==January 31, 2002==
SORRY FOR THE DELAY TODAY
My ADSL & phone lines have been down since about 12:15am when my alarm abruptly went off because the phone line went down. Bellsouth just left about 5 minutes ago and have finally been able to fix the problem after sending out about 4 different people.

NEW GERMAN EXCLUSIVE INTRODUCED
Freiherr Von Schwarz (German Exclusive) 
http://releases.ty.com/FreiherrIntro

EBay, Sotheby's Joining Forces
EBay Inc. and Sotheby's are joining forces in a new partnership, matching the technology savvy of the leading player in Internet auctions with the high-end heft of one of the oldest names in real-world auctions. The alliance, being announced Thursday, shows how far eBay has come in just a few years, from a virtual flea market for Beanie Babies and hand-me-downs to an all-purpose trading platform with 42 million registered users. Full Story: 

Fake Buckingham
A new counterfeit Buckingham has been discovered. The serial number is 48PRDE93. The other 3 counterfeit Buckingham serial numbers are:  4HBNGFRD, 4DDB339J, 4ZSOGT6D Peggy Gallagher Enterprises.

NEW ZEALAND MEDIA RELEASE 
NEW ZEALAND EXCLUSIVE BEANIE BABY RELEASED 
Ferny™ - New Zealand's very own bear in stores now! Ferny™, aptly named, as the New Zealand national emblem the Silver Fern is featured on its left chest, will be released in limited numbers making it highly desirable by collectors around the world, all keen to add value to their collections. Ferny™ is being released as part of an Asia-Pacific Exclusive Flower Collection, which includes a set of six country exclusive bears. The other five countries being released include Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Check this link for more information and stores where these exclusives can be purchased. http://www.msjanie.com/temp/newzeland_media_release_1_30_2002.html

AUSTRAILIAN MEDIA RELEASE
AUSTRALIAN EXCLUSIVE BEANIE BABY RELEASED 
Wattlie™ - our very own bear in stores now and in huge demand! Wattlie™, aptly named, as the Australian national flower the Wattle is featured on its left chest, will be released in limited numbers making it highly desirable by collectors around the world, all keen to add value to their current Beanie Baby collections. Wattlie™ is being released as part of an Asia-Pacific Exclusive Flower Collection, which includes a set of six country exclusive bears. The other five countries being released include Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand. http://www.msjanie.com/temp/australia_media_release_1_30_2002.html

Updated News on the New German Exclusive! 
From: Ms. Janie
Hi Janie, I just came from the Nuremberg Toy Fair and here are some GREAT infos about the New German Exclusive Beanie Baby: "Freiherr von Schwarz" will be VERY limited, as only retailers who order it on the show, will get them. All of the supply, that Ty has produced, will be shared to those shops, who order at the Toy Fair. This teddy can only be ordered once!!!! Now the BIG news: This teddy is the first part of a big German Exclusive puzzle!!!! There will be more teddies (maybe one each month!) this year, and if you put them together they will show you a big picture... As the first piece of the puzzle is black, the whole puzzle could be a big German flag. For that we would need at least 3-4 teddies of the colours black, red and gold!!! Anonymous from Germany

==January 30, 2002==
It's in a Name
From: BeaneWonderland
I thought I would share some of the following trivia with you: Vanda - An Orchid and the name Vanda came from the Indian language. Bunga Raya - plant from the Hibiscus family.  Ferney - The Silver Fern is widely used in New Zealand to signify New Zealandness. Mugungwha - Korean national flower is also known as the Rose of Sharon: Sakura - We all remember this 'Cherry Blossom'from last year don't we? Wattlie - Wattles are members of the genus Acacia and belong to the family Mimosaceae. There are about 750 species of Acacia found throughout Australia. Australia's national floral emblem is Golden Wattle.

What's The Dif?
From: Beanieholics
Shortly after its introduction readers began asking what the difference was between the newly announced Sakura II Beanie Baby and its predecessor, Sakura. They're the same bear, right? Not exactly. Click Here For More

CHECKLISTS UPDATED
I updated all of the checklists yesterday with the new releases.

A note from Peggy 
From: Ms. Janie
Would you please inform your readers that if anyone has purchased a Ty signed Clubby IV button Beanie please email PeggyGallagher1@aol.com with the sellers name, email name, address and the serial number of the Clubby IV. 

Siblings train for new arrival with Beanies 
From: Ms. Janie
Ever since Cain and Abel, people have been trying to find ways of controlling sibling rivalry. Pre-birth classes such as those offered at Rancho Springs Medical Center are designed as a pre-emptive strike in the battle that often ensues when a new life is introduced into a family. Expectant parents and children attended a recent Saturday morning workshop to begin the process of assimilating their pending bundle of joy. The 90-minute class is sponsored by the center's educational services and instructed by Sandy Salgado, who has been teaching the classes for about eight years, trying to help children understand "what the heck is going on." Experts say the arrival of a newborn creates both positive and negative feelings in a child who suddenly has to share parental attention and affection. Sherry Dyckman's son, L.J., is expecting a sister, according to three ultrasounds, Sherry said. He helped choose his sister's name ---- Annika ---- and plans to play blocks with her and help mom put her to sleep, he said. He has been practicing with his collection of Beanie Babies, pretending they are real, feeding and putting them to bed in a bassinet, Suttle said. "I think he'll do great," Suttle said. "In his day care, he always helped with the babies." http://www.nctimes.com/news/2002/20020129/54444.html

From the desk of Caranois Limited:
Hey Sports Fans ~The NFC CHAMPIONS are HOT!
Now it is on to New Orleans and Super Bowl XXXVI for the St. Louis Rams, who beat the Philadelphia Eagles 29-24 to win the NFC Championship.

Next Sunday the Rams will meet the New England Patriots in the Super Dome to decide who will become NFL champions.

Read QB Kurt Warners Post Game comments

Official Rams Plush Bear - Can be yours...
... to remember this GREAT game! - Limited Supply

ORDER TODAY
LIMITED QUANTITIES AVAILABLE

Order your Official Rams Plush Bear TODAY http://www.caranois.com/miscellaneous/index.html

PACIFIC FLOWER COLLECTION OF EXCLUSIVES EXPLAINED
Nicole shares this interesting page:
"In what was nothing short that a massive surprise, Ty.com accounted the release of the Pacific Floral Collection. This collection is just for the Asia Pacific Region and included 6 EXCLUSIVE Beanie Babies. Australia was expecting their own exclusive, but not an opportunity for another country exclusive.

This is what my retailer told me, and how this very unique system will work" -
To read the rest and view a picture of the 6 exclusives together... View HERE

==January 29, 2002==
Bean Watcher
From: BeaneWonderland
Today's Bean Watcher column focuses on two articles: a) the retirement of three of the "Original Six" Beanie Boppers -- what has been the secondary market reaction to their retirements? and b) price increases for eBay -- which prices increases will affect sellers who live in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Singapore, etc.  To read these articles, view the secondary market action of the three retired Beanie Boppers, and read more about eBay's price increases. Visit Bean Watcher

SMOOCH BUDDY KISS
From: Ms. Janie
Hi Ms. Janie. I thought the attached photograph might make you smile. My husband bought him yesterday in Coventry (UK). He hadn't even noticed Smooch's kissable 'lips'. All the best and Happy Valentine's Day from the UK. Lynne http://www.msjanie.com/temp/smoochbuddy_kiss_mouth.html
Now that's what I call a pair of lips! Thanks for sharing Lynne! Ms. Janie 

SMOOCH BUDDY SMILING
From: Ms. Janie
Hi Ms. Janie, I thought you might be interesting in seeing this picture of a Smooch Buddy I found that appears to be smiling! You can post it if you'd like. Linda Buzzell Maine, USA http://www.msjanie.com/temp/smooch_smiling.html

NEW EXCLUSIVES FROM TY
http://release.ty.com/FebExclusive1
Wattlie ~ Australia Exclusive
Bunga Raya ~ Malaysia Exclusive
Ferny ~ New Zealand Exclusive
http://release.ty.com/FebExclusive2
Sakura II ~ Japan Exclusive
Mugungwha ~ Korea Exclusive
Vanda ~ Singapore Exclusive 

FEBRUARY INTRODUCTIONS
Beanie Buddies  
Cashew & Eggs http://releases.ty.com/FebIntroduction

Basket Beanies 
Floppity, Eggbert, Ewey, Hippity, Eggs, Grace http://releases.ty.com/BeanieBasket

Beanie Babies  
Sequoia & Frisbee http://releases.ty.com/Frisbeesequoia
March & Tracks http://releases.ty.com/Freebeesequoia2

Attic Treasure ~ McKinley the USA Exclusive http://releases.ty.com/McKinley

FEBRUARY 2002 ISSUE OF UK BEAN BAG WORLD
Check out page 44. :o)

http://www.ty.com/images/products/1189_color.gif  

Sequoia Bear
From: BeaneWonderland
Did you know that there was already a brown bear named Sequoia View Here: I am still trying to find who makes it but a simple search on Google reveals several stores selling this bear.

==January 28, 2002==
CONSUMER, BEWARE OF CHARITIES
Now you can munch on M&Ms, pick up wallpaper at Home Depot, buy Beanie Babies - and maybe help a disaster victim at the same time. View article HERE

Reader Response (Regarding online Ordering)
From: BeaneWonderland
"I would like to share my piece. First, on one hand, Ty said the UK would have a chance to get these offers online. He either should live up to his word or not promise something he can't necessarily give, it is sad that a cool looking beanie like Clubby 4 can't be had by all. However, even though Clubby is retired, Ty may still be trying to get it to the UK, who knows, after all, its a different world with different rules over there." ... Read the rest at BeaneWonderland

American Attic Exclusive
From: Beanieholics
We have received a report from a retailer friend of ours who attended the Chicago Trade Show. A new American exclusive Attic Treasure was announced called McKinley. Also provided are the birth dates and descriptions of some of the new Beanie Babies that were announced. Click Here For Report

==January 27, 2002==
CHICAGO SHOW REPORTS
From: Ms. Janie
A special thanks to Andrew for sharing the following show report from Chicago. http://www.msjanie.com/temp/chicago_show_report.html

PINK RIBBON KISSME
Heather shares the following:
I know that many people have been looking around for a Pink Ribbon Kissme.  I have finally found one on auction!  Here is the auction link: View HERE

==January 26, 2002==
DO YOU HAVE A 'PINK' RIBBON KISSME BEAR?
There have been numerous reports of Kissme being found with a BLUE ribbon. The picture on the Ty site has the PINK ribbon. If you have a PINK ribbon Kissme Bear.. please share it with me so I can pass it on. Lisa@planetbeans.com

RETAIL GODZILLA
From: Ms. Janie
A special thanks to Ellen for sharing the following
"Hi Ms Janie, I received an email from a trading partner that I have in Japan, attached was a picture of the new Godzilla that will be available at the ty retailers. The eyes on Godzilla are a different color. Thought you might want to pass on this information to your readers. Ellen" http://www.msjanie.com/temp/godzilla_different_eyes.html

Funds from fifth-grade friends benefit local fire victim
From: BeaneWonderland
"We really care about Brittany," the fifth-grade students told their teacher, Carole Dahl, at an East Elementary class meeting early this month. They said they had to find a way to raise money for their friend, after all, she lost everything - even her 30-40 beanie babies and horse collection - in a St. Onge house fire over Christmas vacation. Full Story:

==January 25, 2002==
Reponses to Disheartened Collector
Anna writes:
"Hi Lisa, This note is for "DISHEARTENED COLLECTOR"  if there is anyway you can get us in touch with each other I would be glad to send her a Clubby 4 beanie or two!!! I understand her frustration in not being able to get them for her collection!!  I am in the USA and have traded many times overseas and have very good feedback. Hope you can help." Anna

<I have put Anna in touch with Shirley. I hope they can work something out. Planet Beans readers are the BEST!!>

Shayna writes:
"I think it's great that Ty has retired Clubby IV.  Yes some of the retailers over in Europe, or Germany, or Japan probably haven't recieved it.  It gives us in the US a beanie that will worth something when it comes time to trading for country exclusives.  The trades that people expected for an exclusive when it first comes out are outrageous and our US exclusives are so widely sold they are not worth anything in comparison.  I had one person that wanted me to trade my Black Bat Buddy for a Buckingham when it first came out.  Of course I didn't, but we need something worth a little more in value to be able to compete with oversea traders.  Clubby IV just might be it." Shayna

HEARTLESS CUPID
From: Ms. Janie
I walked into my local Beanie store yesterday, just looking around, and there he was. I was hoping to find a cupid with the heart over the left eye, but this is better, he's heartless. I love him all the same, and he'll never be sold, he's just to cute. He kind of looks sad in the pictures. You can see the pictures at my new website www.geocities.com/beaniequeeny click on the 'My Collection' Button. If you use my pictures can you link them to my site, I would appreciate any traffic I can get. Thank You in advance, Kristin

One Big Bear
From: Beanieholics
In the UK, on Ideal World, a special guest appearance was made by 'Jumbo Chubbley'. This is a very large version of the popular Chubbley Bears. The bear is one of three large promotional Chubbleys that will be on display at the UK Birmingham Trade Show beginning February 3rd. All Chubbley Bears offered on the show sold out. We learned of the appearance of Jumbo Chubbley through the Bean Bag World UK Message Board.
Click Here For Picture

BEANIE KIDS RETIRE
Say goodbye to BOOMER, JAMMER, & CUTIE
http://retirement.ty.com/retired_product

CHUBBLEY BEARS ARE HOT HOT HOT!!
Note from Kathie Currie (the Canadian Chubbley Bear Distributor)
"HI Lisa :  Here is some news I just received from the Soft Touch Toys UK.  Hugs, Kisses and Jubilee made their television debut yesterday on one of the shopping channels.  There were 300 bears for sale and they sold out in 1 hour,  Jubilee sold out in 10 minutes!  Now how is that for hot, anyhow just thought you might like to know (this shopping channel was in the UK)."

ASK TY
QUESTION: When someone asks you a direct question, why don't you ever give a direct answer? (submitted by RIP33)
ANSWER: I was a little surprised to see this question receive over 40% of the vote. I really wanted to answer the Godzilla question (and fill you in on a little secret).

BOPPER RETIREMENTS
Huggable Holly, Lovable Lulu, and Rockin' Rosie have retired.
http://retirements.ty.com/retired_products

==January 24, 2002==
Disheartened Collector
From: BeaneWonderland
Shirley writes: I was in Dublin today and I went in a few shops, none of which have received Clubby IV.  The only way I will receive a Clubby IV now is through the secondary market.. Why is Ty doing this? Is he trying to increase their value? Do you Ty not like us in Europe? We still cannot order online yet, are we never to have a chance of a signed Clubby? I am a disheartened collector who has held off buying Clubby over the net, but to my failing he will increase in value and I will not be able to afford him. This is not the first time that Beanies have not shipped here and they have retired early. This will be my indication now!  Do any of your other readers say the same. Shirley.

N.B. Woman Admits To Beanie Fraud
From: Beanieholics
From The Halifax Herald: A grim-faced New Brunswick woman pleaded guilty in provincial court Tuesday to defrauding would-be Internet buyers of Beanie Babies, the much-coveted plush toys. In 1999, police started getting angry complaints that Raymonde Leaman, of Bathurst, was selling Beanie Babies for upwards of $500 US per toy through an Internet auction site - but not delivering the goods.

HAT TRICK HUNTER CHANGES NUMBER
From: Ms. Janie
Just wanted to confirm the rumor that has been going around: Hunter does now wear a #10 on his shirt. I don't know if this variation is permanent or if it will be intermixed with the old #99. I saw this one for the first time today, but other stores that recently got shipments still got the 99. I am attaching a picture of Hunter's new look. Annie View picture HERE

==January 23, 2002==
Going once going twice GONE 
From: Ms. Janie
Sly points out that Coral Casino Bear is Now Listed As Retired... After viewing the page I can verify that this exclusive bear is now history!

GODZILLA TRIO AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING
From: Ms. Janie
Many of us believed that Ty would offer the Japan exclusives to Ty retailers and now Deb from Doodlespage confirms the following Godzilla Trio" Available to Order in Japan! http://doodlespage.com/

Ty Rewards Clarification
From: Beanieholics
The Bean Watcher points out a post from 'Your Friends at Ty' on the Ty Talk Cyber board that clarifies the part of the Ty MasterCard Rewards Points Program that collectors seem to be most unsure about. It concerns receiving an exclusive Beanie Baby if you accumulate $5,000 in retail purchases within 12 months of receiving your Ty MasterCard. Click Here For Ty Talk Cyberboard

RETIREMENT
http://retirement.ty.com/retired_product
Ty has retired Clubby IV Beanie & Buddy, Cuddly Crystal, and the Clubby Jingle Beanies

==January 22, 2002==
Roseville FFA Toy Show is once again a success
From: BeaneWonderland
The 12th Annual Roseville High School FFA Toy Show was held Sunday with well over 800 people in attendance. The 30 vendors ranged from selling the classic Hot Wheels to Beanie Babies, horses, John Deere memorabilia, to baby quilts and even homemade jewelry. Almost everyone who walked in empty-handed, walked out with bags of toys. Full Story:

Bigger retailers join eBay's fold 
From: Ms. Janie
Online auctioneer eBay, once the exclusive haunt of Beanie Baby and baseball-card collectors, now hosts some of the nation's largest retailers. Amid the kitsch, KitchenAid offers cookware, and Kodak sells digital cameras. Sears has Craftsman tools; Home Depot hawks Price Pfister faucets. Just as online auction sites have proven an efficient way to sell goods for mom-and-pop retailers, corporate America is discovering the sites are a good way to find value-conscious shoppers to take extra merchandise off their hands. San Jose-based eBay, the leading auctioneer, is courting the small, but growing, corporate marketplace in a bid to vastly expand its reach and hit its ambitious, annual growth targets of 50 percent. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/depth/svebay011902.htm

==January 21, 2002==
FAKE SIGNATURE BEING SOLD ON CLUBBY IV BUTTONS 
From: Ms. Janie
Please view the page carefully and become familiar with Ty's signature and be careful not to purchase a fake signed Clubby IV. These bears have all been sent for authentication and other than the authentic Ty signed piece the remainder came back as forged signatures. There has obviously been some tampering with the buttons for the counterfeits to be able to get into them to forge the signature. http://www.msjanie.com/temp/clubbyiv_forged_signatures.html

Australian NEWS 
From: Ms. Janie
WILL YOU BEANIE MY VALENTINE? 
Adorable Ty Beanies Bears Sizzle This Valentine’s http://www.msjanie.com/temp/Australian_NEWS.html

NEW Authentic Beanie section started. 
From: Ms. Janie
For all of you who ask me to scan my beanies and share them I have created a new section on my website that should help. I would like to thank Marilyn for her great photos that will be used a lot in this section. Her Beanies have been authenticated and are REAL! Marilyn's photos of these Beanies belong to a friend who wanted pictures to show potential buyers. I will be including many photos of my own along with information as well. The introduction page into this section is at the following link and will be updated often! Check out Black and White Face Zip the Cat - Colored New Faced Teddies, Gold and White Faced Nip the Cat, Peking and MORE! 

Definitely worth drooling over. LOL View AUTHENTIC BEANIES HERE

ENTIRE ISSY COLLECTION
From: Smart Collecting
I have been collecting beanies for years, specializing in bears. When Ty first introducing Issy I was able to acquire a New York Issy for my collection. Then when he released the 47 Issy's available to collectors, I knew I had to put the whole set together. Just when I completed the collection, Ty released 15 more Issy's, so I had to get back to work. I finally obtained Issy Alexandria, completing my Issy collection once again. The photo above shows all 63 Issy's together, with Issy New York in the front center and Issy Dublin and Kuala Lumpur to his left and Issy Santa Barbara and Vancouver to his right. The remaining 58 are displayed behind these five rare Issy's. View Issy collection HERE

==January 20, 2002==
Special Sakura Alert from Peggy 
From: Ms. Janie
Hello Everyone-- We just received today a counterfeit Sakura, with a serial number of: 4BZAFDRP. I would like to share with your readers 2 easy major characteristics all collectors need to focus on detecting the counterfeit Sakura: 

1. Look inside the Ty heart tag. If it is "shinny looking" it is a counterfeit tag. The inside tag can be easily compared with any recent authentic Ty heart tag. (The comparison 6th generation ty heart tag, is with the yellow 2000 on the front of the tag), The Beanie Baby style is irrelevant. 

2. Compare the Sakura tush tag with a few authentic Ty 9th generation tush tags. The comparison tush tag can be from any style Beanie. Almost every collector has a few of the recent 9th generation tush tag Beanie Babies. These are 2 simple non-confusing key points for any novice to detect whether or not they have an authentic or counterfeit Sakura Beanie Baby! 

Thank you. Sincerely, Peggy Gallagher Enterprises, Inc. http://www.peggyg.com

FUN IN THE SNOW
Heather of The Daily Bean has created a fun day in the snow for some of her Teenie Beanie friends. Very cute!! http://www.dailybean.net/nr4.shtml

==January 19, 2002==
From Beanie Babies to a bigger, better eBay
From: BeaneWonderland
When eBay insiders recall the June 1999 computer crash that lasted 22 hours, they still cringe. The downtime cost about $4 million in lost fees and wiped out $5 billion in market value as investors dumped shares throughout the summer. The "Big One," as the episode has been mythologized, immediately raised questions about Meg Whitman's future as CEO. Critics ranging from frustrated Wall Street analysts to Beanie Baby collectors called for her immediate ouster. Their fears escalated in April 1999, when eBay acquired upscale auction house Butterfield & Butterfield for $260 million--a move many customers said was an attempt to move eBay away from its humble roots as a site for Pez aficionados and Beanie Baby collectors. Full Article:

Would they get Dizzy?
From: BeaneWonderland
On a sunny Wednesday in Times Square, amid the jumble of billboards, theatres and traffic, tourists made a beeline for the newly opened Toys 'R' Us flagship store on Broadway. A young sales clerk stands near the door juggling three Beanie Babies. He smiles broadly and bellows, "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to Toys 'R' Us!" Full Story:

Top Sites List
Does anyone know what happened to the Beanie top 40 and 50, I was looking around at the other alternatives on offer and I was considering if Bean eWonderland should join one of them. I looked at the Super Top 100 list and found that the top 2 sites Get Collecting and Toy Wiz display the buttons on non Beanie material such as Pokemon and Dargonball pages. This led me to check on several other top site lists and they were all doing the same. Unless web masters boycott these Top site lists they will continue to allow cheaters. If you are a web master or you know of a top sites list that does not allow this please contact me as I would like to know if there is a genuine top sites list out there.

Planet Beans Comments: Some of you may remember this is why I choose to remove Planet Beans from the Beanie Top 40 and Beanie Top 50. I had proof that they allowed cheaters and did NOTHING to stop this practice. I hope Richard can find a reputable BEANIE top sites list to join. I'm sure there are some good ones out there somewhere. :o)

ASK TY
QUESTION: When you make Beanies that have profits donated to charitable funds, do you just decide to make those or do the charities ask you to help them out with your creations? (submitted by Prairie*Mountain*Maple)

ANSWER: I'm sure you all know the story behind America, Rescue and Courage. I created these Beanies and contacted the American Red Cross and the Widow and Children's Benefit Fund. The one common thread that all charitable Beanies share is you. Thank you for your continued support. http://www.ty.com/askty/askty.cfm

Beanies Not Worth Beans Now
From: Beanieholics
At least that is the opinion of Michael Booth who has a column featured in The Denver Post. He writes: "My girls got out their Beanie Babies over the weekend. Not to check their value on eBay. But to actually play with them. It was good to see the Beanies getting some air. Because they're sure as heck not making us rich."
Click Here For Article

New Ty Trademarks
From: Ms. Janie
Hi Janie!!
Looks Like the rumors were right! Ty has applied to register 2 new Trademarks. According to the US Trademark database on December 27,2001 Ty applied to register a trademark on "The Teenie Beanie Bopper Collection" and "Teenie Beanie Boppers"
Ty lists "plush Toys" as the good and services for both of these 2 new trademarks.
I Guess Ty collectors will be heading to McDonalds this year for burgers, fries and Teenie boppers!-LOL Have a Great Day and Weekend! Sly The Beanie Guy

==January 18, 2002==
Twigs & Britannia?
From: BeaneWonderland
Yesterday I took the advice of Barbara and paid a visit to my local collectible store called 'Churches China' in search of a Cow Parade collectible called China. Barbara informed me how this one was rising in price just a month into its retirement so I was pleased to find it at retail value. Whilst in the store I noticed that they had received a delivery of Unity Buddy and Tudor Attic so I picked one of each, also at retail value. Whilst queuing to pay I noticed a sign that read: Limited quantity of Twigs and Britannia Buddy in stock £36.00 each ($50.00). I asked to see them and sure enough they had several of each. I asked if they had arrived in a delivery from Ty but the store keeper seemed reluctant to say. Either way the sign was clear to see and as an authorised retailer the Ty rep could not have failed to spot this.

Cupid Variation - Update
From: Doodle's Page
As you may recall, on January 4th, Martin informed us of a variation of Cupid - to be showing up in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan "in a week or so". And sure enough, on January 12th, Cupid showed up in Japan 'winking' with his right eye! Our friend Kooler has now posted some great close-up pictures of both of the variations! View HERE

BBOC Offers To End Today
From: Beanieholics
At least they are supposed to. Ty has pushed the deadline back two times in the last month or so. If you have not ordered the items available exclusively through the Beanie Babies Official Club yet, today may be your last day to do so.
Click Here For Link To The BBOC

CORAL CASINO AUCTION ENDS AT $4,250
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1687030655

MIDNIGHT RETIRES
http://retirement.ty.com/retired_product

==January 17, 2002==
Hat-Trick Hunter Raffle
Collectiblez is currently having a raffle on their website with just fifteen days remaining where collectors have the opportunity to own a Ty Canadian-exclusive Hat-Trick Hunter Beanie Bopper! Tickets start at just $1.00USD or 5 for $3.00USD, which is a great value when you can possibly own your own Canadian Bopper! Checks, money orders, cash & PayPal are accepted in the raffle and it ends on January 31st! http://www.geocities.com/collectiblezinfo/Contests/Raffle.html

Bean Watcher shares the following:
Thought you'd like to know that Ty has posted Paula Plappertasche's Home Page under the Beanie Bopper index of current styles.  Paula's Home Page is unique -- it's the only one I know that is written in a foreign (German) language. View HERE

Roseville FFA is hosting its 12th Annual Toy Show
From: BeaneWonderland
If you like toys or maybe you just want to help out a worthy cause, then this Sunday at the Roseville High School Gym is the place to go. Last year, according to Clark Stull vice-president of the Roseville FFA Alumni, there were a total of 33 different vendors with more than 80 different tables stocked with toys of your choice. Whether you are a Beanie Babies fan or a Nascar fan, you will enjoy the toy show. Full Story:

Ty Attending UK Show
From: BeaneWonderland
The rumours start every year regarding whether or not Ty Warner will attend the Birmingham show in the UK. I have confirmation that Ty will be attending this years event and that Max is scheduled for release at the show. However saying this, it would not surprise me if Max is announced earlier due to the information that has been leaked so far.

Bank Seeks To Recovery Money
From: Beanieholics
A federal judge has placed a freeze on the assets of a Brunswick couple who allegedly went on a spending spree after a North Carolina bank mistakenly transferred $340,000 into their account. After the money was deposited the couple bought a new home, opened a Beanie Babies business and began operating a web site that sold Beanie Babies. A lawsuit has been filed by First Union Bank in an attempt to recover the money. No trial date has been set. Click Here For Story

Canadian Perspectives: Must Read!
Heather shares the following: 
Do you do a lot of trading or shipping between your country & Canada?  If so, this article is a Must Read! It can warn you of problems that you may not be aware of.
http://www.dailybean.net/articles/canada

SPECKLES BUDDY IS NOW SHIPPING
Michelle shares the following:
Hi Lisa,
Just wanted to share this email with you:

Dear MICHELLE **********, thank you for your order from the Ty Store!

This is to confirm shipment of the following order.

Order - 602****
Ship date - 1/16/02

Item(s) cost - $20.00
Shipping & Handling - $3.75
Sales Tax - $0.00
Duty - $0.00
Grand Total - $23.75
Regards,

Ty Store

All prices are quoted in US dollars.  Your order is being shipped through
the United States Postal Service.  Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.
Thank you for ordering from the Ty Store.

FREE BEANIE BABY OFFER !
Qualify to receive a free Ty Beanie Baby!  Simply go to
http://webapply.com/ty-wi57 for more details on the Ty Beanie Baby offer
and to apply for the Ty Mastercard(R)credit card.

Looks like we will be seeing Speckles buddy very soon!

Love your newsletter!
Take care,
Michelle

==January 16, 2002==
Want To Be A Ty Rep?
From: Beanieholics
An interesting want ad appeared in our local paper this past weekend.
Click Here For More

McDonald's In Settlement Talks
From: Beanieholics
McDonald's Corp. has been in talks to settle a lawsuit filed against the marketing firm Simon Worldwide Inc., formerly known as Cyrk. The company used to run the Beanie Babies Official Club for Ty Inc. The lawsuit involves employees of Simon Worldwide who allegedly hatched a scam involving the fast food giant's promotional games. Click Here For More

The truth about the REAL Sakura Tags!
From: Ms. Janie
While I believe this information is accurate I am NOT an authenticator. The information provided came from trusted sources and they all had a common link. I would suggest that if this bear makes you feel uneasy you may want to have it authenticated. To view photos of both tags please visit the following link - http://www.msjanie.com/temp/sakura_different_tags.html


==January 15, 2002==
CORAL CASINO ARTICLE
Bean Watcher shares the following:
As I was writing my article for today's Bean Watcher column, I stumbled across one eBay auction which has a Coral Casino Beanie Baby for sale along with a letter signed by Ty Warner that was provided to the employee.  You may be interested in seeing the article and photograph.

Also, I've written about the first Coral Casino Beanie Baby up for auction and the number of new auctions listed.

Enjoy!
Bean Watcher

GREAT PRICES
When viewing the SPECIALS page for the contest at BeanieTown-USA.. you may notice some great prices. If you take advantage of these prices now you will gain extra entries into the contest. An EXTRA entry PER DOLLAR spent. That should be a nice incentive to get you to view their specials more closely. If you do make a purchase.. make sure you list 'PLANET BEANS' in the comments section so they will know to tell me how many extra entries you will receive. If you aren't participating in the current contest for the Valentines Sets.. you might want to stop over and take a look at the specials you are missing.

UK Bean Bag World Launches Website
Daphne shares the following:
Launching the brand new Bean Bag World website www.beanbagworld.info Editor, Daphne Roberts, tells us: 'We'd only originally intended to launch a forum for people to share news and views, but it grew like Topsy!  We're not intending to be a news site, as there are plenty of people doing a great job out there already, but we shall have information on the latest and back issues of the magazine, subscription details, links to manufacturers' sites as well as those of our contributors and advertisers.  We hope that people will use the forum to give us direct feedback, suggest ideas for future features in Bean Bag World and also to have fun with other collectors'

Regards
Daphne

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEDDY BEAR!!! 
Diane Malowney shares the following:
This is a Big Year for the Teddy Bear. He/She is 100 years old this year. Join the Celebration with the folks at IMA Hero. They are planning a year long celebration filled with facts, trivia, poems, and contests. You are invited to join in the fun. Did you know how the teddy bear is connected to a President of the U.S.? http://www.imahero.com/is/teddybear/100years.html 
Do you have a favorite teddy bear poem? Share it with others: http://www.imahero.com/is/teddybear/poems.html 
Do you have a favorite teddy bear story? Let us all read it: http://www.imahero.com/is/teddybear/stories.html

GERMAN EXCLUSIVE BOPPER
http://releases.ty.com/PaulaPlapperIntro

==January 14, 2002==
ABOUT YESTERDAY'S CONTEST QUESTIONS
BeanieTown-USA would like me to pass along apologies for not updating the question yesterday. Their Cable Modem was out due to high winds. They are now up and running again.

The Fire Fighters of Chicago Engine Company#68
From: BeaneWonderland
Sal from Sals Attic has sent me a link to an article on how the Chicago Fire Department, teamed up to distribute Beanie Babies, Attic Treasures, and other collectibles to the Chicago's Ella Young's Grammar School and the Hanson Park School. It is an exceptional piece with some beautiful pictures so please visit by Clicking Here:

Beanie Babies Make The BBC
From: BeaneWonderland
Beanie Babies have made the BBC (British Broadcasting Control) web site under the 'I Love 1998' toy section. It describes them as follows: "What started out as a simple cuddly toy turned into a multi-million dollar collecting industry. Hundreds of limited-edition Beanies were brought out, some only available in particular countries. The result was massive Internet trading and parents stealing their children's Beanies to sell on the black market. View Here:

At age 43, Barbie's older than she seems
From: BeaneWonderland
The world's best-selling doll turns 43 this year, and middle age is not being too kind to her legions of collectors. Barbie's copper-wire legs don't bend as easily as they used to, her earlobes are turning a sickly green, and a generation of fans are switching allegiances to Game Boy, Rescue Heroes and Harry Potter. 

The result a bust in old Barbies, part of a broader drop in the whole $10 billion collectibles market that's happening as the economy sours and the Internet makes once hard-to-get objects a click away. Name a must-have tchotchke, from Beanie Babies to Hummel figurines, and demand is drying up fast. Full Story:

Salem classmates lift spirits at ground zero
From: BeaneWonderland
The school’s ground zero connection began when Cummings second-grader Bella Starr started a coin drive to help the victims, volunteers and relief workers. The school raised $146, counselor Jennifer Hutchings said. They decided to use the money to purchase about 40 Beanie Babies, which a Salem-area Red Cross volunteer hand-delivered in New York. “The Red Cross was providing Beanie Babies, Hershey Kisses and other things to cheer up workers at ground zero,” Hutchings said. Third, fourth and fifth graders at the school wrote letters of encouragement to the workers, while younger students drew pictures. Full Story:

DALLAS SHOW REPORT
http://www.msjanie.com/temp/dallas_showreport.html

==January 13, 2002==
MEGAN DOES IT AGAIN
From: Ms. Janie
Hi, Ms. Janie, Well, I had insomnia two nights this week, so I now have a Beanie Valentine page. LOL! http://stpwh01.atl.mediaone.net/scottmegan2/beanie-val-02.html I hope that you have a great weekend!! Megan 

Megan has done an outstanding job on this page. Her Valentine's are adorable. Check out Flip and Dizzy and their cute little sayings! Ms. Janie

Planet Beans Comments: I enjoy sharing Megan's pages with you. She does a terrific job and deserves to get as much exposure as possible. Visit and you will have a smile when you leave. 

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
From: BeaneWonderland
Trevor in Canada writes: I was wondering if you could post this on your website, even though it isn't exactly Beanie related.  Survivor Africa and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation have teamed up and they are auctioning memorabilia from the show. On offer is everything from canisters and challenge announcements to the actual torches and the final votes.  The profits go towards the foundation, the same one that the Ariel Beanie/Buddy profits went towards.  Here is the link if you want to bid on any of the items: Click Here:

OPEN HOUSE AT TY STORE
Bean Watcher shares the following:
We're having an Open House and you're invited !

We have done some major remodeling at the Ty Store and would love to have you stop by and see what's new.  We know you're busy, but try to take time out to meet Speckles the Beanie Buddy (and don't forget to say hi to Tradee too).

Click here www.tytrade.com/TyStore and we'll have Rescue and Courage meet you at the door.

We look forward to seeing you.

P.S. Rumor has it that this is a very limited appearance by Speckles so stop by soon.

==January 12, 2002==
COMMENTS ABOUT TAMPERING OF CLUBBY IV's
Nikki writes:
"I bought 2 all together at a hallmark in gallipolis ohio and neither one of mine was tampered with.  I got them when they were first coming out so i dont know what is going on but I wish people wouldnt tamper with things i like my beanies..."

Sheila writes:
"I live in what would be considered a rural area, the closest metro area being more than 120 miles away.  There are two cities within a 40 mile radius with populations of 100,000 give or take.

You can also talk to their administrative contact by emailing chris@TY.COM

This is a real shame, it needs to be sorted out :(."

AUTHENTICATED "ODDITY" QUACKERS W/ NO EYES (have to see to believe!!)
Anne points out the following auction: View HERE

I have the Tiffany and Co. Ty gift Crystal in my possession, which the number given out was 6-8. It was given out at a dinner for the "Heart of TY Award" to the Loyal employees of TY who stuck with him before Beanies ever took off. The dinner was held about 1997 since the rep received it 5 years ago and he has worked with TY since 1992-93. Selling other TY products. 

The Crystal sits on its side and has a 3-d effect to it. It seems as if you are looking down into a Kaleidoscope with the Heart outline going down the centre and a final little heart at the very end tip. You could see right through the heart tip, but not along the sides because it reflects a mirror image. Truly I cannot explain the Crystal, it is Unique and not to mention a Tiffany and Co. product. I would love to send a picture, but I don't have a digital camera. 

I was excited to break the news to you since this story has never ever been brought up, either the employees that did received them quit or too afraid to bring it out in the public, since there were not many. Visane

Ask Ty
QUESTION: We would love to read your autobiography one day ... anything in the works? Also, if your story was made into a movie who would you like to see play yourself? (submitted by yaldnif)

ANSWER: I enjoyed reading all the polls and posts on Ty Talk about actors to play me. I have a few in mind but I think I'll leave this decision up to the casting director.
http://www.ty.com/askty/askty.cfm

==January 11, 2002==
COINCIDENCE?!  THE INSIDE SCOOP ABOUT CLUBBY IV TAMPERING
A dear friend and Planet Beans reader shares the following:
I have bought 6 Clubby IV's so far and every single one had the tape cut before I bought them. I talked to my retailer (who is also a friend) and she said she had taken them out of the box and put then straight on the shelf and she had not looked at any of them. Well, yesterday, I went in to see her so we could go to lunch and a shipment of beanies came in. The UPS man brought them in and the boxes were sealed. Then my friend opened the boxes and there were Clubby IV's (and a few other beanies too). I was helping her put them on the shelf and noticed the tape had been split on the ones I was putting up so I brought it to her attention.  We looked at them all and every single one had the tape split on one side as if someone had opened them and checked for Ty Warner's signature before they were even sent out to the retailers. I would not have believed it except I saw it with my own eyes in this store and the first 6 beanies I bought were from 4 different stores and all were opened prior to my purchasing them...COINCIDENCE????  This bothers me. I think if employee's want to buy beanies, that is perfectly okay, BUT I also think they should have the same chances of getting a signed one as everybody else
does.

Planet Beans Comments: <sigh> It's a real shame that this is occurring. Could the tampering be taking place at the Ty warehouse? Could it be taking place at the BIG retailers that ship to their smaller stores? Either way.. it's unfortunate that your average collector of Ty Beanie Babies may not have the same advantages as other people of receiving one of the sought after Ty-Signed Clubby IV's. I think it's time to stop accusing the Ty Retailers you deal with and get to the bottom of this situation. If you notice your Clubby IV case has been opened.. ask your retailer where they get theirs from.. whether it be directly from Ty or from a central office. We NEED to find out what's happening here!! Any comments are welcome Lisa@planetbeans.com 

COUNTERFEIT BUCKINGHAM
From: Ms. Janie
Peggy shares the following: 
**IMPORTANT** Please alert your members: Another counterfeit Buckingham has been discovered today! The serial number is: 4ZSOGT6D A total of 3 counterfeit Buckingham Beanies discovered so far: serial #'s: 4HBNGFRD, 4DDB339J, and 4ZSOGT6D This is really very very sad. )O: Please remind everyone to check their Buckingham to see if they have any of these counterfeit Ty Buckingham Beanies. Thanks and sorry for the bad news. Sincerely, Peggy Gallagher www.peggyg.com

Security is taken to extreme 
From: Ms. Janie
When the armed cops arrive to stand guard outside the metal detectors at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, you begin to wonder if maybe this war on terrorism has gone just a little too far. I kid you not: Teddy bears and flowers officially have been deemed a threat to our national security. For years there has existed a cute, endearing tradition of fans tossing small tokens of appreciation to skaters leaving the ice, after they wow the audience with jumps and spins. No more. The tradition has disappeared. Where have all the flowers gone? Terrorist concerns have killed them. Floral bouquets and stuffed animals are now among the long list of dangerous items that will be confiscated at the arena for these championships. "It's kind of sad," said Sarah Hughes, a contender for Olympic gold. Hughes is 16 years old. She's still a kid. But the newly imposed ban on flowers reminds her how Sept. 11 keeps robbing innocence from us all. Spectators entering the Staples Center for the Wednesday evening competition were searched for weapons such as knives, roses and Beanie Babies. Guess you can't be too careful with those wild-and-crazy fanatics of ice dancing. View article HERE 

TrendSpotting 
From: Ms. Janie
Lined up in a row, Celebriducks are poised to knock Beanie Babies off the shelves and onto their plushy bums. The rubber duck, long a bath-time staple, moves into the realm of "collectible" with the Celebriducks line. The sculpted toys ($9.99 online; $12 in stores) morph features and attributes of entertainment icons onto the body of a duck in exquisite detail. Craig Wolfe, founder and CEO of this San Rafael company, believes his limited edition creations are "the Cadillac of rubber ducks." The 4-inch tall quackers are crafted out of environmentally safe vinyl and painted in vibrant nontoxic, water-resistant colors. The squeaker is enclosed so water won't leak into the cavity. Most important, these collectibles take to flotation like, well, a duck to water. "You can drop a Celebriduck off a bridge," says Wolfe, "and it will pop right up." After the often grueling process of obtaining image rights, Wolfe's daughter Rebecca designs all the ducks. Steve Chen, a mechanical engineer by trade, is the trio's technical wizard. But Wolfe admires Chen's creativity as well. The clever Web site includes a detailed history of each character (The Lone Ranger's page includes his "Creed"), 3-D views, duck jokes, a theme song (a snippet of "Splish, Splash I Was Taking a Bath," natch) and a "Suggest a Duck" category. One of the most requested is Elvis Presley. With luck, Wolfe hopes someday to get the legal go-ahead for Presley who, along with Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart, tops Wolfe's "Most Wanted" list. In the meantime, perhaps Wolfe should consider celebrities from the political pantheon whose terms are expiring? Imagine a Mayor Willie Brown "Lame Duck" - complete with Wilkes Bashford sartorial touches and fedora. Available at Flax Art & Design Store, 1699 Market St., S.F., or by visiting www.celebriducks.com. View Article HERE

Counting Lambs Comment (original news from yesterday)
Nickolis shares the following:
"He didnt say Fleece was one of 3 sheep, he said one of 3 *lambs*. Ive always assumed Ewey was an ewe."

==January 10, 2002==
GERMAN EXCLUSIVE
From: Ms. Janie
Ty will introduce one German Exclusive Beanie only for Ty-Retailers which can only be ordered at the show. You can not order after the show. View HERE

One to Share (NICE PICTURE!!)
From: BeaneWonderland
From the email Mark writes: A quick hello to you and a picture of our Valentine's beanies and buddies. Nothing fancy but cute nonetheless. I have a nice digital camera now and it's cool to be able to send you stuff. Marilyn in Wisconsin is always the first but I can add my two cents in now. Thank you for maybe posting this and have a great day. View Here: Bean eWonderlands comment - I think its a great picture and I am sure Marilyn will enjoy the competition. I enjoy reading and viewing other collectors pictures and stories as I know most of our readers do to...

Counting Lambs
From: Beanieholics
So when does one plus two equal four? The hang tag for the Fleece Beanie Buddy reads:

"Fleece the Beanie Baby was one of three lambs; can you name the other two?"

John writes in to point out that Ty has actually released four different lamb Beanie Babies: Chops, Ewey, Fleece and Fleecie.
Our comment: "Baaa!"
Click Here To View Fleece Buddy Hang Tag

Introduction: Speckles the E-Beanie Buddy 
http://releases.ty.com/BeanieBuddyIntro

==January 9, 2002==
Items Unavailable to Order on Ty Canada Order Form
Besides the new January releases (which did not appear on the order form at all), the following had 'x's through, signifying they were unavailable to order for that month. 

Beanie Buddies: Large Schweetheart, Extra Large Schweetheart, Large 1997 Holiday Teddy, Happy the Hippo, Roam the Buffalo, Batty the Bat, Hornsly the Triceratops, Ariel the Bear, Sunny the eBeanie Bear, Periwinkle the eBeanie Bear, Seal the Seal, Loosy the Goose, Snowball the Snowman 

Beanie Babies: Jester the Clownfish, Buzzie the Bee, Midnight the Panther, October the Bear, Starlett the Kitten, Giganto the Wooly Mammoth, Jinglepup the Dog, Kirby the Dog, Issy the Bear, Mistletoe the Bear 

Beanie Kids: Luvie, Blondie, Noelle 

Ty Gear: Cheerleader, Princess, Pajamas, Santa, Elf 

Ty Classics: Onyx, Toffee, Scooter, Rags, Flopper, Romper, Sheriff, Iceberg, Curly, Big George, Sahara, Large Curly, Large Paws 

Attic Treasures: Darlene, Alfalfa, Basil, May, April, Mrs. Santabear, Logan
 Source - http://www.collectiblez.net

It is no secret that Ty often gives his reps and employee's gifts, another to watch out for is a Tiffany and Co. Heart (Crystal) given to approximately 5 Reps although it could be slightly higher. If you know of any more gifts or rare items to look out for send us an email or picture and we shall try to build a list.

New 'Ty Hair'
From: BeaneWonderland
Marilyn writes: What a great day.... I happened to call one of my two favorite stores (the clerks are honest & friendly) & heard the magic words.... yes, we got a shipment of Ty. I was there at the counter waiting as they opened the boxes.  So I got to pick a very nice Smooch & Shamrock & Sizzle. I also brought home a Trotter buddy today.  Thanks to the question Ms. Janie asked me about the tush tags on the buddies, I rechecked the new beanies I got & found the familiar Shell 100% Tylon listed on Smooch & Shamrock, but Sizzle & Trotter had Shell 100% Tyhair. View Images: Clich Here to see the Ty Tylon v Ty Tyhair Tags: Click Here to see the new Buddies: Once again a Big thank you to Marilyn.

ALTERED TY SIGNED CLUBBY IV's
From: Ms. Janie
There appears to be many altered Ty signed Clubby 4's with the cracked and damaged buttons. Someone is trying to claim the button is damaged and copying Ty's signature. Ty only signed the inside of the Clubby 4 button. So if anyone is buying or selling a damaged ty signed Clubby 4 button it is very suspicious and should not be purchased and or sold! This is an altered Ty Beanie Baby and is not authentic. This is important and everyone should be very careful and BUYER BEWARE! The button should not be cracked or damaged in any way! Thank you. Sincerely, Peggy Gallagher

==January 8, 2002==
First Assembly of God of Somerset Kentucky toy drive was a smashing success for Christmas 2001
"Hi Lisa
As promised I now have up the web page thanking all those who helped with the toy drive for our church. Whether it was by putting our donation request in your news letter or by others donating toy and Bibles. Everyone I hope is mentioned. We did have a bit of trouble and lost some of our saved mail, so if anyone of you that see this and you put our donation request in your newsletter and your name isn't mentioned please notify me and I will get your name up right away. Thanks, and here is the web address".. Julia
http://ourworld.cs.com/ladyknightbeat/toydrive.html

TY-SIGNED ZODIAC RAFFLE
So you want to know the totals of yesterdays BONUS question regarding the choice of 5 Ty-Signed Zodiac Beanies. I bet you'd also like to know why I asked. ;o) The results:
GOAT (9) ~ OX (13) ~ ROOSTER (19) ~ MONKEY (26) ~ HORSE (41)

Paper Place windows brighten downtown
From: BeaneWonderland
For Paper Place owner Sandra Goddard, changing window displays pleases her as much as it does the customers. Goddard said she taught herself how to sew and said the skills are similar in decorating. Goddard said some manufacturers examine the appearance of a store before agreeing to let the store handle their merchandise. Goddard said she has always won approval during these inspections. She said that Ty Company, maker of Beanie Babies, inspected the store before stocking it, as did Roman, Inc., maker of Seraphim Angels. Full Article:

Family celebrates return of 12-year-old 
From: Ms. Janie
A 12-year-old Minneapolis girl came home to an anxious and relieved family, Christmas presents and a swarm of media Sunday, a month after a cross-country journey to Tennessee with a 24-year-old neighbor whom police say abducted her. Raymundo Barrios Roblero, who lived one floor above the family in a South Minneapolis apartment building, was arrested Saturday. An extradition hearing is scheduled for later this week. On Saturday, federal, state and local authorities tracked the girl, Johania Funes, to a Jackson, Tenn., apartment where she and Roblero reportedly had been staying in the weeks after the two left the Twin Cities. Roblero was arrested at a friend's home in Kentucky. Fifteen balloons floated across the living room. On the dining room table were Johania's Christmas gifts, two white frosted cakes and a vase with seven roses, which Escobar brought home from her job as a flower arranger at Bachman's. All were addressed to "Meli," her family's nickname for her. She unwrapped a small Beanie Baby Dalmatian and smiled when she read that its name was "Rescue." According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center, there were 876,213 missing-persons cases reported to police nationwide in 2000, with 85 percent to 90 percent of them juveniles. Authorities point out that the vast majority of these cases are resolved within hours. http://www.pioneerplanet.com/news/mtc_docs/222516.htm

Ty's Winter Show Schedule
http://www.msjanie.com/temp/ty_winter_schedule.html

==January 7, 2002==
.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRANDON!!.. 
My little guy turns 3 today. Where did the time go to?! :o) 

NEW BEANIES 2002
Cathy shares pictures of the New Beanies. Beautiful pictures.

Philadelphia show report - 
From: Ms. Janie
http://www.msjanie.com/temp/2002_phil_show.html

Another Philadelphia show report
Good Evening! This Sunday, Collectiblez reader, Linda, attended the Philadelphia Gift Show where Ty has a booth on display that Linda reports was eight vendor booths long! Thank you Linda for sharing your story with us and the surprising news of hearing that the two issues of Mary Beth's Beanies & More that were for display purposes were stolen at the show! http://www.geocities.com/collectiblezinfo/News/PhilaShow.html Source - http://www.collectiblez.net

Signed and numbered RARE Casino Beanie on e-bay - 
From: Ms. Janie
Bid without worry, authenticated by Ty, Inc. endorsed Peggy Gallagher. Info about Peggy Gallagher and her authentication service is also found on eBay's web site in the toy section. This is an extremely RARE numbered bear. There were only 588 bears made. These have all been numbered and signed by the big guy himself. TY! These bears were a gift at the December 9th, 2001, open house reception dinner for members only of The Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club located at The Santa Barbara Biltmore Hotel. This Bear is absolutely pristine perfect mint with mint tags, museum quality. This bear is for the sophisticated collector. It is signed by Ty and is number 275/588. The serial number is 4T139DDD. Photo colors can have variation. The actual bear is coral colored and has a teal ribbon and embroidered on the right chest is Coral Casino in a script font. This is extremely rare and cherished by any collector as well as the recipients at the 12-9-01 event. Beanie shipped in sealed acrylic bonded case with certificate of authenticity and will be shipped via UPS insured directly from Peggy Gallagher. Buyer pays shipping of 10.00 within the US, Canada 16.00 and outside the US and Canada shipping is 30.00. Good Luck! Thanks for looking! http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1687030655

New Tags
From: BeaneWonderland
Marilyn was also kind enough to give us the following report on which of her beanies had the new style hang and tush tags together with a close up of the tags themselves: 

February -  new tush
Romance -  old tush, old tag
Eggs II  -  new tush, new tag
Clover  -  old tag, old tush
Kissme  -  old tag, old tush
Chickie  -  new tag, new tush
Cottonball  -  new tag, new tush
Carrots  -  new tag, new tush
Spring  -  new tag, new tush

Please Click Here to view the new tush and hang tags:

Jackie Robertson has seen a lot of pain. 
By Meg Ryan
From: BeaneWonderland
"I see a lot of kids with a lot of problems, getting into trouble," she said. "Once you start talking to them, they're almost always grieving over something." Grieving a loss doesn't just mean the death of a loved one. It comes with divorce, illness, injury, foster home placement, abuse. Left unacknowledged or not properly dealt with, Robertson noticed, that grieving can lead to high-risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, risky sexual behavior, acting out, and poor school performance. 

She decided she had to do something to let these young people know that they're not alone. Late last year, "lying in bed," she said, she got the idea to make gift baskets. "We give gift baskets to people for all kinds of things," she said. "Why not this?"

Each basket has one mandatory item: a stuffed animal. Kindergartener or high school senior, boy or girl, each gets one. "To have something to hold onto," said Robertson. One individual even donated 150 Beanie Babies to the project. Full Article:

Bean Watcher
The rare Coral Casino Beanie Baby was given to members of the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club on December 9, 2001.  This bear is as rare as bears in the Billionaire Beanie Baby series.  One is currently up for bidding on eBay.  How does the Coral Casino beanie compare with each version of the Billionaire bears series?  How many Coral Casino Beanie Babys were issued? Why does the Bean Watcher think that the bear up for auction will close in the hundereds of dollars (US)?   View HERE

NEW BEANIES & BUDDIES IN WISCONSIN
Carol writes:
"Got all nine beanies yesterday and the buddies I wanted except Smooch." Carol of Greenfield, Wi

==January 6, 2002==
SITE UPDATES
I've added the newest Buddies to the Buddy Info pages. You will also notice that I've redone these pages for faster loading. There are now 4 pages instead of 2. Buddies

ASK TY 
QUESTION: Will you ever make a Beanie that looks like you? (submitted by cats/dogs) 
ANSWER: The rumor around the office is that Tumbles the Beanie Kid looks very much like me when I was 4. Maybe that's why we share the same birthday. http://www.ty.com/askty/askty.cfm

AMAZING ATTIC NEWS
From: Ms. Janie
A special thanks to Marilyn for once again sharing some wonderful photos of Ty's New Attic's. Andree has shed some light on the connection of these three pieces. You won't believe it! My readers are SO smart. Way to go Andree ! You are one smart cookie! http://www.msjanie.com/temp/jan_2002_attics.html

TY'S NEW TUSH TAG
From: Ms. Janie
Visit the following link to view a photo of Ty's new tush. http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/2002_tush.html

FOLKS HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS!!!!! 
There are two versions of Romance! 
From: Ms. Janie
Hi Ms. Janie I was reading my SmartCollecting newsletter last night and notice that someone had pictures of the new Romance and Kissme bears. The bears looked different than the ones on Ty's website. Well, I looked at my bears that I just purchased at a Ty retailer and my Kissme looks like the Kissme that someone else got at a Ty retailer but my Romance looks more like the one on Ty's site. At least the ribbon does. Romance fur is pink with white tips. I thought maybe you would like a copy of the picture of these two bears also. Thanks for a wonderful site and a wonderful newsletter!!! Cathy Iowa http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/Romance_kissme.html

Tomorrow's Antiques? 
From: BeaneWonderland
Among collectibles, there are: 1. Artistic and historical treasures less than 100 years old, like Tiffany lamps. 2. Mass-produced items without artistic merit that are chased by purchasers in the market, like Beanie Babies and baseball cards. 3. Items that gain value from their associations, like the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang Happy Birthday to JFK. Full Article:

New 2002 Hang Tag !
From: Doodle's Page
The new January 2002 Beanie Babies™ are now sporting a new hang tag! (Well, some of them are.) Take a look! Click here to view - January 2002 Beanie Baby™ Hang tag

==January 5, 2002==
..SITE UPDATES..
Beanie Kids Checklist
Complete Attic Checklist
January 2002 News Archives
December 2001 News Archives
Complete Beanie Baby Checklist
The Complete Beanie Buddie Checklist

January 2002 Contest is now posted. Please read the contest page for the rules and how to enter.

I will add the new Beanies & Buddies to their info pages later today... hopefully when I'm feeling better. :o)

Many have written about the confusion on the MBNA Points. Ty kindly replies 
From: Ms. Janie
http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/grins/msg481797.html 
TY RESPONSE 
Your Friends at Ty (11:57 am. Jan 04, 2002 ) 
Message Id: 481797 
Your Friends at Ty writes: 
We have contacted MBNA and were informed that due to a technical issue, some customers experienced automatic redemption of their Ty Rewards Points, or received statements with incorrect Ty Reward Points totals. 

MBNA has corrected these accounts as of January 3, 2002. 

If you have any questions or concerns about your "TY Rewards Points", please call MBNA customer service at 1-800-421-2110 any time day or night. You can also obtain accurate points totals by viewing your account online at www.mbnanetaccess.com 

Thank you for your patience.

BEANIE LUCK IN WISCONSIN
HJ shares the following:
"Hello and Happy Friday!!! After work today, I had just a wee bit of Beanie luck at a local Hallmark store. They had all nine new Beanies, all the Buddies except Shamrock & XLG Shamrock, Smooch, Trotter, and of course, Pierre. They had also gotten every new-style Baby Ty (including the two brand-new bunnies and the brand-new frog), as well as the three new Valentine's Attic Treasure bears (don't recall if I saw the Attic bunnies). I also noticed Slush the Classic husky dog and Thomas the Classic snow leopard(?). The sales clerk said that altogether, they got 17 boxes of Ty stuff today! As a side note, I picked up the new Mary Beth's mag ($5.00) at a different local Hallmark store just yesterday, the same day Ty announced its introduction. My NEWSFLASH, however is this...the new non-bear Beanies (Carrots, Cottonball, Spring and Chickie) sport both NEW HANG TAGS and NEW TUSH TAGS (ooops, include Eggs II in that list too). The new hang tags have 5 varying sizes of small holographic stars above the words "Beanie Babies" (two lines) in the same type print as the 9th gen hang tag, although the letters are a bit skewed. The new tush tags are more reminiscent of the 9th gen tush tag, but rather than the big Ty heart emblem in the center of the tush tag, there is a smaller Ty heart emblem behind which is a classic-style Ty bear complete with hang tag (or, if my eyes deceive me, then its a disproportionally large ear)! The new February Birthday Beanie has the same hang tag as the rest of the Birthday Beanies, but it DOES have the new 11th gen tush tag. I really with I could share the images with you, but I only have access to a scanner at work and guess what?, I don't work weekends (YIPPEE!!), so I cannot provide you with pics. I'm sure that any second now, someone else will be able to send you pics of what I'm trying to describe. Please be assured that this is no rumor as I have written often in the past with hot (authentic) breaking news! That's all for now folks. Everyone have a great weekend and happy hunting." Heidi Jo (aka HJ) :-) Madison, WI

NICOLE'S SIGNED ZODIAC PAGE
Dear Lisa,
I was hoping you would do me a favor.
I have put together a web site showing pictures of all the Ty signed Zodiac I still have left, and a page to kind of talk about me and how I came to be the proud owner of them. Yes, they are for sale, and it's mentioned freely on the site, but I was also trying to put lots of pictures on so people can just stop by and look at them. I am still working on changing thinks around, and would love for you to stop by, take a look and just give me your input on what you think. Maybe you have any ideas of what to change, what to add and so on.
If you like what you see, feel free to mention it on your site - LOL.
Thanks for looking, and for any input you can give me.
Nicole Moran
www.geocities.com/tysigned

==January 4, 2002==
YEA!! I'm finally able to update the site again. :o) Thanks to Tony at Netdor for staying at work late to get the problem fixed so I wouldn't be without the ability to update for another weekend. 

Jackson catches on after slow start
From: Ms. Janie
As promotions go, it's not the most original idea. The Beanie Bear craze is so last year, but never mind that. Consider whom the Seahawks' marketing department nabbed to promote the Sunday giveaway at Husky Stadium. The No. 82 jersey wrapped around the lovable, cuddly bear belongs to Darrell Jackson, who might otherwise go unnoticed among a collection of offensive players with no identifiable star. So anonymous is the soft-spoken receiver that a few fans may wonder if they've received a Beanie Bear wearing Jackson's jersey or one belonging to Paul Skansi, the popular receiver who played with the Seahawks nearly a decade ago. "I'm not a guy that really needs the hype or the recognition," Jackson said. "Some guys just get that and it comes their way. For me, that's never really been the case." The timing of it all may be perfect for the young receiver, who had the finest game of his two-year career last week when he caught five passes for 114 yards, including touchdown receptions of 43 and 48 yards. Jackson, 23, also became only the fourth Seahawks player to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season, joining Steve Largent, Brian Blades and Joey Galloway.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/134386309_hawk03.html

PHOTOS OF NEW RELEASES
From: Ms. Janie
A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO Eugene and Jasmine for sharing the following photos of Ty's new releases http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/Eugene_Jasmine.html

==January 3, 2002==
Quiet Retirements
From: BeaneWonderland
Bill our retailer friend from the USA reports that the following Classic and Baby Ty have been retired on the retailers web page: Hippobaby, Moocowbaby, Pearl Blossom, Sugar, Mystery, Prissy, Shadow, Stretch, Allioop, Rags, Penny, Butterbeary, Lilacbeary, Taffybeary and Bamboo.

Newbies Hit Singapore
From: Beanieholics
Beanie Mom has posted a note stating that the new 2002 Beanie Babies have arrived in Singapore. She is hoping to have pictures soon. Can't wait to see them. http://www.beaniemom.com

==January 2, 2002==
TY RETIRES BOPPERS
Kooky Kandy, Jolly Janie, & Holiday Heidi
http://retirements.ty.com/Jan_BBopRet_Landing

SPECKLES RETIRES (finally!!)
http://retirement.ty.com/retired_product

==January 1, 2002==
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May 2002 be prosperous, healthy, and kind to you all.

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ~ RETIREMENTS (just what I expected)
11 Beanies, 9 Buddies, 14 Attic Teasures

BEANIE BABIES
Ariel, Dinky, Jester, Buzzie, Issy, Jinglepup, Mistletoe, September Birthday, October Birthday, November Birthday and December Birthday. http://retirements.ty.com/Jan_BBRet_Landing

BEANIE BUDDIES
Rainbow, Employee Bear, Roam, Batty, Coral, Swoop, B.B. Bear, Loosy and Snowball.
http://retirements.ty.com/Jan_BBDRet_Landing

ATTIC TREASURES
Darlene, Alfalfa, Hogan, Minerva, Basil, Cassandra, Emmet, Olivia, Babette, Carey, Kaiser, Carver, Sophia and Weatherby.
http://retirements.ty.com/Jan_ATRet_Landing

WHAT A SPECIAL BEAR!
From: Ms. Janie
As a member of the Coral Casino I was so excited to receive the limited
edition Coral Casino Bear at our holiday party on December 9! As you can see by the pictures, the bear is a beautiful coral color and has the
Coral Casino logo embroidered on its chest in teal. I think it's one of
the prettiest bears ever made by Ty. It was such a wonderful addition to
our evening at the party! It has also been reported that this bear will
be limited to 588 pieces with each one signed and numbered.

POEM
Kissed by the sun
caressed by the sea
Rich with beauty & memories
Forever you'll always
mean so much to me

http://www.msjanie.com/typhotos/casino.html

JINGLE BEANIES RETIRE
http://retirements.ty.com/Jan_JB_Ret

BEANIE KIDS (Baby 2002 & Noelle) RETIRE
http://retirements.ty.com/Jan_BK_Ret