==March 31, 2000==
Info Beanie Race
Voting has closed and the winner is The Beginning Bear with 31% of the votes. Springy came in second with 28.9%. It was a close race!! View Results
~*~
New Mary Meyers Lines on the Way
New releases from Mary Meyers include a stuffed pie toy, puffy pastel animals, ultra-soft pastel animals and more. Click here for details.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
INFO BEANIE RACE - LAST DAY TO VOTE
Get your votes in today if you plan to vote for the first info Beanie of the new Millennium! These are the stats as of 10:30am EST today: The Beginning (31.3%) - Springy (28.4%). As you can see, this is a close race. Click below to place your Info Beanie vote. Vote For Info Beanie
~*~
Warner Bros. Mini-Bean Bags
Warner Bros. is making an 'exclusive offer to AOL members' (NOTE: It does appear that other Web servers may access this site as well). They have 12 dressed mini-bean bags, representing a special event, for each month of the year. The set of 12 is $9.99. Jan -- Porky Pig shows off the Year 2000 banner Feb -- Pepe wants you to be his Valentine
Mar -- Michigan J. Frog shows off St. Patrick's Day green with a shamrock and pot o' gold
Apr -- Bugs Bunny finds an Easter egg
May -- Penelope is a blushing bride
Jun -- Happy graduate Petunia in cap and gown
Jul -- Patriotic Sylvester dons an Uncle Sam cap
Aug -- Foghorn Leghorn goes on vacation
Sep -- Wile E. Coyote gets ready to go back to school
Oct -- Taz looks extra-Halloween scary in a vampire costume
Nov -- Daffy Duck gives thanks as a pilgrim
Dec -- Tweety spreads holiday cheer in a Santa cap
Click here for more.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Red Sox Baseball Promo Beans
The Boston Red Sox baseball team will be hold three bean bag give-away events this spring and summer:
April 16 -- Wally (special edition) the Bean Bag - 8" (play Oakland at 1:05 p.m. ET)
June 17 -- Wally (special edition) the Bean Bag (play Toronto at 5:05 p.m. ET)
August 5 -- ML Beans Red Sox Bear -- 4" (play Kansas City at 1:15 p.m. ET)
Wally is the "Green Monster," in honor of Fenway Park's Green Monster Left Field wall. He has a muppet-like face and wears a Red Sox uniform and hat. All bean bag promotions are for the first 12,000 kids age 15 and under.
(Bean Bag World Staff Writer Sharon Chapman)
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
LAST DAY TO ENTER THE CONTEST
I have just under 1,000 correct entries for the contest. It's your last chance to get an entry. Good luck!! A winner will be announced here and on the Contest page in the morning.

==March 30, 2000==
New Checklists Added!!
I've added a checklist for Beanie Babies, Beanie Buddies, and Teenie Beanies. You can find them here.
~*~
Attic Treasures^™ News
Ty^® Inc. has made a number of changes on its Attic Treasures^™ section, including adding Blossom^™, a Sally Winey plush design, to the retired Attics^™ list. Blossom should be in the Ty Classic^™ Plush group. Sal (www.salsattic.com) points out Ty mistake in her Attic newsletter.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
HolyBears Announces "Ginger" 
HolyBears Inc. announces "Ginger," second in a series for Daughters of the Nile^™. HolyBears Inc. (www.holybears.com) announced today that it has produced a second HolyBear for the Daughters of the Nile (D.O.N.)^™ (www.daughtersofthenile.com) which will be sold by all 135 U.S. and 12 Canadian D.O.N.^™ temples and dealers throughout the country to help raise funds to support their activities for the Shriners Hospitals for children. Click here for more details.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Collecting: Fun, investment, or obsession?
This article says that, to the true collector, the fun is in the hunt. Examples of Beanie Babies®, Pokémon and even state quarters are used to show that popular items can sell for many times their original price. Click here for details.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Auctions Filling Up
The new Beanies are hitting the auctions, plenty of Sakura pre-sales and a few in hand auctions on a recent search. The most recent ones like Sneaky, Frigid and Halo II are starting to increase with a few no reserve auctions and bidding still low. Out of the remaining ones still to hit the stores, expect demand for, Swoop the pterodactyl (could retire quick) and with Easter nearly here, Springy the lavender bunny. View Here
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
150 Buyers Say eBay Merchant Didn't Deliver
Los Angeles police and postal authorities are investigating claims that about 150 people were defrauded by someone selling merchandise on eBay, a spokesman for the Internet auction site said. Click here for the article.
Story Source: Beanie News Galore Online!~


==March 29, 2000==
Congratulations to Sally Winey
Sally in Pennsylvania Top 50
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development notified Sally that she has been selected by an independent panel of judges as one of Pennsylvania's 50 best women in business for the year. As a group, the nominations represented the broad spectrum of the Pennsylvania business
community: urban; rural; minority; and, owners and employees of small, medium and large companies from various industries.  News source Sally Winey
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
CONTEST ENDS IN 2 DAYS
You still have time to receive 2 daily entries in the month-long Planet Beans St. Patrick's Day Contest, sponsored by Beanies4Bekah.
~*~
Beanie Thief Sentencing In May
Donald J. Nicholson, 19, of Levittown pleaded guilty in Bucks County Court in Pennsylvania yesterday to stealing hundreds of Beanie Babies, most of them limited editions. He will be sentenced on May 1 for smashing windows and carrying off bags full of Beanie Babies from gift shops. One shop owner said the bandit, who struck at her place three times within 10 days last October, knew exactly what to look for. "The robber came in and took the most valuable ones the first time." said Sherry Carpenter, 54, who said her loss in the thefts was estimated at $20,000. Nicholson's attorney, Lou Busico said of his client "The truth is, he hates Beanie Babies. He did it to keep someone else happy " Click Here For Story
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Mackenzie Acknowledged
Sly the Beanie Guy has noted that Mackenzie, the Canadian exclusive Attic Treasure has finally been acknowledged by Ty after years of being shipped. Mackenzie is now pictured in the Attic Treasure section on the Ty site. Now Sly wonders, where is Jack the UK exclusive Attic?
Click Here To View Mackenzie
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
DAILY BEAN CONTEST TO WIN 2000 SIGNATURE BEAR
The 2000 Signature Bear has been kidnapped by the horrible White Owl.  Him and I were swimming in the north pole waters, and then White Owl came in and snatched him.  It is rumored that the Owl has taken him somewhere on DailyBean.com.


==March 28, 2000==
Teenie Beanies 2000
A Smart Collecting member from Ohio who wishes to remain anonymous writes:

"The Manager at the McDonalds I work for knows I collect Beanies, so I was really happy when he showed me this list of the upcoming Teenies to start on June 16th, so I just had to share it with everyone."

1.  Amber
2.  Goochy
3.  Hissy
4.  Lips
5.  Mystic
6.  Nibbles (Nibbler or Nibbly?)
7.  Pecan
8.  Rover
9.  Scaly
10. Schweety (Schweetheart?)
11. Silver
12. TipToe

International Bears:
1.  Spangles
2.  Germania
3.  Osito
4.  Wallace
Story Source: SmartCollecting  (Thank you Bill for the email alerting me to this news!!)
~*~
Counterfeit Education Is Not Enough
Sal from Sal's Attics speaks out on the problem of counterfeits in the hobby today. Sal feels that the Beanie industry must unite and declare war against counterfeits and suggests that the hobby should take a lesson from the trading card industry, which was plagued with similar problems in the early 90's.
Click Here For Article
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
THE INFO BEANIE RACE
There are only a few days left to vote for the first info Beanie of the new Millennium! These are the stats as of 11:30am EST today: The Beginning (31.1%) - Springy (28.3%). As you can see, this is a close race. Click below to place your Info Beanie vote. Vote For Info Beanie
~*~
Overheard on Message Boards
Deke has posted a rumor that two of the new Teeny Beanie Babies names have leaked and are reported to be Peace the bear and Mystic the unicorn. Between now and scheduled June release of TBB's, we will undoubtedly hear many rumors of which ones will be released. Deke has been on target with
many of his reports in the past. http://www.happytoy.com/News/news.htm
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net

==March 27, 2000==
Beanie Kids Poll
A local store conducted a poll using Beanie Kids, asking the public for their opinions. Both boy and girl types were on display for just over a week and interested collectors were able to look, handle, poke and shake them at will. It was a free poll of customers opinions. The store states, "We are aware that UK tastes and opinions are often vastly different to those of people in USA having dealt in both countries extensively for over twenty years." 264 people were asked for their opinions on the new beanie kids, only five (5) people (all age groups) thought the kids were Great and they would "definitely buy them when available". 191 people thought they were "ugly and would not be collecting them", 20 people said that they "might" buy them but were not convinced. The remaining 48 either did not express an opinion, even when asked, or said they had no opinion and were indifferent to them but "probably" would not buy any. All 264 people thought they were "Priced very reasonable" and expected them to cost more than £5-99p. All 264 people were also shown photos of the new (year 2000) beanie babies.... ALL thought they were very good and wished to buy them. Everyone was anxious to obtain them as soon as they could. Many of the people that thought they "might" buy the Kids said if the beanie babies were also available they would, without question, buy them (the babies) first and only buy the kids "after" they had all the new beanie babies, and if they had any spare money left.
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
Auction fraud is becoming more common
As Doug Smith can testify, auction fraud is becoming an all-too-common part of the online shopping experience. Three times in the past 18 months, the Maryland man won merchandise through eBay bid-offs -- a digital camera and collections of "Star Wars" toys and Barbie dolls -- or so he thought. He sent $2,300 to the sellers in money orders but got nothing in return. Click here for details.
Story Source: Beanie News Galore Online!~
~*~
New Beanie Rush, or New Beanie Rash?
On Saturday January 25, two girls came in to the store after buying N*SYNC Concert tickets.  It was their lucky day! They came in and both saw The Beginning Bear. When they saw these Bears they jumped up and down as if they won the lottery. Yet the only reason why they were jumping is because they just got their most prized band tickets. Are the Beanies Dying Click Here for more.
Story Source: The Daily Bean
~*~
Steven Feinstein Chat
Did you miss the last chat with Sally Winey's lawyer Steven Feinstein?  If you did you can catch Steven in tonight's DailyBean.com chat at 8:00 pm est. (Monday March 27, 2k)  Steven will again be answering questions regarding the Ty suing Sally Winey.  Be sure to catch us tonight! Click here to visit the chat.
Story Source: The Daily Bean
~*~
AUTOGRAPHED CARD SELLS FOR $1,725!
An Autographed Gold Luke Card from Series 4 sold for a whopping $1,725 yesterday on eBay! There were 32 bids on this 7-day auction. This auction was listed on Smart Collecting Auction Highlights!
Go to Auction 
Story Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Save Winey Bears
The website to Save Winey Bears is up and running. To view http://www.swbfund.com/
Story Source: HandCrafted Beauties


==March 26, 2000==
SORRY FOR THE DELAY PUTTING UP THE NEWS TODAY!!
I was in the ER last night with my littlest angel (Brandon 14.5 mos.) and neither of us had much sleep. Family and sleep comes first!! :o)
I was in the ER last night with my littlest angel (Brandon 14.5 mos.) and neither of us had much sleep. Family and sleep comes first!! :o)
I was in the ER last night with my littlest angel (Brandon 14.5 mos.) and neither of us had much sleep. Family and sleep comes first!! :o)
~*~
HolyBears - Nurture™ The God Bless Mom Bear.™
HolyBears, Inc. announces their latest creation, Nurture™ The God Bless Mom Bear.™ Scheduled for release in mid-April, Nurture™ is a pink bear with a white front panel. An embroidered pink heart with the word "Mom" in script and below the heart are two red roses with a gold halo above. For more information, visit www.holybears.com or email info@holybears.com. Click here for picture.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Attic Treasures News
Maison D'ours reports on two new Canadian tush tags. The latest releases have Made in China on the front of the Ty^® tag and the size of the tag is considerably larger. The Canadian tush tags have shortened to what appears to be up to 1/4 of an inch and the writing is larger making the lettering appear darker. So far this year the Attics^™ in Canada have seen 3 different versions of Canadian tush tags in all. Click here for more details.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Customs gets contraband: from Toys to the Exotic
US Customs examinations are primarily designed to catch smugglers of illicit drugs, but at the San Francisco International airport, most of what is being seized these days are Beanie Babies^®, fake designer purses, exotic foods, medicinal items and the #1 confiscated item, Cuban cigars. Beanie Babies can be seized if the person is carrying more than three of one kind or they are coming in from countries that are known to produce counterfeits. News Source: Austin American Statesman
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Golden Apples: Beanies^™ Inspire Reading
Craig Leonard, fourth grade teacher at Vineyard Elementary School, has been teaching for 11 years. Just recently, he was named a 'Golden Apple Teacher' of the year. Leonard says, "Children can succeed when they feel loved, safe and important." He successfully creates that environment. Children in his Reading Zone receive Beanie Babies^®, bumper stickers and buttons for completing the task of reading dozens of books which they all look forward to with enthusiasm. Click here for details.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Styling With The Beanie Kids
We received some pictures of the Beanie Kids from B. & J. that show some of the ways you can accessorize your Beanie Kids collection. They have styled the hair and have added homemade jewelry. Chipper also has a t-shirt that was purchased at a Beanie Baby show from a vendor that makes clothes for dolls of that size. Very cute pictures.
All Dresses Up And Ready To Go
Looking Very Chipper
With Their Beanie Friends
The Gang Is All Here
Story Source: Beanieholics


==March 25, 2000==
CHAT ABOUT WINEY VS. TY
Attendees:  Steven Feinstein (Sally Winey's Lawyer), Dave Perry (Cascade Toys), Lynette Davis (HandCrafted Beauties), Yavett (UndergroundBean), Richard (BeanieWonderland), Joe (DailyBean), Jeremy (BiddingStation), I also recognized a few other names on the chat transcript. It makes for some interesting reading. I wish I could have been there. Family comes first!! :o) Click HERE to read the chat transcript.
~*~
DAILY BEAN INTERVIEWS SALLY WINEY'S LAWYER
Joe from The Daily Bean had the opportunity to interview Sally Winey's Lawyer, Steven Feinstein after last night's chat. Click HERE to read the interview.
~*~
CALIFORNIA COUPLE PURCHASE SAKURA IN JAPAN
BEANIEMOM received a letter from Dan & Debbi Dresser who reside in La Quinta, California. They happened to be in Kyoto at the time Sakura was released yesterday. To read the letter and view the pictures, visit BeanieMom.
~*~
Sakura^™ Announced on Ty.com Japan Web site
A check of the Ty^® Japan Web site over the past week revealed news of the Hope^™ Buddy^™ retirement, Sakura^™ finally appears as a newsflash announcement at the following link: http://www.ty.com/jp/sakura.html Darla reports the announcement was placed on the site after she went Beanie^™ hunting Saturday morning in Japan.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
The Hunt for Sakura^™
Darla in Japan writes about her experiences in the hunt for Sakura^™ on Saturday, the first day nearly all Ty Japan authorized retailers opened to sales of Sakura^™. Although the line in Kasukabe City, Japan was much smaller than some in Tokyo, the hunt was not without challenges. The retailer placed a limit of one Sakura per collector and was also requiring the purchase of the BBOC^™ Platium Membership kit.
Click here for more details and pictures!
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
DAILY BEAN COMPARES BEANIE TAGS
Joe has a great comparison of the New Beanie Tags to the Older Beanie Tags!  To see the comparisons visit: http://www.dailybean.com/compare


==March 24, 2000==
PLANET BEANS CONTEST REMINDER
There are only 7 days remaining in the contest. Be sure to get your DAILY entries in by midnight EST each night. So far there are close to 800 correct entries. This contest ends at midnight EST. March 31, 2000.
~*~
"BEANIE BABY BLUES!"
Sent in from a Planet Beans Reader (C. Ashton): Beanie Baby Fans! Listen to a cute new song called "BEANIE BABY BLUES!" Please visit our website where you can purchase the single on CD or tape. Listen to the song from from the website address: http://www.hollinet.com/~ashton.
~*~
Sakura^™ Close-up Shot
While the first Sakura^™ Beanie Babies^® officially go on sale late today (Saturday in Japan), some stores reportedly started the sales early. Cynthia sends us a link to photos of the new Ty^® Beanie Baby^™ Sakura including a close up picture of the embroidered cherry blossom and a photo of the hang tag. The tag is in Japanese with the name "Sakura" inserted under the Japanese figures and the poem is in Japanese. Click here for photos.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net

~*~
BEANIE BUDDIES^® - Stuffed toys help first-graders learn
Peggy Washburn has been teaching for 30 years. For the past three years, Peggy has incorporated Ty^® Beanie Babies^® and Buddies^™ into almost every lesson she teaches the students. Children love being in her classroom with the menagerie of stuffed animals that are used as learning and motivational tools in her teaching plans. Click here for details.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Ty^® Japan Web site
Darla lets us MBBBW know that Ty^® has still not announced the new Beanie Baby^™ Sakura^™ on the Japanese website. A newsflash for the Hope^™ Beanie Buddy^™ retirement was posted on the Ty Japan Web site though.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net

==March 23, 2000==
SALLY WINEY HAS BEEN SUED BY TY
This has been sent to the club members at Weally Wanna Winey
Yes, it is true! Ty has sued Sally. He wants her to destroy all of her handmade bears that look like his new line. Can you believe that?!

A defense fund has been set-up to offset the cost of fighting Ty. Sally does not have the funds to do this. It is called SOS FUND (Save Our Sally). Donations can be sent to:

SALLY WINEY ~ SOS FUND ~ P O BOX 273 ~ MORGANTOWN PA 19543

All donations not used to fight Ty will go to Sally's favorite charity Good Bears of the World www.goodbearsoftheworld.org

Also, Rob LeClair of Holy Bears www.holybears.com has offered to make a SOS Bear to raise funds for this defense fund.

Other things are in the works. I will send an update as news becomes available.

FREE WINEY BEAR TRIO from the Winey Bear Collection by Cascade Toy. Every person that orders a bear from Sally's Y2K collection will receive a set of the Winey trio; Does Cuzzy Does, Didn't Cuzzy Don't and Won't Wishy Could. This offer is exclusive to HandCrafted Beauties. Remember, there were only 200 of each bear to start with and many dealers have been selling them. Some, such as Sidney and Abby are almost sold out. All of the bears in this collection are signed and numbered. Keep in mind, most of these bears are the design that Ty wants Sally to destroy. www.handcraftedbeauties.com/wb2000

Sally Winey and Dave Perry of Cascade Toy, recently returned from Korea where they were working on the new additions to the Winey Bear Collection made by Cascade Toy. Arrival of the first set of bears is scheduled for mid-April. If you have not placed your order please do so soon. I can still add to my order. These bears were a huge success at the recent trade shows, especially the Toy Fair. www.handcraftedbeauties.com/wbcascade
Story Source: HandCrafted Beauties

Side Note: Are we all about sick of TY yet?! I find it VERY upsetting that a lovely lady that has helped TY out with his Planet Plush line as well as other designs is now being sued by TY. It has gotten to the point that he is going to drive people away from purchasing his products. I do remember Sally Winey being 'escorted out' of the Ty^® booth at the New York Gift Show recently, she reportedly was checking up what was up with some of her old designs. It seems to me that she found some of her designs being used by TY without her permission and now he feels he needs to take legal action against her. What's up with that?! I'm so disappointed at Mr. Warner right now. Is his ego so big that he can't see that there are REAL people and REAL emotions right in front of him? It's a sad day for both TY and Sally Winey fans.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/wineysuit.html

Gladys (a loyal Planet Beans reader) sends me this: "Give us this day our daily Ty lawsuit."
~*~
TY RETIRES A BUDDY
Hope the Beanie Buddy has retired today: http://www.ty.com/announcements/323ret_hope00.html
~*~
Ty Canada News
Ty checks up on reps, Beanie Kids in Canada and another Tyra with pompoms up for sale:
http://www.maisondours.com/canadianconnection.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Child Safety Fair offers tips worth remembering
They collected free coloring books, Beanie Babies, action figures and key chains, but the most important things that more than 500 children took home after a fun-filled Saturday in Miramar were lessons about safety.

``I learned so much about things I never thought of before,'' said Jessica Mason, 10, of Miramar. ``Like about how leaving up a toilet seat can hurt or kill a little child and about how some medicines are dangerous because they look just like candy.''
Story Source: Miami Herald
~*~
Ty Product News
Springy™ Takes the Lead for InfoBeanie™
Probably due to the upcoming Easter holiday, Springy™ has taken the lead in the InfoBeanie™ polls with 23.4% of the votes. The Beginning™ bear which previously had the lead, is in a close second place with 22.4% of the votes as of this morning. http://www.ty.com/infobeanie/viewranks.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Beanie Babies® 2000 In-Hand!
Ty's® new Beanie Babies® are beginning to be shipped to stores here in the USA. A search of eBay, MetaExchange and BeanieNation shows auction listings for six of the new Beanie Babies, including the Japanese exclusive, Sakura (which isn't officially due out until March 25th). Reports of shipments to Illinois, Michigan and Missouri, possibly Indiana and NJ. The Beginning Bear™, 2000 Signature Bear™, Bushy™ the lion, Niles™ the camel and Sarge™ the German Shepherd are the Beanie Babies® reported being shipped thus far. http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/b2000bids.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Beanies on Japanese TV 
Tonight on TV Champion (a Japanese TV program) they were having a contest to see who was the best interior decorator. When decorating a room, one of the contestants used two Beanie bears as part of the room decoration. The 1999 Holiday Bear and B.B. Bear looked really cool as the TV kept panning
back and forth across the room. The decorator who used the Beanies won that round!
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net

==March 22, 2000==
Stores in Japan Confirm Sales to Start on March 25
I called the two stores that I know had the 2000 Beanies. They do not know how or why they were chosen. The Beanies sold out quickly. They just know that they were chosen for test marketing the new Beanies. I talked with them and also called more than 10 other stores in Tokyo that sell Beanies
(. 3 of these were Sony Plazas) and asked about Sakura. EVERYONE said that they would be out 3/25. Amounts varied per store.... some will be getting in 24, some 8, some 35... about half of the stores wouldn't tell me how many they expected to get in. Several stores said that they expected
people to line up before 6am. All stores that I talked to are allowing only one Sakura per person.
~Darla in Japan :)
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Win A Pastel Peace Buddy
The Daily Bean is giving away a Pastel Peace Beanie Buddy. Click Here for details
~*~
Prototype Earth Bear Picture
A picture of the prototype for the soon to be released Earth Bear 'the series' bear has been posted.
Click Here For Picture
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Ty® Poet Speaks Out in Chat Session
Lina Trevedi, guest speaker tonight on FireTalk, hosted by Smart Collecting, is credited with beginning the website at Ty® Inc. which was launched New Year's Eve 1996 - 1997. She and her brother, Nick, worked on the site for approx. 1 month before launching it. Lina stated that it was also her idea to incorporate the poems and birthdays on the Beanie Baby® tags. When Ty Warner asked for an example, she gave him Stripes™ poem and from there, she helped to create an additional 80+ poems with the help of two other people. http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/scchat.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net


==March 21, 2000==
NEWS FROM JAPAN
Jesica writes: "A Japanese friend of mine contacted his Mom in Tokyo about Sakura. This is what she said. Toy stores that had the Beanie Baby 2000s (I don't know about Sony Plaza yet) say that they will have Sakura on Friday. But, they say they will only have 25 bears. One-per-customer and first-come basis. People in Japan are PAYING to have people to sit in line all night to get a Sakura! Incredible, if I learn more I'll let you all know."
~*~
EXTRA CONTEST ENTRIES
When you enter the contest you'll have the opportunity to earn 3 additional entries at the same time as helping a little girl. Click here to go to the contest page.
~*~
Beanie Kids make their TV debut
From: Ms. Janie
Today's Donny and Marie show features this year's hottest toys. Beanie Kids took center stage and were very well received. Donny and Marie talked about their hair and how it could be styled. They even joked about how you could work with the hair for different occasions. They were cute and are sure to be hot seller.
~*~
Presidential Candidate 2000 Bears
Patriotic Plush has announced that they will be releasing Presidential Candidate 2000 bears soon. Patriotic Plush also announces that the bears Humanity and Alliance are now retired. Less than 144 of each bear remain in stock. Click Here For Link To Patriotic Plush
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Completed Auctions for new Ty® Sakura™
Searching completed auctions for presells of the new Ty® Sakura™ Beanie Baby® , we found a high selling price of $343.00 and a low of $171.00. Average selling price was $222.83. Beanie Nation lists the Sakura™ bear as the #1 search item on their website now. Click here for details
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net

==March 20, 2000==
Hope In USA Today Weekend
Read a heartwarming story how one woman uses religion and Hope Beanie Baby and Buddy to comfort her.  The story can be found at the following link. http://www.msjanie.com/pix/hope_comforts.html
The picture can be found on my main page http://www.msjanie.com
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
Disturbing Report
The following was an article sent to me from a news group, it has not been confirmed but I have asked the person to report this to namenames@ty.com:
Well the Beanie Kids arrived here in Northern Ireland on Saturday and I have only just calmed down sufficiently to ask for thoughts and opinions on how this Northern Ireland shop 'sold' them. The shop in question got 50 beanie kids in.  There were at least double that number of people wanting to buy them.  The store owner proceeded to organize a lottery.  Everyone who wanted one had to buy a raffle ticket at £5.99 ($US9 approx).  If your ticket was drawn you got a beanie kid, if it wasn't you lost the £5.99.  When asked about getting your money back if you didn't win the store owner just replied that by selling them at £5.99 he was selling them at a loss. I wasn't interested in buying them but there were an awful lot of disappointed and upset kids who handed over their pocket money for nothing in return.
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
Beanie Kid Hang Tag Protector Advice
We have received several notes from collectors that have tried putting hang tag protectors on the new Beanie Kids. The plastic attachment that connects the hang tag to the Beanie Kids is so short that using a regular 'swing open' tag protector is not advised. In order to avoid damaging the tag it appears that using a tag protector that you can slip on would be the best route to go. Even then some modifications need to be made. A reader explains:

I just finished "tag protecting" six Beanie Kids. This is not a project for anyone who does not have "SLIP-ON" tag protectors. The red tag connector is extremely short and attaches the hangtag to the ear. Even the "SLIP-ON" tag protectors need to be modified by clipping off the corner of the tag protector closest to the ear (of course, BEFORE you put it on the tag!). This method worked great for me and my KIDS. I hope this information will help! --Jill
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Pokémon Bean Bags
Check out our exclusive list of Hasbro's Pokémon bean bags, as well as the Pokémon bean bags manufactured by Applause for the November/December 1998 Kentucky Fried Chicken "Kid's Meal" promotion at the following link: http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/beanbagpk.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Ty.com News
There is STILL no mention of Sakura on the Japanese version of the Ty web page. I find it strange that Sakura will be the first Japan exclusive Beanie but there is no info on the Japanese web page about her. Not even a picture! ~Darla in Japan :)
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net


==March 19, 2000==
Beanie Babies® 2000 Poems
BeanBagWorld.net was able to confirm most of the Beanie Babies® 2000 poems and birth dates with only minor changes to the original list which appeared on Ty.com. Minor changes include adding the word "the" in front of slippery on the Frigid™ poem and the word "and" added to the Morrie poem. Poems for Halo II™ and the Beginning Bear™ have not been confirmed yet. You can view these poems HERE.
~*~
Sakura at $500.00
Thats the current price being asked at the meta exchange, there are only 3 for sale but the price does look very excessive. There are over 300 purchase orders for all the new year 2000 beanies, with many pushing and some exceeding the 500 wanted mark. View Here
~*~
Beanie Kids Spare
It seems that not all the raffle draws for the beanie kids went quite to plan. Wongo's Beanie Station reports: One of the listed retailers on TY's site was Toy Stack in Bluewater. Bluewater is one of the biggest retail parks in the UK, and staff and security at the complex had geared themselves up for an onslaught of mad collectors! But just how wrong they were, the TY Rep had duly turned up at 9.00 am with his shipment of 54 Beanie Kids (9 styles, 6 of each) only to find that there were only 52 people in the queue. What was even more bizarre, he them made the collectors wait till 11am to be able to purchase them, so other shoppers could see them first.  Full Story:
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
HOLYBEARS INTRODUCES ETERNITY™
HolyBears (www.holybears.com) is pleased to release the first picture of Eternity™, a light lavender bear with a butterfly embroidered on the chest in pink and yellow and a small gold halo above its head.  The butterfly symbolizes the life cycle of Jesus:  the caterpillar stage represents his natural earthly life; the cocoon represents the tomb; and the butterfly represents his resurrection.
http://www.holybears.com/bears/eternity.htm
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net


==March 18, 2000==
Ms. Janie Part II
Ms. Janie has posted Part II of her trip to Chicago with Sara Nelson (Beaniemom). It is an interesting read and contains some good pictures of the Beanie Kids. Visit Here
~*~
From: Southern Beanies
Hello Lisa,
While searching through the Ty Site I stumbled across some different URLs. What is very strange about them is that Ty still has some Pillow Pal Pictures up. It seems that if you change the part that says 'ProdLnName=Beanie%Babies' it will appear as the beanie baby template, no matter what Ty Product number you place. For example you can have a beanie babies template but with a picture of a pillow pal! It's kind of neat! Here are some URLs and what they lead to

Flippity the Beanie Buddy As A Beanie Kid
Carrots the Pillow Pal As A Beanie Baby
Sakura the Beanie Baby As A Ty Classic

The list can go on and on and on...

Thanks
~Jason
(webmaster of Southern Beanies)
~*~
SAKURA SELLS FOR $260 ON EBAY
The beautiful pink Japanese exclusive Beanie Baby named, Sakura, sold last night on eBay for $260.  The seller promised delivery by April 5th.  There were 15 bids in this seven-day auction. Go to Auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280388870
~*~
SALLY WINEY PRESS RELEASE
Hi,
It has been brought to my attention that different messages have gone out to email friends from others who sell a product that I might of designed or manufactured for others. I want you to know I do not give out my email names and address to anyone. If you are getting these emails they are coming from another source other than Winey Bears. Thank you for your time. 
Sally Winey
Story Source: HandCrafted Beauties
~*~
Teen’s a hit on the Web
Brent from beaNGO has hit the headlines of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Getting 1 million visitors to call up a Web page is quite an accomplishment. Many commercial sites strive for the "millionth hit" goal and don’t reach it. But for ninth-grader Brent McCreary, 15, of Fairfield, 1 million has come on his site, Beanie News Galore Online (BeaNGO), and he’s still counting. It is a very in depth and interesting article. View Here: (Congratulations Brent).
~*~
I am always amazed at how well the teens do on the web. They really know what they are doing and know how to please their readers. Great content and designs is what you will find at these sites:
Collectiblez (Ryan) and SouthernBeanies (Jason).  The Webmasters for these two great sites are well known in the Yahoo! Beanie Baby Clubs! Pay them a visit and you'll see why I recommend their sites to the Planet Beans readers.

==March 17, 2000==
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!
An Irish Blessing...
May your neighbor respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.
~*~
From: Ms. Janie
Ready or not here they come! 
New Beanies spotted in Japan

It would appear that the Japanese market is rocking and rolling!  Can you
believe that they got the new Beanies before the US?  Hmm, come on Mr.
Warner, we can't stand it any longer.  Release those Beanies so that we
can get back to collecting and having some fun!
My area is considered a dry Beanie shopping area.  There are only two good
accounts and you can only imagine the lines. 
I want more stores and more Beanies and I want them now!!  LOL

All 20 of the new 2000 Beanie Babies have been spotted in the following
stores in Japan:

Play House in Tokyo
Rhythmes Du Monde in Tokyo
Gran Papa in Jyugaoka
~*~
Donny And Marie And Beanies
Donny and Marie are back and in love again. No, no, not puppy love, this time with Beanies. I offer exciting news from a very reliable source. On March 21st there will be a special appearance of beanies on the Donny and Marie Show. Keep a close eye on the following link for more details of next weeks show schedule.  The Donny And Marie Site
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
Big Rush for Beanie Kids
The Beanie Kids are coming to Teesside in the U.K., residents will have to be quick if they want one of these highly collectible items. For Yarm store Strickland and Holt has been chosen by Ty Inc., as the only shop in the area to stock the first wave of Beanie Kids. Just 54 will come into the shop on Saturday morning and will be sold by means of a raffle at 11am to keep the allocation fair.  Winners will not be able to choose which of the £5.99 dolls they receive. http://news.tees.net/story.cfm?storyid=14571
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
From: The Daily Bean
Hi Friends,
Great News!  Who Wants to be a Beanbagaire is finally open!  Yes that's right!  The biggest Beanie Contest of the new Millennium is up!  You can win a Germania Beanie!  Visit http://www.dailybean.com/beanbagaire to find out how to become a contestant!
~*~
PICTURE OF TY IN JAPAN WITH SAKURA
These are some great pics of TY with the Japanese exclusive, Sakura. What a beautiful bear.. I'd love to own one and I know many of you would also. :o)
http://www.msjanie.com/pix/Ty-Japan.html
~*~
SAKURA IS NOW OFFICIAL
It's odd that Ty.com hasn't had an official announcement. I noticed the picture of Sakura when looking at the beanie pictures. What a pretty bear!! Go here to meet Sakura.
~*~
Ty Classics Retired
A note has been posted on the Ty Retailer Web site stating some of the Ty Classics are no longer available.  The note first appeared Thursday morning, disappeared sometime during the day and then reappeared today (Friday).  First reported by *beanseller* on the Ty Talk Cyberboard, the note was confirmed today by a Ty retailer contact.  The following is the text which appears on the Ty Retailer Web site: At times we have to say goodbye to old friends. Join us in a final farewell to the following styles that are no longer available: 
 Al E. Kat Gold
 Spice
 Boots
 Paws Black
 Paws White
 Baby Paws Sable
 Baby Paws Black
 Dakota
 Large Paws White
~*~
Ty® Sakura™ in Japanese Media
Kyodo News Service reports "Sakura (cherry blossom)," the Japanese version of stuffed bear manufactured by U.S. toy maker Ty Inc., will be put on the Japanese market on March 25. A limited number of Sakura stuffed bears will be sold only during spring and will disappear from toy stores once Japan's cherry blossom trees are no longer in bloom, the Illinois-based company said.
http://192.41.31.62/z/104.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net


==March 16, 2000==
From: The UndergroundBean
This just in concerning the teenie beanie promotion ... still a rumor but we are in the process of verifying this information now.

WE GOT WORD AT OUR MANAGER MEETING ON THE NEW TY MCDONALDS PRODUCTS.  THEY WILL START IN JUNE AND RUN FOR 16 DAYS...FOLLOWED BY 3 DAYS OF "BACKYARD BUDDIES" AND 3 DAYS OF "UNDERWATER BUDDIES"  THEN THEY WILL OFFER THE ELECTION YEAR TBB'S...RIGHTY, LEFTY, AND LIBEARTY.

THEY WILL DO ANOTHER PROMOTION IN DECEMBER...SO TWO FOR THE YEAR.  TBB'S IN DECEMBER WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS THOSE IN JUNE.  JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE!  THANKS!

WE HAD OUR BRIEFING ON THE UPCOMING PROMOTION LAST WEEK.  I CAN NOT GIVE YOU THE SPECIFIC DATES IN JUNE, BUT CAN SAY IT WILL BE MID-JUNE.  THERE WILL BE 16 REGULAR TBB'S AND THEY ARE WANTING US TO DO ONE A DAY REGARDLESS OF HOW FAST THEY SELL.  WE WILL USE LEFTOVER TOYS TO COMPLETE HAPPY MEALS AFTER THAT DAYS TBB IS GONE.

ACTUALLY I AM NOT PERMITTED TO SAY WHICH 16 ARE BEING DONE IN JUNE.  I HAVE NO DETAILS ON THE DECEMBER PROMOTION AT THIS TIME.  I READ THE POST FROM STEPHEN THAT YOU REFERENCED AND WE WERE NOT TOLD OF GLORY BEING USED (SHE WAS USED LAST YEAR) THERE WERE ONLY THE THREE...RIGHTY, LEFTY, AND LIBEARTY.  THE BUDDIES I BELIEVE ARE ACTUALLY A BIT SMALLER THAN THE BEANIES AND WILL SELL FOR APPROXIMATELY $4.99 WITH ANY PURCHASE.  QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED.  IT LOOKS AS THOUGH TY IS HOPING TO JUMPSTART THE MARKET AGAIN WITH THE TBB PROMOTION.  LOOKS TO BE VERY EXCITING

That is great news .... it looks like the information that Stephen sent us earlier today could really be it ... teenie buddies ... how cute!  This could definitely be one of those years that you should be at McDonalds when they open to ensure that you will get yours.  We can't wait!  Way to go Ty!!!!
~*~
New Beanies to Have New Hang Tag
From the photo of the new Japanese exclusive Beanie Baby, Sakura, it appears that the March 2000 Beanie Babies will have a new hang tag. The words "Beanie Original Baby" have disappeared and the number 2,000 appears over a white star. The photo above was digitally created since the hang tag is somewhat fuzzy on the Sakura photo. Go to Sakura Photo
Story Source: SmartCollecting

~*~
Mary Beth's Bean Bag World Convention April 1-2 in Chicago
Mary Beth's Bean Bag World will be holding a Collectibles Convention on April 1-2 at the Rosemont Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Save $20 on your VIP package when you order before March 29th! VIP's receive lots of special gifts! Click here for more information
~*~
SAKURA POEM
Darla wrote to Bean Bag World to translate the verbiage posted under the alleged Ty® Sakura™ bear photograph posted on www.kashu.ne.jp/auction. A couple of the words were quite fuzzy on the reproduction and may be slightly different in actuality. Many collectors speculate that this may be the poem listed on the hang tag of the new bear.

Japanese:
Watashi wa nihon no takara mono
Anata ni haru to ai o hakonde kuruyo
Dakishimeraretara kokoro go atatemate
Hora, Hana ga saita da

English:
I am a treasure of Japan.
I bring you spring and love.
If you hug me, our hearts become warm.
Look, flowers are blooming.

Darla explains the Japanese reasoning for the last two lines of the poem as follows:

"When the weather becomes warm, the flowers bloom. By hugging Sakura, our hearts become warm and thus not only the flowers outside, but also the flowers in our hearts, bloom."

Darla adds that although www.kashu.ne.jp/auction is an auction site, the poster and bear are not for sale -- they are merely to stimulate interest. The poems appear to have been originally written in Japanese (instead of English that was later translated into Japanese) because of the language structure and meaning.
~*~
The Beginning Bear™ Takes Early Lead in the InfoBeanie™ Polls
The Beginning Bear™ leads the other new Beanie Babies® 2000 with 26% of the vote, Halo II™ in second with 9%. Its still early, so vote for your favorite Beanie™ at the following link: 
Click here for details.

==March 15, 2000==
YOU CAN HELP HOMELESS CHILDREN THIS EASTER
PASSING THIS ON FOR MY FRIEND GRANNY ANNIE: I am getting a box of goodies together to help and I hope you will also consider helping too. You can read all about last years project by clicking on the name Granny Annie below. It's heartwarming to see such generosity among beanie lovers worldwide. Please feel free to pass this information on to others.
~*~
Once again I will be doing my Easter Project for the homeless children. I want to do about 150 this year. I already have all the baskets, grass and plastic eggs but need about 100 each of the following items:

Beanie Babies, Combs, Brushes, Toothbrushes, toothpaste, small plastic cups, toys, Easter Candy for about 100 baskets, Reading Books, Coloring books and Crayons. Just about any item you could think to put in a child's basket. I am also trying to do some for babies with bottles, pacifiers, rattles and bibs if you would rather do that.

My snail mail is:
Easter Baskets for Homeless Children
Granny Annie Muncy
735 S. Lockwood Ridge Road
Sarasota, FL 34237


Hugs!!!

Granny Annie
~*~
BIDDING STATION BINGO
The Bidding Station has just started up a BINGO section on its website.  Be sure to get over there now and print out your card!  They will be having games each month to win some great prizes!  Check out http://www.biddingstation.com/games/bingo/bingo.shtml for more details.
Sharing this information at the request of Jeremy, Webmaster of The Bidding Station
~*~
LET THE VOTING BEGIN
Well as expected the InfoBeanie polls are now opened. The voting page now has a drop-down list with all of the Beanie Babies® 2000. http://www.ty.com/infobeanie/vote.html
~*~
CONTEST
Don't forget to enter the month-long Planet Beans St. Patrick's Day Contest. See the Contest page for details. You could win the beautiful Erin "trio" donated by this months sponsor, Beanies4Bekah. You can't win if you don't enter.
~*~
Overheard on Sal's Attic News List
Sharon notified us of a really neat find at her store. When she opened her latest box of Attics, there was a bag of Blarneys in there.  BUT, at the bottom of the box were a bunch of cut red attachers, TWO Tyra hang tags, one blue Tyra head bow and one POM POM!  Pictures should be forthcoming in the next few days, but isn't that neat?
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
PART I - Read about Beaniemom's and Ms. Janie's incredible adventure to Chicago complete with pictures of the corporate office of Ty, Inc. http://www.msjanie.com/articles/chicago_ty.html
~*~
ALLURA & AMORE RETIRE
View the official retirement here.

==March 14, 2000==
Picture Of Japan Exclusive Sakura
Akiko Mura who is a webmaster for a Japanese Beanie Baby auction site sends us a link which shows a picture of the Ty Japanese exclusive Beanie Baby "Sakura". The bear is light pink and has a cherry blossom embroidered on it's chest. Sakura will go on sale March 25th at various retail stores in Japan including Sony Plaza. Click Here For Picture
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
New Puffkin Releases
Five new Puffkins will hit store shelves in late March/early April! They are:

Beanies should be stored in a tied or taped archival poly bag or wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and then stored in an acid-free cardboard container. You can find these supplies at the PreserveSmart website.
Story Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Burger King To Bring Back Pokemon
Burger King plans to bring back its Pokemon promotion for an encore next week without the toy balls blamed in the deaths of two infants. http://biz.yahoo.com/apf/000310/pokemon_bu_1.html
~*~
CONTEST REMINDER
There are still many chances to enter the month long contest here at Planet Beans. If you can, I recommend entering EVERY day. This gives you a better chance at winning the beautiful Erin "trio" generously donated by our sponsor, Beanies4Bekah.com.
~*~
Four Other Versions of Ty.com Too Much For Ty?
(Jason sent this to me this morning and I felt it was worth sharing!)

Ty Inc. doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that they neglect the German, Japanese, French, and Mexican versions of Ty.com. While looking through on each version, I noticed that they just introduced the new beanie babies, they haven't added the newer buddies to the Beanie Buddies page, and they still
have the Pillow Pals Collection Page up and running (They were recently discontinued and replaced by Ty Classic).  So what does this all mean? We don't know yet, but maybe Ty doesn't realize what's going on, or maybe they forgot about the four other versions. But whatever it is, there's no excuse
for them not updating the other versions of Ty.com.

Thanks,
Jason
(webmaster of Southern Beanies)

==March 13, 2000==
BEANIE KIDS ARRIVE IN THE UK
The newsflash can be viewed here on the Ty. Inc. site.
~*~
Frigid TBB?
Lesley writes in; "How interesting that Frigid is rumored to be one of the Teenie Beanies in the new promotion.  If you recall last year, there was a difference between Iggy the beanie (with spikes) and Iggy the teenie (no spikes), with the explanation that planning for the TBB promotion took place far in advance, and Iggy the teenie was planned before the Iggy/Rainbow corrections were made.  So, was Frigid the TBB being planned before the Dec. 31 vote for new beanies?"
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~

From: The UndergroundBean Hi , I just found a new version 2000 signature beanie buddy and took some pictures to show you the difference. Attached are 2 comparison pictures of the 1st edition signature buddy and the 2nd edition one. The 1st one was bought in February and I just bought the 2nd one this weekend. The 1st edition one is on the right side in both pictures. as you can see there is a big color difference, the 2nd edition has alot more purple than the 1st edition. I think the second edition one has alot less shine and glitter but you really have to hold them next to one another to tell the difference. The 1st edition one is ALOT nicer and prettier.  CHRISTIE

~*~
From: The UndergroundBean
According to Meta Exchange - Germania is at an all time low ...  under $45 ... even other country exclusives are retaining their value ... Britannia is at $49 and Maple is at $59 at the time of this writing, it may be the perfect time to buy.

==March 11, 2000==
From: The UndergroundBean
You knew it! Beanie Kids have started shipping and they will be able to reorder! For the second shipment we are allowed to order 12 of each style (6 UK)! The NEW BEANIES have also started shipping and will start coming in about Wednesday! Ty2k is STILL available for order! The Newsflash was changed on Friday because of certain websites reporting the news! Fetch was not supposed to retire until MAY!!! 
The Teenie Beanies are coming up soon! I only have been told of a couple styles! These are 100% Accurate! Stilts, Frigid, Neon 
There will be a promo like the International Bears however it will involve the Election! 
Spangle (White Face)
Libearty
Right
Lefty
Glory
Also, look for another promo coming this year that you wont be able to wait for! It involves Ty and MCD's! After the second promo there will be a promo to look forward to! Its gonna be big *HINT*

Another reader sends in similar email:

hi just back from retailer who told me fetch was no newsflash that was meant to be looking for he can't tell me what is going on coz he has signed to say he won't

must be big either that or they r testing for leaks ?

Looks like it is unanimous folks ... Fetch was not the intended Newsflash  - although it is still up ... 25 hours after it was posted, it is also the weekend and we shouldn't expect to see anything until at least Monday, but then again, "Expect the Unexpected" and maybe that is what they want us to think.  
~*~
TBB's For Sale
I thought you might be interested in this, I was at a McDonald's the other day and they had a sign up that they had last years tbb's for sale at 1.49 each, now is that not strange, almost a year after they were released and sold out they suddenly have some again. Jody
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
Beanie Kids Are Now Shipping!!
We have just learned through a very reliable source that the Ty Beanie Kids definitely started shipping today. This would mean that retailers that placed trade show orders for the Kids will start receiving them as early as Monday or Tuesday of next week. It was originally believed that the Beanie Kids would not ship until the end of this month following the Boston trade show. Collectors seeking this new product from Ty should now be on the lookout for them.
Story Source: Beanieholics


==March 10, 2000==
FETCH BUDDY RETIRES TODAY
http://www.ty.com/announcements/309ret_fetch.html

Don't forget to enter the month long St. Patrick's Day Contest. Enter DAILY for a better chance at winning the beautiful Erin "trio" (Buddy, Beanie, Teenie)!!
~*~
DAILY BEAN REOPENS
Joe Cooper says:
Hi Friends-
After 8 Hours and a lot of caffeine I finally got the entire DailyBean.com site up! (except for Bean Bag Blues Archive) But the rest of the site is up!  We have a new design and some great new features! Make sure to visit the site by clicking here.
~*~
Ty Warner Looking To Buy More Hotels
From our email: (Beanieholics)

Hi from Santa Barbara. Ty Warner made the headlines today. "Toy Mogul Plays For Premier Hotels". It seems Ty has been looking into buying the Four Seasons Biltmore hotel and the San Ysidro Ranch resort here. The article pretty much just says that the Biltmore confirmed that they have been talking to him and so did the San Ysidro folks who added that the Ranch is not for sale. These are Santa Barbara's premier hotels. I believe that the Biltmore is just down the street from where Ty has his home here in Montecito. I wish he would build one of those Tyriffic stores here. Maybe he will put one in the Biltmore! -Leslie
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Pokemon Returns To Burger King
They're baackk! Pokemon returns to Burger King on March 13. Pokemon fans have another chance to catch all 57 Pokemon toys or the 20 trading card sheets at more than 8,000 Burger King restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The promotion will run through March 26 or while supplies last. An added extra, every Burger King Kids Meal and Big Kids Meal will including a coupon for $2 off the ``Pokemon: The First Movie'' on VHS and DVD from Warner Home Video. Click Here For Story
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Children of Venezuela Benefit from Donation of over 15,000 Teddy Bears
Classic Collecticritters Inc., is helping provide relief and comfort to thousands of traumatized children in Venezuela. Working in conjunction with a Texas based non-profit organization titled "Bear Hugs For Venezuela", Classic Collecticritters’ initial donation of over 15,000 teddy bears has far exceeded the goal to collect 20,000 bears for the needy children who have been devastated by floods and mudslides.
Click here for more details
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net

==March 9, 2000==
Boy Bamboozled Woman For Beanie Babies
A woman who shipped 10 Beanie Babies to a Texas collector and waited in vain for a return delivery in the Internet swap later learned she had been duped by a 12-year-old whose Beanie obsession prompted eBay to warn traders about his tactics. For the City of Pewaukee woman and others elsewhere in the country, the warning came too late. Click Here For Story
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
From Joe Cooper of The Daily Bean
Great news friends!
I finally got the domain name to open back up! Now finally I can say that we are coming back and we will be better than ever! Unfortunately all of the files were deleted so I have to upload everything again, and it may take a little bit. Please be patient! The site should be back in the next week!
~*~
Ty 2K Buddy Update
Watch this one rise in price, released in January and retired two months later, some stores only received one shipment of this one as they were holding back on orders to see what was going to happen with the new Beanies and Beanie Kids. The price on the meta exchange has increased sharply from around $14.00 to;     (Click tag to go to trade pit & history). Auction prices are also on the increase, at present bids are closing at around $45.00 and I expect this will still increase a little. To view a list of current auctions for Ty 2K Buddy Click Here
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
Country Exclusives
One of our regulars writes in; I too have it on good authority that Ty will announce a few new beanies on Friday, maybe 3 Country exclusive beanies possibly 4. Look TY even has the blank beanie "print me " pages up and ready to go. View Here
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland

==March 8, 2000==
TY2K BUDDY RETIRES
View the official announcement here.
~*~
DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CONTEST!!
www.planetbeans.com  is sponsoring a contest to raise support for www.hope4kidz.org  The winner will receive the beautiful Erin Trio which includes the Erin Beanie Buddy, Erin Beanie Baby, and Erin Teenie Beanie. Please take the time to really look around the Hope4KidZ.org website. 
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
BEANIES MISSING THEIR CHEST EMBLEM ARE HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE
When a Beanie is missing its chest emblem, its value can increase dramatically. The auction for The End Bear without his chest emblem closes today and it is already at $511. This just may break recent sales records for Beanies without their emblem.

 Here area few recent auctions from eBay:

 Peace without Peace sign sold for $405.00 on 02/21
 Valentino without a heart sold for $405 on 02/27
 Large Peace buddy without Peace sign sold for $319 on 02/29
 Erin without a shamrock sold for $207.50 on 02/25
 Maple without a flag sold for $177.50 on 02/24
 Valentina without a heart sold for $155.00 on 03/04
 Princess without her rose sold for $153.27 on 03/01
 Glory without flag sold for $142.50 0n 3/5
 Osito without Flag sold for $94 on 3/6
Story Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
Man Pleads Guilty in Beanie Internet Scam
A Mission Beach man has pleaded guilty to defrauding customers from across the country by advertising rare Beanie Babies® on the Internet and failing to deliver the toys. According to the Sacramento Bee, James R. Denlinger Jr. was charged with receiving $46,701 from more than 200 customers from North Carolina to California and not providing the beanbag toys. View article here.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Announcement On Friday
From Lemon Lainey : Watch the Ty website on Friday for exciting news for UK collectors... something's on the way in a week or so!  Expect the Unexpected!
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
Sakura Update
Sales are closing on eBay for the rumored Sakura Japanese exclusive for prices in excess of $100.00 (view here) It is most unusual that these have so far not been pulled from eBay, does this mean that they are on there way? Search More
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland
~*~
Ty Japanese Web Site News
Ty has moved the link to the current Beanies on the Japanese web page. Ifyou click on Ty 2000, they show up in there at the top. Still no mention anywhere on the Ty page about Sakura. Darla in Japan :)    http://www.hashi.com/darla/homepage.htm
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net


==March 7, 2000==
Overheard on the Cyberboard
hjep writes: Yes, this is an actual news story! I was watching our local Fox station the other evening. They have a consumer watchdog section. Anyway, the one they spoke about was about... the Clubby I beanie, yes, the Clubby I BEANIE! This little girl had ordered her beanie (her brother had also, he received his). All she got was the certificate. Finally, after writing letters, phone calls (all long distance, mind you) she contacted Contact 6(Fox Channel 6-Milwaukee). Guess what she now has. Yes, you guessed it. Ty (aka Cyrk) sent her Clubby I beanie (tells us they are still out there, doesn't it?) and an apology letter.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Attic Treasures News
Did you know that six pairs of Attic Treasures share the same style number? Can you name them? Check the following link for the answer: http://www.salsattic.com/by_style_number.htm
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Tyra With Pom-Poms For Sale
Lulu from the Canadian Connection says that another Tyra Attic Treasure with pom-poms is being offered for sale. It is estimated that there are only 26 Tyras available worldwide to collectors. Also Canadians should be on the lookout for the new Attic and Beanie Buddies this month. And will Beanie Baby collectors turn towards Attics as a safer investment? All of this and much more at The Canadian Connection. Click Here For Link To The Canadian Connection
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
McD's Furby Promotion Starts March 23rd
The Happy Toys web site reports that Furby 2 begins in a few short weeks on March 23rd at your local McDonalds. There will be 12 different Furby Soft keychain toys available in this promotion. Each one has a different color, shape, and function. The 12 keychains include a tiger, a tree frog, an elephant, a monkey, a raccoon, a lamb, a giraffe, a fox, a dinosaur, an owl, a cow and a Diamond Back Snake. Happy Toys has a scan of the promotional poster for this event. Click Here To View Poster
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Russ Bears Report
Contributing writer Jan Hutson reports on Russ bears from the Denver show with lots of pictures and details. http://www.beanbagworld.net/news/details/russ.html
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Katies Contest
On April 1st 2000 Katie's Village will begin a new contest called "Twenty-One." The object is to answer one question correctly each day for twenty-one days.  The grand prize will be a rare "mistake" Father Time with only half of a clock. You must register to participate by April 1, 2000 For further information, visit the Earth bears section of Katie's Village or Click Here
Story Source: Beanie Wonderland

==March 6, 2000==
Special Book Offer to Club Members and Planet Beans readers:
Heartfelt Stories About Beanie Babies and Those Who Collect Them
by Pam Knapp

Everyone knows you can make money with Beanie Babies. Now the true stories in the recently released book, Heartfelt Stories About Beanie Babies..., show what makes them priceless.

Heartfelt Stories... is an inspiring and heartwarming anthology of 192 true collector stories celebrating how Beanie Babies have changed people's lives in remarkable ways. Readers of all ages will be amazed at how Beanie Babies have functioned as motivating coaches, teachers, therapists and emotional
healers, benefactors, trouble-shooters, nurses, matchmakers, companions, and family counselors. They'll read about:

-the mother who found a way to face the trauma of chemotherapy -the nine-year-old boy who started a mission to help the homeless -the dying father who discovered a reason to smile -the long-standing friendship that magically turned to love and marriage

... and many more heartfelt stories.

This compelling anthology is the work of Pam Knapp, herself a Beanie Baby collector, who discovered that Beanie Babies brought a greater sense of well-being, balance, and happiness to her own life. Knowing her life would never be the same, she wondered if others were experiencing similar
"blessings," all because of Beanie Babies. In her search to document this wonderful, non-commercial side of Beanie Baby collecting, she discovered that hundreds of other collectors were eager to share the changes that Beanies have made in their lives and, through them, in the lives of others.

Heartfelt Stories About Beanie Babies® ... is the first book to explore the true cultural impact of these adorable, popular stuffed toys. Stories from collectors ages 9 to 79 reveal how Beanie Babies have served as catalysts for strength and change in collectors' lives.

The New Haven Register says "Pam Knapp... has discovered the healing power of Beanie Babies."

Visit http://www.heartfeltstories.com to learn more about this book and Pam Knapp.

Special Book Offer to Club Members and Planet Beans readers:

Special 30% publisher's discount: Direct orders to the publisher will be $7.00 (retail is $9.95) per book payable by money order or personal check. Please add $3.50 shipping, $1 for each additional book. CT residents must add 6% sales tax to order.  Anyone placing a direct order will receive an autographed copy of the book.

Mail orders to:

Beckett Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 2036
Short Beach,  CT  06405

ATT: Orders
 
If one wishes to use a credit card, he or she may order at the website (http://www.heartfeltstories.com) where all online credit card orders receive a special 15% discount of $8.46 per book. The publisher is not presently handling credit card orders. Online orders are handled by a book fulfillment house.

Contact Pam@heartfeltstories.com for more info, or call Beckett Publishing at 1-800-891-3130. 
~*~
HALLMARK LOSES TY ACCOUNT
I just found out this morning that a Hallmark store I shopped at frequently in has lost their Ty account. This is getting a bit ridiculous. This store fell victim to the Ty 'rule' of having to have the Ty display at the front of the store. I guess Ty wants his displays to be the center of attention. The store manager just laughed when I told her I've read about this on the Internet. She said, "I'm not disappointed in losing the account because I am a Hallmark store and NOT a Ty store". "It's not a tough choice to stay a Hallmark Gold Crown store or choose to carry Ty products". Hallmark's carry so much more and I think it's just ridiculous that this rule is in place. If I were a retailer and I had someone telling ME how to run my store I wouldn't be very happy either.
~*~
More From Planet Plush And Sally Winey
This month we will be seeing a new release in the Planet Plush Sally Winey City and State Series called Dixie the Alabama Bear. In April the Planet Plush will feature another new release called Archie, the St. Louis Day bear. Both bears were designed by Sally Winey
Click Here For Picture Of Dixie
Click Here For Picture Of Archie
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
Auction for The End Bear Without an Emblem Hot!

An auction for The End bear without an emblem is heating up on eBay.  The auction ends on March 8th and the current high bid is $511!  The bear was originally purchased at Webb's Hallmark in Fort Wayne, Indiana by friend's of the seller.  The buyers didn't realize until they got home that it was missing the emblem since they were new to Beanies and it was purchased during a lottery event. Go to Auction Story Source: SmartCollecting

~*~
COLLECTIBLEZ.NET REOPENS
After being closed a short time Collectiblez.net has returned bigger and better than ever. The graphics are fantastic!! Ryan - you and your website contributors have something to be very proud of. I will continue visiting and recommending your great site to others. Best of luck to you!!  Visit Collectiblez.net 
~*~
The Pikamac
A humourous but true auction currently up on eBay Auctions is a PikaMac PC, which is an average computer but is yellow and shows resemblence to Pikachu! The lowest bid allowed is $2,500 and there is right now a reserve price on it as well, not met. Shown below is a photo of the PikaMac and you can bid on this auction as eBay Auction #28244840
Story Source: Collectiblez.net


==March 5, 2000==
DOG INGESTS BEANIE BABY
Overheard in an AOL chatroom last night: A dog was rushed to the vet when he started getting sick for no apparent reason. He ended up having emergency surgery. During the surgery it was discovered that he had he ingested a Chocolate the Moose Beanie Baby and it had gotten stuck in his intestines. You'll be happy to know the dog is recovering nicely.
~*~
Teen hacks for fun, to relieve boredom
By CAROL CARTER
WOLFEBORO - Wearing a Pokemon T-shirt emblazoned with the words: "Gotta catch  'em all!" a 17-year-old high school dropout admitted yesterday he has hacked into "dozens" of Web sites during the past several years, including one belonging to a prominent computer security company. Facing a wall of television cameras in the cluttered living room of his family's home on Union Street, Dennis M. Moran appeared oblivious to the potential consequences of his actions. "I didn't think I'd get caught," said the dark-haired teenager, who dropped out of Kingswood Regional High School early in his junior year. Moran denied responsibility, however, for well-publicized attacks last month on major electronic-commerce companies. Sites including Yahoo! and Amazon.com were put out of business for hours by a barrage of hacker signals sent to them all at once. During a conversation with his buddies in the #goonies Internet Relay Chat channel a few days after the attacks, Moran said he had jokingly
acknowledged committing the hacks. David Brumley, a security expert from Stanford University, was posing as a 14-year-old in the chat room, Moran said. Read the article here.
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
Couple Suing Burger King Over Pokemon Promotion
A couple has sued Burger King claiming they would not have purchased kid's meals with Pokemon balls if they had known the toys were defective. Click Here For More
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
BEANIE KID PRICES SOAR!
An eBay auction for an entire set of the new Ty Beanie Kids in-hand is currently at $1,055!  This equals over $100 for each Beanie Kid. Auction ends today! Go to Auction
Story Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
FLITTER AROUND THE WORLD
From Braden
You all may have heard Carol and I joking back and forth about Flitter being mailed yet, well that got me thinking, and I decided it would be rather awesome if Flitter could fly around the USA, I would be the first person to send her, and the last person to receive her, a camera will be included in the box and the person who has Flitter is responsible to take 2 pictures, one when she arrives, one when she is getting ready to depart (PREFERABLY with the person who has Flitter at the time ) a diary of Flitters trip will
also be included in the box, the person who receives Flitter will write down the date and time she got there, what she encountered there, and the date and time she left, also the Yahoo id of the person who received her. The person who receives her will be responsible to pay for Priority Mail Shipping WITH delivery confirmation , and OPTIONAL insurance to the next person on the list. Flitter will stay at each house for 3-5 days. Here is how to sign up: All applications will be reviewed, you must have references. Contact Braden at: broder13@avci.net


==March 4, 2000==
Hard Rock Cafe Sued by Beanie Baby-Maker Ty for Selling Toys
Bloomberg News
Mar 3 2000 6:56PM ET
Hard Rock Cafe Sued by Beanie Baby-Maker Ty for Selling Toys Chicago, March 3 (Bloomberg) -- Ty Inc., the maker of Beanie Babies plush toys, sued Hard Rock Cafe, International Inc., a unit of Rank Group Plc, for allegedly selling toy bears that infringe on its copyrights. The suit filed in federal court in Chicago claims a bear sold by Hard Rock, named ``Isaac Beara,'' is virtually identical to Ty's plush bears. Ty claims the two bears have similar features that consumers will be confused into thinking they are related. The suit asks that Hard Rock be barred from infringing its property and for unspecified damages. Hard Rock ``is continuing to falsely advertise and designate the origin or is marketing the accused bear in a manner calculated to lead the public to believe that the accused bear'' emanates from Ty, the suit claims. Read the article here.
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
H. Kong Cop Jumped McDonald's Line
HONG KONG (AP) - As if the fistfights, customer stampedes and black marketing weren't enough, it has now been revealed that a 1998 McDonald's promotion led to an internal police probe of an officer accused of jumping the line to buy a Snoopy doll. Customers crowding outside a McDonald's outlet to wait for a chance to buy the toys apparently weren't amused. Authorities received an anonymous complaint that the senior police constable who was controlling the crowds at the time might have abused his power by calling the restaurant on his cellular phone then picking up his order through a back door while ordinary citizens outside waited hours for their turn. The officer, who has not been publicly identified, was called in to explain himself. He said he had ordered the food in advance - a service available to any customer - and arranged to pick up his order through a back door to avoid the crowd. Read the article here.
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
Canadian Conection
Lulu from the Canadian Connection section of the Maison D'Ours web site has posted information about the following: A flood that damaged stock at Ty Canada. 6 more Tyras with pompoms have been found. Ty and US Customs Dept. going after fakes and transshipping. Plus special coverage on fakes Part 3.
Click Here For Link To Canadian Connection
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
From: Beanie Wonderland
Poems and Birthdays
We received an e-mail today requesting that we remove the poems and birthdays of the new Beanies as it was a mistake that they appeared on the main Ty site. We have removed them although it is a strange request, does this mean that the dates are wrong, if not then why the secrecy. you can bet someone at Ty is in for a ticking off once again. 

==March 3, 2000==
Beanie Babies® 2000 Poems and Birthdates Removed from Ty.com
We've received word from Ty Inc.® that the poems and birthdates posted on Ty.com for a short time were accidentally posted and not ready for release to the public. With this in mind, it is possible that the birthdates and poems may change before they are officially posted on Ty.com.
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
THREE CHARGED IN $20,000 BEANIE BABY ONLINE SCAM
The Associated Press reports that three Philadelphia men were charged yesterday with a $20,000 Internet scam in which customers did not receive the Beanie Babies they purchased through ads on America Online. Go to article
Story Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
UK TO GET 1999 MCDONALDS TEENY BEANIES....
Zoe from England reports, "Starting today, March 3rd 2000, McDonalds in the UK are doing a four-week TY Teenie Beanie promotion... It will be the same collection as the US had in 1999. Don't know if we are getting the International bears though." Steve from Manchester, UK, confirmed this news.
Story Source: SmartCollecting
~*~
BEANIES ON TV - LESSON TO BE LEARNED
Today on the Maury show he was granting special wishes to children A. 11 year old girl came out with her arms full of BEANIES---her MOST prized possessions. Seems the kids at school all teased her because she had buck teeth...they would call her Bugs.. tell her to go eat a carrot... all the dumb little remarks that kids say.. so she wanted to trade her most loved toys for a set of braces.. .Which of coarse Maury granted without taking her loved toys...May the good Lord Bless Him...as an afterthought and a note to some of the "Adult's" who start their silly arguments over this 6.00 toys---Please try to remember how precious these toys are to the CHILDREN.
Story Source: The Underground Bean (provided to them by The Quitting Granny)


==March 2, 2000==
NEW BEANIE POEMS & BIRTHDATES ADDED
You can view the new birthdates and poems here.
~*~
SOUTHERN BEANIES
I'd like to recommend a great new beanie site. It's called Southern Beanies. The Webmaster is young and very talented. He has put a lot of time and effort into his site so it deserves a look. 
~*~
Bad News Clubby Bears
The Washington Post writes about the fine Cyrk received for the late delivery of Clubby Beanie Babies ordered through the BBOC in 1998. Click Here For Article
Story Source: Beanieholics
~*~
eBay and Wells Fargo Join Forces
eBay Inc., and Wells Fargo & Company today announced a strategic alliance designed to address the exploding need for an online person-to-person payments platform. The new alliance combines the power and vibrancy of the world's largest online personal trading community with the scale, efficiency, and payments expertise of Wells Fargo, creating a company that will set the industry standard for person-to-person payment on the Internet: Billpoint. Click here for the article.
~*~
Student wins $1,500 from school for losing Pokemon cards
PITTSBURG, Calif. (AP) -- An 11-year-old boy whose middle school confiscated, then lost, his 161 Pokemon cards took the school to small claims court and won a $1,500 judgment. "I'll be able to get more Pokemon cards,'' Rudy Donithan-Treat said outside the courthouse after the verdict Tuesday. Rudy, a sixth-grader at O'Hara Park Middle School in Oakley, sued the school district in January for $5,000 after trustees rejected a $500 claim. A monitor confiscated Rudy's cards in August, but when he went to collect them, they had disappeared. http://www.mercurycenter.com/breaking/docs/075350.htm
Story Source: Ms. Janie

==March 1, 2000==
NEW BEANIE PICTURES
You can view the new pictures here.
~*~
NEW BEANIES!!
The Ty site was experiencing difficulties this morning.  Many retailers could not get through.  They either got a Netscape error or there was no new information posted.

FINALLY*** Ty Product News ***
The new names from the Ty Retailer site are as follows:
2000 Signature bear
The Beginning - bear
Swoop - pterodactyl
Halo II
Frigid - Penguin
Aurora - Polar Bear
Springy - Lavender bunny
Swampy - Alligator
Grace - praying bunny
Wiggly - Octopus
Trumpet - Swan
Sarge - German Shepherd
Sneaky - Leopard
Fleecie - lamb
Rufus - dog
Scurry -  beetle
Morrie - eel
Glow - lightning bug
Niles - Camel
Bushy - Lion
Story Source: Ms. Janie
~*~
Red Digger Auctions on eBay Pulled, Report of Fake Picture
The auctions of the red Digger 'in hand' have been pulled and reports on several Web sites report the picture of the red Digger has been faked. 
Story Source: BeanBagWorld.net
~*~
Limits Put On Ty Classic
It was originally posted on the Ty Retailer's site that an unlimited number of Ty Classic designs could be ordered by each retailer in March. This has since been changed. Retailers may now only order up to 12 of each Ty Classic styles.
~*~
Chipper Beanie Kid Tag Errors
Lydia from Katie's Village informs us of tag errors on the Beanie Kid Chipper. There is a misspelling on his hang tag that reads: "East of the kids" instead of "Each of the kids" An auction on eBay has also turned up a Chipper that has the looped tush tag facing the wrong way with the hologram and his name facing front. All others face to the back.
Story Source: Beanieholics