Millennium the Bear Value 2023: History & Errors Explained

The Beanie Baby of the century

Unless you were one of the people stuck in panic mode over Y2K, you were excited about the dawn of a brand new century. With the end of the Cold War, the rise of the internet, DVDs, and some of the best music ever created, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic towards the future.

With the Beanie Babies being the darling plush collectible of the 90s, and there already being a history of one-off commemorative releases like that of Princess the Bear, it was no surprise when TY Warner introduced a Beanie just to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime occasion.

Enter Millennium the Bear, a fuschia-colored plush with a black nose, black eyes, and a gold ribbon. But what really makes this Beanie special is the embroidered image of the planet Earth and the sun rising behind it, complete with the number “2000” underneath.

Released on the 1st of January 1999, Millennium the Bear was an instant best-seller before being retired on November 12. However, despite being an extremely common Beanie, many people mistakenly believe it to be a coveted and high-value collectible over 20 years later.

So, how much is the TY Millennium Bear worth in 2023?

Like all of the mass-produced TY Beanie Babies, Millennium the Bear is really only worth its value as nostalgia or to complete a collection. Even if you go to all the effort of meticulously cleaning your Beanie Baby, you’ll probably only be able to get between $5 to $10 for your trouble.

The highest price we could find on a recent (legitimate) eBay sale was for $6 in 2023. We say “legitimate” because this was the only one with actual bids, as there are many listings for higher prices that only say “best offer accepted”, and if you’ve been following our articles on Beanie Baby values, this won’t be surprising.

Rest assured, there’s no shortage of Millennium Bears advertised with those “rare” tag errors, being valued for insane amounts of up to $7000 or more!

Fact

On December 12, 1999, Ty Warner gave 303 signed Millenium Bears to Sales Representatives at a conference in Chicago, IL. Since they’re signed, these might actually be worth something!

All the “Millenium” errors explained

Notice that typo? Well, we aren’t the only ones misspelling Millennium!

That’s right, like so many other overvalued Beanie Babies, Millennium the Bear’s production was riddled with misspelt tags and other errors, mostly on the hang tag (aka swing tag) and tush tag.

Spelling mistakes on the hang tags/tush tags

The most common error is, unsurprisingly, the misspelling of Millennium with one “n” instead of two. This error is typically found on the inside of the hang tag or tush tag.

Another spelling error can be found on the tush tag with the origin of production, with Gosport, Hampshire, U.K. spelled as ‘Gasport’.

Stiff vs. soft ribbon

Some Millennium Bears also came with a stiff gold ribbon rather than a soft one. Just like the misspelling, this does nothing to increase the value of these Beanies.

The 5 Millennium Bear versions

Because Millennium was spelt wrong on both the tush and hang tags in different production runs, it actually took a total of five versions to get it right:

V1: Incorrect spelling of Millennium on both swing tag and hologram tush tag. This version has a stiff gold ribbon. Gosport was also misspelled as ‘Gasport’.

V2: Incorrect spelling on the swing tag but the correct spelling of “Millennium” on the tush tag. This version also has the stiff gold ribbon and ‘Gasport’ misspelling.

V3: Correct spelling on both tags. This version also has a stiff gold ribbon.

V4: Correct spelling on both tags, but with a soft gold ribbon.

V5: Correct spelling on both swing tag and single hologram tush tag. This version also has a soft gold ribbon.

Tip

Watch out for fakes! Like other “valuable” Beanie Babies, there are counterfeit Millennium Bears running around the internet. An easy way to spot the fakes is to compare the color of the bear (fake is much lighter colored) and the quality of the embroidered earth patch.

The “other” TY Millennium Bear

Restart the countdown because right at the 11th hour, we’ve got another Millennium Bear to share. Yep, we’re talking about the McDonalds Teenie Beanies version that came out in mid-2000.

While it may not be one of the worst licensed McDonalds toys from the 90s, it’s certainly a cheaper-made version. This Millennium Bear is a deep purple and has a copper ribbon rather than a gold one. However, it still comes with the embroidered earth symbol.

One difference with the McDonalds Millennium Bear is that it came in sealed plastic packaging shaped like a golden book. This, combined with the fact it had a more limited release than the original Millennium, means that the Teenie Beanie can actually fetch a higher price (usually around $10-$15 on eBay when still sealed).

Peeps Ask!

Which is correct Millenium or Millennium?

Millennium is the correct spelling, and versions of Millennium the Bear with “Millenium” are those with the printing error.

What errors should I look for on a Millennium Beanie Baby?

Commonly known errors include the Millennium and Gosport misspellings. Another is the stiff ribbon. However, there isn’t much point looking for them unless you’re a completionist and want to add the errors to your Beanie Babies collection.