed with a disease when they were still in the mother, which meant that one Baby wasn't getting enough blood into its body while the other baby was getting too much instead. Both babies were to get the identical amount of blood into their bodies. The doctors gave the pregnant woman and her husband [another doctor from the hospital], three options which included letting the baby go through her natural birth, use laser technology to try and fix the problem, or let the woman have an abortion. During the show, the pregnant mother began having contractions which involved her having to give birth to the babies through a cesarean at only six months old. The doctors manage to get both premature babies out, although only one unfortunately manages to survive.

Mary from Beanies For Preemies shared with Collectiblez last week that they were contacted by the prop directory from Gideon's Crossing and were informed that they required bean bag plush for the isolettes in a scene which involved a NICU [neonatal infant care unit]. Beanies For Preemies sent ABC ten of the Preemie Prayer HolyBears [five of isolette bears and five of the hands style bears]. In addition to the props, Mary additionally sent extras in request that cast members autograph the bear for later use on eBay's Preemie Prayer charity auctions.

Mary then received information from the show that the episode would be airing on April 9th, however the bears were apparently not spotted by collectors on the episode.

JUMBO HUNT (HUGE contest)
For a coming soon sneak peak, visit http://www.itzmeagain.com/comingsoon.htm
PRIZES: JUMBO Valentina, JUMBO Peace, Chinook, Nipponia, Shamrock, Eggs, and many many more...

BEANIE SPOT CHANGES NAME
We've decided to go along and change our name from BeanieSpot to BeanySpot. The name is pronounced the same just spelled differently. We've made this change because, Ty seems to be after some sites now, and I feel that he is after us, so thought we'd better change now, and not have to go threw with all of that. So PLEASE start using the URL: http://www.BeanySpot.com Thank You! :o)

MarketWatch has been updated
It now includes the first ever four part series in MarketWatch history! We will be updating a MarketWatch each week for four weeks on the same Beanie in the Beanie Babies and Beanie Buddies categories to see how time affects new products and how much affect it has on them!

I was also wondering about the "updates" that were sent out regarding combinations to vote on for The People's Beanie. I have a "hunch" that the finalists may have already been selected no matter what we chose. I don't know for sure but the "bulletins" that kept saying vote this way or that way seemed to be a little too frequent. How could the totals be updated that quickly (even with a counter running for the different selections)? And why were we not updated on what NAMES were "losing" in the polls too? I have a feeling that Winner will be the name of the bear no matter what it looks like!

Ty Still Tops
From: Beanieholics
According to Giftbeat, a publication for retailers, Ty holds the top spot for 'Plush', is second under 'Spring/Seasonal' items and third in the listing under collectibles. Ms. Janie has scans showing the complete rankings in each of these categories. Click Here For More

TheBeanScene Reopens
TheBeanScene is now reopen and better than ever! With a new contest, layout and features! We have an exclusive interview with Richard from BeanEWonderland, a great article from Heather at the DailyBean, an awesome section from our Canadian reporter and much, much more! Visit TheBeanScene TODAY @ http://www.thebeanscene.cjb.net

FREE JUMBiES FOR A YEAR!!
Your change at winning FREE Jumbies for a year! Read the following to learn how and meet the creators of the world famous JUMBIES. http://www.msjanie.com/pix/freejumbies.html

Once Firm Beanie Babies Sales Lose Their Stuffing
From: The Beanie Zoo
Maybe it's his line about how Beanie Babies will always be valuable as coffin liners. Maybe it's his talk about soft, fuzzy (i.e. crashing) Beanie prices. Maybe it's his insistence that every toy, including Beanies, should be played with by kids before grown-ups get to collect and swap them for profit. Whatever the reason, Harry Rinker, a collectibles columnist and lecturer, isn't feeling much love these days from Beanie Nation. Rinker says Beanie investing, once the darling of Mom and Pop speculators, is dead. Beanie investors, those left standing anyway, say Rinker is a twit. Or worse. http://www.ocregister.com/accent/beanie00409cci2.shtml

==April 8, 2001==
Could It Be Hints From Ty Himself?????????
This was sent to Andrea, Ms. Janie, and Me
Good Evening Ladies, Just wanted to write you a little note.

First, to tell you I think you're all amazing for the amount of work you put into your web sites & your newsletters. I go into all of them daily along with reading your newsletters & looking into it's links. As a self-proclaimed beanie addict, I couldn't do without all your newsletters & information :o)

Secondly, an interesting thought that may be newsworthy. Could Ty himself be telling us what 9 beanies are gonna be the chosen one's??? It's possible considering the updates that were posted on the People's Beanie site. Here's what was posted:

Hey voters from the 'Sunshine States', don't you want the sunshine bear, 1-1-3, to make the elimination round?

Hey, all you Disco Fans, there will be no glitter in the final 9 unless you vote for 1-2-1 or 2-2-1 now.

Attention 'Purple People'... 1-8-7 will positively not be in the elimination round, unless you vote for it now.

Sooooooo, that's the hints. My thoughts are the 9 beanies will be the following combinations (per hints): 2/2/1, 1/1/3, 1/7/4, 2/7/2, 1/2/1 "or" 2/2/1, 1/8/7, 2/3/4, 1/5/5 & 2/6/6

Could I be right???? If I am I wanna be a Beanie Babie pet detective *hehe*. Hire me Ty, pretty please with a beanie on top? :o)

Your's truly,
Charmaine St. Louis (BBPD=Beanie Babie Pet Detective)

ITZMEAGAIN SCAVENGER HUNT REMINDER
From: Nina (itzmeagain)
Hi, at 6pm pacific / 9pm eastern tonight, I will be hosting a "mini-scavenger hunt" on my new site: http://www.itzmeagain.com the contest information is posted, and at 6pm pacific, I will post the graphic & prize you will be hunting.

At the contest start time, some info about the upcoming Jumbo Contest will also be posted, so stay tuned :)

Ty Tighten down on Sites
From: Bean eWonderland
When Beaniebonkers asked us to replace their front page banner with a new one, we couldn't see a difference between the new one and old. Here is the reply we received from them: "The new banner is minus the Ty heart logo. BeanieKidz is not the only site having problems. Notjustbeanies.com has changed their name to 'Dreamcollectables.com' and BeanieBoxUk has changed to 'Thetoybox.com'. When I spoke to Dream Collectibles they said that Ty issued legal proceedings against all advertisers in Mary Beth's trying to reclaim site domains with the word beanie in and Dream Collectibles are a TY retailer!!!. Mary Beths comment was that the laws are different over in the UK, however watch the UK version of MBBW next month!! Hence why I am trying to find an alternative just in case". (On another note we would like to congratulate Paul and Laura from Beanie Bonkers who had a Little boy at 4am on the 6th at 7lb 13oz).

Students to stage spring production
From: Bean eWonderland
The play is set in the fictional land of Saxonia in the year 1243. King Isadore of Saxonia, who sets off to fight infidels and hunt Beanie Babies, is kidnapped and held for ransom. King Isadore's evil brother is determined to take the throne, even though the king's infant son is the rightful heir. Queen Nina fears for the child's safety and leaves the baby in a forest, where he is raised by squirrels. Full Story:

Rumour Mill
From: Bean eWonderland
Over the past couple of days I have received many rumours, two of them are interesting, the first of which I have seen on some other sites. Dearest as a mothers day bear was announced too late for Mothers Day in the UK and will be a USA exclusive. The other rumour is that only one delivery of Issy will be made, if you are a store owner and have or do receive more than one delivery I would like to hear from you.

2 Million Rovers?
From: Bean eWonderland
Searching for news I came across an article for a new web site that helps you select a name for your pet. With regards to the name 'Rover' it states: "Apparently there were 2 million Rover Beanie Babies produced. Who knew". If this is true, charging $2.00 for Rover Beanie Baby would have netted Ty $4 Million. View Article:

ADVERTISING AT PLANET BEANS
Now's the time to reserve your advertising space. The News and Contest pages have been renewed for April so they are unavailable at this time. The top spot on the main page has been reserved for mid April. If you are interested in advertising on ANY page of Planet Beans with a banner ad AND a blurb in the daily newsletters, please email me at Advertising@planetbeans.com You may be surprised at how inexpensive it is to get the word out to so many people daily. I will provide you with detailed information, such as, an average number of daily visits, the extra advertising you will receive, and cost per month.

The best indication of results from advertising is when someone advertises repeatedly. Andrea of Andrea's Attic has had the same position on the News page each month since she started which was around the middle of last year. She has recently told me that about 75% of her traffic comes from Planet Beans so this means the advertising really works.

NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING
If you would like a blurb of advertising in the daily newsletter that's currently going to 700+ collectors daily, it will cost you only $5 per ad, which will run for 2 consecutive days. When you advertise with a banner on Planet Beans your newsletter blurb is included every day at no additional charge.

==April 7, 2001==
==HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YAVETT of THE UNDERGROUND BEAN!!==
May this be your best birthday ever. Happiness and smiles a plenty will grace you for your special day. And remember... not a year older but that much wiser. ;o)

I'm not sure how many of you noticed this yesterday. I noticed it and had a good laugh as did Marc Hollin. The sponsor's ad from Topica that was shown on the top of the newsletter yesterday was timed perfectly because it showed up with the retirement. I have to agree.. IT'S ABOUT TIME those two beanies retired. LOL
============================================================
IT’S ABOUT TIME! (the remainder of the ad has been removed)
============================================================
Ty has just retired Halo II and USA Bears
http://www.ty.com/announcements/ret_040601haloUSA.html

ITZMEAGAIN SCAVENGER HUNT
From: Nina
On Sunday April 8th at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern, we will have a quick scavenger hunt, you will be searching for a certain graphic, the prize will be the item pictured in the graphic, so stay tuned . . . details & picture to be posted on April 8th at start time. http://www.itzmeagain.com/

Counterfeit Beanies
From: Ms. Janie
Many of us are concerned about the increasing amount of counterfeit Beanies. I have compiled a section, which I hope will help to protect you in your endeavors. http://www.msjanie.com/fakes/fake_page.html

TY POSTS ABOUT PEOPLE'S BEANIE
From: Ms. Janie
Just thought you would like to know...
Ty Warner (04:39 pm. Apr 06, 2001 )
Message Id: 838547
Ty Warner writes: I had noticed that some of you were commenting about the limited number of name choices for the People's Beanie. I thought I would take a moment and explain just that. Well, in a word… lawyers! As you know, we are very careful about protecting our trademarks and copyrights, including names. Which means that we also have to be respectful of other companies' trademark rights as well. In order to avoid any legal tangles, we needed to make sure that any name chosen for the People's Beanie was not a trademark owned by anyone else. We gave our lawyers a long list of possible names to approve and the twenty listed are the result of their nit-picking. It would have a been a big disappointment to everyone, including myself, to have voted for a name only to find out that it was already owned by someone else. Now go forth and vote and may the best Beanie win! http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg838547.html

CHICAGO CUBS TY PROMO
From: Underground Bean
The Chicago Cubs announce mystery Ty promotion along with a picture ... what an adorable bear, Addison. View HERE The picture shows a Cherished Teddy instead of a Ty Beanie.

Site Closing
From: Bean eWonderland
BeanieKidz.com has been forced to close down after being issued legal documents from Ty Inc. An extract from an email received from Tom the owner states: "Bad news I'm afraid. I was running the site via a free-domain service (Namezero.com) and they have now sent me an email stating that they have heard from Ty's solicitor too and that they are withdrawing the domain name, so I guess this was one of the easiest lawsuits Ty has ever faced. So, BeanieKidz.com domain is now closed. We have contacted Tys solicitor and asked if we could change the name to something else and to put it straight they said no. They sent us lots of legal jargon stating that we would still be using photos of Tys products which infringes their copyright laws etc. so we shall be closing the site down as of Sunday night. Please post an article on your news page telling everyone this and that the contest winners will still be announced. I have no idea why Ty wants to see BeanieKidz closed, you would have assumed he would be more interested in the Skansen Beaniekids.com site. Until Sunday night you can still access us through the following link: http://www.beaniekids.btinternet.co.uk:

Pictures to Share
From: Bean eWonderland
Marilyn (who has been getting some high praise's from our clubhouse members) has shared some more great pictures with us. Three Issy Bears with different tags and Ariel Buddy are the latest additions.

Demand For 'Beanie' Mascot Withers
From: Beanieholics
Volunteers in Lima, Ohio, who sell the products bearing the likeness of the city's mascot, 'Beanie', will curtail store hours at city hall from twice a week to once a month. Sales are down and the city is looking to find a more efficient way to market their 'Beanie' products which include everything from a 'Beanie' bean bag toy to 'Beanie' T-shirts and caps as well as 'Beanie' coffee mugs and mouse pads. Back in 1999, the city successfully fended off a legal challenge by the Ty Inc. as Lima sought a trademark for its product. Click Here For More

PEOPLE'S BEANIE UPDATE
The polls are closed. The Create Your Candidate Round is now over.
The Elimination Round will begin April 13th.

UNDERGROUND BEAN ARTICLES
Yavett says, "I couldn't wait to post both Andrea's article and BeanCrazy Chris' article ... they are both excellent, so a day sooner than normal, both articles have been posted."

==April 6, 2001==
POEMS ADDED TO BUDDIES
I have now added the poems to the Beanie Buddies pages. The only update I have left to do for the new beanies are to add their birthdays to the Beanie Birthday Calendar, which I plan on doing in a bit.

QUESTIONABLE BUCKINGHAMS
From: Ms. Janie
Hand in hand with our Sakura research is the discovery of Buckingham with similar characteristics. He is the latest Questionable item found with a holographic tush tag and "heat sensitive" heart. Please visit this link for details: http://www.pbbags.com/fromthedeskof_buckingham.asp

Florist Stores
From: Bean eWonderland
Terri writes: "Last December I emailed a copy of the letter that was sent to the florists stating that Ty was dropping their accounts. Well, my boss has just received another call from Ty Inc. asking if the shop wanted to be reinstated to sell Ty products!! It is a shame what Ty did to these floral shops. He did not realize how some of these shops depended on their Ty sales each month. Now that his business is down he is asking the same shops he dismissed to come back. What a CAD!!! Is Ty in trouble??? Just some food for thought". (Bean eWonderlands comment - Very interesting, I would like to know if anyone else has been asked if they would like their accounts back?).

People's Beanie/Webtv
From: Bean eWonderland
Beanie Kids has constructed a 'Peoples Beanie' voting form for webtv users, I have had a look and it really works, why the people over at Ty could not have done this I have no idea. Visit Here:

People's Beanie Update
Hey voters from the 'Sunshine States',
don't you want the sunshine bear, 1-1-3, to make the elimination round?
Click HERE to vote for your choice.

Another Update
Attention all Beanie Baby designers,
your deadline is 4:00 p.m. CDT, get creative!!!!

==April 5, 2001==
PICTURES OF NEW BEANIES
Planet Beans regular, Teresa, shares more pictures of her new beanies. You can view them HERE

People's Beanie Update (thanks to Stephanie for the update)
Attention all Turquoise lovers!
1-5-5 is now ranked #10. Don't let her lose!
Click HERE to vote for your choice.

Another update at 12:34pm
2-3-4 needs your support!
Looks like he won't make the final cut.

PEOPLE'S BEANIE POSTER
Heather from The Daily Bean shares the following:
Posted in the Daily Bean Clubhouse: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thedailybeanclubhouse
I was at a Hallmark today and they had a poster about the People's Beanie and another Poster with 9 rectangles about the size of trading cards to put pictures of the finalist in, i wonder if this means the voting for the finalist will be done in stores?

TDB Comment - I think the 9 rectangle spots are for the 9 semi-finalists! :) I think that when those 9 beanie styles are decided, retailers will put images of the beanies there! It's only 128 different beanies that can be made, so I think the retailers have cards for each different beanie. Thats not including names though... Remember, this it just my opinion.

==April 4, 2001==
PICTURES OF NEW BEANIES
Planet Beans regular, Teresa, shares pictures of her new beanies. You can view them HERE

POEMS ADDED
The poems and birthdays were added to the Ty.com site so I've added them to the Beanie Babies Information pages.

Bluebeary is No Longer Available!
From: Ms. Janie
Please be advised that Bluebeary, one of our Ty Classic friends, is no longer available. Thank you. 04/04/01

A note from Ms. Janie
For those of you trying to return fake Sakura's for a refund. Please tell the seller that you will be marking the Beanie with a permanent marker so that it accidentally does not go back into circulation. Keep in mind that these Beanies can be altered and made to look real with a simple tush and hangtag change. Protect yourself and others by becoming educated and passing on information relevant to this problem. If you have additional questions I can be reached at ms.janie@home.com Ms. Janie For those of you trying to return fake Sakura's for a refund. Please tell the seller that you will be marking the Beanie with a permanent marker so that it accidentally does not go back into circulation. Keep in mind that these Beanies can be altered and made to look real with a simple tush and hangtag change. Protect yourself and others by becoming educated and passing on information relevant to this problem. If you have additional questions I can be reached at ms.janie@home.com Ms. Janie For those of you trying to return fake Sakura's for a refund. Please tell the seller that you will be marking the Beanie with a permanent marker so that it accidentally does not go back into circulation. Keep in mind that these Beanies can be altered and made to look real with a simple tush and hangtag change. Protect yourself and others by becoming educated and passing on information relevant to this problem. If you have additional questions I can be reached at ms.janie@home.com Ms. Janie For those of you trying to return fake Sakura's for a refund. Please tell the seller that you will be marking the Beanie with a permanent marker so that it accidentally does not go back into circulation. Keep in mind that these Beanies can be altered and made to look real with a simple tush and hangtag change. Protect yourself and others by becoming educated and passing on information relevant to this problem. If you have additional questions I can be reached at ms.janie@home.com Ms. Janie http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/sakuradifferences.html

A note from Ms. Janie
FAKE SAKURA PASSES HEAT TEST
The Ty heat test has been a real concern for most. I have received a ton of conflicting e-mail regarding the heat test to determine the authenticity of Beanie Babies with the 4FWEZTKT tush tag number. Reports have come in that some have passed and some have failed. I conducted several test using a hair dryer on the tags of the FAKE Sakura's that Ty has declared fake and they passed. Explanation - It was previously thought that if you applied heat to the back of the tushtag and the heart disappeared and did not come back that you have a fake Beanie. After several test which you can find photos here - I am sorry to inform you that these fakes are better than originally thought. They did pass the heat test making them appear to be authentic when in fact they are fake. THE HEART DID INDEED COME BACK! Bottom line - Even though you may have a Sakura with the number 4FWEZTKT a fake is a fake either way you look at it. To view the photos visit the following link -- http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/heattest.html

New updates at BeanKid's MarketWatch... http://www.beankid.net
Beanie Babies: The End
Beanie Buddies: Princess

Beanie Baby maker settles suit against casinos LAS VEGAS SUN
From: Ms. Janie
Ty Inc. which accused Aztar Corp. of illegally promoting Ty's "Beanie Baby" toys in exchange for slot play at Aztar's Tropicana hotel-casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, has reached a settlement with the Phoenix-based hotel-casino operator. Westmont, Ill.-based Ty sought an injunction in May in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas to stop Aztar's "Beanie Babies Giveaway Slots," a Tropicana slot promotion that began around April 1999. It awarded the wildly popular plush toys as awards to its slot machine patrons. But Ty's request for an injunction was denied by U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben because Aztar stopped its promotion before Ty sought the injunction, said West Allen, Aztar's attorney. Aztar said it was served the injunction on May 17 even after it had removed all billboard and casino floor signs advertising the Beanie Baby giveaways and ended the promotion on May 16. Ty's lawsuit was dismissed last week after both parties agreed to resolve their differences and "decided that it would be financially more prudent to resolve the case outside of federal litigation," Allen said. http://www.lvsun.com/sunbin/stories/business/2001/apr/03/511645308.html

Bean Watcher
From: Bean eWonderland
Ty retired the four different sizes (jumbo, extra large, large, and regular-sized) of Valentina Beanie Buddies on March 16, 2001. How much do you know about these holiday-themed bears? How did the market react to the retirement of these Valentine's Day themed bears? Read the Bean Watcher's thoughts on these Beanie Buddies by clicking Bean Watcher

==April 3, 2001==
IMPORTANT SAKURA INFO
From: Ms. Janie
I have spent the whole day working up a page that should help protect you against buying fake Sakura's. This page is in two parts and is loaded with photos. http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/sakuradifferences.html

In the email state the date you purchased the counterfeit Sakura and from whom and where was it sent from! Make sure it has the serial # 4FWEZTKT

Please email the seller and send the bear back for a full refund. We can all be helpful and back track to the counterfeit Sakura's original seller! We need your cooperation!! Thank you.

NATIONAL BEANIE MONTH
From: Heather - The Daily Bean http://www.heatherlea.com
Did you see that the Info Beanie declared it to be National Beanie Month?
I wonder if they have anything in store....
Monday April 2, 2001 9:04 p.m. In honor of National Frog Month, we played leapfrog tonight! It was really fun. I asked if I was going to get any presents or extra desserts and our friends at Ty said they didn't think so because it wouldn't be fair to the other Beanies. I said that was what I thought. Then I told them my idea about having a National Beanie Month and they thought that was a grand idea! They said that we could just declare that April is National Beanie Month! So… April is National Beanie Month! Woo hoo! I don't know what else we are supposed to do now but as I figure it out I'll let you know! Now that I've declared it National Beanie Month, I'm going to see if I can have some extra dessert. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night! http://www.ty.com/infobeanie/lastpage/

Northern Trade Winds
From: Beanieholics
Lulu reports on newbies in Canada. Also no Issy for Canada yet and some fun details about the new Beanies just announced by Ty. Click Here For Northern Trade Winds

==REMINDER==
HAVE A HEART AND HELP THE HOMELESS CHILDREN
Granny Annie here. The Easter project is on! I didn't think I would be able to do it this year because of health and other issues but Dee Reynolds (oldaladee) from Ricks club has offered to do the assembly and distribution. This year the baskets will go to needy kids in MN, not FL but it really doesn't matter where they go. It's the thought of making a child smile at Easter that really matters.

Retailers Can Now Order Issy
From: Beanieholics
In addition to being able to order the newest Ty releases, Ty retailers can now order Issy. The bear, which previously was only being shipped to retailers that ordered it at the New York Toy Fair, can be ordered in quantities of 24. For a rundown on Ty's ordering parameters for April, use the link below. (Our thanks to 'T' for sharing the info.) Click Here For April Ordering Parameters

Lights, Camera...
From: Beanieholics
The HolyBears website advises collectors to be on the lookout for HolyBears on upcoming episodes of "Gideon's Crossing" and "Oprah". Click Here For Link To HolyBears

==April 1, 2001==
PLANET BEANS NEWS ARCHIVES
If you missed some old news... News Archives - From March 1999 - Current

COLLECTIBLEZ CONTEST
Collectiblez [ http://www.collectiblez.net ] is holding a new Easter-themed contest with fourteen different prizes to be won! Visit Collectiblez for more details!

TY POSTS ON CYBERBOARD
Ty's being his playful self! The following messages were posted on the Cyberboard by Ty Warner
Is everyone ready?
Ty Warner (09:37 pm. Mar 31, 2001 )
Message Id: 833829 Ty Warner writes: for tomorrow? http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg833829.html