Picture Source: Beanie Mom
==February 29, 2000==
Purplebeary
with misspelling
The errors keep on appearing, eBay has an auction for the TY Classic
Purplebeary with misspelling of Purpleary. To view this Ty Bear together
with its error tag Click
Here
Story Source: Beanie
Wonderland
~*~
NEW BEANIE STYLES TO BE ANNOUNCED AT 7AM CST TOMORROW!
According to a Smart Collecting member who is a Ty retailer, a special
announcement appeared on the tyretailers.com website which stated
ordering limits for March and including the following statement:
"Style descriptions for Beanie Babies will be available at 7AM CST
on March 1st!" Retailers will be able to order 36 pieces per
design per location.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
UK's TBB'S Arrive Friday
Television advertisements for the UK McDonald's Teenie Beanie Baby
promotion began in that country on Monday according to Wongo's
Beanie Station. This is the UK's second TBB promotion. The
commercials are cryptic in that they show 7 real animals with only a
small hint of what the promotion is about. The UK TBB promotion is set
to begin this Friday, March 3rd. Wongo's Beanie Station has a scan of a
McDonald's promotional poster that shows which Teenies will be available
in the UK.
Click Here To View Poster
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Heartfeltstories.com
Heartfeltstories.com has announced the winning entries in its first
Beanie Baby story contest! Visit the site at HeartfeltStories.com -
Heartfelt Stories About Beanie Babies and Those Who Collect Them to read
the truly touching stories about how Beanie Babies have changed lives.
While there, enter their current contest with your own story about which
Beanie or Beanies hold the most emotional meaning to you. First prize in
the new contest is the Halo Beanie Buddy!
Click Here For Link To Heartfelt Stories Site
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Auction Featuring 5,000 Bears
Okay we have seen auctions featuring bears before but 5,000 of them??!!
Wow! There is an auction like that going on right now on eBay. This
auction has only been up for three days and will end on March 6th.
Bidding has already passed the $4,000 mark and is still going. This may
be the largest amount of plush bears ever offered at one time by
auction. The auction apparently is aimed at vendors who are looking for
a great deal on inventory. Also included are 5 one-of-a-kind prototype
bears. Each bear comes with a special letter of authenticity. Use the
link below to see which bears are featured in this auction and to check
on the auction's progress. Click
Here To View Auction
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Ty
Retailers Receive Form Letter
After years of supporting Ty Inc. by ordering all of their product
lines, many retailers are simply receiving a form letter stating that
"Ty Inc. has decided to discontinue sale of its merchandise to your
company." Nancy, now a former Ty retailer, writes, "I
received my letter from Ty today...I never overcharged for Ty and had
giveaways and charity fund raisers all year long from Shriners Burns
Hospital to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. None of that means
anything to Ty. The letter wasn't even signed."
Even those that attending the recent Toy
Shows who placed orders for the new Beanie Kids and now being shut off
from Ty. It appears that Ty is trying to make their products
"hard-to-find" once again by closing accounts and focusing on
specialty gift retailers.
Smart Collecting says: We understand that for many of the smaller
retailers, this will have a major impact on their livelihood. We
have, therefore, published a new message board just for former Ty
retailers to encourage the development of a support network. Go
to Message Board
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Collectors Fall Hook, Line, and Sinker For Fishy Bean Bags
Kathy Flood of the Collecting Channel reports on all that is fishy in
the bean bag world, including comments on the colorful Lips™ the fish
from Ty® Inc. Click
here for more details.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 28, 2000==
Beanie Vigilante Removed from Auction
Lulu from Maison D'Ours reports: A good friend of mine thought she was
doing the right thing by warning a bidder that the beanie they were
about to purchase was from a known beanie counterfeiter. Much to her
surprise she found herself suspended from using the auction for 30 days.
Full
Story
~*~
Gift Show at the Denver Merchandise Mart
Mary Beth's Bean Bag World Contributing Writer Jan Hutson reports from
the Gift, Jewelry & Resort Show at the Denver Merchandise Mart. Many
plush manufacturers attend the trade show for retailers and buyers,
including Ty® Inc. The new Beanie Babies® were not present on the
show; however the
Ty booth did feature many of the other new plush. http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/denver.html
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
BLARNEY MADE TO LOOK LIKE TYRA
A member of the Planet Beans Yahoo! Beanie Club
has posted information about a Tyra look alike she has on eBay. You can
view the auction here.
Can you tell this is Blarney made to look like Tyra?!
~*~
Digger Fake
We have been sent the following picture of what is claimed to be the Red
Digger, we feel it is a fake and not even a very good one, it is clear
for all to see the Orange marks over it. If you see it being used on any
auctions please be vary wary. View
Here (my comment: I have seen pictures of the so called Red Digger
Buddy in on a few sites. I thought it was a fake when I first saw it and
I still do!)
Story Source: Beanie
Wonderland
~*~
LIGHT BLUE PEANUT BUDDY TAILS DIFFERENT LENGTHS
Thanks to Dan & Sue Terrell, we can now see the differences in the
two versions of the Light Blue Peanut Buddy. One has a long tail
and the other a short tail. Smart Collecting member Susie measured
the tails on her six Light Blue Peanut Buddies. "I found two
to be 4½", three to be 5 inches and the longest one almost
6½", she explains. Picture available here.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
==February 27, 2000==
ERROR SPOTTED ON NEW PEACE BUDDY TAG
Good morning....I just want
to let you know to inform my new finds...the new Pastel Peace buddy
(regular sized) has hang tag spelling error.....it says "Beanie
Bady" instead of Beanie Baby......so I just thought I should drop
you the note!! Sonya D
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
BEANIE KID BY ANOTHER COMPANY?!
Ok so they are not Ty Beanie related but they have gained more attention
since Ty introduced his version of Beanie Kids. The link below will take
you to an auction with more Beanie Kids (Skansen type) than I have ever
seen before, nearly 3 pages of them. View Skansen
Beanie Kids
Story Source: Beanie
Wonderland
~*~
Beanie Babies®, collectibles stolen
Spokane, Idaho - A collector had $3,000 worth of Beanie Babies® and
other collectibles stolen while she was at church last Sunday. The
thieves pried open the back door of her home during the burglary
according to a Sheriff's report. Items matching the description of those
taken were believed to have been seen by an officer during a traffic
stop and the Sheriff's department has a suspect. Full
Story
~*~
RED Digger™
Buddy™
on eBay
A search of eBay this morning shows that # 4 RED colored Digger Buddies
have shown up. The seller claims that #6 appeared in the last shipment
of Buddies. The seller does has a zero rating and the Red Digger has yet
to be confirmed. Be on the lookout for this color variation at your
local Ty retailer. In addition, a search of MetaExchange shows # 2 RED
Digger Buddies for sale. Details here
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Older Beanies
Found at a Hallmark
Linda from Livonia, Michigan reports that yesterday she found three
fourth generation Beanie Babies MWMT on the shelf. "They
were Tank 9 lines with a shell, Spot with a spot and Bucky the
Beaver," explains Linda. "Each one cost $7.95 plus tax. I'm
going back in the morning to see if they put out anymore goodies!"
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Two Version so Light Blue Peanut Buddy Reported
Two Smart Collecting members have written in to report that they
found two different versions of the Light Blue Peanut Buddy. One
has a short tail and the other has a long tail.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
==February 26, 2000==
Beanie Kids Added To Ty Catalog
While searching for more information about
Ty's new Japan exclusive bear, Sakura, we noticed that the online Ty
2000 catalog was still available on Ty's foreign sites with one
difference. The catalog now includes pictures of Ty's Beanie Kids. Click
Here For Ty 2000 Catalog
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Singaporeans Scramble For Hello
Kitty Toys
Singaporeans who last month scrambled for Hello Kitty promotional toys
in the republic have been crossing the causeway to neighboring Malaysia
to snap up the furry felines. Last month US fast food giant McDonald's
Restaurants decided to station security personnel at all its 113 outlets
in Singapore after an accident, violence and traffic jams marred its
promotional offer there. Click
Here For More
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
TY Bear in Japan
U.S. toy maker Ty Inc. will introduce a stuffed toy bear in Japan under
the name of ''Sakura'' in March, company sources said Friday. The bear
will be offered for 650 yen ($6), the sources said. Sakura means cherry
blossoms which happens to be Japan's national flower. Sakura will be an
exclusive to Japan. Click here
for the announcement.
~*~
Use of APO Causes Trouble for Air Force Senior Master Sergeant In
Germany
Kaiserslautern, Germany -- The Beanie Baby craze has landed an
Air Force senior master sergeant in trouble for using his APO military
post-office box to operate a side business selling and trading the
popular toys. The Senior Master Sgt. reportedly pleaded guilty during a
court-martial Feb. 17 and was fined $6,000, ordered to forfeit $964
monthly in pay for six months and received a reprimand for dereliction
of duty and violating military regulations. Military officials say the
former postal officer
violated Department of Defense postal regulations by using his APO
postal box for commercial gain. They claimed he also violated Air Force
regulations by selling and trading goods without paying tax or duty.
During an investigation in September and October, military officials
seized 245 Beanie Babies, valued at about $10,000. They confiscated some
of them before they arrived at his APO box in Germany and some after
delivery. The Senior Master Sgt. sold the toys at prices ranging from
$12 to $165 each, depending on the rarity of the character, reports the
Stars and Stripes News. He reportedly had set himself up as a Beanie
Baby trader, with customers here in Germany and in the United States. He
used his own private internet account to locate customers to trade and
sell the toys, which then were shipped though his APO box. "Post
office boxes are meant as a privilege," and "It's illegal to
use that personal postal box for business." reports the Stars and
Stripes Newspaper. News Source: European Stars and Stripes is published
daily by the U.S. Department of Defense in Germany, Stars and Stripes is
also trademarked by The National Tribune Corporation for distribution of
a magazine for military veterans in the United States. http://www.stripes.com/index.html
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 25, 2000==
NEW BEANIE BUG TO HAVE
GLOW-IN-THE-DARK SPOTS
Beanie Mom received a letter from
Jay, a secondary dealer, who had the opportunity to speak with Ty Warner
at the New York Toy Fair. Jay shared
his own account of meeting Ty Warner the day new Beanies were unveiled.
Jay reports that Mr. Warner told him that the new Beanie bug will have
glow
in the dark spots on the front and back. To read Jay's story, please click
here!
Story Source: Beanie
Mom
~*~
PASTEL PEACE BUDDIES
|
The regular size Peace
Buddies are also coming out in the lighter pastel color. There are
a number of these Pastel Peace Buddies showing up on auctions. I
wonder if this version will be as short-lived as the Pastel Peace
Beanie Baby. I haven't found the lighter version myself, but I
hope to find one soon. Picture Source: Beanie Mom |
~*~
1 IN 3 AUCTIONS FOR NEW ATTICS ATTRACT BIDDERS
The auction outlook for the New Attic Treasures is bleak. Out of
the last 50 eBay auctions advertised for new in-hand attic treasures,
only 16 attracted any bidders! This is less than 1 in 3 auctions! The
highest amount paid was $10.50 for Berkley and Carson in two separate
auctions. The ratio is about the same on Smart Collecting Auctions.
Here, the highest amount paid was $9.99 for Berkley.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
BEANIE GIVEAWAYS
BeanTownMaine.com is giving away one rare Beanie Baby every Sunday
evening. Congratulations to Sheila Wendler of Fairfield, California,
last week's winner of Garcia the ty-dyed bear. This week, they
will be giving away a mint Bubbles Beanie baby with mint tags to one
lucky winner. Each entry costs $1. In addition, BeanTownMaine is
holding a FANTASTIC drawing for one complete set of all new 20 Beanie
Babies when they are released. Each entry is FREE. One FREE entry
per day. Drawing
will held on April 1st. http://www.beantownmaine.com
==February 24, 2000==
DAILY BEAN WILL REOPEN
The Daily Bean Online Announcements - http://www.dailybean.com
Hi Friends-
Today of course was a sad day for me, considering the fact that my site
has been deleted.
When I came home today I checked my e-mail (a lot of sympathy e-mails, I
greatly appreciate it) and I also found a letter from John J. Hong whom
is the Associate Counsel of Ty inc. He let me know what was going
on and he wanted me to call him. I of course called John. He
was a very nice person and he explained to me exactly what was going on.
He explained to me why they did not want me linking to the pictures
ILLEGALLY taken of the New Beanie prototypes. I completely
understand why they didn't want us doing that.
He also told me that he wants me to put the website back up!! Now
that the entire site is deleted (I still have the files on my disk)
I will have to upload them all back onto the website! That may
take awhile.
Plus I have to find out how to get my domain name back :)
I have to talk to my affiliate and find out how! Lets keep our
fingers crossed!!!! Thank you all for your support!
Cheers,
Joe Cooper
~*~
Ty Retailer Opinions Wanted
Ms Janie has posted a survey for
Ty retailers. If you are a Ty retailer please take time to fill it out.
Comments posted will be done so without the use of names or e-mail
addresses. It's your chance to voice your opinions. Click
Here For Survey
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
No Beanie Baby Befuddlement
A handful of phone calls from people upset about finding McDonald's
"Teeny Beanie Babies" for sale on a home shopping network does
not mean consumers were confused about McDonald's sponsorship or
approval of the sales, a federal court in Tennessee held. Click
Here For More On This Case
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Honors
Class Of 2000 Bear
Planet Plush has posted a picture of the new release 'Honors Class Of
2000 Bear' designed by Sally Winey. Click
Here For Picture
~*~
UK Ty® Retailer Reports on New Beanie Babies®
A UK retailer has reported that March 1st is the first day Ty® Europe
accounts will be able to order the new Beanie Babies®. The Ty rep for
this store suggested that the pictures and names for the twenty new
styles will be revealed at Ty.com on the same day. Click
here for more details.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Celebrity Bears Announces April 2000 Releases
April 2000 releases from Celebrity Bears include Star #64, a tie-dye
bear with a metallic gold genie bottle with curling smoke, Star #65 is
all about money, green in color with "$" embroidered with
"Millionaire Bear" and "OUR FINAL ANSWER" and Star
#66 "Scary Harry Bear" wearing thick glasses, a black coat and
a blue wizard hat. Click
here for pictures and more details.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Blue Faced Spangle Update
Elaine from
Lemon Lainey sends us the following *tip*. Blue faced Spangles are
now going to be the most easily available here in the UK for some time.
The blue was only supposed to be released in shipments AFTER the white
faced version was completely out of stock, look for the white ones, not
the blue ones is the hint of the day! In theory, as the white one will
be the most scarce and probably out for the least time, then that one is
going to be the hardest to find in future, remember that everyone
expected Spangle to be white in the first place as it looks best with
the white stripes on his PJ's!
Story Source: Beanie
Wonderland
==February 23, 2000==
Fortune Magazine names eToys
Top Overall Web Site of '99 Holiday Season
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2000--In a comprehensive
and independent study of how Internet retailers performed during the
recent holiday season, eToys Inc. (Nasdaq:ETYS - news) ranked No. 1
among the top 49 Web sites, according to Fortune magazine. The research
was conducted by Resource Marketing Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, and was
published in Fortune's Feb. 21 issue. Resource Marketing described the
research as ``the industry's most rigorous and disciplined study to
date.'' The company ``stress-tested'' each site on more than 80 separate
measures, including site navigation, product presentation, customer
service and shipping. The effort simulated more than 500 customer
interactions and required that researchers spend a minimum of 20 hours
on each site, nearly 200 times that of the average shopper. eToys led
all companies and particularly outpaced its principal
competitors. The top six spots were held by Internet pure-plays. More
information on this study can be found at www.resource.com.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000222/ca_etoys_1.html
~*~
Blue's Clues™
Cool Plush and Bean Bag http://www.itstoys.com/bluescluescool.html
Sneak preview from Enesco
http://www.enesco.com/latest/gift/gg010/gg010a00.htm
Meet new creatures from Enesco which will be arriving in stores in March
http://www.creaturesofdaweb.com/
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
Beanie Mom Kids Photo Gallery
Beanie Mom has been able to
obtain eight out of the nine new Beanie Kids. She has set up a photo
gallery to showcase the Kids alone and together with other Ty products.
Click
Here For Pictures
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Winnie The Pooh European Exclusive
Daniel's Disney Bean Bag News Page has posted a picture of the Disney
European Exclusive St. Patrick's Day Pooh. This bear has a limited
edition run of 6000. The site also hints that some of these Pooh bears
may end up at Disney Parks here in the US. Click
Here For Link To Daniel's Disney Page
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
More On Counterfeits
Maison D'Ours has posted the second part of their special report on
Counterfeit Ty Beanie Babies. This update contains information regarding
fakes in Canada as well as a section that tells how to report stores or
flea markets that sell counterfeit Ty products. Links have been included
to sites that help educate collectors on how to tell the difference
between real and counterfeit Beanies. Also posted is more info about
more Blarney Attics showing up with Tyra tags. Click
Here For More
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Woman Charged In Online Beanie
Baby Scam
A woman accused of using Internet auctions to scam Beanie Baby
collectors in 12 states out of about $10,000 now faces theft charges in
Illinois. Police said Linda Armstrong, 39, of Channahon, a small
southern suburb of Chicago, used the screen name "Momandguy"
to auction off new and hard-to-find Beanie Babies on eBay and Yahoo. She
asked for the money upfront -- and received between $45 and $500 for
each winning bid -- but never had the toys she was selling, police said.
Click
Here For More
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Kellogg's Mini-Bean Bags a Hit
Surveying the auctions for the Kellogg's Mini-Bean Bags found in the
popular cereal brand, finds some interesting results. Kellogg's® Sesame
Street Mini-Bean™ bags that began appearing in cereal boxes in January
2000 are becoming a hot ticket item on the auction sites right now. A
search of eBay (link below) gives a link to current auctions and a
representation of the auctions high/low ending bids for this past month.
Click
here for details.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Attic Treasures™ News
Besides the lack of Attic Treasures™ on the Ty.com Top 20 Most Wanted
List, they also rate well behind Beanie Babies in number of retired
pictures. While 97% of retired Beanie Babies® (220 of 227) have
pictures, only 18% (16 or 80) of the retired Attic Treasures had
pictures. Click here
for more details.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
NO MORE BEANIE LIMITS AT NOODLE KIDOODLE
Imagine walking into a store and being able to buy every new Beanie
Buddy the store received with no limits! This dream is now a
reality at Noodle Kidoodle stores, a U.S. toy store chain that is known
for its "Beanie Days." Previously, the store would limit
Beanie and Buddy purchases to make it fair to everyone. But now
appears the limits have been removed, at least, temporarily.
Jean from Oyster Bay, New York reports that the first person on line at
Noodle Kidoodle can purchase every Buddy in the store. "Yesterday,
in a New York Store, the first person on line was able to purchase EVERY
Light Blue Peanut (no less than 18) and EVERY Osito Buddy they received
in their shipment," explains Jean. Though Jean was told by Customer
Service at Noodle Kidoodle that they were instructed by Ty not to limit
Beanies and if they did they would no longer be allowed to carry them,
we were not able to confirm this with an official spokesperson from
Noodle Kidoodle. We were unofficially told that Noodle Kidoodle stores
would soon be receiving a letter from corporate headquarters which would
allow them to make their own decisions concerning Beanie limits.
To find a Noodle Kidoodle store near you, click here.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 22, 2000==
GOOD-BYE FROM THE DAILY BEAN!!
This is VERY sad news!! Joe
Cooper has worked hard this past year to maintain what was one of the
best beanie baby sites on the Internet. Unfortunately Ty Inc. has
threatened legal action against Joe and The Daily Bean due to them
linking to sites with Ty New Beanie Pictures. If Ty, Inc. is
planning on closing down all of the sites that have linked to the
website showing these pictures you might as well say goodbye to most of
the beanie baby sites out there. We want to wish Joe the best and thank
him for his great site and hard work over this past year. Read about
this closing here.
It looks as if the link isn't working anymore.. here is what Joe had to
say: "Hi Friends - Its me Joe Cooper.... it saddens me to say
farewell to all. Unfortunately Ty Inc. has threatened legal action
against us due to something about us linking to sites with Ty New Beanie
Pictures. We don't have the resources to stand up to Ty and must
surrender the site.
~*~
Woman Charged with Beanie
Baby Theft
The Chicago Sun-Times reports a south suburban Channahon woman was
arrested on Sunday and charged with using Internet online auctions to
commit theft. She allegedly sold hard-to-find Beanie babies
through eBay and Yahoo! auction sites without delivering the promised
items.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/bean22.html
~*~
Beanie Kids Shortage
The Beanie Kids are in very short supply and prices are starting to
rise, below are the current prices for each one, clicking on the tab
under each name will take you to a price history and buy/sell pit at the
Meta Exchange/Beanie
Kids
Angel |
Boomer |
Chipper |
Curly |
Cutie |
Ginger |
Precious |
Rascal |
Tumbles |
Set Of
9 |
Availability is not much
better on the auctions, a couple closed over the past weekend, both were
in excess of $120.00, in fact a precious sold for $153.00 and there are
very few 'in hand' auctions going. View
Here
Story Source: Beanie
Wonderland
~*~
More From Beanie Mom About Toy
Fair
Beanie Mom writes about her visits to the booths of Cascade Toys,
Peaceable Planet and Planet Plush while at the New York Toy Fair this
past week. Click Here For Link To
Beanie Mom
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Planet Plush Mini's arrive
Planet Plush MINIS… ARRIVE
(Boca Raton)…..Planet Plush is pleased to introduce its new line of
MINIs. Standing approximately 5 inches high, the miniature Planet Plush
bears are detailed replicas of their larger siblings from the City and
State series. MINIs come with an exclusive new Planet Plush hang tag.
The first twelve of the City and State MINIs were successfully test
marketed beginning in August and Planet Plush has recently released them
to national distribution. The MINIs currently available are:
¨ Windy, Chicago ¨ Apple, New York ¨ Chance, Las Vegas ¨ Rocky,
Colorado
¨ Otto, Detroit ¨ Sunny, Florida ¨ Peaches, Georgia ¨ Mardi, New
Orleans
¨ Angel, Los Angele ¨ Belle, Philadelphia ¨ Leilani, Hawaii ¨
Cactus, Arizona
http://www.msjanie.com/news_pic/plant_minis.html
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
MONTHLY ONLINE MAGAZINE
The Daily Bean is trying to put
together a monthly online magazine. The details can be found here.
~*~
Light
Blue Peanut Buddies at Cracker Barrels
"While traveling from Clearwater to Panama City and then to Daytona
and home, every Cracker Barrel, I stopped at yesterday all had Light
Blue Peanut Beanie Buddies in mass quantity (at least 18-24),"
reports Jim from Clearwater, Florida. "The maximum was one
per person, I bought one in every Cracker Barrel I stopped at." To
find a Cracker Barrel store near you, click
here.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Collectors
Reaction to Beanie Kids Changes
It appears that collectors who have had a chance to see Ty's new line of
Beanie Kids in person, have changed their opinions about them.
"Wow.. Do I take back EVERYTHING I said about the Beanie
Kids," exclaims Tammy from Missouri. "I got to see and even
Hold Ginger yesterday. A friend of mine brought her over and WOW is she
cute. YES even with the hair." Tammy's friend was one of the
lucky ones to have her number pulled out of the hat at Kirlins in Alton,
Ill. "They are soft and very cute, they are smaller than a doll but
a bit larger than a Beanie bear," Tammy explains. "Like my
parents always say, 'Don't judge a book by its cover.'"
If you have had a chance to see the Beanie Kids in person, tell
your thoughts on the Smart Collecting
Beanie
Kids Message Board.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
==February 20, 2000==
RARE BEAR SERIES
II GOLD #1 BEAR #08/34 ON EBAY
I ran into an
auction that I found interesting. The high bid is $825.00 and the
reserve is NOT met. You can view the auction here.
~*~
Beanie
Kid Prices Surpass $100!
The last eBay auctions for
five of the new Beanie Kids closed at $100 or more! Tumbles just
sold for $100.50, Angel just sold for $104.06, Precious just sold for
$113.75, Ginger just sold for $103.50 and Curly just sold for
$100. The other Beanie Kids were selling for $46 to $66.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Large
Peace Buddy Found without Peace Sign
A friend of a Smart Collecting member from Morton, Illinois
purchased a large Peace buddy without its peace sign! When a
Beanie or Buddy is missing its emblem, it greatly increases its value. A
pastel Peace without its peace sign sold on eBay on February 5th for
$330!
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
St.
Patrick's Day Bears
If you are looking for a bean bag to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day on
March 17th, be sure to check out these bears:
Seamroy™, the St. Patrick Bear, from Holy
Bears
Scooby Leprechaun from Warner
Brothers.
Attic Treasure Blarney from Ty Inc.
Paddy the St. Patrick's Day Bear from Plant
Plush.
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
==February 19, 2000==
New York
Toy Fair Experience - Part 1
Ms.
Janie and Beanie Mom visited
the New York Toy Fair earlier this week. Ms. Janie talks about their
experiences while they were there beginning with visits to the Ty booth
and the Cascade Toys booth with Sally Winey.
Click Here For Ms. Janie's Story
Click Here For Beanie Mom's Story
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Pokemon
Still The Rage In 2000
While other products, like those coming soon from the popular Harry
Potter books, could threaten Pokemon's supremacy, the Pokemon
phenomenon, fueled by a new movie coming this summer and an ongoing slew
of new characters, should continue. Click
Here For More
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Puffkins
News
The new Puffkins newsletter is out and a new contest is announced with
the winner receiving the two Puffkin pals, Hugs the white
"love" bear and Kisses the red "love" bear. Click
Here For Newsletter
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Top 5 Attic Treasures
The "Top Five
Picks" in two categories, Attic Treasures and Attic Treasures with
Tag Variations, are based on desirability, scarcity, and recent market
prices. Several of the Attic Treasures listed are considered by
Sal's Attic as too rare to value; hence, recent market prices, or the
lack of, were not a factor in all of the selections. You can see the Top
5 here.
~*~
Hallmark Chooses Thomas Kinkade as Lead Statement for
Christmas 2000 Media Arts Group, Inc., today announced that Hallmark
Cards, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of greeting cards and
other personal expression products, has chosen Thomas Kinkade, ``Painter
of Light®'' as its lead statement for their Christmas 2000 retail
program. Hallmark, a strategic partner of Media Arts since 1994, has
created a collection titled ``A Thomas Kinkade Village Christmas,'' a
collection of themed Christmas products using images and design created
exclusively for Thomas Kinkade through Hallmark's new gift and home
decor division, Studio B. The collection will comprise up to 20 items
and will occupy merchandising displays throughout Hallmark Stores across
the country.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000217/ca_media_a_1.html
~*~
Prices Set To
Rise?
Could we be about to see a rise in the value of some of the Beanie
Babies. I noticed some interesting figures on the meta exchange. BB Bear
for example had 1162 wanted and yet only 129 available, The End 308
wanted 53 available, Millennium Beanie Baby 1032 wanted and 38 available
and Holiday 98 had 228 wanted and only 11 available. If this trend
continues we are sure to see prices start to creep up. View
Here
Story Source: Beanie
Wonderland
==February 18, 2000==
Cyrk Agrees to Pay $216,000 for
Late Delivery of Clubby™
Bloomberg News reports Cyrk Inc. has agreed to pay a $216,000 civil
penalty for failing to promptly delivery toys ordered through the Beanie
Babies Official Club® (BBOC). According to the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC), Cyrk offered "Clubby™" to members of the official
club for delivery within four to six weeks. The FTC states that the
company was obligated to tell club members about the delay or offer them
a refund. The settlement between the FTC and Cyrk is subject to court
approval.
Click
here for more details.
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Kids And Other Stuff
The pictures of the Beanie Kids have now been moved into the Beanie Kids
section of the Ty web site for viewing. There is not any line art
available yet but that should occur somewhere down the road. When Ty
made the change to their new site design, links to newsflashes were not
longer accessible once they had been removed from the main Ty page. It
seems that Ty has corrected this as the recent Beanie Kid pictures and
Ty newsflash on pricing are still viewable at their respective links.
With the pricing newsflash removed and the ending of Toy Fair does that
mean a newsflash on the identities of the new Beanies is next? We hope
so.
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Rugrat Whopper (Hold The
Onions)
Burger King thinks the Rugrats will sell more Whoppers than the Grinch.
Burger King is apparently opting to align itself with the upcoming movie
release "Rugrats in Paris - The Movie" rather than the
live-action "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,"
starring Jim Carrey. Both movies are slated for Thanksgiving releases.
Insiders say "Rugrats" beat out "Grinch" because it
has already established itself as a successful theatrical brand.
Click Here For More
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Hey
Moms! Have your photo appear in Mary Beth's Bean Bag World for Mother's
Day!
In preparation for their May's Reader Scrapbook, Mary
Beth's Bean Bag World has requested photos of any moms and grandmas
with their kids or grandkids as well as their collection of Ty Beanie
Babies and Buddies. Photos must be sent to them by February 25th!
Mail to:
Bean Bag World, Reader Scrapbook
Attn: Wendy
2121 Waukegan Road, Ste 120,
Babbockburn, IL 60015
Story
Source: SmartCollecting
==February 17, 2000==
'Peanuts' Fans Scramble For
Memorabilia
Since Charles Schulz's death last weekend, fans of Charlie Brown and the
"Peanuts" gang have been clamoring for reminders of their
comic strip friends. The Internet auction site eBay had more than 3,000
pieces of "Peanuts" memorabilia Wednesday. "People have
been recognizing what `Peanuts' means to them and realizing the place it
has in their life. They're wanting to get that one thing that symbolizes
it for them," said Nat Gertler of Pasadena. Click
Here For More
~*~
Fake
Beanie Alert On eBay
According to Lulu, at the Canadian Connection, US counterfeits are
flooding eBay. Lulu offers some tips and other info than can help you
avoid getting a bad deal and what you can do if you have fallen victim
to a counterfeit purchase. Click
Here For Link To The Canadian Connection
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
FTC tackles online auction
fraud
WASHINGTON--Buyer beware: That Beanie Baby up for bids online
may be stuffed full of lies. Click here
to read the article.
==February 16, 2000==
Dragon™ or Scorch™?
Most will recall that Dragon™/Scorch™ Buddy™ came with a nameless
hang tag, a UK retailer has reported to Beanie
Wonderland that the invoice shows the Buddy listed as Scorch instead
of Dragon. The Ty.com Web site continues to
list the Buddy as "Dragon the dragon".
~*~
Ohio sues to block Web fraud
COLUMBUS:
Just days after hacker attacks temporarily disabled eBay, Ohio's
attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging a Newark woman and her two
sons used the Internet auction house to sell counterfeit Beanie Babies
and other collectibles. Read the article here.
~*~
Idea Factory "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
The Idea Factory, maker of the popular Meanies bean bag toys, has seen
great success in merchandise in hot pop-culture phenomenon. Glenn Rudin,
the company's co-founder, recently obtained a license from Disney to
produce some "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" merchandise
including mugs, refrigerator magnets and key chains. Rudin says the
company, with annual sales in the $10 million to $20 million range, has
thought about an IPO.
News Source: Dow Jones Wire Service
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
MARY BETH MEETS TY
Tagging along with a retailer friend from NY, I was able to attend the
Toy Fair today. Saw the new Beanie Babies and Beanie Kids...BUT THE BIG
SCOOP was seeing Ty Warner and Mary Beth together at the show! They
chatted for a short time and seemed cordial. At one point, he even gave
her a friendly hug and peck on the cheek. (Sharon who attended the show
confirmed that Ty and Mary Beth did meet.)
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
TY POSTS
INTERNATIONAL PRICING NEWSFLASH
Ty has posted a pricing newsflash which outlines suggested retail prices
for the different product lines in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany and
Japan. Ironically, the newsflash only appeared on the English home page.
The International versions of the website do not have a link to this
newsflash. Go to Newsflash http://www.ty.com/announcements/pricing_newsflash.html
==February 15, 2000==
N.J. accuses online
auctioneers of cheating Beanie Baby bidders
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Two Beanie Baby vendors are accused of defrauding
customers after 41 consumers complained to New Jersey officials about
not getting the plush collectibles they bought in online auctions. The
state announced Monday it has sued two Warren County men who operate
the Beanie Stars store in Hackettstown, accusing them of failing to
deliver the toys to winning bidders, or failing to send them within the
required six weeks. To read this story in its entirely, please visit the
following link.
~*~
An
Amazing Attic Find
Maison D'Ours shares a story from one of their readers about an amazing
Attic Treasure discovery. Plus there are pictures to go along with the
tale.
Click Here For Link To Maison D'Ours
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Chance to buy dolls draws anxious crowd
A reader of Beanieholics, Dee, sent a report to them about
Saturday's Beanie Kids promotion that took place at Trudy's Hallmark in
Houston Texas. Dee also included a link for a story about the event that
ran in the Houston Chronicle newspaper. Here's a short excerpt from The
Houston Chronicle article: "My daughter was crying, she
wanted (one) so bad," Raja said. "A lady walked up and said
here, take these (tickets). And the minute we got it they called her
number. There are some wonderful people in this world."
Click Here For Dee's Report On The Event
Click Here For Article From The Houston Chronicle
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Interview
With Rumpus Toys
Rumpus Toys is an up and coming toy company that has been creating
remarkable designs which are very appealing and exciting to children. Ms
Janie interviews Amy Kunen Vice President of Communications at
Rumpus Toy and also supplies background information about the company.
Click Here For More
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Dance
For Boy Raises Funds, Emotions
A fifth-grader by the name of Taylor Schumacher, decided to do something
really special with her Beanie Baby collection. Taylor, who's been
collecting Beanie Babies since she was in second grade, put most of her
collection - over 100 characters - up for sale at a fundraiser dance for
Alex Paulson, a fellow student who is suffering from Hodgkin's disease.
Her collection raised $410 for Alex.
Click Here For Story
Story
Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Plush Plays Part in Proposal
When Dr. Alan Glaser decided to propose marriage to his girlfriend, he
choose their favorite restaurant and enlisted everyone from the valet to
the manager to help out. On the big night, he packed his girlfriend's
favorite stuffed animals, a purple dragon called Figment and Beanie Baby™
Chocolate™
the moose. The valet sneaked the animals into the restaurant, the
manager rushed the toys to the table as soon as his girlfriend slipped
into the ladies room and two waiters set up for her return. The stuffed
animals held a special significance from an e-mail where she'd ask if he
would always take care of her "stuffies". When she returned to
the table, there sat the "stuffies" and an engagement ring on
a clean dinner plate. She said "yes," and everyone around them
congratulated them.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/045/living/Dinner_engagements+.shtml
Story
Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Segment of 'Divorce Court' Features Beanie Babies®
'Divorce Court,' in its first season, settles disputes over property
split between couples, rather than actually granting divorce. When one
couple came on the show to resolve a complex financial dispute, the
woman revealed her biggest concern was her collection of Beanie Babies®.
When Judge Ephram ruled the collection be split into half, the woman
complained that half a collection would be worthless. The judge quickly
ruled that the whole collection would go to the man, and the studio
audience roared
approval. http://www.courttv.com/people/2000/0214/divorce_court_ap.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 14, 2000==
~*Happy Valentine's Day*~
Beanie Kids big hit at
premiere.
The new toys are boys and girls, with some African-American. They have
names like Rascal, Curly, Tumbles and Precious. The Beanie Kids were
displayed in a curio cabinet Saturday and drew
remarks such as "precious" and "adorable" from fans.
Others described them enthusiastically and called off their names while
talking on cell phones. Among the fans were Neal and Cheryl Moore, their
8-year-old grandson Kaleb Pruitt, all of Montgomery, and fellow
collector Wynell Gann of Prattville.
"It's an addiction," Mrs. Moore said. "It beats
drinking." She and Kaleb were among the fortunate few in the first
drawing. He drew Rascal, a boy with curly hair. Mrs. Moore praised the
attention to detail.
"They've got belly buttons on these kids," she exclaimed.
"And look at the details on his face and little ears." To read
this story in its entirety, please visit the following link.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/Feb2000/13-beanie13.html
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
Beanie Kids draw crowd to Westminster shop
Beanie Baby collectors mobbed a Westminster gift shop Saturday for a
chance to spend $8.99 for the latest from Ty Inc. - the Beanie Kids
line. Shoppers pushed, shoved and grabbed for even a glimpse of the
Kids, billed as the successor to the fabulously successful Beanie Babies
and the subsequent Beanie Buddies. Saturday's unveiling revealed a
series of soft, cuddly dolls that resemble the stars of an earlier
craze, Cabbage Patch Kids. Unlike the Beanie Babies menagerie of teddy
bears, giraffes, and all
manner of animal, the newest huggables are humans - little kids with
blond hair and others with curly caps and bows. "It's a cross
between a Cabbage Patch and a troll," said Bill Harris, who said
his grown daughter had ordered him to try to buy one. To read this story
in its entirety, please visit the following link. http://www.denverpost.com/business/biz0213c.htm
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
Valentino's Valentines
Contest
The Daily Bean is giving away a Valentino Beanie Baby and Beanie Buddy
tomorrow. Today is the only day you can enter the contest. For all of
the details visit the Daily Bean. Click
Here For Contest Info
~*~
AUCTIONS FOR THE 20 NEW BEANIES
I did a search on eBay for the 20 new March release beanie
babies. I was able to find 118 auctions already listed and these
beanies haven't even hit the store shelves yet!! You can view my
findings here.
There are either a lot of lucky individuals that have connections with a
Ty Retailer or a lot of crooked stores trying to make a fast buck, or
both. I would hesitate making a purchase on any pre-sell items for
obvious reasons. They DON'T have the item in hand and they don't really
know for a fact you will be getting MWMT beanie babies?!
~*~
NEW HOLYBEAR SEAMROY™
IS INTRODUCED
Introducing Seamroy™
(shee-ma-ree), the St.
Patrick Bear,
the latest religious creation
from HolyBears, inspiring interest and enthusiasm in church teachings.
Go here to find out more.
==February 13, 2000==
TY ANNOUNCES 20 NEW BEANIE BABIES
Dan from BeanTownMaine.com
called Smart Collecting to report that Ty just announced the new line of
Beanie Babies at the American International Toy Fair today at the Jacob
K. Javits Convention Center in New York City! There were over 1,000
people huddled around the Ty booth this morning in anticipation of the
announcement. There are 20 New Beanie Babies. Dealers must order 36 of
each of the twenty new styles and orders must be placed at the show!
Delivery is expected in March. None of the Beanie Babies have tags or
names yet. Here is a description of the new Beanie Babies.
1. Penguin, Furry top on head…King Penguin.
2. Ty 2000
3. Eel, green and orange, very funky
4. Squid multicolored
5. Bear silver with sparkly stars all over it.
6. Grey elephant looked smaller than rest of them. Tall legs like
Ewey.
7. Lamb like Ewey.
8. Bear, white like Halo with gold wings and gold halo.
9. Yellow bunny that sits like Hope with closed eyes.
10. Purple bunny that sits like Hope with eyes open
11. Dog, brown and tan with short fur like Groovy, sits like Luke.
12. Lion orange and yellow, huge hairy oversized mane very bright. Mane
is yellow and orange.
13. Polar bear, white with black paws, Fuzz material.
14. Kitten (Jungle cub like Freckles but smaller.) 15. Camel with hairy
hump like an Egyptian camel.
16. Pterodactyl dinosaur multicolored huge wings 17. Alligator, dark
green with spikes
18. Dragon fly, green head with orange wings not as big as
Flitter.
19. Bug, six legs, multicolored sits on its stomach.
20. Dog, white.
Story Source: SmartCollecting.com
~*~
Beanie Kid
Stories
If you were one of the many who did not attend a Beanie Kid sale
yesterday, find out what really happened in
the new Beanie Kid Stories Section
at Smart Collecting. Go
To Beanie Kid Stories
Story Source: SmartCollecting.com
~*~
Cartoonists Mourn Charles
Schulz
On the eve of his final original Peanuts comic strip, creator Charles
Schultz passes away at his home in Santa Rosa, California. Click
Here For Story
==February 12, 2000==
BEANIE KIDS PICTURES AT TY.COM
At least the Ty.com site
wasn't too far behind the other sites in posting pictures of Beanie Kids™.
You can view all 9 of the new Beanie Kids™ here.
~*~
BEANIE KIDS BIRTHDATES AND POEMS
Tumbles
Date of Birth: September 03, 1996
A little bit naughty I'm known to be,
make sure you don't take your eyes off me!
_______
Rascal
Date of Birth: April 15, 1995
Hear me giggle and watch me dance,
I'll make you laugh, so give me a chance!
_____
Precious
Date of Birth: May 15, 1993
Hey, look at me and give me a smile,
take me home and we'll play awhile!
_______
Ginger
Date of Birth: June 12, 1992
Everyone says I'm all sugar and spice,
so when we play, I'll always be nice!
_______
Cutie
Date of Birth: December 26, 1996
I can't help but give you a hug,
in your arms is where I feel snug!
_____
Curly
Date of Birth: March 02, 1997
My curly hair is a sight to see,
a pretty bow makes me cute as can be!
_____
Chipper
Date of Birth: July 20, 1997
Happy and cheerful, big hugs for all,
smiling and laughing - life is a ball!
______
Boomer
Date of Birth: August 11, 1994
I like being noisy, it's lots of fun,
then I get attention from everyone!
______
Angel
Date of Birth: March 29, 1994
Be my best friend and then you will see,
how very, very special you are to me!
______
Information Source:
Ms.
Janie
~*~
World
Famous Designer Appears For Plush Company
Planet Plush has announced that Sally Winey, the creator of their City
and State series will be appearing at their booth daily at New York's
American International Toy Fair. Planet Plush produces several other
lines of collectible plush and will debut its new "Animal Magic
Collection" plush line at the Toy Fair. Ms Winey, a veteran bear
designer is arguably the best known designer in the industry.
Click Here For Press Release
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Collectors
Register For A Chance At Beanie Kids
A story on this weekends Beanie Kids promotion in Irvine, Texas.
Collectors were able to register yesterday for a chance at buying one of
Ty's new releases today at the store. As to the number of Beanie Kids
that will be available at the event, "They (Ty) won't let us
release that either, but it's in the hundreds." says store manager
Frankie Dobbels,
Click Here For More
Story Source: Beanieholics
==February 11, 2000==
Light Blue Peanut Buddy™
Soars in Value
 |
Yesterdays, retirement
announcement of Peanut the Beanie Buddy, caused the price of the
light blue Peanut Beanie Buddy to skyrocket. Current sell
orders on MetaExchange are $50 to $125. The last sale
price on MetaExchange for the light blue Peanut Buddy was: $54.95!
This puts Peanut back to where it was selling for three weeks ago. Go to MetaExchange |
~*~
LOCAL HALLMARK TO HOLD DRAWING FOR BEANIE KIDS
Ty Warner, the Illinois marketing genius behind Beanie Baby mania, is
premiering Beanie Kids on Saturday. And he's chosen Lynn's Hallmark at
the Riverchase Galleria as one of 20 stores nationwide to introduce his
latest stuffed toy. Don't expect to just stroll into Lynn's Hallmark on
Saturday and pick out a Kid. To control expected crowds, the dolls,
which will retail for about $10, can only be purchased through an hourly
drawing. Starting at 10 a.m., shoppers can drop their name in a box for
a chance to purchase a Beanie Kid, she said. They'll draw a dozen names
an hour until all the dolls are sold.
You can read the article in The Birmingham News here.
~*~
Fake Radar Beanie Babies
Ms. Janie has posted information
and pictures about counterfeit Radar Beanie Babies. Click here
for more details.
~*~
McDonald's
Goes Crazy For Crazy Bones
Toy Craze, Inc. makers of 'Crazy Bones', is teaming up with McDonald's
to bring the largest variety of Happy Meal toys ever to children
nationwide. Beginning in October, participating McDonald's will offer
two 'Monster Crazy Bone toys in every Happy Meal along with a
collectible sticker and a Crazy Bones game. Click
Here For More
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Sally Winey Interview Part 2
Kathy Flood of the Collecting Channel concludes her interview with bear
designer Sally Winey and covers Sally's beginnings as a bear maker and
her plans for the future. Did you know that Sally Winey gave away
thousands of homemade bears before finally going into business? Click
Here For Interview
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Beanie Kids™ are Here!
You can view new pictures of the NEW elusive Beanie Kids™
here
at Mary Beth's Bean Bag World! It always amazes me how other sites
manage to put up pictures of new Ty products before Ty.com
does. I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more pictures of Beanie Kids™
very soon.
~*~
Ty® Inc. vs. Medias & Company - Action Dismissed in Chicago
On January 25, Chicago Federal District Court Judge George W. Lindberg
issued a Minute Order which states that the court dismisses this action
without prejudice. This concerns the Motion that Medias & Company
filed against Ty® Inc because they decided to drop the case in
Illinois. While this action was dismissed in Chicago, the legal battle
continues in Colorado. Medias & Company is distributor of ZOOOO
Stories and plush which have been the center of a copyright
infringement lawsuit
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 10, 2000==
Store Instructions for Beanie Kids
Premier
Thanks to both news tips and staff checking with individual stores, we
have a Web page with the process used to distribute the new Beanie Kids
at each store. We will update as more details are provided. Check
the following link for all the details! http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/kidsales.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Net Guide Covers Beanie Babies
NewGuide.com cover Beanie Babies describing them as a cross between
baseball cards and Barbie stating they are a REALLY BIG deal. Covers
some of the related Web sites such as Collectible Exchange and the
official Ty® Web site. http://www.netguide.com/Snapshot/Archive?guide=Hobbies&id=1170
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Report from Retailer in Germany
A retailer in Germany reports they attended the Nürenburg Toy Fair and
ordered both Germania Buddies and two each of the nine Beanie Kids. Only
Class A (high priority) dealers were allowed to order these products.
Delivery is somewhere near the end of this month. No promises that all 9
Beanie Kids will arrive, however eventually each retailer should receive
all 9 styles. The special (reportedly alphanumeric) number on the tush
tag is reportedly not for limited purposes and may offer Ty a method for
tracking down direct sales to the secondary market.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Things are Cooking for Sally Winey (Part two)
In a part two article, Kathy Flood continues the interview with Sally
Winey discussing Kris, the bean bag Christmas bear. SallyWogs the
original handmade frogs were originally sold by Sally for $10 now
auction for about $45 on eBay. Those who loved the SallyWogs should know
that Sally will introduce Leaping Lilly Frogs at the Toy Show this
weekend. Winey does have a line of bear-making kits for all who want to
make a Sally-style bear. Sally says she is absolutely disinterested in
the money territory. http://www.collectingchannel.com/CDSDisNewsArt.asp?Chid=3&ID=15494&mcid=1
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
PEANUT BUDDY RETIRES
Ty.com has announce the retirement today of the Peanut Beanie
Buddy. View the retirement here.
==February 9, 2000==
eBay site shuts down due to hacker
attack
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb 8 (Reuters) - The popular Internet auction site
eBay Inc (NasdaqNM:EBAY - news) shut down Tuesday afternoon in the third
major hacker attack on popular Internet Web sites in the past three
days. eBay said its site began experiencing problems around 1500 PST
(2300 GMT)
and was still down on Monday evening, blocking millions of people who
use the site to buy and sell merchandise. EBay said the cause of the
problem appeared to be a ``coordinated denial of service'' attack, in
which outsiders flood the site's computers with so many messages that
they can
not get requested data out to their real customers. http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000208/bkr.html
~*~
Sally makes a splash, right in the rainbow
In an interview with Kathy Flood of the Collecting Channel, bear
designer Sally Winey talks about how she works with color and different
textures of fabrics. Some of Sally's original designs have landed in
museums around the world, including a line of Teenage Mutant Ninja bears
in the Naples Teddy Bear Museum. Sam is her favorite design, first
developed in 1989 and a manufactured Sam in a plush color was used later
by Ty®. Sally will have a new line of Sam in a 12-inch
bean-filled bear named Sidney at the New York Toy Fair. Some of the
older Sally Winey bears have sold for $5,000 to $10,000 on the secondary
market. Click
here for more details.
~*~
Beanie Kids premier
Ty Warner is premiering Beanie Kids on Saturday. And he's chosen
Birmingham, AL, Lynn's Hallmark at the Riverchase Galleria as one of 20
stores nationwide to introduce his latest stuffed toy. The Hallmark
store received a call from Ty Inc. telling them they had been chosen. To
control the crowds, the store will hold an hourly drawing for the
limited editions! http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/Feb2000/9-e373452b.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
NEWSFLASH - BEANIE KIDS HAVE ARRIVED!!
Beanie Kids™
will be for sale in limited quantities at the following locations this
weekend! Check out the newsflash
at Ty.com to see which locations.
~*~
Russ Berrie Bears of the Month
Russ Berrie and Company, Inc. has created "Bears of the
Month", 9" bean bag teddy bears with color coordinated faux
birthstone necklaces. Capitalizing on the popularity of their tiny (2 ¾")
cousins introduced last year, these teddies retailing for $10 have the
month embroidered on their paws and contain descriptive messages on
their tags. http://www.russberrie.com
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 8, 2000==
Winey Chat Session
On Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern time/4 p.m. Pacific time, Sally Winey and
Dave Perry of Cascade Toy, will be holding a chat about the new Winey
Bears. You can join in by signing up at www.egroups.com
and the group is WineyBears2. Reportedly only 25 people are allowed into
the chat room at one time, so get there early.
Story Source: HandCrafted
Beauties.com
~*~
Christopher the South Pole Britannia™ Reaches $725
With close to one day left in the Sothebys.Amazon.com auction, the
Britannia™ that traveled with Catherine Hartley on her
record Expedition to the South Pole between October 1999 and January
2000 has reached a high bid of $725.00. Click
here for link to auction.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Philadelphia Phillies Bean Bag Toy Promotions
A check of most of the MLB promotional schedules last week did not
uncover any Ty® Beanie Baby™ promotions,
however the Philadelphia Phillies are holding two other bean bag
promotions. The first is a Mellon PSFS Phanatic Bean Bag character for
fans 14 and under on Sunday, April 30, at 1:35PM EST against the
Cardinals and a second promotion for a Mike Lieberthal Bammer Bear for
fans 14 & under on Sunday, May 21 at 1:35PM EST against the Rockies.
Click here
for more details.
Sharon Chapman adds we have a note in our archive on this and the Mets
(Click here).
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
A special thanks to Randyandtheresa.com for sharing the following
information. Outside of the Chicago Cubs having a Peace Beanie Buddy day
on April 30th here are upcoming Major League Baseball Bean Bag
Promotions:
Chicago Cubs - Furby Buddy Day -June 3rd
Cincinnati Reds - Kahn's Pokey (Reese) Bear Day - May 6
New York Mets - '2000' Beanie Bear Day August 26
Philadelphia Phillies Phanatic Bean Bag character - April 30
Philadelphia Phillies - Mike Lieberthal Bammer Bear - May 21
Pittsburgh Pirates -Beach Parrot Bean Bag Doll Day - June 4
Pittsburgh Pirates - Kid's Bammer Bear Day - July 9
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
Fake Blue Face Spangles
"I have received a few notes regarding the dying of
White Faced Spangles into Blue Faced Spangles. Collectors are aware that
the BLUE faced Spangles were limited and could possibly be worth more
money. It is important that you check these Beanies very carefully as
not to be misled." Click
Here
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
Dragon Tag Close Up
From Beanie Wonderland: I just purchased the Scorch (Dragon, or whatever
you want to call it) and Osito Beanie Buddies at a store in Richmond. I
have included a scan of the hang tag for Scorch/Dragon. I would
particularly point out that there is No Name. My friend suggested that
it be called Ty Warner because he is rarely seen, just like dragons.
Keith. View
Here
Story Source: BeanieWonderland.com
==February 7, 2000==
Ty Product News
Reporting from the Spring Fair in Birmingham, England MBBBW Staff Writer
Karen Gomes reports from the Spring Fair from the NEC Exhibition Center
in Birmingham, England: Today was Day One at this show, one of the
leading and most prestigious trade exhibitions worldwide. Reporting
record crowds, the Spring Fair draws gift buyers from around Europe. The
BIG NEWS OF THE DAY was numerous appearances by Ty Warner in the Ty
booth. He appeared warm, friendly and relaxed to all he encountered,
most notably the few children that entered the booth to get a glimpse at
the new Beanie Kids. His dedication and exuberance of this new line was
clearly evident. Like a new father, he took great pride in
speaking about his latest creation. UK retailers were able to order six
per style of available current Beanie Buddies and many styles of retired
Buddies. The large, x-large and Jumbo sizes could be ordered in
quantities of two, two and on respectively. Some styles of retired
Beanie Babies were also available to order by retail accounts. Beanie
Kids could be ordered in limited quantities with expected delivery in
March. Punctuating the afternoon, a prankster reportedly threw a
"stink bomb" in the Ty booth, causing some concern on the part
of all present. ~Thanks to Karen and also to Mary Beth who wrote up the
report after talking to Karen. Hopefully more details on the UK trade
show soon! http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/birmingham.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 6, 2000==
How to Eliminate Comet Cursor
Prompt in IE and AOL Browsers Perhaps you aren't the biggest fan of the
Comet Cursor used on www.ty.com,
especially after concerns about privacy were expressed in the news
(which Comet Systems states is resolved). Those who don't have the Comet
Cursor
are often prompted to sign up for the add-on software when they enter
the Ty.com Web site. There is a way to avoid the prompt to install Comet
Cursor, however you must have cookies enabled on your browser before
visiting the following link: http://download.cometsystems.com/no_nag/nonag.asp
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
HolyBears Unity Bow Tie Bear
Holy Bears fans will recall Unity, The Matrimony bear, now HolyBears
Inc. has Unity Bow Tie, The Matrimony bear. The white bear with
two gold rings embroidered on the chest is wearing a black bow tie
around the neck. You can see a picture and the poem at the
following link:
http://www.holybears.com/bears/unitybowtie.html
~*~
Beanie Babies® 2000
In her latest weekly column, Mary Beth Sobolewski talks about the
upcoming display of Beanie Baby 2000 Prototypes at the American
International Toy Fair in New York, Feb. 13-17 at the Jacob K. Javits
Convention Center. The show which is open to retailers and wholesalers
only, will offer Ty®
retailers a chance to place March orders for the new Beanie Babies® .
Mary Beth also answers questions on if it is illegal to sell dyed,
enhanced, or altered Beanie Babies and the status of Buddies
Schweetheart and Inch . http://www.suntimes.com/output/beanie/bean06.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
==February 5, 2000==
German Retailers Order Six Germania
Buddies at Nuremberg Toy Faire
MBBBW Staff Writer Karen Gomes reports from the Nuremberg Toy Faire,
providing more details on the news of a new Germania Beanie Buddy. Ty
retailers attending the Faire could order six of the new Buddy, reports
Karen. Karen provides a detailed report from the show at the following
link: http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/europeshow.html
~*~
Counterfeit Peace Beanie Babies
Counterfeit Peace Beanie Babies have started making their way into the
secondary market. Ms. Janie helps aware us of the fake Peace bears. http://www.msjanie.com/fakes/peace_beanie_fake.html
~*~
Special Update on Ty's Beanie
Kids
I made a comment the other day that I thought the Beanie Kids would be
this year's sleeper! Some have written and asked me to explain. In my
opinion a sleeper is an object or thing that is newly released and
rejected by many but then gains popularity as time goes by. If you think
about it, Ty's Beanies could be considered sleepers. Although released
in 1993 their popularity did not flourish until 1996.
Ty's Beanie Kids did not receive a warm reception but I think they will
be very popular as time goes on.
Many collectors initially decided that they were not interested in the
line, now many of them have already changed their minds and have decided
to collect. The line will be limited and once officially released will
explode. A word of caution to retailers! Do not pass this line up!
Collectors will want them and will expect for you to carry them. Ms.
Janie
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
~*~
Another
retailer's perspective on Ty's Beanie Kids
Retailers got to order all nine kids but only 6 of each style. They were
told not to expect all nine to be delivered at one time. These kids are
adorable. Their hand painted crystal eyes come in three different
colors, green, blue and brown.
Their eyes and ears are very detailed with stitching around them that
really give the dolls personality. Their clothing will have "Ty
Wear" embroidered on them. The clothes are also
interchangeable.
The Kids will be numbered in alphanumeric system with an eight digit
random number.
The Kids have workable hair that can be easily styled into different
ways.
The dolls come equipped with belly bottoms and are in my opinion
outstanding.
The Kids were given extra tender loving care. Ty Reps held them with
both hands and cradled them like babies
Story Source: Ms.
Janie
==February 4, 2000==
Competition
Beanie Wonderland and
Undergroundbean have teamed up to bring you a fun and free competition.
The prizes are a Britannia, Maple, Nanook and Zip Buddy. The rules are
simple, over the next few days we shall be taking names of everyone who
would like to take part, these names will NOT be used to subscribe you
to news lists or given out to anyone else, they are for the sole purpose
of the competition. These names will create a league table which will be
on display at the Undergroundbeans website. Each day for 10 consecutive
days a question shall be asked here on the Beanie Wonderland news page,
if you get it correct you progress to the next day, if you get it wrong
then you are out. When you register for the competition you shall be
asked a Tie Break question, just in case there are a few of you who make
it to the end. The winner shall get to select which Buddy they would
prefer and the remaining prizes shall be randomly drawn from everyone
else who enters. So just for entering and getting none correct would
still leave you with 3 chances to win. Check the news at Beanie
Wonderland for details.
Story Source: BeanieWonderland.com
~*~
Canadian Clubby Buddies Problems
People that ordered in September and as late as December received their
Clubby Buddies the same week. Also we got a little surprise with ours. A
$33 UPS brokerage fee per box. The BBOC shipped them the most expensive
way possible and charged it COD. At the time of ordering we were charged
$9.50 for shipping on our credit card. We were not told about this
additional charge. When the UPS
driver showed up last week, he asked for $33 cash before he could leave
the box. I had 3 boxes so my total came to $99. I phoned Ty
Canada, and their response was this was an unfortunate incident across
Canada, but that is how the BBOC shipped them. They have had numerous
problems with the BBOC and could be terminating their partnership with
them. Next time we could be dealing with
Ty only instead of things going through the BBOC.
Story Source: BeanieWonderland.com
~*~
NEWSFLASH GRAPHIC AT TY.COM REMOVED
The Ty.com Newsflash graphic has been removed. Perhaps this means
another announcement will soon be made. We can only hope!!
~*~
TY.COM NEWSFLASH ABOUT PRICING
Click here
if you want to view the Newsflash on the Ty.com site.
Ty's commitment has always been to make the finest plush in the world
"affordable"
Ty therefore recommends the following pricing to our retailers:
USA
Beanie Babies $5-7
Attic Treasures $5-7
Beanie Kids $8-9
Beanie Buddies $10-11
Baby Ty $10-11
Ty Classics $10-11
$20-22
Oversized
$30-32 Large
$50-55 Extra Large
$100-105 Jumbo
==February 3, 2000==
How Does the Osito Buddy
Compare to Other Country Exclusives?
Due to the fact the Ty distributes a much great number of Beanie Buddies
in the U.S. than in any other country, the first and only U.S. exclusive
Beanie Buddy, Osito, does not offer collectors equal trading value to
Canada's Maple Beanie Buddy, and UK's Britannia Beanie Buddy. Here
are the most recent sale prices from MetaExchange:
Osito (US Exclusive) $39.99
Maple (Canadian Exclusive) $100.00
Britannia (UK Exclusive) $110
Based on these prices it appears, that traders will have to trade three
Osito Beanie Buddies for one Maple or one Britannia Beanie Buddy! Many
U.S. Collectors are unhappy that they can not trade one for one and have
voiced concern over this situation.
Story Source: SmartCollecting.com
~*~
Autographed Chilly Silver Buddy Card Almost
Overlooked
Smart Collecting member, Brenda from Minnesota wrote in to share her
story about finding an autographed card. "Today, I bought a
box of Series IV cards and the first pack that I opened had a Silver
Chilly Buddy card on top. I thought it was strange that there was an
extra card on top and not usually in the same place that good cards
usually are located. I didn't think anything about it - but later when I
was going to open more cards, I noticed that there was Gold Writing on
top of the card 'TY' and then I realized that I had an Autographed card.
It has 1/1 printed in gold and I can see a little Ty heart over the
signature."
Story Source: SmartCollecting.com
~*~
TY.COM CHANGES AGAIN
I visited Ty.com this morning and noticed some graphical
changes. The TY heart is much bigger as are the heart shaped
buttons.
~*~
Special Note From Sally Winey
I will be appearing at The San Francisco Gift Center this Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. I will be located in the show room # 471 and
would love to meet with you. Stop by, visit me, and receive your FREE
signed Winey Bear.
~*~
FINDING TREASURES
Blarney Attic Treasures with a Tyra tag found at retail. These
are hard to come by and very valuable. Click here.
~*~
THE GENEROSITY OF TY
Click here
to read Ms. Janie's article and the generosity of Ty.
~*~
COMPLETE SET OF SERIES III GOLD CARDS ON AUCTION
A seller in the U.K. has put up a complete set of all 49 Gold Cards from
Series III on auction on eBay. Bidding starts at $5,000 (reserve
not yet met) and the auction ends on February 7th. Those interested
should contact the seller for a complete list of the cards included. Go
to auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250596690
Story Source: SmartCollecting.com
==February 2, 2000==
DAILY BEAN INTERVIEWS MARY BETH
SOBOLEWSKI
Joe Cooper, webmaster of The
Daily Bean has had the privilege of interviewing Mary Beth. You can read
the interview and visit this terrific beanie site here.
~*~
1/100 Splash Series III Ty BBOC Gold Card on TBS
Check out this
auction for a Splash the Whale Series III Ty BBOC Gold Card, numbered
#1/100!! This is a no reserve auction with bidding starting at just
$150. This is a great opportunity for you to own a rare Gold Card. You
might want to check out the other items listed at The
Bidding Station
Story Source: Ryan
from Collectiblez
(Thanks Ryan!)
==February 1, 2000==
OUR BABIES ARE BACK
What a great way to start off
the month of February. Check out the Newsflash
at Ty.com
NEWSFLASH
THEY'RE BACK!
Beanie Baby 2000 prototypes will be unveiled at the New York Toy Fair
