Why the fuck were people going crazy over those stupid things? I was a kid at the time and remember people fighting over them in NYC during Christmas time. I never got the big deal.
There were people traveling to London just to buy some of the ones unavailable in the states because they kept selling out. Imagine traveling just to buy beanie babies and coming back home?
People were quitting their jobs and making beanie babies their career. Nuts.
My mom had one that she loved. I think it was a New Year one. The only one she had and liked. My sister had a crab. I think I broke it. On purpose.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 11, 2022 12:17 PM |
Whoever marketed the collecting of stuffed animals filled with beans was a genius
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | March 15, 2022 1:52 AM |
They weren’t even stuffed with traditional soft shit. It was plastic balls
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | March 15, 2022 1:55 AM |
I knew a gay who was very into beanie babies. We met for lunch & decided not to hook up. I was probably better off...
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | March 15, 2022 1:56 AM |
I recently watched that HBO Max documentary Beanie Mania and many of the people in it were nutsos.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | March 15, 2022 1:58 AM |
R4 a lot of gays loved them at the time. Maybe not young ones but def middle aged ones.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | March 15, 2022 1:58 AM |
I loved the scene in Reno 911 when Trudy (?) is at her mother's grave, laying a beanie baby on it, & saying that her mom started collecting beanie babies....after she died.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | March 15, 2022 1:59 AM |
I had so many and I have no idea where they are! I must have had 50 of them and collectors edition ones. I remember we had Beanie Baby Day at school where we all showed off our Beanie Babies. I think it was 3rd or 4th grade.
My first Beanie baby was Bongo.
But we moved on to Giga Pets by 5th grade. Mine always died in school.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | March 15, 2022 1:59 AM |
R9 we weren’t allowed to have them in school.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | March 15, 2022 2:01 AM |
People went bankrupt collecting them and investing their money into them.
Like this guy.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 12 | March 15, 2022 2:02 AM |
Yes, some people were very serious, putting lots of savings into buying them, thinking of them as stocks that would only go up in value over time.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | March 15, 2022 2:04 AM |
R13 and they probably would have had Ty not fucked up in the end.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | March 15, 2022 2:05 AM |
Also, Vice's show Dark Side of the 90s did an episode on the Beanie Babies craze. The show is on Hulu.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | March 15, 2022 2:05 AM |
When the bottom fell out, there were a lot of people jumping off the roofs of their trailers.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | March 15, 2022 2:05 AM |
[quote] "Whoever marketed the collecting of stuffed animals filled with beans was a genius"
Ty Warner made so much money, it funded his purchase of The Four Seasons, NYC.
For the record: I never bought into the Beanie Baby craze. I don't like dust collectors.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 17 | March 15, 2022 2:10 AM |
R13 What happened with Ty?
They had a Ty store at the mall where they sold nothing but beanie babies.
I remember I had a book with all the Beanie Babies and it said how much they would be worth.
The most expensive one I had was the Ty dye teddy bear. I remember it was $40 and I begged my grandmother to buy it for me. I remember it was the last beanie baby at the end of my book.
I have no clue where it is now.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | March 15, 2022 2:12 AM |
Great video at R12 Thanks for posting it!
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | March 15, 2022 2:14 AM |
R14 I'm curious. What did Ty do to "fuck up" in the end? Did Ty do something to run the predicted future values? How?
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | March 15, 2022 2:15 AM |
I had an elderly neighbor that was obsessed. She had an adopted daughter who was maybe 12 at the time, but the Beanie's weren't for her, it was all for the mom. She completely lost her mind when McDonalds put them in with happy meals. Some people were just taking the Beanie Babies, but some people actually would walk out with like 30 awful happy meals.
Her husband went to a hotel room shortly after and blew his brains out. I didn't connect it to the Beanie Babies at the time, but maybe.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | March 15, 2022 2:16 AM |
Ty Warner announced in 1999 that at the end of the year the very final Beanie Baby, named “The End”, would be released and all beanies would be retired. Beanie babies would no longer be made. This made the value of them skyrocket, and people went nuts to buy whatever they could because they would be worth so much since they would no longer be made.
Around 2 or 3 months later, Ty released a new beanie named “The Beginning”, symbolizing that beanies would be made again and were back on the market. This plummeted the beanies value and they were no longer worth anything. Beanie investors and collectors were so angry they, for obvious reasons, stopped collecting and lost a lot of money themselves now that the beanies they spent so much on were worth nothing.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | March 15, 2022 2:20 AM |
That not only hurt the consumers, but Ty corporation aka Ty Warner the man himself. Sales plummeted, stock plummeted, and the beanies that were worth thousands of dollars just months ago were now worth almost nothing.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | March 15, 2022 2:21 AM |
"Best Very Rare 1996 Ty Beanie Babies Claude the Crab w/Errors Original Retired" is currently offered on Ebay for just over 4100 USD.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | March 15, 2022 2:23 AM |
I don’t think anyone would pay. Gen Z would have to bring back beanie babies for people to care. They do love the 90’s so you never know!
But shit like I said, I don’t know where the hell all mine went. I’ve moved so much since then. They’re possible in my basement or at my grandmothers house. I don’t think I threw them out.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | March 15, 2022 2:24 AM |
I went ape shit over them. So did my grandma. We’re trailer trash.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | March 15, 2022 2:27 AM |
R24 yes, 30 years later they’re worth something. But they didn’t know that back then. At the time the worth wasnt there.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | March 15, 2022 2:27 AM |
No, but then I'm not elderly.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | March 15, 2022 2:28 AM |
R7 hit the nail on the head. People were convinced that they were "collectables" with an ever-increasing value. Sadly, they weren't even worth their face-value price at the end. It ended up being just another craze like Pogs and Pokemon... Today's people are much too savvy to fall for a scam like that, and invest wisely in Bitcoin and other NFTs.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | March 15, 2022 2:28 AM |
R26 that doesn’t even make sense because beanie babies weren’t for the poor! I doubt poor people could afford to collect them.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | March 15, 2022 2:28 AM |
Some of you were a live in the 90s? EWWWWW.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | March 15, 2022 2:29 AM |
The craze only grew with the invention of the internet. Adults began compulsively buying Beanie Babies in anticipation of them reselling for thousands of dollars on the secondary market. In 1997, eBay had auctioned off $500 million worth of the plush toys, accounting for more than 6% of the site's total sales. And the following year, Ty's sales surpassed $1 billion for the first time.
In 1999, Warner sensed the fad was dying out and announced he would stop producing Beanie Babies on the eve of the new millennium. By then, the plush animals had become ubiquitous, and kids were beginning to turn their attention to the next must-haves, like Furby and Pokemon.
But some believe it wasn't the Beanie Babies that decreased in popularity — it was the interest in trading them.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 33 | March 15, 2022 2:36 AM |
As of this moment I still see 370,000+ listings on EBay for Beanie Babies -- but I see zero bids on any of them. People trying to unload their 'investments'?
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | March 15, 2022 2:37 AM |
R34 yes. Hoping someone will buy them but they’re worth nothing now. As said. Sad.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | March 15, 2022 2:39 AM |
R29 Oooooh shit I forgot about Pogs.
I bought them as a kid but I had no idea what they were or what I was doing.
Pokémon has stood the test of time. I don’t know about value but there’s still a Pokémon fandom. Pokémon Go was really popular years ago.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | March 15, 2022 2:39 AM |
There are people who buy Pokémon cards for a lot of money
| by Anonymous | reply 37 | March 15, 2022 2:41 AM |
Anyone else have any stories of real people ruined by Beanie Babies? I love those stories! Keep em coming, please!
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | March 15, 2022 2:42 AM |
Oh yes Furby’s too!
Man the 90’s was all about stupid toy fads huh?
Don’t forget Tickle Me Elmo. I was too old but I remember those were selling like crazy.
I had a Teddy Ruxpin as a child that was probably my first fad toy. He was really fucked up. I think I was 4 and he had his eyes missing and shit.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | March 15, 2022 2:42 AM |
Is it true Real Doll is doing a limited-run collaboration with Beanie Babies?
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | March 15, 2022 2:43 AM |
VHS video from the 90s about the world of beanie babies. They were this popular that they had VHS tapes people would buy about the latest beanies and beanies had their own magazine
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 42 | March 15, 2022 2:45 AM |
messy... fads in the 90s..my sister paid me like 50 bucks to pick up some doll? For my neice at Christmas. MYbe an elmo? Cabbage patch?
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | March 15, 2022 2:51 AM |
Housewives and househusbands didn't need drugs or alcohol to get high in the 1990s. Adult were getting high off buying Beanie Babies!
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | March 15, 2022 2:53 AM |
Cabbage Patch craze was the 80s. Not 90s.
The cutie is a Beanie Baby expert
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 45 | March 15, 2022 2:54 AM |
They're cute and they brightened up any home.
They were great for decoration.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | March 15, 2022 2:59 AM |
Cabbage Patch dolls were terrifying! I was terrified of them as a kid I thought they were so ugly and scary!
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | March 15, 2022 3:03 AM |
The purple Princess Diana Beanie Baby was the pinnacle of the whole craze.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 48 | March 15, 2022 3:05 AM |
And all my friends Cabbage Patch Dolls were always dirty and beat up and naked. Just frightening .
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | March 15, 2022 3:05 AM |
Think of all the joy and bliss created when all those foolish people spent all their money thinking they would one day be wealthy and laughing all the way to the bank, unlike the poor saps who were unfortunate enough not to own any Beanie Babies. Or even worse, the horror of those who bought Beanie Babies and REMOVED the TAGS!
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | March 15, 2022 3:07 AM |
I didn't even know about them til around 2000, and there still seemed to be a niche cult market for them on the East Coast.
The insane Beanie Baby bubble though coudln't have really been the source of Ty's riches because he still sold all the product at limited quantities at wholesale prices. He didn't profit from the crazy aftermarket speculation. I watched the documentary but I don't remember if he made more money from the magazine or internet site (the mag might have been by the 2 fraus who worked independently
I do see Ebay listings for $1000s for some but not sure any one actually is buying
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | March 15, 2022 3:09 AM |
Ty made a shit ton off of them. He set the price.
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | March 15, 2022 3:12 AM |
They were all priced the same like $9.99 or something so probably 1/2 that wholesale. He didn't make money from people reselling at $100s.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | March 15, 2022 3:15 AM |
Everyone says they were $5 or $10 but by me in NYC at the time I used to see them for $20 and I remember the NYE one being around $40 at the store.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | March 15, 2022 3:17 AM |
Beanie babies were an insane fad. People actually did think they would be a good investment and would appreciate in value. Idiots.
I also remember the Cabbage Patch doll craze. I think there was actually riots where people were fighting to get them. Unbelievable! Adults acting that way over some stupid toy.
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | March 15, 2022 3:18 AM |
I have the otter. I still think he's really cute. I never thought he would make me a millionaire, but you never know.
| by Anonymous | reply 56 | March 15, 2022 3:19 AM |
Only very specific ones will make you money, like the original first 9, or super limited ones, like the Princess Diana one, where only 100 were on the market, however there are a lot of unofficial ones floating around.
| by Anonymous | reply 57 | March 15, 2022 3:22 AM |
All my future is tied up in Funko Pops.
| by Anonymous | reply 58 | March 15, 2022 3:30 AM |
The guy in r12’s link was a soap actor on General Hospital, Dr Rick Webber. I forget was he married to Monica?
| by Anonymous | reply 59 | March 15, 2022 3:45 AM |
I loved them! Had my limo driver take me around town all day and I would buy out the store just to get the right ones.
| by Anonymous | reply 60 | March 15, 2022 4:59 AM |
I had a boss in 2000 who collected them with his wife. I thought he was an idiot then and still do.
| by Anonymous | reply 61 | March 15, 2022 5:58 AM |
I have a few boxes in storage waiting for the day they rise in value again, however long it takes. Will leave them to my nieces and nephews
| by Anonymous | reply 62 | March 15, 2022 6:22 AM |
I think they jumped the shark with the release of the Diana beanie baby. Surprised they didn't do a Judy Beanie Baby or Marilyn Beanie Baby as well ( filled with pills rather than beans).
| by Anonymous | reply 63 | March 15, 2022 7:35 AM |
R38 I knew someone who started selling his body to fund his beanie baby habit. He was incredibly successful and handsome before he became hooked on beanies but he ultimately couldn't shake the beanie monkey on his back. Sad.
| by Anonymous | reply 64 | March 15, 2022 7:41 AM |
R64 were there certain sex acts he would do for certain Beanie Babies? What would the rare tie-died bear get you or the even rarer crab with a misprinted tag? Would he go round the world for the Diana bear?
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | March 15, 2022 3:08 PM |
R67 they were around there too. Just not a craze.
| by Anonymous | reply 68 | March 15, 2022 4:05 PM |
Anything marketed as a collectible isn’t.
| by Anonymous | reply 69 | March 15, 2022 4:21 PM |
I went crazy buying those bears. I stood in line for two hours to buy the black bear called 'The End'. Well, it wasn't, but I was done! Ended up giving them all to 'Toys for Tots' one year, as they were pristine and in-the-box, with tags.
| by Anonymous | reply 70 | March 15, 2022 4:31 PM |
‘The End’ went fast but after that people were done, especially when Ty decided to drop “The Beginning” and make all the previous beanies lose value.
| by Anonymous | reply 71 | March 15, 2022 4:32 PM |
I remember thinking the collectors who thought they were a solid investment that would only go up in value and somehow perpetuate a robust resale market for overpriced beanbags were fucking nuts.
| by Anonymous | reply 72 | March 15, 2022 4:39 PM |
[quote] Some of you were a live in the 90s? EWWWWW.
r31 Double Oh, Dear!
| by Anonymous | reply 73 | March 15, 2022 4:39 PM |
Anyone over 22 was alive in the 90s, Jaxson.
| by Anonymous | reply 74 | March 15, 2022 4:40 PM |
Why were people so damned stupid and gullible in the 1990s?
| by Anonymous | reply 75 | March 15, 2022 6:31 PM |
^^^ It was during AIDS, we didn't have anything else to do.
| by Anonymous | reply 76 | March 15, 2022 6:45 PM |
Aw, the black "The End" Beanie Baby would be cute if he didn't have "The End" embroidered on him.
Someone gave me a Zodiac pig Beanie many years ago and he's still on my shelf. No tag, lightly nibbled on by cats.
| by Anonymous | reply 77 | March 15, 2022 6:45 PM |
I remember standing in line at KayBee toys to buy a fucking holiday Barbie that my niece just had to have.
| by Anonymous | reply 78 | March 15, 2022 6:59 PM |
I have a beanie dog that looks just like my real dog. My dog nudges him with his nose like a mini-me.
| by Anonymous | reply 79 | March 15, 2022 7:00 PM |
I think they still sell them at Party City. Maybe they are knockoffs.
| by Anonymous | reply 80 | March 15, 2022 7:03 PM |
My sister in law thought she was going to fund her kids' college education through Beanie Babies. She's still got a room full of moldering, dry-rotted Beanie Babies just waiting to make her a millionaire.
| by Anonymous | reply 81 | March 15, 2022 7:04 PM |
[quote]My sister had a crab. I think I broke it. On purpose.
How the hell do you "break" a soft stuffed toy?
| by Anonymous | reply 82 | March 15, 2022 7:24 PM |
Strangely, in the late 1990s, I used to know a woman who was sexually attracted to Beanie Babies, but her attraction went away entirely once they went down in value.
| by Anonymous | reply 84 | March 16, 2022 12:47 AM |
[quote] . Surprised they didn't do a Judy Beanie Baby as well ( filled with pills rather than beans).
the way I can’t stop laughing at this
| by Anonymous | reply 86 | May 11, 2022 11:58 AM |
I saw one in a store when they were first released. It was a little red bull and I thought it was just incredibly cute so I bought it for my then-boyfriend, because he was from Texas.
We lost touch but when social media was in full swing he contacted me. He told me he still had Babe, his name for the little bull. He said he could have sold it for over $250 but he kept it anyway. I was shocked it was worth so much — I had no idea there was a craze for them.
[quote] The NFTs of their day.
I think beanies laugh at NFTs. At least each beanie is a discrete physical object in limited quantity and can be uniquely possessed by one person, and they are cute. NFTs are just digital files that can be endlessly replicated, and they typically have zero artistic value.
| by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 11, 2022 12:17 PM |
