Exploring the Craze That Was the Beanie Babies

I think the first time I received a Beanie Baby was from my late Uncle Reggie. He used to run a country store at Lake Malone but he would also go antiquing and look for new fads. I think every Christmas or special occasion, like when I graduated from college, when he was still active with the store, I got a Beanie Baby. The graduation Beanie was an owl with a cap and gown on its head. I also loved the Erin Bear which was a green bear marked with a shamrock, designating her Irish roots.

BEANIE BABIES WERE THE TOY TO HAVE

Was yours truly a part of the Beanie Babies craze in the late 1990s? Absolutely not. I knew they were a big deal, but I just watched a new documentary that brought back the memories of what was a huge toy-collectible phenomenon that seemed to entice parents more than their kids.

Here's the trailer for the HBO Max documentary, Beanie Mania:

The "Beanie Rap"? I mean, I knew some of the toys were valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, and now? Well, you'll have to watch Beanie Mania for the full story, or maybe, you lived it.

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WHAT ARE MY BEANIES WORTH NOW?

Hey, of course, after watching the doc, I tried to inventory which Beanie Babies I had, and did I still have them stuffed somewhere at my parents' house? That journey will have to wait, in the meantime, I know I had the Erin Bear and her McDonald's "Teeny Beanie" counterpart. I never removed Teeny Erin Bear from her packaging, which I believe can increase the potential value.

This is all well and good, but buyer beware, I didn't know that counterfeit Beanies were a thing. I would think it could be easy to fake a Beanie Baby. Fake items sell all the time, even the ones that are authenticated, they could be fake too. So looking at eBay's "Teeny Erin Bears", the prices vary, see what I mean? She's either 5 bucks or up to $200. Now Gobbles the Turkey on the other hand, which we have at the house, it could be worth thousands, close to $7,000. However, Gobbles' worth depends on a couple of factors:

Like a fair few beanie babies that were made in 1997, Gobbles the turkey comes in a few different variations.

He either came with a double or single-layer felt waddle, and his tail feathers were attached at various heights.

This is one of those beanie babies that could be worth a fortune or could be worth the regular price.

It all really depends on which one you have. If you have one with the proper placement and tag errors, you’re on to a winner! 

My head is still spinning from this trip down a plush memory lane. Note to self, find those Beanies!