==May 31, 2000==
NEW COMPLETE 2000 TEENIE CHECKLIST
I've just completed a NEW checklist for the 2000 Teenies ONLY. The old Teenie checklist was updated a few days ago to include the new list for 2000.
~*~
NEW CONTEST
The Planet Beans June contest is set to start at 12:01am. You will be able to see all of the details at that time. 
~*~
WINNER ANNOUNCED TOMORROW
The winner of the May Contest will be announced shortly after midnight tonight. Hurry and get those entries in before the midnight deadline.
~*~
From: Ms. Janie
News from Tanya in Japan. 
I sent Tanya a note asking how the Japanese people took to the retirement of Sakura, this is her response.

Ms. Janie,
There's just not much of a buzz with Sakura right now. I'm sorry to say but nothing new has happened in the Japan beanies since my last email. The good news for anyone still wanting one is that they are still
shipping (like that's a big surprise). A lot of people (even Americans) aren't up to date with beanies anymore due to the major lag between December and March. If anyone is looking to trade, I still would highly advise offering pre-1997 beanies or 2000 beanies. I haven't heard anything about a Sakura buddy or even acknowledgement that Sakura has retired. She still retails for Y650 ($6.50) at the "honest" stores. Bundling practices haven't increased nor has her price due to the retirement. I really don't think there's going to be a market if Ty doesn't ship something different here. We're tired of seeing the same
stuff day after day on the shelves. What have we gotten new since December? Beanie Kids (just showed up 2 weeks ago and even then very few people seemed to know what they were and there's not much interest being shown in them) and Sakura. Ty's shipping practices would definitely have to improve to get a niche on the market in Japan. Plus, with so many Japanese collectors starting to show up on trading boards, we can trade for the newbies long before they arrive here. I really wish I had better news for you.
Tanya
~*~
From: Ms. Janie
An insider's view on the German market and the elusive Germania Beanie Buddy. http://www.msjanie.com/kids/tygermany_beate.html
~*~
From: Ms. Janie
TY DOES IT AGAIN
Hospitalized Children at UCLA to Receive New Collectible Toy From Ty, Inc.All Profits of Ty From Its Sale Will be Donated To Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation WHAT: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Ty, Inc. unveil new collectible toy at Mattel Children's hospital,  UCLA. All profits of Ty from its sale will be donated to the Foundation. The new toy will be given away to all children currently admitted in the hospital. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000531/ca_elizabe.html
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
Fake Sakura Buddy
Hi Richard, Could you please let your readers know, that I would be a little careful purchasing a sakura buddy right now. The instructions for dying a halo pink and adding the sakura emblem have shown up on a website. It looks almost real. The lady doing it, is just doing it for fun, but someday the wrong person might try to create their own and pass it off as real. It would have the halo hang tag, but you wouldn't be able to tell that in an auction. View Image


==May 30, 2000==
NEW CONTEST!!
Starts June 1st so be sure to check back in a couple of days.
~*~
SECRET TEENIES REVEALED!!
From: MBBBW

Bean Bag World has obtained this printed document stating that Springy™ and Bushy™ will be the two secret Teenies™ featured in this year's promotion. A list compiled from recent promotional material and letters sent to McDonald's managers indicated two "mystery Teenie Beanies" would be featured in the promotion. Identified only as #17 and 18, the identity of the mystery Teenies was anyone's guess.

~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
Commemorative Spangle Buddy
We have scanned images of the Spangle Buddy commemorative card (front and back) that was given out at yesterdays Memorial Day game at the Yankee Stadium. To view them CLICK HERE.  Thanks to Cynthia of Sakura Beanie World for that one and for the link to an auction for the Buddy together with card, you can also read a complete run down of how the day went, Click Here
~*~
Contest to Win Ty-Dyed Digger Buddy & MORE!!
http://bbndesign.com/bongo/contest.html
~*~
A HUGE CONTEST is planned between Club Beans (http://www.heatherlea.com/beans) & The Beanie Zoo (http://thebeanzoo.cjb.net) The Contest starts June 1, 2000 and runs through June 25, 2000. Prizes include Snowboy, Cromwell, Malcolm, Halo II, 50+ BBOC Cards, 75+ Pokemon Cards, Sparkler, Zulu, Rascal and much, much more!


==May 29, 2000==
~*Happy Memorial Day!!*~
From: Beanieholics
Pink Maples?
Yep, it's true. Pink Maples have been showing up on the auction block and these are indeed counterfeits. Beanie Mom has posted info, written by Vicky Krupka, about this unusual bear as well as what to look for when buying a Billionaire 1 or Billionaire 2 Bear.
Click Here For More About Pink Maples
Click Here For More About Billionaire Bear
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
Ty Dyed Digger
This Buddy is causing a big stir at present, we receive so many emails on the subject it is unreal. Many of you are asking if auctions for the Ty Dyed Digger are genuine or fake, we cannot comment on this as we do not know. The undergroundbean have an example of this, where one very upset seller has been accused by Smart Collecting of selling fakes when she knows they are genuine. We also feel strongly about this and do not agree with sites who are fast becoming an outlet for collectingnation misleading the public into paying high prices for Beanies when the truth is not known. The only real answer for this is for Ty to make an announcement stating if the Ty Dyed Digger is set for a production run.
~*~
Worthy Cause
Lulu from Maison D'Ours writes: I'm doing a local Beanie drive in Kitchener Waterloo for donations of Beanies and treats for the kids in Walkerton Ontario. There has been a terrible outbreak of e-coli in Walkerton's drinking water and 5 have died so far. The public Utilities apparently knew about e-coli in the water for over 3 days but they didn't issue any warnings.  It took a local doctor to expose the story before it became public. Over 1000 people are affected. All the area kids have to get blood tests every 2 days and the kids and parents as well as nursing staff are all very stressed out. I called the Walkerton General Hospital about my idea and they would gladly accept the help.  I'm taking donations of Treats like candy and chocolate bars for the kids getting the blood work. Hopefully the treats will help make it a more positive experience for them. The Beanies will go to all the kids in the hospital.  I came up with the idea on Friday and set up donation boxes at Sobeys in Kitchener and Waterloo. It's an area grocery store. I just finished doing a radio interview for CHYM FM as well as TV interviews for CKCO news. The drive will end on Thursday June 1st when I will personally deliver the items to the hospital. I hope all goes well. I encourage all our readers to do such a program when a story of crisis comes from an area community. Together we can all pool our resources together to help make the world a little bit better for kids. If you are interested please contact Lulu at butterflybluelu@home.com.
~*~
From: SmartCollecting
DON'T GET SCAMMED!
If you are looking to trade with someone on the Internet, DO NOT make a trade unless they have a positive feedback rating which you take the time to read. Even if they claim that they are new to trading, DO NOT TRADE unless they are willing to send their end of the deal to you BEFORE you mail out your part of the trade.  If they have no feedback, do not mail your part of the trade until you have their part of the deal in your hands. For more information, go to SmartCollecting's Buyer Beware page.
http://www.smartcollecting.com/traders/beware.html
~*~
From: SmartCollecting
BEANIE KIDS FACE REDESIGNED 
A Smart Collecting member from California writes:
"I have a complete set of the First Wave Kids (not the promotionals, but the first regular shipments with Velcro) and now, the Second Wave as well (with elastic). They've been REDESIGNED, and I can't believe I'm the only one who sees it! The faces are shorter, slimmed-down, and made 'cuter' by it, less odd-looking and more universally appealing. Rosier cheeks, too. Just as they were redesigned after the Trade shows, with lower eyelids & protruding bellybuttons removed. The differences are obvious, and can't be accounted for by individual variation. Am I the only one who's noticed this?"

So we took a look at our Beanie Kids and this California Collector is correct.  If you measure from the hairline to the beginning of the nose, the new Beanie Kids have lost 1/4" of their forehead!  Their eyebrows are therefore closer to their eyes.  Their cheeks are rosier and rounder so you see less stitching under the eye. We agree that the new face design is much cuter than the original design. The new face design was found on our Chipper with the Version 3 hang tag. See photo on news
page. http://www.smartcollecting.com/news/May/05-29-00.htm


==May 28, 2000==
From: Beanieholics
Swampy Spine Variation
There are two different versions of Swampy showing up in stores. One has a light colored spine and the other spine is very dark. B and J have sent a great scan to show us this. There are also unconfirmed reports of Swampy with both the light and dark colors mixed on the spine. Click Here For Picture
~*~
How Much Will the 2000 TBB Promotion Cost YOU?!
From:  Beanie News Online Galore!~
This year, with 28 Teenie Beanie Babies to be collected, it will definitely be an expensive collection. This is my calculation of how much this year's promotion will cost a collector for one set:
-Happy Meal Teenie Beanies @ 1.99 each (18 Teenies) = $35.82
-Superstar Collection @ $2.49 each (10 Teenies) = $24.90
-Total (w/o counting food purchase for Superstar Collection) = $60.72!
~*~
TEENIE CHECKLIST UPDATED
I have updated the Teenie checklist to reflect the 2000 Teenies.


==May 27, 2000==
From: MyDolls Collectibles
I am taking Orders (once again) for the 2000 Teenie Beanie Babies promotional items including the Lapel Pins, Crew Pin, Baseball Hat, T-Shirt and Key chain. You can view these items here.
~*~
AUCTION UPDATES
2000 TEENIE Beanies SUPERSTARS on Auction is now up to $111.50!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=341192499
BEANIE BABY COMPLETE (almost) COLLECTION closed yesterday with no bids!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=338986437
~*~
We Won An Award
World of Collecting Newsletter has given Planet Beans their Website Excellence Award!! It's proudly displayed now on the Awards page. Thanks Mike!! :o)
~*~
CURRENT SAKURA PRICE



==May 26, 2000==
WEENIE & SLITHER BUDDIES RETIRE!!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/slither_ret_weenie_526.html
~*~
PICTURE OF TEENIE LIPS
From: MBBBW
http://www.beanbagworld.net/new/news/index.html
~*~
2000 TEENIE Beanies SUPERSTARS on Auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=341192499

==May 25, 2000==
BeanieMom has pictures of the 2000 Teenie display.
~*~
TY NEWSFLASH
On Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd, Beanie Kids will be available in Germany for the 1st time at the following locations: To see a store listing click here.
~*~
SPECIAL GRADUATION
Ms. Janie has done a wonderful job on this page. If you are curious and want to see her graduation tribute "Beanie Kid" style, click here.
~*~
NEW SALLY WINEY PRODUCTS
You can see pictures of Sally's latest releases here.
~*~
HANDCRAFTED BEAUTIES
Home of bargain prices on Friendly Footstools, Winey Bears, Cascade Toy, Holy Bears, Planet Plush and more. Why pay more? http://www.handcraftedbeauties.com (509) 765-1127
~*~
BEANIE BABY COMPLETE (almost) COLLECTION
From: Underground Bean
Superfish sends this in ...
I was searching eBay just a couple minutes ago and guess what I found . . . the almost complete collection of Beanies that was the grand prize of MBBBW's Millennium contest! It's starting bid is $30,000! I can't believe that the person who won it wants to sell it! I wish the person who won it was someone who was going to cherish it, rather than put a price on it and try to sell it. Too sad. The address is http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&item=338986437 Thought you might be interested. (I wonder if Mary Beth knows yet. . .)
~*~
PICTURE OF TEENIE FLITTER
From: MBBBW
http://www.beanbagworld.net/new/news/index.html


==May 24, 2000==
Sakura and the Britannia Buddy Retire!!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/ret_sakura_0524.html

http://www.ty.com/announcements/britannia_ret0524.html

~*~
TEENIES ON AUCTION
I did a search for MIB Teenie Beanie 2000. You can view them here.


==May 23, 2000==
From: Underground Bean
Dave from Dave's World of Beans sent this to Underground Bean
Here is a list of what is going to be available in the McDonalds tbb promotion that runs from June 13th to July 13th. This is from a manager at McDonalds and is posted on the bulletin board.

Millennium bear is one day only. June 13th. 
Dinosaur Trio- Rex, Steg, and Bronty.
International Bears II- Osito, Germania and Spangle.
Legends- Peanut, Chilly and Humphrey
The End Bear
Pet Pals- Lips, Slither, Flip and Dotty 
Garden Bunch-Lucky, Bumble, Spinner and Flitter 
At the Zoo-Tusk, Blizz, Spike and Schweetheart
Under the Sea-Neon, Coral, Sting and Goochy
Top Secret- Springy and Bushy
~*~
PICTURE OF A NEON TEENIE
http://www.beanbagworld.net/new/news/index.html
~*~
From: MBBBW
Prison for Beanie Scammer
James Delinger Jr, convicted of swindling more than 200 people, has been sentenced to a year in federal prison.  In addition, he is required to pay back $47,000 in restitution to victims he promised to deliver Beanie Babies to and never complied.  Delinger will not be able to use a computer, sign onto the Internet or receive e-mail for 3 years after he leaves prison as well.  He still awaits state charges in this case. http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/beanie000523.html
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
One to Share
A Beanie Wonderland member writes: I would like to share my experience at a Beanie Babie/Pokemon show that I visited here in Andover, Massachusettes at the weekend. First off there were very few secondary sellers left to fill the tables. I spent a few looking around and checking out everyone's prices and stock. What I found is that there were some really crazy prices for beanies there. For instance, Swampy (which is the last one I needed to complete the 20) was priced $7.99 at one table but right across from that table was Swampy for $12.00 and then down a few more tables was Swampy for $10.00! Well needless to say I purchased the one at $7.99. Also just wanted to note that there were few people to be found buying anything. I found a lot of Rex there for $14.00 but then I found one secondary dealer selling Germania for $140 or a bubbles for $100 which is totally crazy. Interestingly enough I could not find a Sakura or a Osito buddy anywhere but there were plenty of Beginning and the End for $20 each and I wanted to purchase bucky but they wanted $20 for that one so I didn't. Of course there were a lot of older retired beanies at between $2.50 to $5.00 like Kicks or Fuzz and Valentina. I found that the beanie craze has really died down and that something has to be done to increase the collectors interest like some new country exclusives or at least a new release of bears. Thanks Ron.
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
Surprise Soon
The Beanie Wonderland/Underground Bean surprise is getting nearer, a total of seven prizes are going to be on offer including some Country exclusive Beanie Babies for those who are good enough to make it"
~*~
From: Beanieholics
Digger's "New" Look
We received a note from Cheryle in Niagara Falls regarding a new look for Digger. See states "I have seen a lot of nice creations of the beanies, but this one tops them all. I love your site. I read if faithfully everyday. Just thought all your readers would enjoy seeing this." Click Here For More
~*~
From: Doodle's
BeanieNation.com Changes Name
BeanieNation.com has changed their name to BeanBagNation.com. (This has taken place due to a lawsuit Ty filed against BeanieNation.com for trademark infringement). Also, CollectingNation recently became part of WantAds.com, a general-base auction site. For the full story, click here


==May 22, 2000==
MAJOR ATTIC RETIREMENT!!
Ty has just retired 31 Attic Treasures. http://www.ty.com/announcements/052200ret.html
Pouncer, Purrcy, Cody, Brisbane, Katrina, Azure, Salty, Breezy, Fairbanks, Rafaella, Susannah, Rosalie, Piccadilly, Radcliffe, Cawley, Eve, Georgette, Ramsey, Georgia, Cheri, Waddlesworth, Bearkheart, Beargundy, Orion, Gwyndolyn, Samuel, Tyrone, Isabella, Heartley, Malcolm, William
Ty has just retired 31 Attic Treasures. http://www.ty.com/announcements/052200ret.html
Pouncer, Purrcy, Cody, Brisbane, Katrina, Azure, Salty, Breezy, Fairbanks, Rafaella, Susannah, Rosalie, Piccadilly, Radcliffe, Cawley, Eve, Georgette, Ramsey, Georgia, Cheri, Waddlesworth, Bearkheart, Beargundy, Orion, Gwyndolyn, Samuel, Tyrone, Isabella, Heartley, Malcolm, William
Ty has just retired 31 Attic Treasures. http://www.ty.com/announcements/052200ret.html
Pouncer, Purrcy, Cody, Brisbane, Katrina, Azure, Salty, Breezy, Fairbanks, Rafaella, Susannah, Rosalie, Piccadilly, Radcliffe, Cawley, Eve, Georgette, Ramsey, Georgia, Cheri, Waddlesworth, Bearkheart, Beargundy, Orion, Gwyndolyn, Samuel, Tyrone, Isabella, Heartley, Malcolm, William
Ty has just retired 31 Attic Treasures. http://www.ty.com/announcements/052200ret.html
Pouncer, Purrcy, Cody, Brisbane, Katrina, Azure, Salty, Breezy, Fairbanks, Rafaella, Susannah, Rosalie, Piccadilly, Radcliffe, Cawley, Eve, Georgette, Ramsey, Georgia, Cheri, Waddlesworth, Bearkheart, Beargundy, Orion, Gwyndolyn, Samuel, Tyrone, Isabella, Heartley, Malcolm, William
~*~
From: Ms. Janie
Tanya from Japan has shared three stories about her experiences in the Japanese market. This fourth story will answer questions about the market and trading for Sakura - http://www.msjanie.com/pix/tanyas_tales4.html

I contacted a collector friend in Canada for an update on the Canadian Market.  To read his opinion and interesting finds, please visit the following link. http://www.msjanie.com/pix/canada_beanies.html

Latest Press Release from Earth Bears - To read the entire release, please visit the following link. 
http://www.msjanie.com/pix/earthbears.html
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
Bushy Problems Update
I received 2 deliveries from TY on Tuesday 16 May and both contained Bushy. The date of the 16th is significant as the auction you linked to earlier was started on 15 May and stated that Bushy had already been taken off the market. The date of my delivery obviously dispels that rumor unless the seller intended to say it will be taken off the market soon.
~*~
TY-DYED DIGGER BUDDY SELLS FOR $30!!
It's amazing to see such a contrast in price. A Ty-Dyed Digger Buddy recently sold on auction for just under $1,000. I knew, once I heard that a local store in my small town had the ty-dyed version, that this buddy couldn't have been as rare as anticipated. One just sold recently on MetaExchange for $30. You can check HERE to see if any others are offered and for how much. 


==May 21, 2000==
Dirk from Cajun Connection sends in this info 
Is Bushy involved in a copyright problem case? Will Bushy be retired soon due to copyright problems? That was the question posed to me yesterday not once but three times. Helen, a collector from the UK emailed me yesterday asking if I could help clear up a rumor. She had been told that Bushy has been taken off the market for legal reasons. To the best of my knowledge, I have not heard anything about Bushy being taken off of the market for copyright infringement. I had heard rumors of the sort a few months ago about Niles possibly being taken off of the market because it closely resembled a Peaceable Planet Camel and had the same name, but nothing about Bushy. So I emailed Helen back with my response and had asked where she had "heard" or seen such a rumor. During the waiting time for Helen to respond back, I had received two similar emails. Helen wrote back saying that the rumor started on the eBay auction site where one person put in their auction saying, "The soon to be taken off the market Bushy". The auction was then closed before ending in the description, it states, " YOU ARE BIDDING ON THE VHTF NEW 2000 BUSHY THE LION NOW WITHDRAWN FROM SALE DUE TO COPYRIGHT PROBLEMS. DON'T MISS THIS AS YOU MAY NOT SEE HIM AGAIN AS BUSHY.**********UK ONLY******"
I don't know what to make of this yet, so I have emailed the seller to see what's up with Bushy and will let you know as soon as I find out. If anyone else knows, drop us a line. By the way, the seller had registered on eBay on April 9th and has 19 feedbacks. He reports Kent/Rochester UK as his location.
~*~
From: Beanieholics
Puffkin News
The latest issue of the Puffkin Press is out and it is revealed that next week will see the release of 15 brand new Puffkin key rings. There's also individual pictures of the Halloween Puffkin releases coming your way in September and a Memorial Day contest is announced in which two 1st Place winners will receive a pair of Stars and Stripes key rings and one Grand Prize winner will receive a pair of Stars and Stripes Puffkins. For information on all of this and more use the link below.
Click Here For The Puffkin Press
~*~
MAKE MORE MONEY SURFING THE INTERNET
I have been enjoying my AllAdvantage checks, about $50 monthly for almost a year. I've just joined Spedia which pays $.70 an hour. I hope this one pays off like the AllAdvantage has. I'll keep you posted. 

==May 20, 2000==
SAKURA HARD TO FIND IN JAPAN?!
Lots of stores have not just limited but put an age on the customers too. You have show ID that you're 21 and it's 1 per family along with bundling 5 commons just to purchase Sakura. If I do get some, this will most likely be the absolute last time I do it. I'll have to be there at least 4-5 hours before the store (little shops that few people know of) opens anyway because they only get 6 instead of the 100 that the larger stores get. Yes, Sakura is VERY difficult to get here. Just due to the huge lines. Stores are also holding them for Japanese customers instead of selling them to ALL customers. You also have the secondaries that have been in every line and split up with their spouses and engage friends to get more than one. I saw this going on one day me and another lady were right in front of this young kid who collects with his Mom. The lady and I figured since the married couples were splitting up to get 2, then we'd help these 2 collectors get one. We called the lady handing out numbers back saying she missed the kid. She had naturally figured the boy was with his parent who she had given a number to but we "corrected" her. It felt really great helping him (even if it was out of the rules) and he was quite a well-mannered boy. Anyway, it doesn't help anyone here get Sakura when you have dealers shipping cases of them to secondaries in the US and claiming "Sakura isn't popular in Japan". What an outright lie!!! When I did it one morning with a really bad group of people and was surrounded by rude remarks about the others in line, I said that was it! I wasn't going to stand in anymore lines, it just wasn't worth it for a $6.00 bear! So tomorrow is it for me. The retailers in Japan say she'll retire at the end of the Cherry Blossom season (not necessarily when they've started to fall or have all fallen) and so do the Ty Reps. We'll all just have to wait and see what Ty decides to do.
***This information was posted in the Planet Beans Club by our friend Tanya who lives in Japan!
~*~
WIN A WINEY BEAR
If you join the Weally Wanna Winey club and get 5 of your friends to join, your name will be entered in a drawing for a Special One of a Kind, hand made Winey Bear. This will be a monthly contest that will end on the 15th of each month. If you aren't yet a member PLEASE join for me and post GOTBEANS invited you to join. Thank you so much!! http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/weallywannawiney
~*~
From: Ms. Janie
NEW SALLY WINEY CREATIONS
Sally Winey releases photos of her new product line. Please visit the following link to view the photos.  
http://www.msjanie.com/pix/sally_new.html
~*~
From: Beanieholics
More On Chicago Beanie Baby Scam
We have found another story with more details on the Beanie Baby / Pokemon scam that we posted about yesterday. Steven Cross, 36, of Chicago who was indicted by federal grand jury on 12 counts of fraud had allegedly deceived 500 people through a fictitious International Beanie Baby Club, which he advertised in Chicago-area newspapers, Soap Opera Digest and in Mary Beth's magazine. Cross's ads claimed that club customers would receive a free Beanie Baby every four months for a payment of $20, authorities said. The news story also lists the names of fake companies that Cross had created as well as various aliases that he worked under. Click Here For More
~*~
INTERESTED IN TBB RUMORS?!
HappyToy.com has a number or rumors about the new 2000 Teenie promo. I guess we will all have to wait and see which one, if any, will be true. 
~*~
TIME TO BUY THE EXCLUSIVES?!
I haven't seen Sakura available at a cheaper price. It may be a good time to buy one before the prices go on the rise again!! The other 3 haven't varied to much in price.

SAKURA
GERMANIA
MAPLE
BRITANNIA

==May 19, 2000==
BUDDY RETIREMENTS!!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/amber_silver_ret.html
AMBER BUDDY SILVER BUDDY 
~*~
WINNERS OF THE ~BIG~ MAY CONTEST
Many of you haven't contacted Judie to claim your prizes. You NEED to email her at Very_Mysterious_Princess@yahoo.com in order to claim your winnings. If you do not email her before May 31, 2000 at midnight you will forfeit your prize. She has posted in the club TWICE to remind people to get in touch with her. I'm posting this reminder as a favor to the faithful Planet Beans readers. It appears that far too many people joined the Planet Beans Club just to enter the contest and since the contest if over we haven't heard a peep from them. I'm thankful a few of those people decided to stick around and enjoy the club and it's great members. It's because of Judie's generosity that we have met some pretty terrific new club members. :o)
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
German Update
The German web site Jarop sends us the following story: It seems that Ty has put some pressure on the counterfeit market in China. A Student who has been last year in Beijing bought some counterfeits for his collection which he cant afford to buy in original. He has been there again a couple of weeks ago and did not get any fakes. He has been to a shop and a market booth. Both shop owners told him that the police has confiscated the counterfeits and they were too afraid to handle them again. Hopefully this will continue. Visit Here
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
Pokemon, Beanie Babies 'discounter' Charged in Scam
A man who offered discounts on Pokemon and Beanie Babies products was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on charges of scamming collectors out of $275,000. Steven Cross, 36, of Chicago was charged with 10 counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. For three years, Cross told buyers that he was affiliated with the makers of Pokemon and Beanie Babies products, promising to provide discounts in exchange for advance payments, according to the indictment. Full Story
~*~
From: MBBBW
Teenie Beanies 2000 Update
Which Beanies will become Teenies? When will the promotion pop? Collectors may not have the new set of Teenies, but they've got something else -- loads and loads of questions. Don't be swayed by the rumors circulating the Beanie scene --- neither McDonald's nor Ty® has confirmed anything yet. Click here for more on Teenie Beanies.
http://www.beanbagworld.net/new/news/index.html


==May 18, 2000==
From: MBBBW
Canadian McDonald's Auctions Off New Teenies
The McDonald's in Courtenay on Vancouver Island held a silent auction Wednesday for all 18 of the new Ty® Teenie Beanies®. The auction was part of McDonald's fundraising for special charities.

Reportedly a total of 10 Teenie sets were available. McDonald's and Ty have not yet announced the official date of the promotion or styles featured. The McDonald's staff at Vancouver Island doesn't know the styles yet, nor do the winners of this presell auction.

An employee at the Vancouver Island McDonald's told Bean Bag World she was not aware if the auction winners would receive their sets prior to or after the June promotion has launched. 
(Staff Writer Jackie LaBerg)
~*~
From: Beanieholics
More New Puffkins
The Puffkins web site, in addition to the five release announced for June, has posted a picture of four Halloween releases that will appear in September. They are:

Wolfgang the Werewolf
Count the Vampire
Esmeralda the Witch
Screech the Ghost

Click Here For A Picture Of These Releases

~*~
From: SmartCollecting
TY-DYED TWINS ON AUCTION
Danette from New York, the proud owner of both the ty-dyed Digger and Rex Buddies, sent the above photo to us early this morning. "Everything, color, fabric, and length of fur are the same," explains Danette. "Pinks and blues are throughout both buddies. It is amazing how much they look
alike." Danette has her "twins" on auction on eBay. The high bid is currently $450. Auction ends on May 20th. Go to Auction http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=333847825


==May 17, 2000==
NEWSLETTER CHANGE
As many of you know, ListBot delayed many of the newsletters recently. In order to avoid these delays, I've switched the list over to Topica. You will still be receiving newsletters as you do now. I hope you will receive them in a timely manner like you used to. LOL
~*~
From: BeanieWonderland
CollectingNation.com Sold
Fortifying its online auction and classified advertising holdings in the collectibles niche, WANTads.com has acquired the nation's top-rated collectibles auction community, CollectingNation.com. According to the agreement, WANTads.com, a leading provider of general-purpose online classified advertising and auctions, will assume total ownership of CollectingNation.com. Both Web sites will be operated independently and will keep their original names and URLs. Full Story
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From: Beanieholics
New Puffkins In June
Five new Puffkins will hits store shelves in June! They are:

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From my email
WIN A LIZZY BUDDY
Could you please tell your visitors that we are getting close to our Lizzy Beanie Buddy Winner! The
300th person that signs up for our newsletter wins!!! We only need about 90 more people to join before we reach a winner!!! They can sign up at: http://www.therazmall.cjb.net Just click on Free Newsletter!


==May 16, 2000==
INFO BEANIE POLL
Sakura & Wisest have now been added to the Info Beanie poll. Vote here!
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LACK OF BEANIE NEWS
You might notice the lack of beanie news when you visit here as well as other beanie sites. I have a feeling that something will soon happen that will be worth reading. One can only hope!! LOL
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2000 SIGNATURE BEANIE RETIRES
http://www.ty.com/announcements/051600ret.html
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Jannette's Beanies News:
The Bravenet portions of Jannette's seem to be either gone or gone awry. This is a temporary situation. We can, however, currently access the home page (http://www.jannettesbeanies.co.uk/) and click on May Competitions. This takes us to the Britannia Competitions, and when we go check on the day's Bingo Beanie, we find a Libearty there that links to a very temporary forum. Go, Tigger! That's keeping things going, alright! The contests, then, proceed as usual.
-Thanks for the info Karen!!

SIDE NOTE: If you haven't visited Jannette's site, you should. She has a great group of people that visit the forum regularly and the great contests are a bonus. They just gave away Britannia yesterday.

==May 15, 2000==
From: Beanie News Online Galore!~
Beaniemom is reporting the following:  Beanie Mom, In early May the leading Mc Donald Franchise Owners in the country gathered for a special meeting in Orlando. A TY Company officer gave some of the leading store owners a special ROARY - BEANIE BABY. What makes this unique is the TAG. The pictures show that the tag looks like a Teenie Beanie Tag (No Bright Gold Foil). Inside was a special message from TY. According to someone who attended less then 150 are believed to exist ! The only other beanie to ever get this tag treatment was HARRY CAREY DAISY. This is believed to be rarer then both BILLIONAIRE BEARS, #1 BEAR and ROYAL BLUE PEANUT. In fact early indications are this may become the most valuable beanie to date.
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From: Beanie News Online Galore!~
In the Info Beanie's Diary, there is an image to click on to vote. On the image, there are four names that could possible be new Beanie Babies. The four names are: Stormy, Baldy, Moop, and Joyflan. Maybe these will be release soon. Info Beanie Diary
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Fire ravages Los Alamos
Given short notice by authorities Wednesday that she had to leave her three-bedroom duplex, Lovejoy said, she packed some clothes, photographs and tax records, and piled them in her vehicle. Her son grabbed Pokemon cards and a game called Crazy Bones. Her daughter gathered up 30 or 40 of her Beanie Babies. To View the full story click here.
Story Source: BeanieWonderland

==May 14, 2000==
~*HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!*~
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LOWER PRICES ON NEW BEANIES!!
Be sure to check out the Ty2000 page for the current prices on the newest releases including Sakura. Many of the prices are below retail. Germania is at an even lower price now (as of 3:00am - $35.75). It might be a good time to buy this one if you haven't already. 

==May 13, 2000==
From: Ms. Janie
Becky Phillips writes an outstanding article, which you should not miss. "It's Time For A Reality Check"
Counterfeit hang tags flood the Beanie BabyT market! Counterfeit hang tags are becoming harder to spot and easier to produce. Check your collection. Are yours authentic? http://www.pbbags.com/fromthedeskof.asp
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From: SmartCollecting
The auction for the first Ty-dyed Digger Beanie Buddy closed today and sold for $999.97.  The winner bidder was a new buyer known as "Elgidd" on eBay who placed their bid 1 hour and 24 minutes before the auction closed.Go to Auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=328022350


==May 12, 2000==
From: Ms. Janie
Winey Studio Presents for you with Love: a new line of Handmade mohair collectibles Critters for your Winey Collections. These will include new Bears, Rabbits, Cats, dogs and other new and exciting designs. To preorder their numbered and signed Catalog. There is a cost of $7.00 for this catalog, which includes Shipping. Along with this you will receive Sallys first two Catalogs also signed for you by Sally.  The past catalogs will only be sent to the first 500. The new Catalog is also limited to 2,000 pieces They can send there requests to sallywiney@msn.com or Winey Studio, 119 West Main Street, Morgantown, Pa 19543 Call 610-286-5155 Fax 610-286-5549. There will only be 250 of each Critter made. All made of imported mohair numbered and certificates will accompany This line of critters. Also Winey Club membership information will be included in Catalog with Club special explained.
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From: Beanieholics
Cyrk To Cut 175 Jobs, 15 Percent Of U.S. Workers
Cyrk Inc., a maker of promotional items for McDonald's Corp.'s Happy Meals, plans to cut 175 jobs, or 15 percent of its domestic workforce, to reduce annual costs by as much as $15 million. The company said it's cutting costs as it focuses on its online promotions business, including Web-site design and electronic-mail marketing programs for companies. Cyrk used to head up Ty's Beanie Babies Official Club.
Click Here For More

==May 11, 2000==
TY.COM Has Changed!!
Thank you to Joshua who writes in to let me know. :o) Looks like there is going to be a Ty Trading Board on the site starting June 2000. http://www.ty.com

I find it interesting that Wisest is starting to show up in stores yet it still hasn't been added to the beanie baby section at Ty.com. 
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Rex Arriving in Stores
After looking around at different beanie sites this morning, one thing stood out. Rex seems to be making a rather quick appearance. Wisest is listed on MetaExchange but no price has been set as of yet because there aren't any "in hand" yet to trade with. I hope Wisest makes it way to the stores soon since there are many graduating this month and next. I hope Ty brings out a Steg buddy to complete the buddy "trio" as well. The inside of the Rex Buddy tag says: "Rex the Beanie Baby was one of the Dinosaur trio". The poem and Birthday for this item have yet to be discovered"
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Ty-Dyed Digger Buddy
I was in my local Hallmark store yesterday asking if they had received the Ty-Dyed Digger Buddy. I was told they did have some last weekend. I live in a fairly small town and for this buddy to make it's way here seems quite odd. I am having a hard time believing ONLY 6 boxes of this buddy made it out of the warehouse. This may be another play in Ty's game to get collectors scrambling for a buddy that will be readily available on the shelves of every authorized Ty store very soon. I think those people that are willing to pay hundreds for this buddy will be sadly disappointed when it does make it's appearance. I still think this buddy looks like Claude. I guess we'll have to wait and see what Ty decides to do with this one.
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Beginning Bear Prices on the Rise
Everywhere you look now, the prices of The Beginning Bear have gone up by a good bit. It was selling at just under $10 before it's retirement yesterday. This is the current price at MetaExchange and I do expect this price to keep going up. This beanie baby was only out just over 2 months. 

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From: Beanieholics
Ty Warner Buys Four Seasons Biltmore And Coral Casino
Leslie sends us a link to a story about the exclusive Four Seasons Biltmore and Coral Casino 
at Butterfly Beach having been sold to Ty Warner for an undisclosed amount. Last year, Ty 
Warner purchased the Four Seasons Hotel in New York for $275 million.
Click Here For Story


==May 10, 2000==
SAKURA IS HOT!!
From: MetaExchange
Sakura, the new Japanese exclusive Beanie Baby is by far the hottest new Beanie Baby that Ty has introduced this year.  There are currently 1,344 buy orders in place on MetaExchange with only 246 up for sale.  The last sale price for Sakura was $87.94 down from a high over  $200 when this Beanie Baby was first introduced in mid March.  Rumors that Sakura may be retired soon have caused interest to remain strong and prices to stabilize.
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From: Ms. Janie
Sneak Peek at Winey/Holybears latest project
http://www.msjanie.com/pix/hw_new.html
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Rex Buddy Hits eBay!!
I did a search on eBay and found 74 auctions for the Rex Buddy. 34 claim to be "in hand". 17 are using the TY picture. Only 7 are using the REAL picture of what they have "in hand". It really aggravates me to look at an auction and see the "TY" picture instead of the real picture when an item is claimed to be "in hand". Here are the URL's for those showing the REAL pics.

==May 9, 2000==
BUDDY RETIREMENTS!!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/5_speedy_09_lizzy_00.html
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NEW CONTEST
Details are on the Contest page.
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24 Winners - 1 more to GO!!
There have been 24 winners so far in the BIG May Contest. There is still one prize remaining. You can visit THIS page to see which numbers are left to guess from to win the last prize, Scurry!!
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From: BeanieWonderland
Retailer Report
Hi there. I am a UK retailer.  I saw my rep today.  I was told that 18 out of 20 reps are leaving the company at the end of this month including mine.  I was told that the new contracts that Ty offered the reps are ridiculously binding, and impose heavy fines on reps not towing the line.  There are no immediate plans to replace the reps, as "the mass evacuation has taken Ty Europe by surprise, and they have no contingency plans".  Many retailers have not reordered, and quite a few large accounts have gone over to Pokemon.  Future backup for retailers in the UK looks very uncertain. (Beanie Wonderland comment - We spoke to a dealer early last week who also told us that just a few reps were staying on at Ty. They did indicate that Ty are set to send some of their own reps over, all remains to be seen)
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From: BeanieMom
Ty Inc. Sues over Beanie Babies Slot Machine
Las Vegas - The company that makes Beanie Babies is upset that the Tropicana hotel-casino used its wildly popular plush toys in a slot machine promotion.
*** BeanieMom has more info as well as a picture of a billboard on her site.


==May 8, 2000==
PRIZE WINNERS (SO FAR) FOR THE PLANET BEANS MAY CONTEST
The following list included the numbers chosen, the prize won, and the Planet Beans Yahoo! ID. This is quite a list!! There are 6 more prizes left. Good Luck to everyone!!
#6   & #33 Wiggly - curlybearuk
#62 & #96 Fleecie - GotBeans
#26 & #51 Sarge #2 - WLC_Chestnut
#2   & #16 Hope Buddy - kprezioso
#83 & #85 Trumpet #2 - LovesTurtles83
#14 & #65 Germania - WLC_Carnation
#76 & #82 Blarney - rosalie_at00
#57 & #98 Valentino Buddy - Shelli_Shell
#24 & #48 Morrie - beaniebunter_00
#8   & #22 Bushy - tresy13spage
#46 & #91 Trumpet - curlybearuk
#90 & #92 Grace #2 - BeanieSnatcher
#11 & #12 Rufus - WLC_Chestnut
#3   & #67 Scurry #2 - petitegal98
#32 & #86 Osito Buddy - GotBeans
#42 & #79 Grace - beaniepal_98
#41 & #70 Sarge - beaniekid_46105
#29 & #52 Bongo Buddy -  synicalone76
#54 & #93 Peter the Pumkin Bear - eemewvee
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From: BeanieWonderland
Set of 2nd Generation (A MUST SEE!!)
If you have a collection to be proud of and you are looking to sell it, then take a leaf out of this persons auction. A complete set of 2nd generation Beanie's 46 in total, all thumb nail pictured. I spoke to the seller regarding this auction and he informed me it took a total of 100 hours to prepare. View Here
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Are Beanies Losing the Popularity Game?!
From: Beanie News Online Galore!~
It seems there are more collectors trying to get rid of their Beanie Babies then acquire any more. On thw Webswap, there are currently 6,200 Haves for Beanie Babies, while only 1,500 Wants. If you are interested in Swapping any Ty Products, visit the Webswap today! WebSwap

==May 7, 2000==
115 NEW CLUB MEMBERS
I want to welcome all of our newest club members. We have a great group of wonderful and caring people in our Yahoo! Club. I hope to get to know many more friends soon. :o)
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From: SmartCollecting

Small Amount of Ty-Dyed Digger Buddies Shipped We received three different reports since Thursday about a Ty-dyed digger Buddy. "I just spoke to a Ty employee who informs me that there were 6 boxes of Ty-Dyed Digger Beanie Buddies that accidentally got out of Ty's warehouse. They are holding 6 boxes back that they caught. Whoever receives these 6 boxes of Ty-Dyed Buddies will be very very lucky!! These buddies will be very rare," explains Phyllis from Illinois. "I purchased an unusual Digger Buddy today from an authorized Ty dealer in Memphis. Side Note: It is in my personal opinion that this is a Claude Buddy and NOT a Digger buddy. I have Claude in front of me and it seems more believable that  this beautiful buddy is Claude instead of Digger.

==May 6, 2000==
108 NEW CLUB MEMBERS
I guess it's safe to say this new contest is a HUGE success. Everyone is having fun making their number picks each day. If you haven't played, visit the Contest page to see what the fuss is all about!!
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From: BeanieWonderland
Gold Autographed Millennium Card
A Gold Millennium autographed Millennium card sold on eBay for $3,502.99. The card from Series III attracted 15 bids and was numbered 1/1. View Here
Executive Buddies
The Ty Account Executive Millenium Beanie Buddy was auctioned on eBay recently, the reserve was met with a high bid of $3,000 View Here: These were signed, numbered, and given out by "TY WARNER" himself to Ty Account Executives in Dec. 1999. It will be interesting to see what a second one for sale will fetch. View Here:
Rex Buddy Hits UK
Rex the Buddy has been reported in several UK stores today, one secondary dealer is already selling these in hand on auctions. View Here

==May 5, 2000==
From: BeanieWonderland
Rex Buddy Hits UK
Rex the Buddy has been reported in several UK stores today, one secondary dealer is already selling these in hand on auctions. View Here
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From: BeanieWonderland
Not Selling
Hello, I am a Ty retailer and I just wanted to let you know that we already got our May order 36 of each style plus we got the last of the April order. They are shipping, however they are not selling.  We have shelf full of the newbies.  We are nervous and so is our Ty rep, she is trying to force us to order more.
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From: BeanieWonderland
Beanies to Blame
Children's toy retailer Noodle Kidoodle Inc. said it expects to post a greater than expected net earnings loss for fiscal first quarter 2001 due to lower sales of Beanie Babies. The company said in a statement that it expects to report a net loss for the quarter, exclusive of merger related costs, of about 33 to 35 cents per share, compared with Wall Street estimates of a loss of 20 cents, due to the lack of availability of Beanie Babies, and resulting lower customer traffic.
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LOTS of New Club Members!!
The May Contest held by our very kind and generous Judie (Very_Mysterious_Princess) has generated so much interest in the club. The Planet Beans Yahoo! Club had 611 members right before the contest was announced. We now have 693!!
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Personalized Graduation Bears !
Celebrate the efforts of your favorite graduate.  It is graduation time and now is the time to think about a personalized bear for that special student.  The feet are embroidered with C/O (Class of) 2000 and the back has your graduate’s name smartly embroidered. This bear is truly the "Class" of 2000.  Stop by and see what the buzz is all about. Check out the Graduation Bear as well as the many other styles offered. www.wemakebears4u.com
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From: SmartCollecting
No-Tag Royal Blue Elephant Sells for $1,726
This was a seven-day auction that attracted 40 bids. It was advertised on Smart Collecting Auction Highlights.  The Beanie had been authenticated by Peggy Gallagher.  The Beanie had a mint 1st Generation tush tag but it was missing its 3rd Generation hang tag. The seller, known as "Spserv97" on eBay, had a flawless feedback rating with 170 positive remarks.

==May 4, 2000==
Win a Beanie Kid!!
Judie is having a posting contest at the Planet Beans Yahoo! Club to win a Beanie Kid. All you have to do is stop by and post. It couldn't get any easier, could it?!
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New Contest a HUGE Success!!
Judie is having a posting contest at the Planet Beans Yahoo! Club to win a Beanie Kid. All you have to do is stop by and post. It couldn't get any easier, could it?!
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New Contest a HUGE Success!!
Judie is having a posting contest at the Planet Beans Yahoo! Club to win a Beanie Kid. All you have to do is stop by and post. It couldn't get any easier, could it?!
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New Contest a HUGE Success!!
Judie is having a posting contest at the Planet Beans Yahoo! Club to win a Beanie Kid. All you have to do is stop by and post. It couldn't get any easier, could it?!
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New Contest a HUGE Success!!
It's so nice seeing people visit the website again. I hope those that are entering the contest will also check out the rest of the website and return again even after the contest has ended.
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From: BeanieWonderland
Germania Buddy Opinion
One of our readers send us the following opinions on the Germania Buddy: If I were a German Ty collector I would be disappointed. I know there's not much you could have done to Germania, but to simply re-cycle another buddy (Fuzz) is rotten. Even Valentino Buddy got a brand spanking new bow and new red nose colour. The worst looking exclusive buddy and beanie to buddy conversion, I think. Come on TY. Is this why Fuzz has been hard to get as a Buddy recently and it was off order sheets long before it retired. (NICELY said!!)
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From: BeanieWonderland
TyRiffic Store Update
One of our members sends us the following link to a message on the Ty Cyber board, it explains how the store in the Pittsburgh Airport has moved to new premises nearby. View Here
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From: MBBBW
Germania^™ Buddy^™ Pictures
Pkay sends us a link to her German Web site with pictures of the Germania^™ Beanie Buddy^™:
Click here for pictures.
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From: MBBBW
Complete Set of 2nd Generation Swing Tags Beanie Babies up for auction
This is an interesting auction for a complete set of every Beanie Baby which was produced with a 2nd generation swing tag.  A total of 46 Beanies are included in the auction.  The opening bid is for $27,000 and as of yet, no bids are listed. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=318786964
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From: Beanieholics
Fake 1998 Holiday Teddies
Fake Beanie Babies are showing up like crazy with the majority of them coming off of auction sites. Ms. Janie has information on one of them, the 1998 Holiday Teddy. Click Here For More Info
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From: Beanieholics
Another One Bites The Dust
Remember when there was a time that there were so many magazines about Bean Bag toys on the newsstands that it cost a small fortune to buy them all? That's not a problem anymore. Another magazine has become extinct. (Does this qualify as a retirement?) Say goodbye to Beans! & Bears magazine. The current issue on the stands will be the last one. Hate to see it go, we really enjoyed it.