-=May 31, 2002=-
ASK TY
Q: Will there be a new (and different) line of Birthday Bears now that the first line is complete? (submitted by joyb-bug) 
A: What goes better together than Beanies, Birthdays and Party Hats? We'll just have to wait and see. http://www.tytrade.com/askty_home

THIS IS TOO FUNNY NOT TO SHARE!!
The following post was found on Ty's Cyberboard and had me laughing for hours!!! Rumor about Ms Janie Stomie the Cat (07:02 pm. May 30, 2002 ) Message Id: 1070482 Stomie the Cat writes: I've been wondering how Ms. Janie knows so much about the beanie babies...and then how she knows so much about Ty Warner...of course this is just a rumor, but does anybody else think that maybe she's Mr. Warner's wife? http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg1070482.html

JUNE RELEASES - http://release.ty.com/mainlanding_june 
BEANIES: Baby Boy the Bear, Baby Girl the Bear, Serenity the Dove, Lightening the Horse, Sledge the Shark, Booties the Cat
BUDDIES: Cheery, Addison

"GOING INTO JUNE" Pick-a-Number Contest
LaRue and I will be running another joint Pick-a-Number contest today.
start time: 7pm EST ~ 6pm CST
the place: 1-300 at LaRue's http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/kansaspewter/2PAN.html

301-600: http://www.planetbeans.com/GIJPAN.htm

Simple rules can be found on both pages. Have fun!!
DO NOT SEND IN ANY NUMBERS UNTIL THE START TIME OF THE CONTEST.

Oh I guess you would like to know what the prizes are. ;o) You will be playing to win the 3 Liberty's. First winner picks their choice from red, white, or blue headed Liberty's and so on...

-=May 30, 2002=-
DAD-e IS SHIPPING
This is to confirm shipment of the following order.

Order - ***4764
Ship date - 5/29/02

Item(s) cost - $10.00
Shipping & Handling - $4.50
Sales Tax - $0.00
Duty - $0.00
Grand Total - $14.50

Regards,

Ty Store

HEARTBREAK 
Chandra Levy's numbed parents suffered through a heartbreaking memorial service for her yesterday, too distraught to speak and openly sobbing - only hours after her death was ruled a murder. Appearing in public for the first time since her daughter's remains were found last week, a stricken Susan Levy clutched a Beanie Baby teddy bear as she shuffled slowly into the convention center in Modesto, Calif., on the arms of her weeping husband, Robert, and their 20-year-old son, Adam. http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/49036.htm

From: Ms. Janie
A special thanks to Sly for sharing the following 
Ty RARE Ty signed Ariel beanie baby AUTHD 
This AUCTION is for a very*** Special Ty signed Ariel*** What makes this BEANIE **SPECIAL** is the fact that it is a Canadian Ariel, signed by Ty himself and Authenticated by Peggy Gallagher and Ty Inc.. The Certificate states that the beanie is Rare and Museums Quality. I have included a copy of the e-mail from Peggy in the auction, showing that she took the beanie to Ty Inc. to have The Signature verified. THIS MIGHT VERY WELL BE **The Only Canadian Signed Ariel** http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1736544856

MC BEANIE TO RETIRE SOON?
Is Ty leaving us a hint? On the front of the application it says that M.C. Beanie could retire soon. John http://www.msjanie.com/temp/john_mcbear.html

Authenticators
I was informed a few days back that on occassions Peggy Gallagher asked Ty Warner himself to look at a beanie for authenticating reasons. I have been sent a link to a closed auction which would seem to confirm this. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1734009217

Planet Beans Comments: You may recall when I shared this information on May 19th. Posting it again as a reminder. Congrats to our UK readers for this opportunity to both meet one of the creators of Chubbley Bears.. but for also being able to pick up a signed Jubilee. What a highlight in any collection that would be. :o)

Also as shared by Kathie on May 19th... There will also Be competitions to win a signed Bear or a JOKER! for more info. please contact Barretts of St. Neots. 

JUNE 2002 RELEASES ~ MS. JANIE HAS PICTURES!!
Ms. Janie received the following from one of her readers.
Hi!

Thought this might interest you - :o)

I'm not very adept with a digital camera ~ hopefully someone will send you better pictures.

Buddies: Frisbee, Addison, & Cheery!!! Whooooooooohooooooooooo!!

Beanies: Pastel Blue Baby Boy ("It's a Boy") embroidered on chest
Pastel Pink Baby Girl ("It's a Girl") embroidered on chest
Dove w/Peace Symbol embroidered on chest - Serenity
Great horse named Lightning
Black kitten named Booties
Hammerhead Shark named Sledge - you'll see 2 pictures of him .. he's hard to catch .. his underbelly is a shiny multicolored material, top side is blue

2 New Gear Outfits - one is patriotic and I forgot what the other one is . . sorry

Didn't get pictures of the outfits or Frisbee but hope this interests you!
http://www.msjanie.com/temp/june2002releases.html

-=May 29, 2002=-
A special note from Ms. Janie, For those of you who read the message board today regarding my note about Deb from Doodlespage. http://www.doodlespage.com 

Deb underwent surgery today to correct a vertebra in her neck and remove bone spurs. I am happy to report that her surgery went well and her spirits are high! Her husband Joey reports that she came through with flying colors but will need to spend time recouping and taking care of herself. Please keep Deb in your thoughts and prayers. I would suggest dropping her a line but ask that you refrain from doing so until she is fully on her feet. There is no need in filling up her mailbox just yet. I will continue to update you on her progress. Knowing Deb she will be fully operationally in no time flat! She is stubborn and has a mind of her own! I mean that in a GOOD way! LOL Hang in their Deb and know that we are all pulling for you, Ms. Janie and her readers

Deb you are in our thoughts and prayers as well. I hope you heal quickly and are back to your same chipper self. :o) 

Bobble Heads Get the Nod
From: Bean eWonderland
Maybe it's the way they always seem to nod in agreement, like pocket-size yes men. Perhaps it's the oversized heads on the roly-poly bodies, regardless of whether the real-life subject has a physique like Arnold "The Terminator" Schwarzenegger or Arnold The Pig from "Green Acres." Whatever the reason, bobblehead dolls are making customers' heads spin like never before. A Willie Mays bobblehead doll giveaway at a San Francisco Giants game in 1999 was so popular that other teams started ordering dolls in 2000. Teams soon found out that bobbleheads could boost attendance by thousands of people. ESPN dubbed the doll, "The Beanie Baby of the new millennium." http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/all-5bobbleheadmay28.story?coll=all%2Dnewslocalallentown%2Dhed 

Very Rare Beanie
From: Bean eWonderland
I had the pleasure of meeting a collector of 'Rare Ty' products, they have been helping us with images and information for our own 'Rare Ty' section of the site. I did not know myself that the following Beanie existed until now, a UK Cubbie with a triangle TAG....... These are nearly extinct as we know them because they were sent to the UK to introduce the market and behold it did not catch on at first so there were very few that survived mint. Maybe as few as 1-2 a year show up and this one has been authenticated by Peggy Gallagher. http://www.beaniewonderland.com/news/extra.htm 

-=May 28, 2002=-
Champion Checklists
From: Bean eWonderland
Bob writes: I have been contacted by someone who informed me that there is a checklist featuring the Republic of Ireland Champion. One of your readers stated they have a checklist with the Germany Champion. So, that makes a total of at least four different Champion pocket checklists. If any readers know of additional versions of the Champion checklist... (If anyone knows of any other Countries please contact Bean eWonderland).

"Where’s the Beans?
From: UGB
Ok those that are familiar with me know I take beanies apart to customize them. Just last week I received my first [and last] order to do an Extra Large Buddy. Now some of the beanie babies I have taken apart was all pellets/beans with the only stuffing found was in the head. While most of the beanies have a very small amount of stuffing right at the back seam of the bear and in the head. Imagine my amazement to observe what was really inside an Extra Large Buddy. Only 4 modest packs of pellets, one in each hand and one in each foot. Each packed was less than 1/3 what is in a beanie baby. In fact if you were to take all 4 packages of pellets it might equal what is in one average beanie. On the Extra Large Buddy the rest was merely stuffing! I also noticed it had a line of oil on the inside of it! I am not sure what kind of oil this was, but it reminded me of motor oil! I don’t know if it came from a machine but it was a straight line. Yes it did rub or spread and was not solid. Another note of interest was all the seams on the Liberty were burned not cut. Meaning they seared out the pattern and did cut it out. This would explain the unusual stench of the larger buddies when TY Inc. first started making them."  View the pictures here: http://www.undergroundbean.com/news.htm 

-=May 27, 2002=-
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY
Please take the time today to be thankful for your freedom and the beautiful lands we live on. If you are able, hug a VET today. They deserve our love, appreciation, and understanding. Be safe and enjoy your holiday.

GOLDEN JUBILEE PINS
Kim shares the following with Ms. Janie:
I was asked by one of my US trading buddies for info on the Golden Jubilee pins that some UK traders are mentioning. I thought it might be useful to enclose this photo of a pin. They are sold to raise money for HM The Queen's chosen charities and it carries the same official Golden Jubilee logo that Celebrations bear has. Regards Kim England http://www.msjanie.com/temp/kim_celpin.html

Rumours
From: Bean eWonderland
Plenty of rumours flying around at the moment, as long as they are treated as rumours then they are fun. I have received emails stating that the Champion Beanies will retire very soon (would be a surprise, Ty has invested a lot of money for Champion to be an official World Cup Item). I feel that they might retire one by one as each country is eliminated. I have also heard that, Ty will retire the Liberty Bears this week, that old style beanies will be re-released with a new tag stating 'Retired Classic', England, Wales and Scotland will retire and the Asian Pacific Beanies also later this week.

Bean Watcher
From: Bean eWonderland
The Bean Watcher writes about a new version of Cheddar the Mouse being found. What is different about the newly-reported version? Will it be valuable in the future? Also, there is an article about the introduction and quick retirement of Tradee Beanie Buddy. Did you miss out on buying him? Can you get him at a price that is higher, lower, or about the same as that found on Ty Store? http://www.beaniewonderland.com/BeanWatcher/beanwatcher.htm 

-=May 26, 2002=-
Ty Australia News
From: Beanieholics
The Beanie Kingdom website is reporting that Celebrations, the Queens Golden Jubilee Bear, should be arriving there soon or at least no later than early July. So far there have only been nine of the Champion Beanie Babies released in Australia. Beanie Kingdom says there are no plans for the release of the other twenty-three versions of the bear. Most Australian Ty outlets are only selling them as a 'set' of nine bears. http://www.beaniekingdom.com/

MARC SHARES THE FOLLOWING:
"With the introduction this past Friday of the Rescue & Courage Buddies, there are two items I noticed that don't seem to have been pointed out yet.

1) http://releases.ty.com/resucecouragebuddy

Rescue is misspelled resuce in the URL of the introduction. I had seen the URL posted of the intro. & thought it was just a typo, but when I went to look again, it is wrong. Hey Ty...if you need to hire a proofreader, let me know. ;7)

2) The ears on Rescue Buddy are black, while the ears on the Rescue Beanie Baby are white. Will this be another case like the FIVE versions of Dizzy, with the color of the ears, spots, & tail varying? Will there be only the one Rescue Buddy? Or do you think there might be two of him, one with white ears (like the Baby) and one with black ears? Only TYme will tell!!! LOL!!! Marc"

-=May 25, 2002=-
Survivor-Beanie Babies connection!!!
Marc shares the following:
Hello!!! I was reading the Planet Beans news page (May 24) about the auction of the seized collectibles to take place in GA this weekend and after visiting HudsonMarshall.com to peek at the auction (no photos of the Beanies that I could find, LOL), I noticed the following at the top of the page: http://hudsonmarshall.com/sales/may24

BY ORDER OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF UPSON COUNTY, GA. File Number: 10-V-215 Judge: Paschal English

Recognize the name? It's Paschal from Survivor!!!  Just thought that was an interesting little tidbit to pass on. Have a fun & safe holiday weekend everyone and take some time to remember and thank our military & rescue personnel for all they do. :7) Marc

ASK TY
Q: Do you ever plan on re-introducing some of the older Beanies to new collectors? (submitted by panda1238)
A: I have been working on a special project that has something to do with my favorite Beanies . . . only a couple months until the surprise !
http://www.tytrade.com/askty_home

PLANET BEANS HELP UPDATE
Thank you to Eva M and Judy J.

-=May 24, 2002=-
Bidding begins Friday
From: BeaneWonderland
  After months and months of legalities and thrashing through the details, the time has finally arrived to dispose of the huge cache of collectibles, memorabilia, storage cabinets and other items accumulated by former Thomaston City Clerk Phil Adcock. The items were acquired using stolen city funds and were subsequently seized by the city. The inventory of the available items, which is online for viewing at hudsonmarshall.com, is enormous.

When arranged for viewing, the collection takes up most of the basketball court and seating area at the Civic Center. There are more than 300,000 sports cards, hundreds of die-cast NASCAR, Hot Wheels and vintage-type vehicles, over 500 Zippo lighters, over 300 knives, many coin sets, over 450 sports figures and dolls, over 400 Beanie Babies. Full Story: 

Authenticators
From: BeaneWonderland
From the email Kevin writes: Could you please tell me what the major differences are between the Beanie authenticators, I mean the three main ones that spring to mind, Peggy Gallagher, True Blue Beans and Pbbags. I know that you have an agreement (or seem to have) with Peggy Gallagher but what about the other two, how good are they and now that Pbbags have terminated Becky Phillips’ contract what does this mean. It is all a little confusing and I do not know who to trust.

Bean eWonderlands Comment - Firstly I have never had any dealings with True Blue Beans so it would be unfair for me to comment. After I received this email I paid a visit to their site and they sound on par with the others. . The two replacements for Becky Phillips sound knowledgeable and I dare say they will be very good at what they do. The simple reason Bean eWonderland agreed to promote Peggy Gallagher was that if she was good enough for eBay and Ty Inc. then she should be good enough for anyone. As for the service on offer they all seem pretty much the same. Richard's personal opinion is that if I saw a Beanie for sale on eBay authenticated by Peggy Gallagher next to one authenticated by anyone else I would expect Peggy Gallaghers to fetch a little more as her name is more renowned.

MAY RETIREMENTS
http://retirement.ty.com/MayRetirements
Beanie Babies
Cheddar
Clover
Beani
June
March

Beanie Boppers
Sassy Star

Beanie Buddies
Tangerine
Shamrock
Mellow
Champion

Attic Treasures
Mommy
McKinley

CHECKLISTS AND INFO PAGES ARE UPDATED
Just to let you know when the retirement happened I was able to get the pages updated right away. :o)

Courage & Rescue Buddies Introduced- http://releases.ty.com/resucecouragebuddy


-=May 23, 2002=-
NEW CHUBBLEY WEBSITE
Danita shares the following:
"Hi here is the Chubbley Website I've been working on. It has a little bit of work left to be done but it is up and running for everyone." Danita http://www.chubbleycollectors.com/

-=May 22, 2002=-
A SINCERE THANK YOU
I'd like to thank the following people for helping me with the site renewal this year: Adrienne M, Nancy M, Charlene B, Nicole M, Diane C, Lois B, Tim S, Lynne K, Kevin C, Margie L, Jane W, Lisa F, Betty C, Dianna H, Anonymous, Joan T, Clara R, Regina E, Marie T, Barbara R, Carol D, Sharon H, Helen J. :o) Planet Beans has been renewed for another year thanks to all of you giving people. :o)

SOON TO RETIRE?
From: Ms. Janie
This is on the Ty retailer site: Currently Not Available The following Ty friends are currently not available for ordering: Cheddar, June, Trotter, Mommy, McKinley, Slush, Nuzzle and Rescue. Thank you! Scott

Dad-e Auctions
From: Beanieholics
Oh where, oh where have all the Dad-e Beanies gone? Oh where, oh where could they be?
Check out eBay. There are over 1,200 auctions for Dad-e. There are multiple auctions that feature one dozen Dad-e Beanies for sale. Saw another with 48 of the bears. Wonder if this was the result Ty was looking for when they made this Beanie available for just one day? Click Here To View Auctions

EXPERIENCES WITH MBNA & REDEEMING POINTS
SHeL shares his experiences:
"Hi Lisa since I stopped traveling, I don't use my Citibank American Airlines Card anymore I use my Ty MC for everything and have accumulated lots of credits. I asked MBNA to ship me 2 MC beanies to redeem some points. They sent a Ty T-Shirt and a Ty Golf shirt instead. I called them and they said they would rectify the order. I asked where to return the shirts. They said keep them. I asked again in several weeks and they said to return the shirts first, to Ty Inc, Att. MC, PO Box R377, Oakbrook IL 60522 I'm still waiting for my Beanies SHeL ..."

Planet Beans Comments: Has anyone else had similar experiences with redeeming points? Please share your comments and situations. 

-=May 21, 2002=-
Unhappy Collector
From: BeaneWonderland
From the email: I have written on a few occasion to view my opinion on one thing or another. But this one takes the biscuit. I ordered like many others the Dad-e bear. When I got the confirmation email (if you wish I will send you a copy) I realised that the shipping address was incorrect. I know that I put in the right one (they are completey different) on the order form. So I contact customer service and this is the reply I got... "We have cancelled your order." I contacted them immediately hoping that they would correct it but they cancelled it all together. I have been a collector for along time and with the Clubby 4 never getting here and now this. This has me thinking of saying good-bye to the my loved hobby. The hobby everybody laughs at me for collecting. I feel very sad at this moment. Shirley

Ps I have sent another email and I have posted on ty Talk. I will keep you posted but knowing Ty there will no good news! Not on this anyway.

HELPING KIDS
LaRue shares the following:
The 6th grade class at a school here in Kansas has been keeping track of the number of emails that they receive in a set time. They had a goal of 2008, the year they graduate, and are still short. There last day of school is this Friday, May 26, 2002. Would you be interested in putting this information out to your readers so that we could help them reach their goal? I am sure the kids would have a terrific last week of school if they could hear from a lot of your readers.

Thanks for any help that you can offer. 6thgraders@usd294.org Virginia in Kansas

Email to:
Carol Dixson
6th Grade Teacher
Oberlin Elementary School
Oberlin, Kansas
6thgraders@usd294.org

WANTED TO SHARE
A note and request from John in Germany! 
From: BeaneWonderland
Hi Janie, You've emailed me in the past after receiving emails from people who wanted to do something for our military people but didn't know what they could do. Well, today I was the recipient of a pocket flag as were several members of my unit. I had heard of this project but really didn't know anything about it until now. Apparently there are Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops behind this. It's spreading through other groups, and now many different organizations are contributing. The main reason for this project was to get flags small enough to be carried in a service member's shirt pocket. The original plan was to mail these flags to the people who were serving on the front lines. It has now spread to other units too, mainly to overseas units. Thanks! John 

Please visit the following link for the rest of John's information along with photos http://www.msjanie.com/temp/john_flag_militray.html

MBNA point redemption
Marc shares the following in BBChalkboard
I have not redeemed my points yet, but I'm at the point where I can redeem for THREE more M.C. Beanies. I don't think a plastic travel mug is worth 1000 points and personally, I don't want to have
clothing with a heart logo. LOL. ;7) I have called MBNA several times and NO ONE seems to know anything about what the $5000 bear will be. Would be nice if it's a Ty-SIGNED one. All I know is that the points are NOT subtracted for this "bonus" bear and you have to wait "x" number of weeks for shipment AFTER THE (one year) ANNIVERSARY DATE OF YOUR CARD. Maybe it's the "TeddyBearsary" that I've seen reported on. Think it was Sly in Ms. Janie's letter? From what I understand, if you choose to redeem 1500 points = $1500 in purchases, you will receive an M.C. Beanie. The reason it says what LaRue has below:

> 1,500 Points-one specially selected Beanie Baby® not available for purchase by the general.
public, such as M.C. Beanie. <

is because that's the current card exclusive they have. Eventually, they'll retire it (maybe? LOL) and have a new exclusive Beanie or Ty product for enrollment/redemption choices.

Now here's something to consider. If it costs me $1500 = 1500 points to get an M.C. Beanie, then why isn't M.C. worth $1500 for a sale or trade? Shouldn't it be worth $5.00 which is the suggested retail price (as stated in card member materials and I think the application form) as should Mom-e, Dad-e, red America, and all those darn country exclusives and everything else? LOL. ;7P

Planet Beans Comments: If you have any additional information, please pass it on. I know this subject is of interest to many readers.

-=May 20, 2002=-
DISAPPOINTMENTS
Several members of Chubbley Corners have left the following comments: 
Jen writes: "I didn't order Mom-e or Dad-e. I was going to order Mom-e but was waiting to get bills paid first then POOF she was gone. This time I said oh well I need to wait again and yet still POOF he was gone. However someone who spoils me a lot ordered me one. I only wish I could do stuff for her like she has done for me. 

I am getting sick of Ty's games though.... That is why Chubbleys are so refreshing. I hope they never become as big a game as Beanies are. I really like the idea of being able to have a chance to get them all and it not be a nig race. Some people have the money to play those games. I personally don't.

ChubbleyMum writes: "Jen i agree with you, it's very hard if you don't have the money for some of these beanies, my daughter can only buy beanies with her pocket money, after past pre-orders for Ty's, waiting for months not knowing if you'll get it or not , we decided  NO MORE PRESURE, & only buy locally at the proper price £5.99 . A lot of people are getting very greedy putting up prices. & getting rich quick."

Nancy writes: "I think most people are talking about the raised prices of the exclusives (beanies)  Personally I think paying over $20.00 for an exclusive is way toooo much.  Many people can't afford it.  Also you order a beanie at the ty store for $5.00 (each).  Then online stores order them also, and what they charge for that beanie is awful.  They pay $5.00 each for them (too) and charge $38.99 (mom-e) and $43.99 (dad-e) some other online stores are more than this.  Then of course their shipping charges some are over $6.00 and up.  Its just outrageous. I want Sakura beanie (first one) one place has him still at $169.99.  Way too much, also I want Buckingham beanie, still can't afford him.  All exclusives just cost way too much."

Built on Beanie Babies and baseball cards, the San Jose Internet company is expanding aggressively -- and beyond auctions -- to sell everything from cars to clothes to computers. For Meg Whitman, eBay's chief executive officer, the toughest challenges may lie ahead, however. To many, it appears she has made the decision to go head-to-head with the world's leading online retailer, Amazon.com. She insists Amazon is a merchandiser, eBay is a marketplace.http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/business/3292568.htm

-=May 19, 2002=-
I've just checked Ty.com and they STILL have the newsflash introductions for Prinz von Gold AND Dad-e. I don't recall newsflashes being up so long before. One would think that they would have immediately removed the Dad-e newsflash as soon as he sold out. Now it's just sitting there to tease everyone that didn't get to order. LOL 

Warner backs away from driveway plan 
From: BeaneWonderland
Toy mogul Ty Warner has withdrawn his zoning-variance request to place driveway gates at his Oak Brook home in Ginger Creek. Warner, owner of the Westmont-based Ty Inc., had gates installed at the foot of his driveway as a security measure. But the gates violated village rules indicating the property must be at least 1 acre in size to qualify for driveway gates. Warner's property was less than 1 acre, so he requested zoning relief. His attorney sought to establish that Warner, whose name adorns millions of Beanie Babies and plush animals, is a celebrity, creating a need for the privacy gates can afford. Village Board trustees said Warner's celebrity status wasn't unique for Oak Brook. Trustees said Warner hadn't demonstrated a hardship to qualify for zoning relief. They voted April 23 against his request. Warner has since removed the illegitimate gates. Full Article: http://suburbanlife.chicagosuburbannews.com/display/inn_news/OAK%20BROOK/211W.TXT 

Razed building will help park blossom 
From: BeaneWonderland
A Westmont industrial area soon will become part of Ty Warner Park with the help of demolition crews and bulldozers. Westmont Park District Executive Director Ron Gunter said crews should begin work tearing down the old Everpure Inc. building at 660 Blackhawk Drive on the south side of Ty Warner Park in the next couple weeks. Fences and screens already are in place around the building. The Park District bought the property for $4.8 million with funds donated by Ty Warner, owner of Ty Inc., the maker of Beanie Babies, which is based in an office building on the north side of Ty Warner Park. Full article: http://reporterprogress.chicagosuburbannews.com/display/inn_news/WESTMONT/W509.TXT 

Ty Tidbits 
From: BeaneWonderland
Retailers have received a copy of Ty Tidbits May 2002 which covers the pcoming Spring/Summer trade shows schedule. Because the list may be difficult to read from the attachment, I am repeating the schedule: View Image: http://www.beaniewonderland.com/news/extra.htm 

I especially liked Yavett's comments about tag protectors. ;o) 
From: BeaneWonderland
"Greetings from the U.K What's all this bad stuff people keep throwing at our favourite toy maker??? I am quite happy with Ty (at the moment!) and say leave them alone. It IS expensive for us in the U.K to order from Ty store, but I thought what the hell, it would be a bit special to get something direct from the home of beanie land! So on the 7th I duly placed my order for a reversed ear white America at the Ty store. Having read about all the delays and stuff I thought it would make a nice Christmas gift when it arrived! Lo and behold, when I got home from work last night (the 17th) I had a little box from the USA waiting for me. Inside was lovely America bear with reversed ears just like I ordered (and the hang tag was only slightly bent!!) ordered and delivered to the U.K in less than 10 days!! Now that WAS fun. Thank you guys, Ramon." 

UGB COMMENTS: No one is throwing bad stuff ... well not exactly anyway, but one might think about the tag protectors that Ty manufacture's and wonder why he doesn't spend the extra nickel or so and tag protect his items from the Ty Store with them, I am sure that most wouldn't mind paying an extra dime even to ensure that items that come from the Ty Store are somewhat protected. After all, how many people complain to Customer Service about bent or otherwise damaged tags and expect replacements, wouldn't this save a lot of money in the long run?

EXCITING NEWS FOR UK CHUBBLEY COLLECTORS
Kathie Currie shares the following:
Exciting news from the UK, on June 1st between 11am and 2pm Charles from Chubbley UK Ltd.  will be signing Jubilee Chubbley Bears bought from Barretts of St. Neots (Cambridgeshire) who can be contacted at (01480 408700). There will also Be competitions to win a signed Bear or a JOKER! for more info. please contact Barretts of St. Neots. 

-=May 18, 2002=-
ASK TY
Q: Will there be a Dad-E to go with Mom-e, or is this just another rumor??? Do tell please! (submitted by whitecamero)
A: This rumor has just become reality. Check out the TyStore !

TRYING TO ORDER DAD-e?
I tried for a couple of hours and finally got through. Don't give up. It looks like Dad-e is selling quicker than Mom-e. http://www.tytrade.com/TyStore

Dad-e RETIRES - http://www.tytrade.com/daderetired

-=May 17, 2002=-
MORE COUNTERFEITS
From: BeaneWonderland
Dear Beanie Friend: Please alert your readers that we discovered 3 counterfeit Chinook, the Canadian Exclusive Beanie Baby! The serial numbers are: 4PUG8DF5, 4FRE5ASW, and 4AR6WE8G. Thank you very much for getting the information to our Beanie Baby Collectors! Thank you. Sincerely, Peggy Gallagher Enterprises, Inc. http://www.peggyg.com

UK Pops Variation Comment
From: BeaneWonderland
From the email Sharon writes: A comment on the "variations" of UK Pops. As a person who sews, I think that the ties have just been cut out in a different direction. The fabric is the same, just turned a different way!! This variation thing seems to getting out of hand!! JMHO Sharon.

Planet Beans Comments: How many of you are sick of hearing about variations? LOL A different color head.. now that's a variation. ;o)

Have Animals beanies any legs left?
From: BeaneWonderland
One thing I have noticed more and more over the months is beanie collectors deciding to collect only the 'bears'. Most just like the style better others say it is too much trying to collect everything. Retailers often write in stating that the animal range are shelf sitters. A quick search on eBay for one of the more recent but rarer animal beanies (Runner with 'mean' cobra poem) showed just the one for sale with no bids at $9.99, collectors are just not interested in the animals. Even the 'Most Wanted' list at Ty.com has bear styled beanies occupying the top 20 positions.

WINNER IS ANNOUNCED
The Mum & Pops contest winner can be found on the contests page: http://www.planetbeans.com/Contests.htm

-=May 16, 2002=-
WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED
The Mum & Pops contest has ended and a winner will be announced as soon as I hear from the contest sponsor, Joyce. :o)

THIS POEM SAYS IT ALL
Written by Charlene for Chubbley Corners: http://communities.msn.ca/ChubbleyCorners/
I come here and read the words that you say,
I giggle and smile day after day,
With every post I learn something new,
Im instantly interested when the post is from you.

So; I hope you enjoy this little read,
I just want you to know, you're the friends that I need...
So; thank you all, for making me smile,
I know, I will be here for more than a while.

-=May 15, 2002=-
NEED YOUR HELP
It's that time of year for the renewal of Planet Beans. I don't have the needed funds right now so I thought I should ask for help. If I don't come up with the $99 needed to renew for the next year I'll have to let the site go and you know I don't want to do that. Unfortunately I need the money by 5/25/2002. If you'd like to help keep Planet Beans up and running.. let me know by emailing me at pbeans@bellsouth.net with Planet Beans Help in the subject line. Every little bit helps. :o) I have well over 800 members to this mailing list. If 99 of you sent just $1 that would be great. If I end up getting more than $99 I will purchase a contest prize with the remainder.

NEED YOUR HELP UPDATE
I wanted to thank the 10 (ten) people I've received help from. :o) It looks like we are well on our way to renewing Planet Beans for another year.

SCARY THING HAPPENED
Many of you read about this in the groups but I wanted to share with the rest of you. I was going to Kroger to pick up some items to make something for BUNKO tonight. This was at about 2:45pm this afternoon. Normally Brandon would be walking with me holding my hand but this time I was carrying him because he got a blister on his foot on Sunday from his sandals so I was just going to let him go shoeless in the cart. Well when I was getting read to go into the door at Kroger I tripped and fell down with Brandon in my hands. I tried to break the fall and my left hand shows that and I was holding onto Brandon until we hit the ground. Two kind women came and helped me up and offered to call 911 but I didn't think it was that bad. One of the ladies noticed the blood dripping out of the right side of Brandon's head. He had blood all over his shirt and I have blood all over mine. We went into Kroger looking for my friend Sandy since we ran into one of our neighbors that was coming out of the store when we were looking for a parking place.. she said Sandy was there. I didn't know she meant she was there before.. but thought she was there right at that time. Well I searched every isle for Sandy and she wasn't there. I tried her cell phone numerous times because I wanted her to get Robbie at school. The school is really close to Kroger so after I came out I went to check Robbie out so he could keep an eye on Brandon in the van while driving to the doctor or the hospital. Can you believe not one working in Kroger stopped me and Brandon to ask if we were okay?! Brandon was crying, blood coming out of his head, we both had blood all over our shirts.. still not one person stopped us to make sure we were okay. That really surprised me. In any event.. I took Brandon into the school with me in hopes that Sherrie, the school nurse, could look at Brandon's head. She cleaned it off and thought he may need some stitches because he has a gash on head. I ran into Sandy at the school.. she was checking out her two boys. I had her look at Brandon too because she dealt with one of her sons and a similar situation a few months ago. I took Brandon and Robbie to the doctor and 2 nurses looked at Brandon and cleaned off the area really good.. they both suggested not getting stitches because it would be more traumatic for Brandon then letting it just heal. It is located on his head so the hair will cover a scar so that wasn't even an issue. I agreed with what they were both telling me so they said to go home and wash his hair then put Neosporin on that area 3 times a day. One of the nurses gave me a paper listing things to look for in case he has a concussion. He played around a bit yesterday as if nothing happened. It's amazing how kids bounce back so nicely. Whew.. I was shaking like a leaf during this whole ordeal and crying uncontrollably at times. I'm so thankful that Brandon is okay. I was so scared there for a bit. My hands are scraped up and my left knee and ankle are really hurting. Hard for me to walk but I'll manage. Please take this time to really hug your kids and let them know how much you treasure them. :o) UPDATE: Unfortunately Brandon and I didn't sleep too well last night. I noticed he would try and hit the area on his head while he was sleeping so it must have been bothering him. I was trying to hold his arm down as best I could just to make sure he didn't hurt himself or make it start bleeding again. Brandon woke up this morning saying he didn't feel good and I can hardly walk. :o( Well it's another day and we'll manage as always. I want to thank you for your kind words and hugs. -HUGS

Amazon strategy shift may threaten eBay
From: BeaneWonderland
Amazon.com is planning to allow sellers of used goods on its site to branch into new businesses, an analyst said Tuesday, in a move that could put pressure on eBay. Currently, people and businesses can sell used goods on the site only if Amazon itself offers the same items new. For instance, if Amazon sells a CD by the rock group U2, then it allows a seller to offer a used copy of the CD. This way, Amazon doesn't need to create new product descriptions or displays. Under the new plan, sellers would be able to create their own product descriptions and displays. Instead of just featuring used DVDs, books and CDs, Amazon could feature the types of goods found on eBay: Beanie Babies, Porsches or antique wind chimes. Full article can be found here: http://investor.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-9897977-0.html?tag=ats

More Fake Serial Numbers
From: BeaneWonderland
Would you please be kind enough to alert your readers that 2 knew counterfeit
serial numbers have been discovered today: Nipponia counterfeit serial # 4RDAE9PO. Sakura counterfeit serial # 4G9R6WB7. Thank you. Sincerely, Peggy Gallagher Enterprises, Inc.

Due to the recent sale of PBBAGS, Inc. to a third party, Becky Phillips has terminated her employment with PBBAGS, Inc. Becky Phillips did not have any ownership interest in PBBAGS, Inc. and did not have any knowledge of or involvement with the sale. She will not have any affiliation of any kind with the new owners. Becky Phillips makes no endorsement of the new ownership.

Users paying the price for Net auction fraud 
From: Ms. Janie
As online scam complaints soar, bid sites account for 90% of them Greg Harrington is on a mission, the kind people undertake after they have been burned. It began last summer when the 34-year-old Houston-area security consultant won an online auction for some camera equipment. After sending almost $500, he received no merchandise and never heard from the seller -- reportedly in Romania. Harrington realized he had been taken in by what is now among the fastest-growing crimes -- online-auction fraud. "It's very easy to be ripped off this way," said Susan Grant, director of Internet Fraud Watch at the Washington-based National Consumers League. "We're hearing stories of consumers mailing thousands of dollars to sellers and never hearing anything back." But instead of merely smarting from his mistake and writing it off to experience, Harrington decided to take action. Several nights a week, he trolls online auctions for signs of fraudulent sales, then notifies the host sites. "On any typical night, I'll find 20 or 25 really suspicious sellers, and more than 90 percent of the time the site removes the seller, which means I was probably onto something." he said. "Once you know what to look for, these fraudulent auctions are usually not that difficult to spot." Fraud typically involves big-ticket items like laptop computers or high-definition televisions, but not exclusively. A case prosecuted last year involved a couple who almost made $20,000 selling nonexistent Beanie Babies. Most complaints to authorities stem from products that never arrive, arrive damaged or are worth far less than promised. Online scams of all kinds are on the rise, but auction fraud has been surging. http://www.starnews.com/article.php?fraud14.html

SLY FINDS NEW TY TRADEMARK
From: Ms. Janie
On April 29,2002 Ty applied to register a Trademark on "Teddybearsary" and listed Plush toys as The goods and services. My Guess is That "Teddybearsary" is a Ty Product that will be introduce to commemorate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Teddy bear. Oh! The 100th anniversary of the Teddy bear takes place this year.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A RARE CHUBBLEY BEAR?
Visit Chubbley Corners for the info on the contest and while you are there.. join in and chat with some VERY nice Chubbley addicts. ;o) Oh.. did you want to know what the prize is for their contest? It's the VERY RARE Littlebear an oddity of sorts as it has the little dipper on both feet not just the right foot but on both paws.  It will truly be an asset to any collection! http://communities.msn.ca/ChubbleyCorners/

CANCELLED MOM-e ORDERS
Rose writes:
"Hi I was talking to a US dealer, & I told him how all of a sudden my order for the MOM-E bear got cancelled by TY & he told me that he had quite a few calls from Canadians, that their orders had been cancelled also just seems to be very strange that ours orders were cancelled when we have placed many a order  in before the MOM-E bear came out . Being Canadian I find that we are being snubbed,  also we belong to the commwealth why are we not getting the bear Celebrations  Thanks for hearing me out & if other folks are having the same problems, drop a line. Rose teepell@mountaincable.net"

Planet Beans Comments: I never did get to order Mom-e and it really irritates me that people, like you, would get their hopes up and then have those hopes shattered by receiving notice of cancelled orders. I just don't understand. :o( Thanks for letting me know and I do hope there will be some resolution soon to this problem.

On the Home Front
From: Ms. Janie
Dennis Miller is said to be house-hunting with the idea of moving out of his $14 million house because he doesn’t get along with his neighbors, one of whom is a gun nut who threatened to shoot the bearded comic. "Miller put up a big wall and wanted to make all these changes to his house and needed variances. He ticked off his neighbors," said our man on the scene. "He told them, ‘I’ll fight you, and I’ll win because I have more money than you.' " Miller is also said to have soured on Montecito because he was rejected for membership in the Coral Casino beach club, as well as the Birnham Wood Golf Club. But Miller publicist Jeff Abraham told PAGE SIX: "He’s not moving, and he’s already a member of several country clubs around Montecito." If Miller does decide to sell, maybe he should call Ty Warner, who made a few billion selling Beanie Babies. Warner has spent at least $250 million on local real estate, buying the Biltmore Hotel in nearby Santa Barbara, the 200-acre San Ysidro Ranch where JFK honeymooned with Jacqueline Kennedy, and several houses. http://www.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix.htm

Another Reason why Ty Dumped CYRK?
From: BeaneWonderland
Yesterday we were passed a story about a young Chinese girl who died in a Chinese factory from exhaustion. The factory exploited young workers and produced soft toys, when I say soft toys, I mean the cuddly type of things you find in nearly every gift store. I decided not to use the story as I did not want readers assuming that Ty Inc used this company. Read the rest here: http://www.beaniewonderland.com/news/news.htm 

Meta Exchange
From: BeaneWonderland
The following email is being sent to all Meta Exchange members - Dear MetaExchange Members, After 3 successful years together, the MetaExchange Team is now ready to pursue other interests. With 400,000 transactions completed and over $30 million in gross sales, it is now time for the MetaExchange to be sold.

We will not rush into this but over the coming months we intend to look for a new owner of the MetaExchange. Interested parties should promptly contact (no calls please, email first): Jonathan Hubbard jhubbard@metaexchange.com Thank you!" 

As of May 10th, 2002, PBBAGS has transferred ownership of this remarkable company. All the final steps have been completed and full ownership has been transferred. The new owners; Wallos.com, JJ Bean Inc, and Go2Iguanas.com, Inc. have vowed to carry on the world’s premier authentication service, taking it to the next level. Read the rest here: http://www.undergroundbean.com/pressrelease051302.htm 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A RARE CHUBBLEY BEAR?
Visit Chubbley Corners for the info on the contest and while you are there.. join in and chat with some VERY nice Chubbley addicts. ;o) Oh.. did you want to know what the prize is for their contest? It's the VERY RARE Littlebear an oddity of sorts as it has the little dipper on both feet not just the right foot but on both paws.  It will truly be an asset to any collection! http://communities.msn.ca/ChubbleyCorners/ 

-=May 13, 2002=-
Kids Say the Nicest things about Mom
From: BeaneWonderland
Sometime the most sincere expressions of love come in the simplest forms. Take, for instance, the children in Carol Enright's first-grade class at Richmond Elementary School. They followed the sweet and simple approach to celebrating Mother's Day. Each of the students wrote a story about why their moms were so special. Along with the stories, students drew their own handprint with a heart - representing theirs moms - inside. Josh Trager, 6, said his mom is the nicest person he knows. Plus, she likes to make good food and every once in awhile buys him toys. "For my birthday she bought me a Beanie Baby," he said. http://www.thewesterlysun.com/display/inn_news/news1.txt

MISTAGGED TOOTHYS
Geaninne writes:
"My local supplier got in mistagged Toothy's and were going to send them back until I showed up and bought all 4!  The tags are for Panama the frog. swirlysnail88"

CHAMPION CHECKLISTS
Diana writes:
"Hi Lisa!  I don't know if this is old news or not, but I had heard that Ty Retailers in the U.K. were getting checklists with their Champion beanies and a friend of mine from England just included one along with two Champion beanies she sent me.  However, I have not seen here (I'm from the Raleigh, NC area) until today when I went to Aggies and saw them on the counter.  So if no one thinks the retailers in the U.S. have any, it might not hurt to ask them! -- Diana"

-=May 12, 2002=-
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!
I've been on the go since I woke up this morning so I didn't get a newsletter out today. The questions to the two contests weren't changed either. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but life was more important today. :o)

After looking around for some news to report I don't feel so bad. There just isn't anything of interest to share with you today. 

LaRUE'S BEANIES IN MAY PICK-A-NUMBER CONTEST 
La Rue and I will be holding a joint BIM Pick-A-Number contest this evening at 8:00pm EST. The prize for this round will be the Bride & Groom pair. 
Guidelines and PAN contests are located:  
La Rue's site (1-200): http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/kansaspewter/contests4.html 
on this site: (201-400): http://www.planetbeans.com/PAN4.htm 

-=May 11, 2002=-
ITZMEAGAIN'S MAY MINI-HUNT
Nina shares the following:
"The May Mini Hunt begins TODAY 5/11 and runs thru Sunday 5/19. There are lots of great prizes, including Mom-E & Pierre Buddy. For complete details, please check out
http://www.itzmeagain.com/Contests/02mayminihunt.htm"

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Anonymous writes:
"Lisa - I don't know if you want to print this or not but I've just about had it and here's what I'm thinking recently:

This is my opinion of the recent news piece i read about two different color variations on Cheddar. I REALLY feel that half the variations people have been talking about this time and in the past are JUST different LOTS of color dye.  You people are making such a BIG deal over slight variations that most likely happen in the process of dying product.  But so much has been made of all this that Ty, probably at first, just laughed his head off, and then realized 'HEY' I can really make alot more money on this. Let's switch it up a little.  A different color ear here, a little more sparkle here, a different color pom pom on this tail here, a slight yellow shade lighter here -- complements of the manufacturing plant who either messed up or don't know how to read their color swatch - - Ouila!  We're in the money!....we're in the money!.... come on everybody.....sing along.....Ty's in the money!!........................

Please wake up people! It's nice to have some variations occassionally, but when you start picking apart small things that were in all liklihood never meant to actually be different, all you do is drive up the price and make it more diffiuclt for everyone!!!!!!  Did it ever occur to you that maybe people aren't interested in being told that if they don't own Cheddar with the lighter shade of gray, ALONG, with the one a shade darker, they DON'T own a TRUE valuable Ty collectible?!

Has anybody noticed that when the United States gets exclusives they look very similar to past U.S. Exclusives but when the elusive European or Asian Exclusive gets made, it's Unique and in demand?  We are all be suckered, including, at times, myself.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to or not to continue to buy Ty products.  I still do, although I am very close to ending it. I don't mean to be insulting to anyone, but wake up and have a measure of common sense. These toys, collectibles, whatever you want to call them,are made in manufacturing plants overseas.  Mistakes happen - it DOESN'T mean it was intentional and that you should drive everybody nuts by picking at every little detail of a beanie. The wrong name tags get sewn on the wrong beanie, dye lots vary from one to the next. Manufacturing plants run out of one color of pom pom and have to go with another. The person whose turn it was to sew on the the emblem stepped away to use the restroom and a couple slipped by.  The people that are paying over 5,000 dollars for a Ty signed beanie are not spending that because they feel that beanie is WORTH that much money.  They are probably generous people with the money to spend and wanted to donate to some charity anyway, and thought well why not get something in return for their donation. Like I said, my opinion and thank you for taking the time to read it."

VIRUS WARNING
Tami writes:
"i just got a email w/the subject line, Ty Inc. and it was a virus so i thought id let u know so u can let the other readers know -- im getting one or two a day now *sigh*"

LA RUE'S BEANIES IN MAY PICK-A-NUMBER CONTEST
La Rue and I will be holding a joint BIM Pick-A-Number  contest this morning at NOON EST. The prize for this round is REVERSED EARS AMERICA WHITE. Guidelines and PAN contests are located: 
La Rue's site (1-200): http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/kansaspewter/contests3.html
on this site: (201-400): http://www.planetbeans.com/PAN3.htm 

-=May 10, 2002=-
CARELESS PACKAGING FROM TY STORE
Diana writes:
"Just thought I'd let you know that I, too, have noticed how careless Ty Store has been with sending beanies with bent/creased tags.  I received four Red America bears and one had a slight crease on the hang tag, but I felt I might better not bother contacting Ty to replace it since the bear is retired and I was lucky enough to get one for me and one each for my friends overseas in the first place.  Whereas the four Red Americas were all just thrown haphazardly into a box, my four Mom-e bears arrived sitting up in a larger box with dividers between them.  Much better packaging and no bent/creased tags!" Diana

-=May 9, 2002=-
Fake Alert
From: BeaneWonderland
We have received 7 counterfeit Zip, the all black cat version, for authentication purposes in 2 weeks. The all black Zip was the second Zip version released by Ty Inc and is the rarest version. The authentic very rare all black Zip Ty Beanie Baby cat must have a 3rd generation ty heart tag. A 1st generation tush tag (white with the black ink). The copyright year must be 1993. The interior ear area, nose, and whiskers must be pink. The eyes must be green with a black pupil. http://www.peggyg.com

Bags of Liberty
From: BeaneWonderland
I have seen plenty of the Liberty bears in their delivery bags and this is what seems to be the quantities so far: In a bag of 12 there are 5 red 4 white and 3 blue, retailers are only getting 24 of them. (Thanks Jake)

Ty Warner signed RED America is currently at $5,219.00. 
From: Ms. Janie
The auction ends today so if you are considering trying to own this special Beanie you may want to check it out at the following link. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1728582169

-=May 8, 2002=-
EBay CEO more than just a chip off the auctioning block 
From: BeaneWonderland
As other Internet firms fell victim to the tech bust, Meg Whitman molded the online site into a powerhouse Ten heads nodded in unison around a long conference table as Rob Veres pointed to a large computer display. The scene was the latest of eBay's "Voice of the Customer" sessions, a brainchild of its chief executive, Meg Whitman. A cross-section of those who buy and sell over this huge online bazaar had been invited to eBay's headquarters here to spend two days talking to its executives. In one session, Veres, a product manager, showed proposed improvements to a feature called "Mr. Lister," which lets users put dozens of items up for sale at the same time. There were murmurs of praise. Then Veres brought up an option that would let sellers specify that an auction would not start until a later date. That was fine, too, the group said, until Veres said eBay was thinking of charging 10 cents for each delayed auction. Cries of outrage erupted. "Ten cents means a lot to me," said George Ward, who sells jewelry and aviation headsets over eBay. A dime? Who cares about a dime these days? On eBay, where grandmothers in nursing homes sell side by side with IBM, someone cares about everything. Whitman has forced eBay to care about them. That goes a long way to explaining why eBay, on Whitman's watch, has become what Lauren Levitan, a Robertson Stephens analyst, calls "the most successful Internet company left." During the Internet boom, the precise and low-key Whitman was upstaged by flamboyant technologists and entrepreneurial visionaries in other companies. But eBay's diverse and ornery community of buyers and sellers provided all the color the company needed, as well as its engine of growth and the source of the auction fees that made it profitable from the start. As it turned out, what eBay - like a lot of dot-coms - needed most was the sort of disciplined management practiced by Whitman, now 45. So as eBay ponders how high it can go, the ultimate question is just how much business can truly be done by people in attics and garages. Moving further from its roots as an Internet market for mom-and-pop collectibles, eBay Inc. is working with Accenture Ltd. on a new service aimed at helping big companies unload excess merchandise on the site. The consulting firm will operate the "Connection to eBay" service, which is scheduled to be fully up and running this autumn. EBay and Accenture executives plan to describe details today at the NetWorld+Interop conference in Las Vegas. "There are a lot of guys who had good ideas, were first, and raised $1 billion who are now out of business," said Richard Perry, president of Perry Capital, the New York hedge fund that hired Whitman to be chief executive of FTD, the flower company, in 1995. "What Meg has done has taken a brilliant idea, and with execution, monitoring and constant improvement, made it infinitely bigger." Indeed, today eBay is far more than a fad, far more than what it started as - a trading post for Beanie Babies and other collectibles. Now two-thirds of the site's sales are for practical goods. This year, eBay expects to sell $2 billion worth of used cars and $1 billion worth of computers. http://www.ocregister.com/business/ebay07cci.shtml

CHATROOM PARTY AT ABOUTBEANIES.COM
Marie shares the following:
Next weekend Saturday May 18, 2002 starting at 3pm Pacific Time in the aboutBeanies chatroom we are having a virtual party! With door prizes, games and chat! We would like to invite everyone!

The chatroom is located here: http://chat.aboutbeanies.com

The chatroom will be moderated, ie. We have the ability to remove people, ban them, and take away their voice if the need comes to that.

Please bring your Beanie stories, snacks and more! -Marie

First Row - Hat-trick Hunter (00111), Footie (00112), Paula Plappertasche (00113) Second Row - Rugged Rusty (00300), Sweet Sally (00301), Jazzy Jessie (00302), Pretty Penelope (00303) Third Row - Cool Cassidy (00304), Snazzy Sabrina (00305), Glitzy Gabby (00306) Fourth Row - Sassy Star (00307), American Millie (00308)

As I previously reported from the New York Toy Fair, none are country exclusives, although the first row represents regular-sized Beanie Boppers that were exclusives. Bob From the Colonies

St Judes Update
From: BeaneWonderland
I just wanted to give you an update on our collection of Beanies for St Jude Children's Research Hospital by our Goldwing Road Riders Association chapter "Q" from Clarksville, TN. As of today.... I have received 440 Beanies/Attic Treasures/teddy bears for the children. I still have many pledges for more to come. We will be collecting them all summer to take on our ride to the hospital in September.

Our goal was to get 1200.... so, we're doing GREAT!!! It could even be possible to exceed our goal.... that would be wonderful!!! I hope that everyone in the chapter has to pull their trailer behind their bike full of Beanies on the ride in September. I want to "Thank You" again for your help and will keep you updated on our progress. Thanks again and God Bless!

Pat Inman
Assistant Chapter Director
St Jude Fundraising Coordinator
GWRRA TN Chapter Q
Clarksville, TN

FAKE 4th LIBERTY VERSION
Yavett from UGB receives the following:
"I found this picture on another site and believe it to be a faked picture, could you do your animation to it to shows us how?"

UGB COMMENTS: After a bit of searching I found that it was sent to Bean E Wonderland.  But sure, I would be happy to show you.  The stripes on the odd one were taken from the stripes on the one with a white head, look at the feet and the odd stripes at the crease in the legs at the waist.  I have taken the same feet and added them to the 1st bear. Click HERE to view the picture.

WHAT'S INSIDE THE JUNE BEAN BAG MONTHLY?!
June 2002 Bean Bag Monthly  

-=May 7, 2002=-
CHUBBLEY PERSPECTIVE
Kathie Currie shares the following:
Hey Lisa:  Heather Softley aka Canadian Perspective wrote a great news article on the Chubbleys complete with pictures.  Thanks to Heather and Heather Lea (dailybean) they have given me this article to distribute to websites wanting to post it.  http://www.dailybean.net/articles/canada/chubbley.shtml

Reno loves Lucy
From: BeaneWonderland
When John and Gayle Sagin come to Reno to sell collectibles, they know to stock up on “I Love Lucy” trading cards. Nowhere else do more collectors ask for Lucy memorabilia than in Reno, the couple said. The couple, who have been selling collectibles at California and Nevada shows for more than a decade, joined dozens of other merchants Sunday peddling sports cards, Beanie Babies, model cars and bobble heads Sunday at Park Lane Mall during the thrice-yearly Sports Cards and Collectibles Show.

The collectibles trade itself has felt a bit of a downturn with the rest of the economy. “It’s hit and miss,” said Ed Conway Sr., the event’s promoter. Others like Conway tried to eke out interest from the waning Beanie Baby craze. “People are looking for the new one, the American Beanie Baby,” Conway said, holding up a small stuffed bear with an American flag on its chest. Full Article:

Champion beanies are still shipping with lots of U.S. Champions & just a few of the foreign countries. Several stores today said that they only got one sack of Champion beanies in their order. I saw Portugal, Croatia, Cameroon, Slovenia & Senegal which don't seem as common as some of the other countries. So that's good news for people who are still looking to fill their list.

Asia Pacific Flower Buddies?
From: BeaneWonderland
Will the six Asia Pacific Beanies be retiring soon? Will they be released in the Buddy version? Martin informs us that the Tokyo Toy Fair, held May 9 - 12th, may have some interesting surprises in store for collectors. :) We say no more ... just keep watching. Let's wait and see what Ty has in store for us next! Click here for link to the Tokyo Toy Fair

Auction rip-offs lurk on Internet 
From: Ms. Janie
Last summer, Greg Harrington, a 34-year-old Houston-area security consultant, won an online auction for camera equipment. After sending in almost $500, he never received any merchandise or heard from the seller, reportedly in Romania, again. Harrington realized he had been taken in what is now among the fastest-growing crimes online: auction fraud. Fraud typically involves big-ticket items such as laptop computers or high-definition TVs but not exclusively. A case prosecuted last year entailed a couple who almost made off with $20,000 selling non-existent Beanie Babies. Most complaints stem from products that never arrive, arrive damaged or are worth far less than promised. Internet auctions account for almost 90 percent of fraud complaints made to Internet Fraud Watch. In 2001, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 20,000 auction fraud complaints in six months, up from several hundred complaints three years ago. Auction site operators point out that fraud as a percentage of legitimate activity is miniscule, a small fraction of otherwise successful transactions. To avoid auction fraud: 

• Ask sellers for a phone number and then verify it. 

• Use an online escrow service that will hold the payment until you can inspect the merchandise. Auction sites such as Yahoo! maintain lists of these services. 

• Check the seller's feedback at the auction site. Be wary of feedback from buyers dated only a few days following a sale; it may be fake. 

• Be wary of sellers outside the United States. 

• Use a credit card. Credit card payment protects the buyer because you can dispute the charges if the goods are misrepresented or never delivered. Cancel the card immediately if you suspect fraud. 

• Never buy anything from a seller who asks for payment to be mailed to a post office box. 

• Look for suspicious signs such as sellers looking to get rid of a few expensive items quickly through opening-bid prices that seem unnaturally low or sellers who offer to pay for shipping. 

• Tell the seller you live nearby and would prefer to come by to pick up the merchandise rather than have it delivered. A refusal should raise a red flag. To report Internet fraud: Federal Trade Commission, 1-877-382-4357 or www.ftc. gov, or Internet Fraud Watch, www. fraud.org

70 Year old Likened to a Beanie Baby
From: BeaneWonderland
Evelyn Davis, a 70-something who chides CEOs as easily as if they were her grandchildren, this week put in a typical performance at IBM's shareholder meeting. "When are you going to start building revenues?" the shareholder activist asked the chief executive of the world's No. 1 computer company. Companies have learned how to live with Davis. "Nobody quite knows how she came to pass," said the head of investor relations for a major U.S. company who has dealt with Davis for over a decade. "She is kind of like the Beanie Baby phenomenon," -- a reference to the small stuffed animals that sparked an unexpected craze among American children and their parents in the late 1990s. Full Story:

(Red) America signed by Ty Warner
From: BeaneWonderland
Ty Warner has previously autographed a (blue) America Beanie Baby, which sold on eBay for $25,000.  Then followed a (white) America, which sold for $7,300.  (See May 2nd news)  Now there is a (red) America, which you can view at the following link:
Click here to view the auction - (red) America signed by Ty Warner

Ty Warner has autographed this bear exclusively for the American Red Cross Virtual Auction.  The auction ends on May 9th at 8:00 PDT.  Other Red Cross auctions can be viewed by clicking here.

-=May 4, 2002=-
NEW BEANIES, BUDDY AND TEENIE BOPPER PICTURES
Marilyn sends Heather more pictures of her new Ty items. Click the links below to view specific pictures:
Group Shots & Tags
Liberty Beanies & USA Buddy
Cheddar, Pounds, & Side-kick
Bride & Groom Beanie Babies
Mary Beths Beanies & More
Butch & Purr Beanie Buddies
Teenie Beanie Boppers!

World Cup Countdown
From: BeaneWonderland
The main Ty website has an image of champion and a countdown timer which reads: Champion's Countdown" Champion's Countdown to World Cup: 27 days Opening Ceremonies: May 31st, 7:30-Seoul World Cup Stadium, Korea Closing Ceremonies: June 30th, 6:00-Yokohama International Stadium, Japan. It then has a link taking you to a page containing an image of all 32 Champion Bears View Here:

Chelmsford: Stores provide bountiful Harvest
From: BeaneWonderland
Generosity at The Meadows shopping centre abounds for the Harvest for the Hungry project in Bulgaria. Centre manager Malcolm Tilsed and his team - who last year discovered the poverty-striken Bulgarian orphanage on a relief visit to the country - will be paying another visit. This time they will be busy hanging wallpaper and painting the building. Among the donations: Imago has donated 100 Beanie Babies worth around £500; Charm Leatherware has given 20 children's leather coats worth £1,000; Whittards donated a bucket of sweets; and Flowers from the Meadows gave footballs. Full Story:

Celebration
From: BeaneWonderland
The Celebration bear has now been listed as a UK, Australian and New Zealand bear. Some have questioned if this is an error, I would say no as all are members of the Commonwealth or part of the Sovereign state (once were or are ruled by Britain) View Here:

Silent Retirement
From: BeaneWonderland
According to the Ty retailers website, Jenkins the Ty Classic is no longer available for order. The Ty gear 'Bride' is has also been made unavailable.

Broker For Billionaire: Price Was Not Right
From: Beanieholics
When billionaire Ty Warner first expressed an interest in buying the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel, the owners said they would only sell for a price so high nobody would pay it. No one, perhaps, but the multibillionaire who has made a mountain of money from a line of wildly popular Beanie Babies beanbag toys manufactured by Ty Inc. Click Here For Story

COMMENTS ABOUT TY'S MESSAGE
Sheldon writes:
"Ty Warner may think he is being cute. But the facts of the matter is this statement is nothing but a Bald Face Lie ! And if I could face him face to face. I would tell him so. Otherwise why was Ty Inc in such a hurry to authorize a postpaid return. Then ship a replacement order at no charge. And still not ship the Beanie Baby posted at the Ty Store !!!!"