January 31, 2006
LAST DAY OF JANUARY
It's hard to believe that 2006 is already 1/12th of the way over. Let's hope that Ty has some new and INTERESTING items coming our way soon. This is, after all, the 20th anniversary of Ty.com.

FEBRUARY INTRODUCTIONS
http://www.ty.com/Feb06_Intro
BEANIE BABIES: Allegro, Arabesque, Bloomfield, Blue, Deke (Canada Exclusive), Lollipup, Magenta, Periwinkle, Pique, Scrum (UK Exclusive), Tour Teddy

BEANIE BUDDIES: Charming, Corkie

PINKYS: Gemma, Hug Me!, Love Me!, Purrrse, Scribbly, Squeeze Me!, Sugarcat

PLUFFIES: Chomps, Gallops, Growlers

TY CLASSIC: Baby George (Back by popular demand!), Fiddle, Grizzles, Snowfort

BABY TY: Pretty Pony (blue), Pretty Pony (pink)

Take your chances, says eBay
Hovering cautiously near the dressing room, she scopes out the area. The sale rack is in plain sight, and there they are: those designer jeans she's coveted for months, reduced by 50 percent.

As she makes her way across the room, she senses trouble: another female, hands outstretched, heading toward the same pair of jeans.

Any industrious bargain shopper knows that at least half the joy in finding a good deal is in the actual finding.

In fact, many an afternoon I have found myself back at home, surrounded by shopping bags filled with things that I don't need and would have never bought at full price, but just had to have because of the sparkling 75 percent off tags.

There's that, and then there's the world of online shopping.

I must admit that even I have been suckered into participating in online shopping and eBay auctions.

During my Beanie-Baby phase, I was an avid price war participant, though I rarely won a bid.

And after Beanie Babies, I even used eBay to obtain the occasional iPod accessory.

eBay has some bargains available for those who are willing to get carpal tunnel syndrome by spending multiple hours scrolling and clicking. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

INTERESTING POST
Stores losing interest in beanies?
holidayteddy2002   (Jan 30, 2006, 08:47 AM)
Message Id: 1080768
holidayteddy2002 writes: I was kinda surprised when I went shopping for beanie the other day, to see that the store owner had put all their Ty beanies waaaaaaaaaay in the back of the store. I had to ask just to find them! And the owner isn't buying 12 or more at one time anymore. Just six.

Seems like this is happening more and more. Are beanies selling slowly? Is there declining interest? VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

January 30, 2006
INTERESTING POSTS
Ty, Inc made toys - We The People made it a collectible
Lena At Lake2   (Jan 29, 2006, 10:07 AM)
Message Id: 1080545
Lena At Lake2 writes: Then a segment of the collectors discovered Attic Treasures. I know that in life, things change. Companies have to look at their bottom line and make choices. I ran a gift store. I saw the long lines for Beanie Babies and Buddies. Classics were always steady. Attics were overlooked because not enough 'noise' was made by the Attic collector. I watched customers pick up an Attic and love it to pieces - until they couldn't find it on their Beanie checklist. Over and over again, I heard comments like: 'This is wonderful, but I ONLY want Beanies'.

Well,Ty... That was then. This is now. I can buy a jointed bear with someone elses hang tag. It just isn't the same. Many Beanie collectors have moved on. Not only do they no longer buy Beanies, they don't buy any plush. Many Attic collectors are still here - with nothing new to collect.

TYming can be everything.. It's TYme, Mr. Warner. Give Attics a chance. Lena VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

-------------------------------------

DT pls - February Releases
riojake   (Jan 28, 2006, 11:58 AM)
Message Id: 1080267
riojake writes: Spongebob, Garfield, Backyardigans and now Blues Clues! What ever happened to the adorable critters that made Ty what he is today? Another purse? Yikes!! I'll be saving lots of $'s again this month for sure. Down to only one or two a month now, if that. What do you all think? VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

-------------------------------------

Fer the Peeps What Want Only A Few Special Attics
Truthsayer....   (Jan 27, 2006, 01:18 PM)
Message Id: 1080101
Truthsayer.... writes: It sounds like a good idea but it don't sound too cost effective fer the company.How much would it cost Ty to produce only a few and have to re-set the sewers and all that's involved?

What would you expect to pay?Would you still expect them to be around $5?

How much would you be willing to spend fer yer couple of special Attic Treasures?

The same kinda goes fer cuttin back on production of beanies.Mass production is the name of the game and its up to the retailers to order what they think the market can bear.Ty's gonna make lots as long as they's being ordered. VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

YOUR THOUGHTS
For those of you that have viewed photos of the February releases... what are your thoughts? 

Dotti writes: "As for the February releases, I like Bloomfield, Lollipop and Tour Teddy, so that's all I'll be buying. I, too, am running out of room and have discovered that a large percentage of my collection is not worth much of anything. These beanies are worth less than what I originally paid for them. It's very disheartening. And it's hard to keep up with the BBOM, the Ty Store beanies, the international beanies, etc., etc. I'm doing some very serious thinking about this whole thing. Dotti"

January 29, 2006
YOUR THOUGHTS
For those of you that have viewed photos of the February releases... what are your thoughts?

<< my comments: I'm not too impressed with this batch. My son Brandon who used to love Blue's Clues took one look at Blue and said "that doesn't look much like Blue". Take a look at that nose!! Both my boys think that the nose on Blue and Magenta look like a pig mushroom.. it's way overdone. LOL The eyes on Blue & Magenta are farther apart than the original characters. Periwinkle is cute enough. What's up with the ballerina outfits?! Pirouette was cute but Prima and now these new ones.. too much! And another purse! Are you going to buy this one? I'd say the best of the bunch is Tour Teddy.. but didn't we just have this style bear not too long ago? Here's hoping for some exciting products in the near future. Many collectors will enjoy saving money this month because the pickins are slim! One has to wonder why Ty keeps coming out with cartoon characters. Isn't the market already saturated with many variations of these characters? Albeit that these Ty Beanie Babies are less expensive compared to many of the other licensed items. I noticed that some people are upset at Cindy's Beans for posting the photos of new releases early. If you don't want to view them then don't. Nobody is forcing collectors to take a peek. Many people find it helpful in planning their Beanie budgets for the upcoming month. And remember.. if Cindy's Beans wasn't the first to come up with the photos.. someone else would be. If you'd like to share your comments please send to Lisa@planetbeans.com. >>

===Charlie writes: "I AGREE, I WILL SAVE MONEY THIS MONTH. TOUR IS THE ONLY ONE I WILL BE GETTING, UNLESS THEY LOOK BETTER IN THE FUR. LOL  I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SPONGEBOB, GARFIELD, BLUES, AND THE BALLERINA'S.  JUST TO MANY REPEATS, WITH DIFFERENT NAMES.  IF TY WOULD CUT BACK ON NEW RELEASES AND MAKE SOME DIFFERENT ANIMALS, BUGS, BIRDS,ETC MAYBE ONE BEAR A MONTH. PEOPLE ARE REALLY RUNNING OUT OF ROOM AND MONEY. I HAVE QUIT GETTING MOST OF THE BUDDIES DUE TO SPACE. I WOULD HATE TO HAVE TO DO THE SAME WITH BEANIES.

I THINK THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF COLLECTORS OUT THERE BUT AS I SAID MONEY AND SPACE IS A BIG PROBLEM. MAYBE FINISH OUT THE STATE BEARS SO PEOPLE DON'T FEEL LEFT OUT. BUT PLEASE NO MORE BIG SETS OR EVEN MEDIUM SETS. JMHO CHARLIE"

===Michael writes: "Hi Lisa, I just thought I would comment on the Blue's Clue's Beanie Babies. Anyway to me this Blue reminds me of the new part of the Blue's Clues show known as Blue's Room where the character Blue and the others are Puppets. To learn more about this new part of the show (and i think Blue's Room might even be a new show starring Blue) click the link below. http://kidstvmovies.about.com/b/a/219560.htm  Michael

Hi, I quite agree about the eyes. But the nose looks similair to the show spin-off of Blue's Clue's called Blue's Room which has the character of Blue portrayed by a Puppet and in this version of the Blue in the show Blue's Room.. Blue Talks... not just the familiar little bark but now blue actually speaks english."

===Nadine writes: "LISA..... I AM SURE GOING TO SAVE A BUNDLE THIS MONTH....I HATE ALL OF THEM EXCEPT "TOUR" AND THAT IS ABOUT THE ONLY ONE THAT I WILL ADD TO MY COLLECTION. LAST MONTH WAS THE SAME WAY, I ONLY ADDED ONE BEAR, THE OTHERS WERE TERRIBLE.  I ALSO NOTICE THAT ICEPACK FROM TY STORE HAD NO BEANS AT ALL JUST STUFFING - IF TY IS GOING TO CALL THEM BEANIE BABIES THEN PUT SOME BEANS IN THEM.  HE IS PUTTING LESS AND LESS, WE ALL KNOW BECAUSE OF THE POSTAGE CHANGES. THANKS FOR LETTING US VENT... NADINE"

===Becky writes: "I may buy Periwinkle for a granddaughter ...I want to see it in person first to decide . The little basket beanies that are out are adorable ..I will buy some of them . That's about it for now though Lisa . Hugs Becky"

January 28, 2006
FEBRUARY RELEASES
Cindy from Cindy's Beans shares a listing of the new releases.
BEANIE BABIES
Tour Teddy
Bloomfield
Pique
Allegro
Arabesque
Lolipup
Blue's Clues Beanies (Blue, Periwinkle, Magenta)

Canadian Exclusive - Deek - National Hockey League Bear - to be announced on Monday
UK Exclusive for Rugby not sure of the name it is a bear

BUDDIES
Charming
Corkie

BABY TY
Pretty Pony pink
Pretty Pony blue

PLUFFIES
Growlers
Chomps
Gallops

TY CLASSICS
Fiddle
Grizzle
Snowfort
Baby George
Sugar Cat Pinky Classic
Scribbly Pinky Classic

PINKYS
Gemma
Hug Me
Squeeze Me
Love Me
Pinky Purrrse

Visit Cindy's Beans for the photos: http://www.cindysbeans.com

January 27, 2006
Capitol Notes: Drop-outs, groundhogs, budgets and blackberries
DROPPING OUT
The list of incumbent members of the state House and Senate who have decided not to seek re-election this year keeps growing.

It now stands at 20, including three senators and 17 House members, most of them from central and eastern Pennsylvania.

Two from Western Pennsylvania who are packing it in are Reps. Victor Lescovitz, D-Washington County, and James Shaner, D-Fayette County.

"This past year has been a rough year'' for legislators, House Republican leader Sam Smith of Punxsutawney said this week.

CHRISTMAS ISN'T THE ONLY COMMERCIALIZED HOLIDAY
Now there's a market for Groundhog Day gifts, too.

You can buy everything from Punxsutawney Phil baby rattles to Beanie Baby groundhogs.

The Web site www.groundhogstuff.com offers golf-club covers for $16, souvenir megaphones for $1.95 and "Phil Paws" -- furry brown gloves -- for $14.95.

The site sold out of Punxsatawney neckties, but you can still buy groundhog stadium blankets, cookie cutters, coasters, kitchen towels and recipe cards.

And don't forget the sachet bag. For two bucks, it's a steal. We just hope it doesn't smell like groundhog. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

NEW TY TRADEMARK
Sly shares the following information with Ms. Janie: On January 18,2006 Ty Inc applied to register a New Trademark on Bow Wow Beanies

Ty listed the following as the goods and services: Dog toys; Pet toys; Plush toys; Soft sculpture plush toys; Soft sculpture toys; Stuffed toys

RETIREMENT
British Columbia Pacific Dogwood, Fluff, Happy New Year, Tunnels, Kiss-Kiss, Hug-Hug, Quebec Iris Versicolor, Shooting Star (white)
http://www.ty.com/j06_BB1

SILENT RETIREMENTS
Michael shares the following: "Hi Lisa, I was reading on the Ty Talk cyberboard that there have been some Silent Retirements of some Ty Classics. They are:

Mr. Flurries -- Ty Classic Snowman 
Presents -- Ty Classic Christmas themed Dog
Tyler -- Bonton/Elderbeerman Exclusive Ty Classic Dog.

Michael"

HALLMARK BUNNY TRIO QUESTION
Dotti writes: "With regard to the Hallmark Exclusive bunnies (Hippily, Hoppily and Happily), has anyone actually seen any of them with the eggs on the right foot? I am not having success in finding any. Thanks so much. Dotti"

January 26, 2006
U.S. troops thank Parker Farms students
WALLINGFORD — Sgt. 1st Class Mark Hennessey and Sgt. Christian Vargas, both of the 65th Military Police Company’s airborne division, visited Parker Farms School Wednesday to tell students about the distribution of Beanie Babies the school collected for Iraqi children.

“They don’t have toys like that over there,” Mark Hennessey told the students during a school assembly. “The kids were really excited.”

The school collected 2,200 of the stuffed toys during its “Beanie Babies Rock Iraq” project, which ended last June.

Eight photos of the soldiers giving the Beanie Babies to children were hung on a wall in a Parker Farms’ hallway. Children are pictured clustering around Hennessey, clutching their new brightly-colored toys.

While both soldiers make their home in Fort Bragg, N.C., Hennessey is originally from Wallingford, and Vargas is originally from Meriden. The pair came to the United States from Iraq about a week ago on military leave. They will return to Iraq at the end of the month.

“If the world used the six pillars of character, we wouldn’t have to send soldiers to Iraq,” Principal Patricia Crowley said to her students during an assembly.

The six pillars are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, citizenship and caring, and they are taught to students as part of the Character Counts initiative.

Hennessey, son of Board of Education Chairman Thomas Hennessey, and Vargas visited a few classrooms to thank students for their generosity and answer any questions before addressing the entire student body at the assembly.

Every little bit helps these children, and the donation of the Beanie Babies made them happy, Vargas said. The children in Iraq have little, he said. Some schools are made of mud, and students are lucky if they have paper to write on, Vargas said. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

HUGSTON TY CLASSIC INTRODUCED
http://www.ty.com/Hugston

ASK TY
Q: Are you a morning person or a night owl? (submitted by beanykid)
A: I'm up pretty early in the morning and most nights I am up late . . . I guess you could say I'm a cross between a rooster and a night owl ! http://www.ty.com/askty_home

January 25, 2006
PHOTOS OF HUGSTON THE TY CLASSIC
Michael writes: "Hi Lisa, Attatched to this email are 4 pictures of Hugston the Ty Classic American Greetings Exclusive Dog which has yet to be offically or silently Introduced on the Ty Site. Feel free to share these pictures on your site. Michael" http://www.planetbeans.com/MichaelsPictures.htm

NEWS FROM SUE OWEN
http://www.planetbeans.com/SuesCharityAuctions.htm

January 24, 2006
Stuffed tiger sent by Cub Scouts eventually comes home
A LOT HAS CHANGED, since "Paws" left America in 1998.

His collar was white and his orange shirt had that fresh laundered look.

Today the white is a dingy grey and his shirt looks like it was worn by a running back who hit the dirt more than once.

But he is the same stuffed tiger.

"He left a Cub Scout, he came back a Boy Scout," said Joe Yeager, Scoutmaster of Troop 197, Lake of the Woods.

Back in 1998, the Tiger Cubs Pack 197 were talking geography. Beanie Babies were front-page news. And the Internet had taken off.

These three factors created the conditions that led the Lake of the Woods pack to send a Ty Beanie Baby on a seven-year journey around the world.

The stuffed animal visited Antarctica, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom before its return in December. While away, he remained in the care of troops that agreed to host him. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

INTRODUCING YOKOHAMA & MELBOURNE
http://www.ty.com/MelbourneYokoIntro

January 23, 2006
INTERESTING POST
If you would like some hints of things to come, take a peek at this post and replies.

Hello My Old Friends - Let's all have some FUN
The Butler Has Returned   (Jan 21, 2006, 05:23 PM)
Message Id: 1078566
The Butler Has Returned writes:
Let's all have some fun there are secrets to share-
It's been a long time - I'm back from the fair.
I've been down the hall ...
Tys getting more daring.
What fun things I've seen ...
more colors ...
and sheen.
Old friends will be back -
Old faces and new -
What styles ! - what patterns !- just for you.
get ready for stuff -
Ty won't get too too mad....
It's just been so long ...I've just got to blab ....
I'll let you in later - I've got to unpack.
But, friends don't you worry - The Butler is Back. VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

CHERISH NEWS
http://www.planetbeans.com/SuesCharityAuctions.htm

Actor Discusses Support for Troops, Iraqi Children

When not appearing on the CBS show "CSI: New York" as Detective Mac Taylor, actor Gary Sinise devotes much of his time to raising support for U. S. troops.

Sinise, who is planning his third trip to Iraq with the United Service Organizations, appeared on ABC's "This Week" today to talk about his new venture to help the children who have felt the effects of the war in Iraq.

On his last trip to Iraq, Sinise accompanied a U. S. military unit that remodeled an Iraqi school. He watched the troops transform what had been a cinder-block, dirt-floor structure into a building with concrete floors, windows and fans, he said.

"It was not much, but to these kids and those Iraqis who had been living there with this school, it seemed like a brand new place," he said.

Sinise said seeing the school being remodeled and witnessing the gratitude of the Iraqi children at the school and when he rode with troops on convoys motivated him to come home and found the program, Operation Iraqi Children.

Operation Iraqi Children provides a way for Americans to send school supply kits to Iraqi children. Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand founded the program in March 2004.

"It's a way for you to support the children by sending pencils, beanie babies or soccer balls," Sinise said. "That all started because of one of those convoys I was on. "

Sinise said his experience playing Lt. Dan, an injured Vietnam veteran, in the movie, "Forrest Gump," helped him identify with the troops he met with in Iraq. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

Counting all the Beanie Babies
Vernon Moore, the co-owner of Bennett’s educational materials and toys, still shakes his head when he recalls the frenzy created during the public’s anticipation of Beanie Babies.

“The line went out the door and down the sidewalk,” said Moore, holding up a cuddly critter from a well-stocked shelf in the Magnolia Center store. “Many things have changed while others have stayed the same since Sally brought me on board.”

Sally Bennett, the other owner of Bennett’s along with founding spouse Harvey Bennett, is now mostly visible in black-and-white framed photos in the busy office.

“Sally pops in, but is pretty much out of the store day-to-day,” Moore said. “Bennett’s was strictly school supplies in the beginning. I had a background in children’s books. Harvey and Sally ran the store. I was one of their managers. Then Harvey was retiring and Sally gave me an opportunity.” VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

January 21, 2006
I LOVE MELBOURNE
Barbara writes: "Hi Lisa, Just thought I'd share some news with you and your readers. This morning I was checking Cindy's Beans Website and noticed a new bear on pre-sale "I Love Melbourne" I don't know if this has been mentioned before but I thought I'd let you know. Have a nice weekend. Barbara in Illinois" http://www.cindysbeans.com/

January 20, 2006
M.C. BEANIE BUDDY INTRODUCED
Michael shares the following: "Hi Lisa, I was just looking at the home page of www.ty.com and noticed that Ty has officially introduced the M.C. Beanie the Beanie Buddy bear. Below is a link to the intro: http://www.ty.com/MC-Buddy-V Michael"

AMERICAN GREETINGS/CARLTON CARDS EXCLUSIVE CLASSIC
Michael shares the following: "Hi Lisa, I was just reading a post on the Ty Talk Cyberboard that someone spotted a new American Greetings/ Carlton Cards Exclusive Ty Classic Valentine's Day themed Dog. The person on the post could not recall it name but a description that it was a brown dog with a Valentine's ribbon around his neck. Now that post inspired me to call the closest American Greetings near me in  Fairview Heights IL to ask about info. What they told me I didnt expect... They had a dog that was an American Greetings Exclusive Dog that was brown and had a Red Valentine's day Ribbon around it.  They also said it name is Hugston (not sure if that's how it is spelled) and  I will be picking him up either tomorrow or on Sunday. Michael" http://www.ty.com/tytalk_Message_Display/1,1581,1_19-1078335-0-1,00.html

ASK TY
Q: Who is your favorite Beanie and why? (submitted by mairi)
A: My favorite Beanie . . . that's a tough one. So many of them have special meaning for me that it's difficult to pick only one ! http://www.ty.com/askty_home

January 19, 2006
SHILOH THE FERRET - TY STORE WWF
http://www.ty.com/Shiloh_intro

<Thank you to Scott from Scott's Collection for alerting me to this announcement!>

January 18, 2006
ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT NEWS
I was hoping to have something worthy of sharing but I don't. :o) Enjoy your day!

BBOC TAG PROTECTORS
I never did receive a response to Susan's question about what type of tag protectors to use for the BBOC Beanies so I did some research myself. Puffkins tag protectors are the recommended tag protector for your BBOC Beanies.

January 17, 2006
HALLMARK BUNNY TRIO VARIATIONS?
Michael writes: "Hi Lisa, I think there could be a possible variation  on the Hallmark Bunny Trio. If you look at the picture of the bunny trio on www.cindysbeans.com and the picture of them on the official Ty Intro. You will see the picture on cindysbeans the egg on the bunnies foot is on the opposite foot than the one on the Ty Site. Michael"

January 16, 2006
ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT NEWS
I was hoping to have something worthy of sharing but I don't. :o) Enjoy your day!

January 15, 2006
Q & A: Secrets from the antiques mall
Trend experts tend to focus their beams on young hipsters in New York and L.A., but you can also do some trendspotting in, of all places, antiques malls in the Midwest. Beanie Babies? They’re still hot, or at least warm. Eight-track tapes? Some people dig ’em.

We chatted with Dorothy Varner of Independence, who has worked at Country Meadows Antique Mall for 13 years. Varner, 72, knows the mall like the back of her hand — and she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

Q. How’d you come to work here?

A. After my husband passed away, I wanted something to do. So I came here and opened a booth. And they asked me, “Would you like to work?” And I said, “I’d like to work a day or so a week.” Before I knew it I was working full time.

What sells the best here?

That’s a very hard question to answer. We have two Beanie Babies dealers. We have many Hot Wheels dealers. Beanie Babies and Hot Wheels are two of our biggest things in the collectibles.

I thought the Beanie Babies craze passed five years ago or more.

No. The dealers come in practically every day to check their stock. Right now, what people are interested in are the new ones that come out. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

Three Cheers closing its doors
MIDDLETOWN -- At the height of the Beanie Babies craze, the aisles of the Three Cheers Hallmark store filled with customers, elbowing each other out of the way as the newest shipment of playthings hit the shelves.

"We would get a shipment in the back door, and there would be 30 people waiting," remembers Dee Ferry, who worked in the Three Cheers stores for 19 years. "We had to tell them to move back until we stocked the shelf."

They even had to limit the number of precious toy animals each person took away from the store. "It was nuts," she said.

That was 1998. Since then, times have changed.

Facing competing business from online and big-box stores, co-owners Lennie Leibenhaut and Paul Marcouiller have decided to close the their Three Cheers stores. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

Punxsy Phil Beanie Baby sales underway
PUNXSUTAWNEY - So far, so good.

The opening day of sales for the limited-edition 2006 Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Baby seemed to go off without a hitch, as a line of hopeful buyers lined West Mahoning Street from the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce and down the street.

“Things were steady all day,” Janie Juliette-Lowry, manager of Phil's Souvenir Shop, said Wednesday night. “We have great volunteers; our girls really worked steady.”

The limited-edition Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Baby, which bears a red bowtie, is available only at Phil's Souvenir Shop.

The line that had formed before the 9 a.m. opening of the shop went through check-out “very quickly, but it was steady all day.

“There were small lines all day, clear until the end,” Juliette-Lowry said.

She said there are still red-tie Beanie Phils left, but noted that the number of toys is limited and could sell out soon. VIEW ARTICLE HERE

Return of the Beanie Babies
PUNXSUTAWNEY - The Groundhog Club's “Big Flake Maker” Mike Johnston says the fourth year of Ty's Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Babies has reached a special pinnacle.

“People are completing their collections and having fun with them, because they're cute,” as opposed to buying the plush toys just to make a few quick bucks selling them on their own, he said. “The market has matured to where it should be, in my opinion.”

Monday, Johnston and Janie Juliette-Lowry, manager of Phil's Souvenir Shop, unveiled the 2006 models of the Punx-sutawney Phil Beanie Babies.

The overwhelmingly popular plush toys officially go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Phil's Souvenir Shop, located at the Punx-sutawney Area Chamber of Commerce.

Each customer will be permitted to purchase 12 Beanies at a time. If he or she wants more, he or she must wait at the end of the line.

“We have to give everybody in line their chance to get their dozen,” Juliette-Lowry said, noting that even before the Monday unveiling, the shop had received numerous phone and e-mail inquiries about when the toys will be available.

Keeping up with a feature that began with the 2005 models, the rarity and availability stems upon the color of the bowties on the toys.

The limited-edition model - available at only Phil's Souvenir Shop - is again the red-tie model.

The silver-tied model is available exclusively at Ty.com, and the purple-tied model is available at Ty retailers.

Modifications on this year's model include a squatter look, a new kind and shade of fur and bands around the top hat that are the same color as the bowtie.

The most notable modification is the Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Baby is dressed in tuxedo coattails coming down the back.

“Basically, it's totally different,” Johnston said.

This year's models bring the total of Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Babies to 11 - two models introduced in 2002; three in 2004; three in 2005; and three this year.

Collectors' passion for having the toys was evident during their 2003 debut, when they sold out in less than an hour.

Aside from that, Johnston said, “The way they've been accepted has been just amazing.”

Johnston said the Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Babies have benefited the Chamber, the souvenir shop and the Groundhog Club.

In fact, Johnston said, the club's purchase of Gobbler's Knob a few years ago would not have been possible without the overwhelming success of the Beanie Baby campaign. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

January 14, 2006
‘Beanie Baby’ cancer hoaxter accused of theft from ill relative
Guess who’s in the news again?

Vicki Spivey, 37, on probation for faking a case of leukemia and stealing $12,000 donated for her treatment, was named January 6 in a criminal complaint for stealing money from an ill cousin. The complaint made by Ottis McDaniel, 54, of Macclenny, alleges Ms. Spivey overdrew the amount she was authorized to spend while staying with the complainant at his west city address for two weeks.

While Mr. McDaniel, who has liver cancer, was hospitalized he alleges Ms. Spivey failed to deposit another $173 into his account. She told him the money was taken from Mr. McDaniel’s Ford Explorer pickup during a burglary, a claim he disputes. He says both the window and door lock Ms. Spivey said were damaged in the alleged breakin have been broken since he bought the truck several years ago.

Ms. Spivey, a former case worker at Northeast Florida State Hospital, was sentenced in August, 2000 to six months in county jail and four and a half years on probation after pleading guilty to the cancer fraud.

Her own family turned her in to police the previous fall after becoming suspicious about her spending habits. It was soon discovered she faked her illness, and concocted a scheme to transfer foundation donations and other cash to a bogus clinic and bank account, then back to herself.

She spent a considerable amount of the funds purchasing collector dolls, earning her the name Beanie Baby Scammer. She tearfully pleaded guilty to the crime in early 2000. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

TAG PROTECTORS FOR BBOC BEANIES
Susan writes: "Lisa, I'm trying to find tag protectors for the BBOC beanies.  Do any of your readers know where I can find them??" If you can help Susan please email me at Lisa@planetbeans.com.

January 13, 2006
ASK TY
Q: What's your kind of humor, Saturday Night Live or MAD T.V. ? (submitted by the goddess aphrodite)
A: I don't believe I have ever seen MAD T.V. however; I do enjoy Saturday Night Live. Truthfully, out of all the programs I have watched recently I must say that SpongeBob makes me laugh the most and is entertaining ! http://www.ty.com/askty_home

INTRODUCING HALLMARK BUNNY TRIO
As expected the Hallmark Gold Crown bunny trio has been officially introduced.
Happily, Hippily, Hoppily http://www.ty.com/Hallmark_Intro

January 12, 2006
ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT NEWS
I was hoping to have something worthy of sharing but I don't. :o) Enjoy a gorgeous day!

January 11, 2006
INTERESTING POST
It is obvious who PHIL STORE prefers!
Bigsky   (Jan 10, 2006, 01:37 PM)
Message Id: 1075327
Bigsky writes: I was in the PHIL STORE and they told me they would rather dump all their stock to as many volume buyers as possible, rather then deal with customers one at a time. They said they strongly dislike the few days a year they have to deal with "BEANIE PEOPLE" and prefer volume buyers so they set the limit at 12 per customer which is ignored when local resellers stop by to pick up their yearly supply to resale on Ebay immedaiately! I was told all they are interested in, is selling out as quickly as possible and going back to business as usual. Nice strategy, but not good customer service! VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

<< NOTE: If you have an experience like this that you'd like to share please email me at Lisa@planetbeans.com >>

REMINDER
For those of you that are interested in ordering a CoC exclusive version of Punxsutawney Phil you may do so starting this morning at 9am. YOU MUST EMAIL OR CALL 1-800-752-PHIL(7445) FOR EXPRESS SHIPPING
http://www.groundhogstuff.com/

<< NOTE: If you'd like to share your ordering experiences - please email me at Lisa@planetbeans.com >>

YOUR ORDERING EXPERIENCES
Michael writes: "Hi Lisa, I just thought I would share my experience of dealing with the COC of Punxsutawney PA. Anyway I started to call at 7:30 am central tyme and the phone rang for about 30 minutes and then finally at 8:00 central time which would be 9:00 in PA they answered and were very nice. So in my experience they have always been nice to me when I ordered. So I was quite possibly the 1st sale of the day. Michael"

Anna writes: "Hi, I got through at 3:26 PM CST and ordered two Phils with no problem.  The lady that took my order was very congenial and commented that I "sounded surprised to get through", which I confirmed.  I'd tried a number of times throughout the day, but I didn't exactly hang on the phone hitting redial constantly. Anna"

PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL 2006 CoC NOW LISTED
http://www.ty.com/3_detail?id=15251

NEWSLETTERS BOUNCING
I noticed that there are a lot of newsletters bouncing back to Topica. 99% of those bouncing are from hotmail.com email addresses. I have re-enabled these email addresses to see if they continue to bounce.

January 10, 2006
PHOTO OF 3 HALLMARK EXCLUSIVE BUNNIES
Cindy of Cindy's Beans has posted a picture of the 3, soon to be released, Hallmark exclusive bunnies. Happily (blue), Hippily (pink), and Hoppily (yellow). http://www.cindysbeans.com

GET READY TO ORDER CoC PUNXY PHIL
Welcome to Punxsutawney Phil’s Official Groundhog Souvenir Shop
Our exclusive version of the Ty 2006 Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Baby will go on sale at Punxsutawney Phil’s Souvenir Shop on Wednesday, January 11 at 9 a.m.   There are distinctive changes to the appearance of the fur, hat, paws and
a tuxedo jacket.    There is a limited quantity of this version and it is only available by calling Punxsutawney Phil’s  Souvenir Shop at 1-800-752-PHIL (7445).  It is not available through this web site.  No faxes will be accepted.
Ty has produced two other versions of "Punxsutawney Phil."  The version being sold on the Ty web site features a silver bowtie.  The version that is being sold at Ty retailers nationwide features a purple bowtie.  The 2006 Ty Punxsutawney Phil Beanie Baby will retail for $6.00 plus tax (for PA residents) and shipping.  There is a quantity limit of 12 Beanies per customer.

YOU MUST EMAIL OR CALL 1-800-752-PHIL(7445) FOR EXPRESS SHIPPING
http://www.groundhogstuff.com/

INTRODUCING LOVESME & HUG-HUG
Lovesme is a Beanie Baby and Hug-Hug is a Beanie Buddy. Both are offered at the Ty Store
http://www.ty.com/Lovesme_Hug-Hug_Intro

January 9, 2006
THE EBAY SONG
Donna shares the following - the song mentions Beanie Babies: Sung to the tune of The BackStreet Boys "I Want It That Way".  Done by Weird Al Yankovic. http://www.planetbeans.com/EbaySong.htm

SILENT RETIREMENT
Happy New Year 2006 has silently retired from the Ty Store. Thank you to Scott from Scott's Collection for alerting me to this news. http://www.tytrade.com/TyStore

January 8, 2006
NO NEWS
I've done my usual searches for anything Ty related and haven't found anything worthy of sharing with you today. I will check back in later and will update you on anything of interest that I may find.

January 7, 2006
Gift of Beanie Babies will help comfort kids
514 stuffed toys will ride in ambulances
When Pat Kuhlman's Beanie Babies started overwhelming a basement room, she decided she had a problem.

Hundreds of small, fluffy animals lined the shelves. Kuhlman was adding to the collection by surfing the Internet for new releases and taking jaunts to Red Wing, Minn., or Hastings to pick up the latest versions.

After the North St. Paul resident decided to give up her collection and lighten her burden, she turned to someone in the church — not a minister, but a St. Paul firefighter she knew through the choir at St. Mark's Lutheran.

At the firefighter's suggestion, the Beanie Babies — 514 of them — will be placed in area ambulances to comfort youngsters when they take rides to the hospital. The collection is worth more than $4,300. VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

January 6, 2006
SWEETIEKINS LISTED
Thanks to Michael for sharing the following: "Hi Lisa, I was just looking on the Beanie Baby list and noticed that Sweetiekins the Hallmark Exclusive Dog has been silently introduced. To view the silent intro click the link below: Michael" http://www.ty.com/3_detail?id=15112

NOTE FROM MS. JANIE
First off.. let me say this is VERY well written and states a lot of how I also feel. http://www.msjanie.com/2005photos/NEWYEAR.html

NOTE OF APPRECIATION
Barbara writes: "Dear Lisa, I would like to take this opportunity to say "Happy New Year to You and Yours" also to say "THANK YOU!!!!" for your newsletters and you website.

Even though I don't buy very many beanies I still enjoy reading about them and keeping up to date with what's going on the TyLand.

I've made a lot of good friends on beanie sites and enjoy keeping in touch with them.

In one of your newsletters you mentioned how slow beanie news has been lately. I also have noticed this, especially on the Ty site the boards are so quiet even on New Year's Eve. Very few people posted and if Ty didn't post like 6 topics the board would have been even more slow. I enjoyed reading everyone's poems, some very poetic people posted and the winner was a great poem. Congratulations to bneebob.

In your newsletter today you mentioned Aberdeen's Wedding Flower shop and what happened to them in 2003 and all the good things that have happened since then. I enjoyed reading about them and just wanted to mention that when I got married in 1969 Aberdeen's is were I got my wedding flowers and I was very pleased with them and when my daughter got married in 1997 she also used Aberdeen's as her flower coordinator, the flowers were absolutely perfect.

God Bless You & Yours!

In Appreciation,
Barbara in Illinois"

ASK TY
Q: Will you give us a hint on what's in store for 2006? (submitted by Bonsai)
A: I would love to say "expect the unexpected" but instead let's just say . . . every dog has his day ! http://www.ty.com/askty_home

January 5, 2006
Toy store owners call it a day, say they'll close by month's end
PALMER TWP. | Back in the days of the Beanie Baby craze, the co-owner of Toystar remembers clients waiting for delivery drivers to arrive, sometimes even chasing down the trucks.

"We had to come up with a system for drawing lots for customers to even be able to buy them," said Rich Emery, owner of the unconventional toy store in the Village at Stones Crossing.

"The rise of technology is affecting the whole toy industry. We are losing kids earlier than we used to, to computer games, video games, cell phones and the Internet. Our target used to be birth to age 12, now its birth to 8 It's kind of becoming a big-box world." VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

WHEN IS A BEANIE NOT A BEANIE?!
Ian writes: "Hi, Don't know if anyone has already mentioned this but

THANKS TO MAIDA
Maida from Simple Bookkeeping for Beanbag Collectors shares that her program has some of the info I needed to help update my Beanie Info Pages. I am still in need of the following info:

POEM ONLY: Happy Holidays (Garfield), Happy Valentine's Day (Garfield), Pablo, Brownie (BBOC), Chocolate (BBOC), Cool Chick (is there one?), Cubbie (BBOC), Flash (BBOC), Goodnight Garfield, Hutch Clutch (purse), Punxy Phil 2006

BIRTHDATE: Senna-Kun

January 4, 2006
NEWS HAS BEEN VERY SLOW LATELY
Collecting sure has changed, hasn't it? I remember the good old days of being able to find Ty news easily. Now after searching every day I'm finding that the job of looking for these news items is getting too time consuming. I also remember the days when collectors shared their news stories, photos, and such. I miss those days! :o) Please keep in mind, if you don't receive a newsletter there isn't anything to share, I'm busy with something more important, or simply needed a break. Be sure to check the website for updates throughout the day. 

BEANIE INFO PAGES ARE UPDATED
Now that I've updated the info pages I see that there is finally a Beanie to represent each day of the year. :o)

Well since Erin the key-clip and the new purses have been added to the BEANIE list I've added them to the complete Beanie Info pages. Do you think they should be in this category?! I think items like this should be in a "miscellaneous" category. LOL

I try hard to keep the most up-to-date info pages but find that I am in need of the following info. If you can help please send to Lisa@planetbeans.com

STYLE # ONLY: Alabama, Arizona, Chitraka, Eggs 2006, Erin key-clip, Flicker, Fluff, Happy Hanukkah (Ty Store), Icecubes, Icepack, Legs (BBOC), Loong, Lousiana, Luck O'Day, M.C. Beanie V, Meekins, Mississippi, Patti (BBOC), Punchers (BBOC), Shooting Star, Splash (BBOC), Spot (BBOC), Squealer (BBOC), Sunbonnet, Tyrone, Uniqua, Veggies, 2006

POEM ONLY: Happy Holidays (Garfield), Happy Valentine's Day (Garfield), Pablo

POEM & STYLE #: Brownie (BBOC), Chocolate (BBOC), Cool Chick (is there one?), Cubbie (BBOC), Flash (BBOC), Goodnight Garfield, Hutch Clutch (purse), Punxy Phil 2006

STYLE # & BIRTHDATE: Senna-Kun

JANUARY WALLPAPER
http://www.ty.com/Jan06_Wallpaper

INTRODUCING PUNXSUTAWN-e PHIL 2006
As expected.. here's the fraternal twin to the retail version of Punxy Phil. http://www.ty.com/Punx_e_2006

January 3, 2006
SILENT RETIREMENTS
Happy Hanukkah and Muffler have silently retired today. http://www.tytrade.com/TyStore

January 2, 2006
LACK OF NEWS
I've read many postings on the Cyberboard lately about the new designs. Some of these posts show excitement with the new items that Ty has come out with and other posts show strong disappointment. I would love to hear from you so please take the time to voice your opinion. Lisa@planetbeans.com. 

January 1, 2006
HAPPY 2006!
Here's hoping this is a great year for us all. Live happy & healthy! :o)

JANUARY 2006 BOTM
Introducing Icecubes (A BEAR! LOL I had to say that given all the complaints I've seen from people wanting more BOTM bears.) http://www.ty.com/Icecubes_Intro

CYBERBOARD WAS HOPPING
You always know when Ty Warner posts on the Cyberboard that you'll find lots of conversations and poems. There are some talented people in our Beanie community. :o)

Happy New Year to all
Ty Warner   (Jan 01, 2006, 12:59 AM)
Message Id: 1071667
Ty Warner writes: Happy New Year to you. Thank you for a wonderful 2005. I'll never forget this past year and I look forward to a great 2006. I wish everyone around the world all the best, and I pray for peace and healing. I will do my best to continue the tradition, the unexpected. Thanks to you, we can celebrate 20 years of fun. From my heart to yours . . . Happy New Year ! Ty VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE

How about a poem
Ty Warner   (Dec 31, 2005, 09:43 PM)
Message Id: 1071401
Ty Warner writes: Think of a poem for next year's New Year's Eve Beanie. The best poem wins a special 2006 Happy New Year's Beanie. Lets go ! VIEW POSTING & REPLIES HERE