March 2003 News Archives

-=MARCH 31, 2003=-
AN UNPLEASANT "YOURS TRULY" EXPERIENCE
Glenda writes: "It is good to read of pleasant experiences in purchasing Yours Truly from the Hallmark dealers. Unfortunately mine was very different. We have one Hallmark store in the city and the owner flat out lied to those waiting in line on Friday the 28th when she opened and said she had not received the beanie. I called the store a couple of hours later and again was told they had not received the beanie. About an hour after I called the store I went back to the store and met an avid Beanie collector coming out of the mall with a Hallmark sack so knew then that the beanies were in. I went in and asked to purchase one of the beanies and was then told they had already sold out. I confronted the lady that I had been there at 10 and was told they had not received the bear. She then said she had to take care of her regular customers first and that is why she told us they had not come in. I could understand that the regular customers would come first but just can't understand an adult lying like that. I called the Hallmark Corp. and reported this behavior. I also will never shop in that Hallmark store again. My niece was able to get me one of the beanies at her Hallmark store in Houston so I will be receiving Yours Truly but my experience with the store here in WF sure left a bad taste in my mouth. Glenda

<< my response to Glenda: "That is ridiculous that you were lied to. The "Yours Truly" Beanie was to be sold to those having a Gold Crown Card. Why is your card not as important as someone else's??? I hope you don't give that store your business again. Please let me know if you hear from the Hallmark headquarters. I'm curious to see if they will try and resolve this situation somehow. Thank you for your email. I'm glad you were able to get a "Yours Truly" bear. :o)" >>

UPDATE FROM GLENDA
Glenda writes: "Lisa: The lady I talked to at Hallmark said this was surely not the way they wanted their customers to be treated and would notify the representative in this area that services the store and she would be reprimanded and also gave me 1,000 points on my Gold Crown card which I don't intend to use at this store. I told the Hallmark owner that I would not ever shop in her store again and would make sure that my friends didn't either. I had met another lady while we were waiting for the Hallmark store to open and we had exchanged phone numbers so I called her and gave her the phone number to call for Hallmark. She assured me she would also call and complain and call several of her friends that had been treated the same way and have them to call the Hallmark home office. Maybe if enough people complain something will be done. I will never know if the owner will get her hands slapped but made me feel better knowing I had turned her in. Thanks for listening. Us Beanie collectors have to stick together. Glenda"

CONTEST DONATIONS SO FAR...
Don't forget the new contest will be starting in the morning and you must be a member of my mailing list. I will get the contest page ready later today with details and the type of contest. If you'd like to add a donation to this list please email me at Lisa@planetbeans.com. There will be multiple winners and the donator will be mailing directly to the winner.
1 White America Beanie
3 USA Beanie Buddies
2 Serenity Beanies
2 Peace Beanies
1 Grace Beanie
1 Soar Beanie
1 USA Beanie

-=MARCH 30, 2003=-
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
It's Mother's Day in the UK so I'd like to wish all of our UK Mom's a great day. I hope you are spoiled rotten. ;o)

CONTEST DONATIONS
So far we have 2 USA Buddies, 2 Peace Beanies, Grace Beanie, Serenity Beanie, and a Soar Beanie. Thank you to Gayle, Terry, Bev, Sharon, and Ry for your donations. La Rue is also checking to see what she can donate. If you are interested in donating a prize and mailing out to the winner, any Beanie that would symbolize Peace or the United States, please contact me before April 1st. I will be starting a contest the contest on April 1st with the prizes that have been donated. Thank you for your kindness. Those of you that donate are also welcome to participate. There will be more than one winner. Contest details will be finalized the evening of March 31st and you will be informed on Tuesday morning, April 1st.

ADDED NOTE: You must be a member of my mailing list to join in on the contests here. I'm not sure the type of contest I will be doing as of yet but I do know that select contest information will appear in the newsletters.

"YOURS TRULY" EXPERIENCE
Krystal writes: "I had visited one store the week before (one of two owned by the same people), when reports of some other stores in other areas were selling them, and they told me they would be available 3/28, you had to have a gold crown card (but you could fill out an application on the spot and still get the beanie). Being a long time Gold Crown member, I wasn't worried. At another store (a different owner) the clerk didn't even know what I was talking about. I only visited two of the 3 Hallmarks in our area, as I was taking time off of work to get the beanie. They waited until 3/28 to sell the beanie. I got to the first store just as they were opening. No lines, there were just 2 people waiting before me, and one came in after me. The store was allowing 1 per customer, you must have a gold crown card (no certificate required - I never received one) and they were $5.99. They had them sitting behind the counter, but in full view. The second store is owned by the same people, so the set up was the same. There was someone filling out an application for a Gold Crown card, they got their card and their beanie on the spot. Again, no line, no crowds, and there looked to be plenty of beanies. It went very smoothly. Krystal from Iowa."

FUNNY POST BY TY WARNER.. I CAN PICTURE THIS!!
Re:Ty said he was going to his favorite ....
Ty Warner (Mar 28, 2003, 05:01 PM)
Message Id: 364012

Ty Warner writes: I really did stop by a Hallmark Gold Crown store today for Yours Truly. I stepped up to the counter and asked the friendly store assistant where I might purchase Yours Truly. She asked for my name, I answered Ty. She pulled out a note book, scanned some pages and replied, "I'm sorry Mr. Ty but your name isn't on my list". Maybe tomorrow I'll have better luck ! VIEW THREAD HERE

BRACELETS BY LISA ... (I've posted pictures of the 17 Swarovski crystals and the 5 cats eye beads I have in stock.)
Are you looking for a perfect gift for your girlfriend, your Sister, your Mother, or your Daughter? I received a beautiful bracelet for Christmas from my Mom and I fell in love with it. I decided to try my hand at making them so others will enjoy giving them as gifts. To view one I made for myself and the one I made for my daughter visit here: http://www.planetbeans.com/BraceletsByLisa.htm

At the Gate, Enjoying the Parade
I worked in telephone reservations at British Airways for 14 years in New York. Last year, the reservations office moved to Florida, so I transferred to a job at Kennedy Airport. I hadn't worked in front of people since I was a grocery clerk in high school, so I was nervous about making the switch. Now I love what I'm doing.

I love seeing passports from countries I have never been to. Some people travel so much that their passports have extra pages and are a half-inch thick. I like looking at the photographs. One guy had big hoop earrings in both ears in his photograph but not in person. I said to him, "You look so handsome without your earrings."

I've learned certain phrases in Polish, Russian, Korean. I can say "hello," "goodbye," "thank you" and "I love you." When I say "I love you" to someone in their language, that always gets a laugh.

I really love the children. Once, a little girl was crying. Her mother said she had left her toys at the hotel. I told her that a store in the airport sold Beanie Babies and other toys, and I took $20 out of my pocket. The mother said no, but I said, "Please let me do this." She took the bill and started to cry. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

JODI'S THANK YOU BEAR + RAFFLE .... ANOTHER UPDATE!!
WOW!! This raffle has really taken off. What a great cause to be helping out and when you help out and as if that wasn't enough... you have a chance to win some pretty wonderful prizes. Have you looked at the prize list lately? There have been a few donations from readers and Jodi really appreciates them. Jodi is trying to raise money for a VERY special and worthy cause. Almost $400 has been raised so far. Thanks to everyone that is helping Jodi out. :o) VISIT HERE. Did you notice POMPEY is on the list of raffle prizes???

-=MARCH 29, 2003=-
"YOURS TRULY" STORY
Julia writes: "Lisa have I got a story for you LOL My hubby called up our hallmark this morning for me to see if yours truly would be on sale today and she said yes for Gold Crown Members and only those that had a certificate that was mailed to them for the beanie. When he came and told me this I called the store back and she told me the same thing. Needless to say I let her know right then and there I was wanting my beanie because I held the card. She said well if we have any left when you get here. It took me no more than 15 minutes to get there. So I go in and 2 ladys ask can they help me. I said yes you sure can I would like to buy the hallmark beanie. She said do you have the card and the certificate.

I also called 1-800-hallmark before leaving and was told I only needed to be a member of the Gold Crown stores, so I had this info to back me up when I got there. She then dares to says we don't have anymore. I tell her I know she is lying or she wouldn't have asked if I had the certificate. She says well we are holding them for preferred customers. I won't go into the rest, it would take to long, but she ends up throwing the beanie at me, and tells me to never come into her store again (not her store she is only the mgr). They didn't even have them showing, she had them under the counter, not to be seen. I have called the owner and left a message for him to call me back. I am not going to let her get by with throwing things at customers. Then when I get home, there was a message on my answering machine from her saying I hope you are happy it really wasn't worth the trouble. The nerve of some people. Well that is my version of yours truly, feel free to share and give people a laugh. Julia"

"YOURS TRULY" EXPERIENCE
Diane writes: "Hello Lisa and Ms. Janie: Just wanted to share a few pictures of the 'gang' that my mother and I got yesterday and today!!! It sure took a looooong time (8 hours) to go to 12 stores (plus eating lunch and a little sight-seeing). I sure am tired!! All but 2 of the Hallmark's charged $5.99. The other 2 charged $6.99. Most of them let us pick our own out from the bunches (and they all sure had alot of them). And, for the most part, our experience was a good one! We really enjoyed ourselves immensely!! It was just plain fun!! I think that we got enough so that if there is anyone on Ms. Janie's trade board that needs one - we can help them out!!! I have already put a post up, so if you know of anyone!!! Have a great weekend!! Diane in California" << if you'd like to see what MANY "Yours Truly" bears look like in one picture VIEW HERE >>

100th Anniversary Exclusive Beanie Buddy Day
Bean Watcher shares:
"Brent from California sent me news about a special promotion at Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2003. On that day, the New York Yankees (a professional baseball team in the U.S.) will be playing against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in New York. The day has been designated as "100th Anniversary Exclusive Beanie Buddy Day" and commemorates the Yankees' 100 Year Anniversary. The first 18,000 fans age 14 years of age and under are eligible for this special offer (click here) More information about the exclusive Beanie Buddy will be provided when it becomes available. ~ Thanks Brent for sharing this news with all of us!"

WAVE A FLAG FOR OUR TROOPS.. FOR THE U.S.A.
This is really neat. You can leave a personal message for the troops here for all to see. We are flag number 188630. http://www.zoom-n.com/rf/waveit/go3.php Thanks to Charlene for sharing this link. :o) The rate which flags are "waved" is quite amazing.

PLANET BEANS CONTEST
I would like to run a contest with "Praying for Peace" as an idea to support what's happening in the world today. I was looking for Beanies like Peace, Hope, Grace, Liberty, USA, etc. that symbolize Peace and hope. :o) Would you like to pitch in and be a contest sponsor? If you own a website... your banner will be shown on the contest page for the duration of the contest. All I ask of my contest sponsors is that they provide the prizes and mail directly to the winners. Depending on the number of donations, we may have multiple winners in this contest. I'll keep you posted. I've heard from 2 of my readers that would like to donate. :o) If you are interested in helping out.. please email me at Lisa@planetbeans.com

ASK TY
Q: How do we get the Hallmark Crown Ty Bear? (submitted by MyraLynnette)
A: I plan on stopping by my favorite Hallmark Gold Crown store tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you there! http://www.ty.com/askty_home

MESSAGE FROM SUE OWEN
(this information has been shared with the members of her Yahoo! Group - for details on how to join visit Sue's site: http://www.boglin.net/)
Dear 'Collectors for Life',

As March is coming to an end I thought that I would update you with what has been happening with CHERISH this month.

By virtue of the fact that you are reading this email, you will know about the 'CHERISH collectors for life' mailing group that has recently started to allow me to keep interested parties informed about recent and upcoming fundraising events for Cancer Research UK.

The 'CRACKER OF A DRAW' began last Saturday and has raised £426 in just a week! Many thanks to those people who have already sent payment. The draw date is still to be confirmed but will not be until the end of April, so there is still plenty of time to join in if you wish. The prizes are fantastic and quite unique!

In the latest issue of Bean Bag and Collectables Magazine I launched the 'George Campaign' with a mention of some upcoming ebay auctions of celebrity signed George Chubbley Bears. These bears have had an extra tag designed especially for the campaign, each of which has been signed by a person who has represented England in some special way. I will let you know the full list before the auctions begin on 23rd April - St George's Day. Some of the people who have signed the tags are Baroness Thatcher, Earl Spencer, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Bobby Charlton. There are so many that the auctions will be divided into two separate batches.

One of the tags has been signed by Charles Rogers (past Director of Chubbley UK Ltd) and Darren Barker (present Managing Director) and that particular bear is not going on auction. Instead he is being offered as the prize in another draw. To be entered all you have to do is send me a book of (unused!) UK stamps to the address on the Contact page of www.boglin.net. I am always in need of postage stamps for CHERISH so this works well for me too! Sorry to all you overseas supporters - but I promise that I will think of something for you in the future!

As you perhaps realise, April is a special month in England as on the 23rd we celebrate the day of our Patron Saint - St George. I have been busy finding out lots of information about George and the Dragon for all of you and this will be published on www.boglin.net in the coming weeks. I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Some of it is fact and some of it is fun!

The St George's theme does not stop there! I will give you a further update later in the month.

Before I finish I have to tell you how wonderful it has been to receive such amazing donations of collectibles from 'Collectors for Life'. You have only to look at the prizes in 'CRACKER OF A DRAW' to see the generosity of Darren Barker and Chubbley UK Ltd! One of the special prizes was donated by Heather Softley for which I thank her so much. I know that she and Kathie Currie have been busy 'across the pond' on their own projects for CHERISH, which we hope to bring you good news about in the future.

I have coming to me a Herald Ty Beanie which Pam Stradeski has had signed for me by Brendan Shannahan (ice hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings), complete with a photograph of Brendan signing Herald! Pam has also had two wrestling figures signed by the wrestlers (names to follow!).

Another donation has come from Jackie in UK who sent me a George to be signed 'by a famous George'. Jackie, I have that in hand! Across the other side of the world Katt's Gifts in New Zealand has promised another prize for a future event. And from the USA La Rue of Kansas Brass and Pewter has donated tag protectors to fit the first generation hangtags worn by George.

(Mad) Stef of Windy Ridge Bears has been busy creating a special mohair bear for CHERISH which she will be raffling at shows and through her website on www.windyridgebears.co.uk More details about that once Stef has finished the bear!

Just this evening I have been promised an amazing collectible for future use. I will say no more other than you are going to love this one!

Thanks for reading and for your support. If you have any suggestions or ideas do please email me!

Passive Web sites that are not targeted at a particular state generally will not create jurisdiction in a foreign state. In this case, however, the court held that there was jurisdiction over the Maui company in Chicago, based upon the active nature of its Web site. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

Sensible Storrie sees downward wage spiral as a leg up
IT WAS different then. Fathers would hide their sons’ eyes as they trudged past the The Pompey Hotel just outside the quaint main gates of Fratton Park. It was bulging with beery supporters, spilling out on to the pavement clutching pints of Mr Brickwood’s finest. These days, youngsters are dragging their parents in to spend their cash, not on pints, but on shirts, mugs, pens, scarves, ashtrays, beanie babies and tracksuit bottoms.

It’s the Pompey Shop and it is making a fortune. This week, Tara Snowden, who runs the place, was able to tell her boss that the profit has rocketed from £800,000 last year to £2 million this. OK, it’s not exactly a financial bedrock that will guarantee survival in the Premiership next season, but the sale of 41,000 team strips — yours for £39.99 — gives a glimpse into the commercial revolution that has hit the old place. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

Fire destroys home in Greendale
For 40 years, there was a lot of loving in the house at 3005 West Isabella Road. It was a place that saw four children raised with their roots planted firmly in the community. A place from which Pat and Bill Jeffries carried out the tasks of preparing meals, of singing, of gathering recipes, of paying bills, of getting kids off to school, of getting ready for church, of keeping the homestead immaculate so that those fortunate enough to drive past it paused in admiration. In other words, it was a place for living. In 30 minutes, it was all gone but the memories. Gone were the recipes Pat Jeffries came up with and collected over the years of her life. Gone was the purse she didn't grab on her way out. Gone was the birthday cake she had just baked for grandson Max. Gone were the 300 to 400 Beanie babies she had collected. Gone were the garden tractor and the four-wheeler in the garage. A fire that began in the garage where Bill Jeffries was cooking buffalo wings spread rapidly throughout the house Thursday afternoon. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

DUCK-e ARRIVES
Nadine writes: "HI LISA.....JUST A LITTLE NOTE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT DUCK E ARRIVED, HE IS SO SOFT AND CUDDLY, FABRIC LIKE SIZZLE AND THEY HAD A "SPRING LIKE" TISSUE ON TOP OF THEM. REALLY PRETTY. TY SURE IS GETTING FASTER AND FASTER. NADINE BURKE"

-=MARCH 28, 2003=-
PASSING A LITTLE PEACE AROUND THE WORLD
Randy writes: "Lisa, Someone on your mailing list suggested I share a project with you that some of us are doing to help unite people and maybe being some Peace to people all over the world. I call one of the projects Operation Peace and I started by sending someone across the country a PEACE bear with the idea they are to forward it to someone else across the country or in another country. This way we are sending PEACE all over the world. The idea caught on and there will be more than one PEACE crossing the globe and all will continue until the war is over. SOmeone took this idea and modified it a little and now we have Serenity crossing the globe and Hope and maybe even Unity. Just wanted to share an idea that will help to unite many people in this troubling time of war. Thanks, Randy Friedman"

<< my comments: I'd like to thank SHeL for bringing this to my attention today and I think Randy is onto a great idea. I've put a USA Beanie into a box that I'll be mailing to my Step-Brother who serves in the Army for our great country. He's in the 3rd Infantry Division Support and they've been traveling all over Iraq in search of peace. Let's hope our brave men and women will get the point across and continue to make us all so proud. God Bless ALL!! >>

JODI'S THANK YOU BEAR + RAFFLE .... ANOTHER UPDATE!!
You won't want to miss out on this one. Jodi is trying to raise money for a VERY special and worthy cause. If you'd like to take a peek to see what prizes you have a chance at winning and what cause you will be helping VISIT HERE. Almost $200 has been raised so far. This is great. Thanks to everyone that is helping Jodi out. :o) TWO more prizes have been added to the raffle list.

MOVING SALE
Danita is selling some of her Ty and Chubbley items. She's planning a big move and needs to weed out some of her plush. If you'd like to see what she's selling VISIT HERE

NEW WEBSITE FOR GRANDMA'S BEARS
Gayle's NEW website is ready for viewing. WWW.GRANDMASBEARS.NET

HOW ABOUT A CONTEST...
It's been a long while since I've had a contest here at Planet Beans. Would you like to sponsor a contest here? For details.. contact me at Lisa@planetbeans.com

Press Release from Holy Bears, Inc.
Houston , TX
Date: March 27, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

HolyBears® Announces Partnership
With Todd M. Beamer Foundation

Houston, TX - March 2003 HolyBears, Inc. proudly announces that they have partnered with the Todd M. Beamer Foundation to create and distribute the Let's Roll™ Bear to help raise funds for the foundations many activities.

The Todd M. Beamer Foundation, established on September 24, 2001 is a non-profit public charity created to equip children experiencing family trauma to make heroic choices every day. In honor of Todd Beamer, and the other heroes of United Flight 93, Todd's family and friends established The Foundation to carry on his legacy of character, faith and courage to a new generation of young people.

"It is truly a privilege to be selected by The Todd M. Beamer Foundation to create the Lets Roll™ Bear, said Rob LeClair, HolyBears® founder and President. We look forward to helping the foundation in its mission to touch the lives of children and help them to make heroic choices everyday."

The Let's Roll™ Bear is a royal blue and white 9-inch beanbag bear. The Let's Roll™ logo is embroidered on the bear's chest while the foundations insignia is embroidered in gold on the bears left footpad. The bears retail for $10.00 each and a portion of the proceeds from each sale will go back to The Todd M. Beamer Foundation. The bears are available through HolyBears® retailers nationwide and throughout

Canada

, and through school and church fundraisers. A complete list of HolyBears® retailers can be found at www.holybears.com/wheretobuy.html.

HolyBears® "Gifts with Meaning" are perfect for all occasions. To learn more about HolyBears® creations visit www.holybears.com. To learn more about The Todd M. Beamer Foundation visit www.beamerfoundation.org.

She knows the nickname recognizes a special four-legged and descented friend of hers, not any personal liabilities.

Ferm, who is administrative secretary at the Carrizozo Police Department, and her fiance, Peter Wolfe, happen to like skunks, as well as dogs and cats.

Finally, they decided to trust their little friend, who now follows them on walks, zigzagging to check out distractions along the way. Skotty has gone on trips to California. He slept under Ferm's seat and traveled well with a litter box.

"He's quite an attention-getter," she said. He also is licensed in Carrizozo as the only pet skunk in town. Ferm takes him to special events, such as the recent Animal Festival, where he won a Beanie Baby basket that was raffled.

"He loves Beanie Babies and plays with them like a cat except he's not destructive. He doesn't claw or chew up things," she said. "He's very affectionate." READ FULL STORY HERE

PICTURES OF NEW BEANIES
Diana writes: "Lisa! I think I know who the mystery bear is!

Mom-e 2003?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=438&item=3123344319&rd=1

The shadowed bear in the Ty Store looks to be fuzzy like Sizzle and also looks to have a large bow. The Mom-e 2003 shown in the auction above is fuzzy and has a big chiffon bow...

I may be off my rocker, but I just had to tell someone! Diana"

-=MARCH 27, 2003=-
NEW WEBSITE FOR GRANDMA'S BEARS
Gayle's website is being completely redone and is almost ready for release. I will let you know when to look at her new site. WWW.GRANDMASBEARS.NET

-=MARCH 26, 2003=-
A GOOD QUESTION ABOUT DECADE
Brenda writes: "Hi, Lisa Question: Like the Ty Birthday Bears; do you think, that the Ty "Decade" Bears will be released colored...according to each month? Blue...March. White...April. May...Green? etc. (My question; may be used in your newsletter, if you wish.) Just my personal observation & opinion. ....Brenda ;)"

<< my response: Brenda.. you know.. you bring up a VERY good point. Since March would be aquamarine in color and April would be diamond (white) in color I wonder if the next color will be emerald green for May. Tyme will tell!! ;o) >>

THANK YOU...
I appreciate your kind words about the bracelets I'm making. http://www.planetbeans.com/BraceletsByLisa.htm I've just ordered lots more colors of Swarvoski crystals so you will have many more beautiful colors to choose from if you order.

'Yours Truly' Comments
I called the Hallmark in my local mall late Tues. afternoon to ask if they got Yours Truly in yet and they did. I also asked if they could hold one for me until I could get there Wed., but was told there should be plenty of them, so it wasn't necessary to "reserve" it. Limit is one per member per visit (I didn't ask if a "visit" means in & out the door, or within an hour or two, or what). Just for the heck of it, I asked how many they got in and the person I spoke to asked someone else. The answer : AT LEAST 200!!!!!!! Is this going to be a shelf-sitter? I don't know any Beanie that ever was shipped in such a large number. Not sure if that meant 200 for ONLY this store, or among all their stores. Not sure how many they have in their chain but I know there's another one in a different mall. This is the largest of the 3 Hallmarks I know of in the area, much larger than the other one across the street from the mall. Marc

<< my comments: I would say 200 sounds like an awful lot for one store but you never know. My guess is the larger stores will receive more than the smaller ones. My local Hallmark received only 48 but they are a small store. One very important question to ask your Hallmark store is if this is a ONE shipment Beanie. Then we may know just how collectible it will be. As far as being a shelf sitter... if the people making the purchase have access to the Internet and visit Beanie sites they will know how nice this Beanie would be for their collection. For your average person just walking into the store.. that will be the true test. Will 'Yours Truly' appeal to the occasional Beanie collector? I think it will.. very pretty bear in my opinion. :o) >>

Nadine writes: "HI LISA.....JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH "YOURS TRULY". I HAD REGISTERED AT TWO STORES, ONE STORE CALLED ME TODAY AND TOLD ME I COULD COME GET MY BEARS, PLUS I COULD ALSO PICK UP 2 OTHERS THAT BELONGED TO FRIENDS OF MINE WHO HAD GOLD CROWN CARDS. I HAD MY NEPHEW PICK THEM UP AND DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO SHOW THE CARDS. THAT WAS GREAT. NOW I AM WAITING ON THE OTHER STORE TO CALL ME, I AM ON THEIR LIST AND THEY WILL START CALLING ON THE 28TH. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL BEAR....AND WORTH THE TROUBLE TO PICK IT UP. LOVE YOUR NEWSLETTER, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK."

HolyBears® Too Blessed To Be Stressed" Bear Comforting Consumers
Houston, TX - March 2003 For more than a century the classic teddy bear has been around to comfort us and make us smile in good times and in bad. HolyBears, Inc., the Christian teddy bear icon from Houston, Texas recently announced their most blessed caregiver; the "Too Blessed to Be Stressed Bear."

Unlike HolyBears signature bean bag plush bears, the Too Blessed to be Stressed Bear has a more traditional albeit classic teddy bear look and feel. Available in either 9-inch or 16-inch sizes, this special bear is handcrafted of a butter soft long haired faux fur. With his non-descript face and ultra squishy body, he is just right for cuddle comfort.

These are stressful times, said Rob LeClair, Founder and President of HolyBears, and when you hold and hug this bear you cant help but relax.

Too Blessed To Be Stressed Bears have a suggested retail price of $10.00 & $20.00 each and are available in gift stores nationwide and throughout Canada.

HolyBears® "Gifts with Meaning" are perfect for all occasions. To learn more about HolyBears® creations visit www.holybears.com

Press Release From Bestever, Inc.
Rancho Dominguez, California
Date: March 25, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Bestever, Inc. Adds Ethnic Little Friends
Rancho Dominguez, California - March 2003 Bestever, Inc. introduced their first ever baby doll designed especially for infants at this year's International Toy Fair and already, they are adding to the line. Isn't that the way it is with babies? You start out with just a couple of little ones and they are so irresistible you have to keep growing the family. In addition to the original white baby girl and baby boy, Bestever now has an ethnic variety of Little Friends.

Still the perfect size for little hands, these 6.5-inch soft sculptured dolls are made of comfy soft cotton velour fabric. Little Friends come in two styles. The infant boy is outfitted in baby blue while the infant girl wears powder pink complete with knotted hat and bunting, both embroidered with hearts (for the girl) and stars (for the boy).

"The success of the original Little Friends, has resulted in retailers asking for a brown skin tone for their many ethnic consumers," said Director of Product Development, An n Nelson.

These tiny huggables come with matching cotton velour blankets lined with eyelet and trimmed in satin. Ethnic Little Friends have a suggested retail price of $15.00 each and can be found in specialty gift stores nationwide.

Manufacturing Plush in Korea and China for more than 30 years, Bestever is the leading plush distributor in Korea and for the past five years has experienced the success of national distribution in the US market. Bestever, Inc. product appeals to three specific consumer groups, Babies, Kids and Everyone. To flip through the 2003 Bestever Inc., scrapbook, go to www.besteverinc.com. For additional information, e-mail bestever@besteverinc.com

Which toys will make the list?
The annual inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame will be announced Wednesday. What do others think should be included? When Thomas Sawyer was a boy, he was fascinated by the mechanics of Mattel's Hot Wheels. The die-cast toy cars, introduced by Mattel in 1968, were faster and flashier than most of the competition out there.

"What we're looking for is a toy that has reached icon status in America," says Hall of Fame spokeswoman Kim Baldwin, "something that's a household name. And that toy can be anything that inspires learning and creativity in a child." Toys can be nominated through the museum's Web site. Additional votes come through a "man-on-the-street"-type poll, which also targets educators and people involved in child development. Toy manufacturers are excluded.

Beanie Babies, those colorful, miniature animal beanbags created by toy inventor Ty Warner in 1993, are still No. 1 with Michelle Shank of Telford and her daughter, Kyra. Although the craze that had adults and children alike clamoring for Patti, Squealer, Pinchers and their friends has subsided, Kyra, 4, is still beefing up her collection.

"She plays with them all the time," says her mom. "That's how she learned all the animal sounds and colors, and she's very creative with them. She looks at each one and makes up her own name for them, even though they already have a name." VIEW FULL STORY HERE

HALLMARK EMAIL...
Char & Sandy have shared their emails they received from Hallmark announcing the "Yours Truly" Beanie Baby. You can view the ad HERE

REMINDER ~ SUE'S CHARITY NEWS!!
This 'Cracker of a Draw' offers you the chance to win a unique and highly collectible Chubbley prize from a list of five. VISIT HERE and make sure to click on CURRENT PROJECTS to learn more. You won't want to miss it!! ;o)

-=MARCH 25, 2003=-
JODI'S THANK YOU BEAR + RAFFLE .... UPDATE- NEW PRIZE ADDED!!
You won't want to miss out on this one. Jodi is trying to raise money for a VERY special and worthy cause. If you'd like to take a peek to see what prizes you have a chance at winning and what cause you will be helping VISIT HERE. SHeL has donated a 'Yours Truly' bear to Jodi for the raffle. Thanks SHeL!! :o)

'Yours Truly' Comments
Sandy writes: "hi Lisa, I just called a few hallmarks here..( there are 4 of them not too far away) 3 of them have them now.. one per gold crown member per day and the other store will have them the 28th. They all told me they have alot of them to last them a few days. But i did manage to get myself one before they were all gone..they are pretty, a light shade of purple...lilac color with some white in it. Sandy"

Nancy writes: I now have an answer about the Yours Truly bear in my area. There are 6 Hallmarks here (5 of which are owned by the same chain.) Those 5 will all put their bears out on Friday, March 28, and are limiting to one per customer. I did not call the other one as it is further away than I want to drive. There are two Hallmarks in the mall I go to, so I'm hoping that I can get two on Friday by going to both stores. I want to get an extra one for a friend. Thanks for keeping us all informed on what other places are doing in regards to this bear. NM (in Washington State)

There will be over 900 dealer tables each day, with dealers from USA, Canada, Germany France, Belgium plus many more, all making there way to what is the largest collectors fair in Europe.

Memorabilia covers every conceivable area of Pop culture, so whether your into the Beatles or Beanie Babies, Batman or Barbie, your favourites will undoubtedly be here. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

WHITE DECADE ON TY.COM
Thanks to Keith for pointing out that Ty has placed the White version of Decade on the Current Beanie list. Checklists and Beanie Information pages have been updated.

-=MARCH 24, 2003=-
JODI'S THANK YOU BEAR + RAFFLE
You won't want to miss out on this one. Jodi is trying to raise money for a VERY special and worthy cause. If you'd like to take a peek to see what prizes you have a chance at winning and what cause you will be helping VISIT HERE.

MORE COMMENTS ON "YOURS TRULY"
Kennie writes: "Hi Lisa, well I just got off the phone with three of my Hallmark stores here in Vancouver Washington, one didn't have a clue what I was talking about and had to ask about yours truly and was told they did not have them but they were going to get them but would not give me anymore information. another one said they had yours truly but did not realize they were for gold crown customers only and had been selling to everyone and didn't have many left and was also clueless as to if they would get any others and the third said they had several and was limiting to 1 per customer, seems none were told exactly what is going on with them... will let you know if I find out anything more. thanks Kennie :)"

Judy G writes: "Hi Lisa, Nine of the Hallmarks I'd been calling said I could only purchase one bear on this shipment so all their customers would have the opportunity to get one. I asked them about their advert that said 'one per day per customer.' They said they were adhering to one per this shipment. But one of the stores that called me yesterday allowed me to purchase two bears. They were already stapled in a bag but they allowed me to take them out and choose which I was happy to do since the ones in the bag were not pretty with solid streaks of white across the face and body. All the stores said if further shipments of Yours Truly arrived customers could buy more bears. Judy G."

SHeL writes: "LOL ... Yours Truly is all over San Diego and the stores limiting people to one Bear will have them for a long time. But the stores holding them till March 28th will have them forever. I picked up 3 more yesterday at a Hallmark that regarded me as a hoarder 3 years ago when I asked if I could buy 2 Ty2k's Beanie. The online secondaries are selling Your Truly for $29.95 ... Don't pay that price !!!"

JUDY'S 'YOURS TRULY'
Judy has shared her very adorable picture of "Little Soul's Gemma" welcoming her 'Yours Trulys' into her household today!

<< Click on picture to enlarge. >>

BEARS & BEANS TRADING
From Daphne of Bears & Beans
After much continued pressure from the 700+ members of the bearsandbeans Forum, we have given in ... and produced an effective and efficient trading/sales site which is now ready to launch - and is open to anyone, anywhere in the world

As experienced traders ourselves, we know what works. If you want to be in control of your own trading, this could be the trading site for you www.bearsandbeans.com/trade/

-=MARCH 23, 2003=-
MORE COMMENTS ON "YOURS TRULY"
Char writes: "My Hallmark said they are only getting 50 of the 'Yours Truly' Beanie and are going to do a draw for them."

SHeL writes: "Yours Truly availability ... LOL ... The inconsistency continues. The shop that promised to save me a Bear said they couldn't sell them until 3/28. The next shop had a shelf load, but would only allow one Bear. The 3rd shop had a few behind the counter and sold me 2. On the way home I stopped and asked for 2 more and they obliged The 4 shop still didn't know when they would have them."

Patricia writes: "My grandkids and I went into a Hallmark near their home this morning (MD suburbs of Washington DC) and there was Yours Truly behind the counter in plain sight. The kids were buying some cards and when checking out I asked for a bear and then thought to ask if it was limited to one only. Was very surprised when the manager replied - " No limit" - and promptly asked for a second bear. I didn't have your e-mail at the time or would have questioned another shipment. Most of the other Hallmarks I usually frequent (elsewhere in the MD suburbs) have been saying they expect to have the bear 3/28/03 but not to "hold them to this date" whatever that may mean.."

Nancy writes: "The Hallmark I go to at a big mall near me here in Washington State had not gotten Yours Truly as of yesterday (Friday, March 21.) The girl told me they were getting around 100 bears so she didn't think they would limit you to one, but she isn't the manager, so I'm not sure if this will be the case or not. The manager usually will let me buy more than one bear if I want, so I'm hoping this will be the case with Yours Truly as I want to get one for a friend. I'm going to check back on Monday...or Tuesday...or Wednesday... or.... Ha!Ha! N.M."

Judy writes: "Hi Lisa, After spending the last couple of weeks calling10 Hallmarks in the San Diego area, I was able to get on a few 'hold' lists. As late as Friday night, the 21st, I was told by all of them that they may have the bear in but were instructed to hold him until the 28th. Most of them did not have a 'hold' list for patrons. Then early Saturday morning, before the stores opened, I received two phone calls from Hallmarks about four miles apart, saying my Gold Crown bears were waiting for me. I asked why they had changed their minds overnight. They said they were in business to satisfy their customers and holding the bear back wasn't going to accomplish that. They also both said under no circumstances would they be selling to customers without a membership card. They had very long lists on the counter and were crossing out names as the bears went off to their new homes. I did ask if this was a one-time shipment and the response was they had no further indication that another order was in the works. Judy"

Nancy writes: "My Hallmark store isn't selling the, until the 28th. Only one per person. They told me they were originally going to sell them on the 21st but there was a delay on getting them out to everyone by then so they changed the date."

<< Do you have comments to share about your "Yours Truly" experiences? Is this Beanie being sold where you are at now? Are you having to ASK for the Beanie like I did at one Hallmark in order to be able to purchase it? I'm curious as to what the selling practices are with this special Beanie. When you make your purchase.. please ask your Hallmark store if they will be getting more in. I'm under the impression this was a ONE shipment Beanie which could make this one a VERY collectible Beanie. You can share your comments and experiences with me at Lisa@planetbeans.com. >>

PLANET BEANS.COM EMAIL
Did you know that you can get a FREE email account with PlanetBeans.com? Currently I have 816 people signed up for my email service. Stop by and see why there are so many people using the service.

Why choose Planetbeans.com for your email service?
Convenience is the number one reason! This new email service is web-based, meaning that you can check your email from any computer anywhere! It works similar to the other web-based email services such as Yahoo, but has a 99% uptime guarantee. (Yahoo can't make that claim). Plus, the new email service is SO simple! All you have to do is come to this page and log into your PlanetBeans.com email. Simply type in your ID and password and you will be taken directly to your personal email account. Best of all....it's totally FREE!

Designs of the Times - Celebrity Bopper auction facts
Sue Owen writes: "Hi, I have been digging around and found the information behind the boppers depicted in the UK newspaper report scanned on Ms Janie's site. They are one-off editions to be auctioned by Sotheby's in aid of two charities (Norwood, an organisation for disadvantaged and learning disabled children of all ages and Demelza House, a children's hospice in Kent) on Tuesday 25th March at Planet Hollywood in London. There are more than shown in the newspaper article as well as some interesting and unusual celebrity memorablia. Bids can be placed by proxy as well, in case any of your readers are desperate to place a bid or two - they won't be cheap - which is good news for the beneficiaries of the auction!

CLICK HERE to read the Chairman's report about the 'Designs of the Times' charity auction.

-=MARCH 22, 2003=-
MORE COMMENTS ON "YOURS TRULY"
My comments: "Yesterday must have been the day to pick up these bears because it seems all the Hallmarks around here had them. I believe they've had them for several days but had to wait and put them out today. I found there was a limit of ONE bear per store so if you need to buy some for friends and family I'd recommend you plan on going to several stores. LOL One store was keeping them behind the counter so you had to specifically ask for "Yours Truly" in order to be able to purchase one. This same store was only allowed to order 48 bears and isn't aware as of yet, whether they will be able to reorder. The manager told me they were only allotted a certain number so she doesn't think there will be more available. The retail price is $5.99 for "Yours Truly" even when the stores sell all other Beanies for a different price. The stores I go to charge $7 for other Beanies so it was nice to get a break on the cost of this special bear. Something that hasn't been mentioned yet.. look inside the tush tag. There are numbers and letters like there was for Sakura."

COUNTERFEIT SAKURAS
From: Ms. Janie
Greetings! We wanted you to let your readers know we discovered another counterfeit Sakura 1 serial number today! The counterfeit serial number is 444A6G7D. Here are the other Counterfeit Sakura 1™ Serial Numbers: 4B8G99DP8, 49F8GDZB, 49P8GDZE, 4FWEZTKT, 4FROEAQZ, 47P8B6GD, 4E6GBA8Z, 48GEZ07P, 4UP0ERG9, 40GEA78G, LP0U887U, 4BZAFDRP and 4G9R6WB7, 4TP0GFR3
Have a nice day!
Sincerely,
Peggy Gallagher
http://www.peggyg.com

-=MARCH 21, 2003=-
MORE COMMENTS ON "YOURS TRULY"
Diane writes: "Hello Lisa - Just thought that I would let you know what is going on with the Hallmark Beanie. I was at my local Hallmark here in Northern California when they got their shipment of Yours Truly. There is a retail packet that came with the (5) dozen bears that states: "To be displayed and sold on March 28, 2003" Limit one per Gold Crown Member Card per visit That is the edict given by the Hallmark Gold Crown Company. I got to see and hold one of the bears - and are they cute!! They are indeed purple with those gold sparklies all over them like Mother has, and the crown on their chest is gold thread. I will be at my Hallmark next Friday at 9:15 (they open at 9:30) to make sure I get mine. They were told that this is a one time shipment - and it did not come from Ty - it came from the Hallmark distribution center. I don't know if that is the case for all the stores, but it was the case for this one!! Happy Thursday - Diane"

Kim writes: "Lisa-- This is Kim from CT aka Akitasforme...(same person who sent you the display picture on your site)... I was told today at a local Hallmark that they didn't have the Hallmark Bear in yet, but that they were going to let Gold Crown Card holders ONLY purchase 2 bears per day per cardholder.... Kim"

SHeL writes: "Hi Lisa I shop 6 different Hallmarks and get 3 different answers on "Yours Truly? Two shops said tomorrow 3/21, 2 others said 3/28 and the other 2 had no idea. Three of the shops with different answers were in the same chain ... Go figure !!!"

My comments: "Today must have been the day to pick up these bears because it seems all the Hallmarks around here had them. I believe they've had them for several days but had to wait and put them out today. I found there was a limit of ONE bear per store so if you need to buy some for friends and family I'd recommend you plan on going to several stores. LOL One store was keeping them behind the counter so you had to specifically ask for "Yours Truly" in order to be able to purchase one. This same store was only allowed to order 48 bears and isn't aware as of yet, whether they will be able to reorder. The manager told me they were only allotted a certain number so she doesn't think there will be more available. The retail price is $5.99 for "Yours Truly" even when the stores sell all other Beanies for a different price. The stores I go to charge $7 for other Beanies so it was nice to get a break on the cost of this special bear. Something that hasn't been mentioned yet.. look inside the tush tag. There are numbers and letters like there was for Sakura."

SUE'S CHARITY NEWS.. STARTING TODAY!!
This 'Cracker of a Draw' offers you the chance to win a unique and highly collectible Chubbley prize from a list of five. VISIT HERE and make sure to click on CURRENT PROJECTS to learn more. You won't want to miss it!! ;o)

ASK TY
Q: Mr TY, what happens to all the prototypes that never make it to being made into a Beanie? (submitted by yellow bear)
A: I have a special place at Corporate Headquarters for all the prototypes. Sometimes, a past prototype may get lucky . . . and with a few tweaks . . . still become a Beanie Baby ! http://www.tytrade.com/askty_home

Donated Beanie Babies headed overseas to sick children
ZANESVILLE -- As the Grover Cleveland Middle School students carefully placed the Beanie Babies in a box, they did so with the knowledge that the next children to touch them would be children with severe illnesses.

Cohen began the collection in 1945 with two coconut wood elephants, accentuated with real ivory tusks. Today the collection includes thousands of elephant coins and stamps and even has more recent items like elephant Beanie Babies. VIEW FULL STORY HERE.

VERONICA AND HER BEANIES
From: Ms. Janie
An all-consuming passion for a certain toy has cost a Barnstaple woman many thousands of pounds. Altogether her collection is worth more than some people's mortgages. We're talking beanie babies and their associated companions - buddies, teenie boppers, pillow pals, pluffies and punkies. To outsiders they are cute and cuddly but to 'must have' collectors like Veronica Hammerton, of Barnstaple, they are so much more than just an ordinary stuffed toy. She knows the names of every one in her 5,000 strong collection and, like any proud 'parent', is more than happy to talk about them until the cows come home. Each one has a date of birth and the distinctive TY heart swing tag and their lasting appeal has fuelled a booming collectors' market where the most exclusive fetch around £6,000. Her collection is worth up to £30,000. Veronica, a chiropodist, of Roundswell, is the first to admit her all-consuming passion for beanies borders on addiction. The bubbly 45-year-old confessed: "I am a bit of an anorak really, I know I am, but I don't care. I just think they are lovely." Her collection started in 1999 after a work colleague fell in love with Millennium bear. VIEW STORY HERE

One to Share
From: Bean eWonderland
Joan writes: This picture I feel is so symbol of the times, With T.Y putting the peace sign on it. It express so much and its just a toy! View Here

-=MARCH 20, 2003=-
POMPEY ORDERS LOST DURING COMPUTER CRASH
I'm pleased to let you know that my UK friend has received a reply from Pompey Sport about his October 21, 2002 order for one Pompey Beanie. An acknowledgement of the original order was sent on the day the order was placed. He's had a bear of a time getting in touch with Pompey Sport to get a reply but today he finally received one. Here is the reply he received:

Thank you for your email. We are now working very hard to sort through the few outstanding beanie orders.

We are extremely sorry that it has taken us so long to get to this stage, we were just overwhelmed with the amount of orders we received.

I have looked through all the remaining orders and I cannot find yours. We are aware that some of the orders were lost through a computer crash and can only assume that yours was one of these.

If you would still like to receive Pompey please reply to this email with your full name, address, telephone number and credit card details and we will send your order out as a matter of urgency. We will also need to know how many bears you would like to order.

Again we are extremely sorry for the problems you have experienced with ordering Pompey and hope that you will accept our apologies.

Kind regards,

Pompey Sport

INTERESTING TIDBIT ABOUT HALLMARK BEANIE
Diana writes: "Hey Lisa! Can't wait to see the Peace bear - wonder if he's what's hiding in the Ty Store or will he be available at our local shops?????

Interesting tidbit I heard today from two of my local Hallmark shops... I won't say where I am so that no one gets in trouble, too.

I stopped in one shop at lunch and the saleslady told me they'd have the Hallmark beanie out on the shelves March 28, however they had a sign that said something to the extent of "one per customer, per day".

Now just as I was leaving that shop, a saleslady at another Hallmark on my dad's side of town had left a voice mail on my cell phone. I had talked to her on Monday and she took my name and number. They got theirs today (and from what it sounded like, the other shop had theirs, too) and she is holding one for me. I asked if I could buy two, one for myself and one for a friend, and she said they had the sign for one per customer, too.

So where did I get 4 per customer from? Are my shops just trying to reserve their quantities so one person doesn't go in and buy them all at one time, which tends to happen around this area if you're not careful?" Diana

***update from Diana: "Yours Truly is adorable! She's not the bright pink like Clubby V shown on the ad; she's a beautiful lavendar with very faint streaks of white in her "fur", along with some sparkles for added show!"

Tracy writes: "Hi I just wanted to let everybody know that I was told by Hallmark customer Service dept that it would be 4 per person, but when i talked to a couple of shop owners they told me one for now until everyone gets one then they would see after that. What i want to know is why is there about 30 eBay auctions out some with very large quantities, when they are not even shipped yet...humm sounds fishy to me!!! seems like some shop owners might be selling them out the back door and not even putting them on the shelves. Does not seem fair to us Gold Crown card holders who want to just get our fair share. Thanks for your time Tracy Sims Miami, Florida Beanie nut over 640 in personal collection"

REMINDER: PRE-ORDER NEW CHUBBLEYS
Gayle of Grandma's Bears is still accepting pre-orders on the January and February releases. They are due to arrive any day and orders placed will be mailed the day after she receives her packages. Chubbley Bunnies, Primrose & Hutch should be shipping at the end of the month so be on the lookout for those also. The Chubbleys that she's expecting include: CHUNKY: Mission - CHUBBLEYS: Toots (new version), St. Clements (orange and lemon), Bjorn, Lily, Blush - CUBS: Creamy, Snowdrop, Petal. The Chubbley Bunnies (Hutch & Primrose) are due to be released end of March and hopefully will arrive at U.S. retailers shortly thereafter. Gayle also has a good supply of the other Chubbley Bears. http://www.grandmasbears.net If you are having a hard time accessing Grandma's Bears website you can email Gayle directly to place an order. GrandmasBears@aol.com

BRANDON LOVES PLUFFIES
I received a package yesterday that had my first Pluffies (Whiffer & Slumbers) in it. I think I've lost one of them to my little guy already. I let Brandon hold Slumbers and he won't let me have it back. I told him he could hold it for a while and to take good care of it.. he reminded me that I told him to take good care of it but I GAVE it to him so it's his. LOL VIEW PICTURE HERE

CHECK PRESENTATION
Sue Owen along with Darren Barker and David Young of Chubbley UK Ltd. presented a cheque for £2750 to representatives from Cancer Research UK. VIEW THE PRESENTATION HERE And something else you won't want to miss.. more details to come on Friday about Sue's next project. I'll keep you posted.. you can also join the "CHERISH Collectors for Life Community. Details can be found HERE

-=MARCH 19, 2003=-
UNIQUE PEACE BEAR ON AUCTION
Laura shares the following: "Hi Lisa! Just wanted to show you this PEACE Bear that I have up for auction. Do you remember way back when, LOL! When UGB had that private auction? Well,.. I am parting with the bear now. I am showing you because of the hits on the auction. It seems to have peeked some curiosity! Here is the link if you want to have a peek!" VIEW HERE

FARMER BEV RECEIVES SHEEP & IMPORTANT MESSAGE
"Hi Lisa, I received my little sheep Muldoon today. A big thanks to Sue for this worthwhile cause and something really cute to show for your donation. I love the red leather Cherish tag and can't wait until the next project.

A bit on another topic. Let's all pray for the men who have gone to Iraq to fight. I hope everyone joins me in sending my prayers for them and their families. I will say that I am proud to be an American and proud of our country, our President, and the myriad of people who are facing a situation they have never faced before. I guess I am really showing my age because I will still hold to the old adage, "My country, right or wrong!" Bev

Sports Sponsorships Bring Exciting Dividends for Organizations
John McDonough
Vice President of Marketing and Broadcasting
Chicago Cubs

John McDonough became the director of sales and promotions for the Chicago Cubs in 1983. Working his way up the managerial ladder, he became the vice president of marketing and broadcasting for the Cubs in 1991. Since that time he has pioneered and orchestrated the first Beanie Baby promotion in professional sports, one of baseball’s greatest marketing successes, became the architect of the celebrity “guest conductor” 7th inning concept, commemorating broadcasting legend Harry Caray, and has guided the club’s path to their18 highest attendance figures in the 23-year history of the franchise. In his 19th season with the Cubs, he was also the man behind the creation of the Cubs Convention.

McDonough explained that, although they play to houses that are at 93 or 94 percent capacity in April and May and near capacity during the summer, they still use every ounce of creativity and try to stay away from anything anyone else does. The Beanie Baby promotion, for example, has been hugely successful. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

Shopping for Pompey - there IS hope
From: Bean Watcher
Brent from California writes: Hi Bean Watcher, I just thought I'd share a Beanie tale with you. Like many collectors, I placed an online order for Pompey back in October. Then all heck broke loose, and as time went on, my hopes of actually receiving my Pompeys grew dim. I did feel genuine sympathy for the people working in the shop, as I can imagine the chaos that this little bear brought into their lives. So I refrained from emailing them to inquire as to the status of my order, and instead just waited patiently. By mid-February, I had read many accounts of people finally receiving their Pompeys. I had also read about Pompey being sold in the shop ten at a time. So I decided it was time to email them to see if my order still existed or not. I was disappointed when they did not respond to my email. Convinced that my order had gotten stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe and was now littering a Portsmouth street corner, I purchased a Pompey on the secondary market. Which brings us to yesterday. In my mail was an international overnight delivery package. Inside was a blue and yellow plastic shopping bag from the Portsmouth shop, containing two Pompeys. Each had two layers of plastic bubble wrap carefully wrapped and taped around its hang tag. The Beanies were in perfect condition, save for a mild case of jet lag. Granted, I wish they had arrived before I turned to the secondary market, but now my little trio of Pompeys look rather smart sitting together on the shelf. So it seems as though Portsmouth is indeed fulfilling all of its online orders, if not in the most timely of manners. With regards, Brent

<< a friend of mine from the UK placed his order in October and STILL hasn't received his Pompey from that order. Hopefully this will mean he, too, will receive his original Pompey soon!! >>

-=MARCH 18, 2003=-
SUGGESTIONS FOR MAILING LIST SUBSCRIBERS
There are many newsletters bouncing back to Topica. Topica disables a subscriber address due to a "hard bounce" — invalid or permanently unreachable, or a "soft bounce" — unreachable for consecutive days or messages. I try to keep up with the bounces and add members back as I can. Possible solution to SOME of these bounces; if you are going on vacation or will be away for a while you can email me to ask me to turn your subscription off then when you return email me again and let me know to turn your subscription back on. Lots of bounces are from a mailbox being too full. This is easy to solve. If you move or change email addresses.. PLEASE unsubscribe with your old email and you can resubscribe with the new one if you wish.

LOOK AT WHO ARRIVED AT MY HOUSE YESTERDAY
I received my most adorable Countin' Sheep from Sue Owen's last fundraiser for Cancer Research UK. I encourage each and every one of you to do your part in helping this very worthy cause and take part in Sue's future charity projects. I wanted to share the picture with all of you. You can view "Patches". HERE

While in Lamar Butts helped to found the Lamar Writer's Group and directed the group for seven years. She recently had a story published in their book, Stories of the Trail.

Butts, an author and freelance writer has had over 140 publications, her own book, Dear America: A Letter of Comfort and Hope to a Grieving Nation and has had her work published in eight other books including Heart-Stirring Stories of Romance, Seasons of a Woman's Heart, Encouraging Hands, Encouraging Hearts, Beanie Baby Stories, You can Market your Book, Finding God's Will and For Better or Worse. In addition she has had an article published in a magazine in both England and Korea. According to Butts she never thought much about becoming a writer. When she was in high school a teacher encouraged her to submit poems to three different publications. She consequently was turned down by all three publications. It was in 1989 that she decided to start writing and two years later in 1991 had her first work published after many rejections and hard work. VIEW FULL STORY HERE

Yours Truly
From: Beanieholics
Even though they are not supposed to be available yet one of our lucky readers was in the right spot at the right time. Their retailer allowed them to purchase the new Hallmark exclusive Yours Truly Beanie and they were kind enough to share pictures with all of us. They don't want their clerk to get in trouble with the boss so we won't list where it was sold.
Click Here For Yours Truly
Click Here To View Hang Tag

-=MARCH 17, 2003=-
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Find out the history of St. Patrick's Day HERE