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25 Most Valuable Beanie Babies (Real Prices 2023)

Updated 2 days ago

17 min read

TLDR

If you were to do a Google search for the most valuable Beanie Babies, you’d find several articles claiming that some of Ty Inc.’s cuddly critters are worth a small fortune. Some of these articles cite ridiculous prices of $500,000 or more for certain “rare” collectibles like the Princess Diana Beanie Baby. However, those in the know will understand that particular Beanie Baby was mass-produced, and therefore not worth anywhere near that amount. These poorly researched articles mainly get their prices from fake eBay listings where sellers have conspired to inflate the value of their Beanie Babies. Well, we’re here to set the record straight. What we have for you here is an authentic guide of the 25 rarest and most valuable Beanie Babies, and what they are truly worth. This should give you all of the knowledge you need to go Beanie Baby hunting in 2023!

It’s been 30 years since Ty Warner released the first Beanie Baby in 1993. If you were a kid (or parent) in the ‘90s, you probably had loads of these tiny plush toys. Besides, they were “totally” going to make you rich one day, right? Whether you just had a few of them or if you’re a diehard collector, we’re diving into the most expensive Beanie Babies, how to determine their value, and why folks are so obsessed with these cuddly critters.

First, let’s discover just how Ty Warner, a former aspiring actor, created one of the century’s biggest toy fads. After playing around with a few prototypes in the ‘80s, Ty Warner introduced his stuffed animals filled with pellets rather than traditional stuffing to small toy shops in 1993. The little stuffed animals quickly became wildly popular collectibles, mostly because Ty Inc. sold them in limited quantities to small businesses. People flocked to the shelves in fear they would soon be off the market.

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Who are the Original 9 Beanie Babies?

Any avid Beanie Baby fan or collector will be familiar with the “original nine.” These were the first Beanie Babies to roll out of Ty Inc.’s Chicago headquarters in 1993. The Beanie Baby old guard was: Spot the Dog, Squealer the Pig, Patti the Platypus, Brownie the Bear (who was later renamed “Cubbie”), Chocolate the Moose, Pinchers the Lobster, Splash the Whale, Legs the Frog, and Flash the Dolphin. If you have one of the original Beanies, they have a higher value, especially if there’s a mistake on the TY tush tag. 

Yes, that’s what those are called. Tush tags. Grow up.

How to value Beanie Babies

How do you check the value of your collection? A couple of factors can determine a Beanie’s value. Certain production quirks can spike the price tag on the rarest Beanies, but these are less impactful if the Beanie is mass-produced. Remember that Beanies from the first generation (with a first-gen heart-shaped swing tag) are generally the most valuable.

With that said, here’s what to look out for when you’re trying to value your plush collectibles:

  • Tags – Those iconic heart-shaped Beanie Baby tags and tush tags are critical. They help determine what year the Beanie Baby was manufactured. Tags that are missing or damaged significantly knock down the toy’s value. However, tag errors (like printing mistakes) actually increase the value! Here’s what you should know:
    • The Hang Tag – The hang tag (or swing tag) is a heart-shaped red tag with TY printed on it. If it’s missing or damaged, your Beanie is virtually worthless. If you played with your Beanie Babies during the 90s, there’s a good chance that the hang tags won’t be in perfect condition. After all, they got thrown in your toy chest or school bag and often made a great snuggle buddy at night!
    • Tush Tag – The tush tags are at the bottom of the stuffed toys. You always want the tush tag and the hang tag to match. If you have a tush tag that’s misspelled – it’s usually worth more! Some parents cut these tags off to prevent kids from choking on them, so it may be even harder to find toys with a tush tag still intact.
  • Stuffing – Original Beanie Babies were made with PVC pellets, but Ty Inc. switched to PE pellets in 1998 because they were supposed to be more environmentally friendly. Beanie Babies made with PVC pellets are less common and may be worth more. The kind of stuffing any Beanie Baby has will be on its tush tag. This stuffing also made the toys a little more unique. Owners could ‘pose’ their Beanie Babies in different positions instead of it being stiff like a traditional teddy bear.
Beanie Baby auction house
The true value of a Beanie is whatever people are willing to pay!

How much are Beanie Babies worth now?

According to many sites online: hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is pure nonsense and the key issue with the current second-hand market. Collectors and investors are left with millions of products in a dwindling market, and they’re using every trick in the book to jack up prices and find exit liquidity. Don’t let that liquidity be you!

While the Beanie Baby craze of the ‘90s may be long gone, collectors are still willing to fork out big bucks for rare and special edition Beanie Babies. The Beanie Babies with color defects, spelling mistakes, and tush tag errors are sometimes valued more highly due to their unique and collectible nature, but sometimes these errors are so commonplace they don’t impact value at all. The reality of the second-hand market is that Beanie Babies aren’t really as collectible as people believe, and those who are trying to build collections are mostly concerned with how well-preserved the Beanie Baby they’re buying is.

Read on for the most valuable Beanie Babies in 2023. Sale prices are based on the most recent eBay sold listings for mint units with tags intact as of September 2023, and are not average prices. Please note it’s possible for bad actors to make fake sales on eBay to jack up perceptions of market value. We’ve done our best to ensure the collectibles listed were sold to real people for real amounts. We have also included what Sell2BBNovelties.com is willing to pay for a mint-condition Beanie Baby as a point of reference.

Note: All listings will reflect the price/value of standard size Beanie Babies

Millennium Bear

“A brand new century has come to call
Health and happiness to one and all
Bring on the fireworks and all the fun
Let’s keep the party going ’til 2001!“

25. Millennium Bear

Recent Sale Price: $9.34
Sell2BBNovelities.com Price: $0.25

As you might have guessed, Millennium the Bear was introduced in 1999 to celebrate the turn of the century. Some of the first batches had tags featuring the misspelled name ‘Millenium.’ It seems spell-checking was less of a thing in the late ‘90s.

Much ado has been made about this spelling error in the fake eBay listings, with one claiming to have sold for $20,000 (yeah, right!). In truth, this bear was mass-produced, and the error is so common it has no impact on its value.

24. Pinchers the Lobster

Recent Sale Price: $5.00
Sell2BBNovelities.com Price: $0.50

Pinchers the Lobster was one of the Original 9 Beanie Babies. Now that he’s long retired, you would think he’s hard to come by.

He’s not.

Unfortunately, that fact doesn’t stop fake eBay listings from trying to cheat you out of $10,000! There was a batch of Pinchers with a tush tag error that hilariously resulted in him being named “Punchers the Lobster” though, so if you can find one of those screwups it will be more valuable.

Still, the highest-selling one we could find as of 2023 only went for $3.00, with no mention of a spelling error in the item description. However, the listing does mention that the Beanie was filled with PVC pellets, indicating it was from an earlier production run before TY switched to PE pellets. That counts for something!

Pinchers the Lobster

“This lobster loves to pinch
Eating his food inch by inch
Balancing carefully with his tail
Moving forward slow as a snail!”
Inky the Octopus

“Inky’s head is big and round
As he swims he makes no sound
If you need a hand, don’t hesitate
Inky can help because he has eight!”

23. Inky the Octopus

Recent Sale Price: $6.99 (Pink Version)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50 (Pink Version)

Released in 1994, Inky the Octopus almost has as many versions as it has tentacles. Two versions were made in gray, with the initial one missing the black stitching for the mouth. A pink version was released later and attracts the best price on eBay (probably because it looks nicer than the drab gray version).

22. Iggy the Iguana

Recent Sale Price: $12.95 (Neon Version)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.25 (Tye-Dyed Version)

There are actually four different variations of Iggy the Iguana. The pastel and neon versions have a tongue, while the blue and tie-dyed versions have no tongue. Because of the similar colors (and the fact they’re both reptile Beanies), the tie-dyed Iggy was often mistaken for Rainbow the Chameleon. This caused factory workers to sometimes mismatch the tags, so it’s not uncommon to find an Iggy with a Rainbow hang tag.

However, this error is not rare and therefore does not raise the value of either Beanie (despite the best efforts of desperate sellers to mislead you). As of 2023, the highest-selling legitimate Iggy we could find went for $12.95.

Iggy the Iguana

“Sitting on a rock, basking in the sun
Is this iguana’s idea of fun
Towel and glasses, book and beach chair
His life is so perfect without a care!“
Valentino the Bear

“His heart is red and full of love
He cares for you so give him a hug
Keep him close when feeling blue
Feel the love he has for you!”

21. Valentino the Bear

Recent Sale Price: $7.99
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.25

Another Beanie with a lot of misinformation surrounding its value. As of writing, some fake eBay listings are pretending this Valentine’s Day-themed Beanie is worth more than $2000. In reality, however, Valentino is only worth a few dollars, with tag errors having no impact.

20. Mystic the Unicorn

Recent Sale Price: $11.75 (Rainbow Mane Version)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50

Mystic the Unicorn was released in four different versions between 1994 and 1999. The original-edition Mystic from 1994 (with a tan horn and fine mane) is among the rarer Beanie Babies and will fetch a higher price than the other three incarnations.

Mystic the Unicorn

“Once upon a time so far away
A unicorn was born one day in May
Keep Mystic with you, she’s a prize
You’ll see the magic in her blue eyes!”
Hippity, Hoppity and Floppity

“Hippity is a cute little bunny
Dressed in green, he looks quite funny
Twitching his nose in the air
Sniffing a flower here and there!“

19. Hippity, Hoppity & Floppity

Recent Sale Price: $19.99 (All Three Buns)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: Hippity – $0.50, Hoppity – $0.50, Floppity – $0.50

Each member of the bunny trio has soft, pastel fur and a matching bow. Beanie Babies didn’t come in sets often, making this three-bunny grouping fairly unique. If you only have one bunny, don’t expect much; it’s the trio that sells.

18. Snort the Red Bull

Recent Sale Price: $15.87
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50

Snort the Red Bull was initially named Tabasco, but to avoid copyright penalties from the famous hot sauce company, Ty changed the name to “Snort the Red Bull.” Both versions are pretty cheap and typically go for between $9-10, though we were able to find one that sold for almost $16!

Snort the Red Bull

“Although Snort is not so tall
He loves to play basketball
He is a star player in his dream
Can you guess his favorite team!”
Bubbles

All day long Bubbles likes to swim
She never gets tired of flapping her fins
Bubbles lived in a sea of blue
Now she is ready to come home with you!

17. Bubbles the Fish

Recent Sale Price: $8.99
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $2.00

From the moment he was released in 1996, Bubbles the Fish managed to swim his way into our hearts. He’s become super popular over time, which is clearly reflected in his Sell2BBNovelties price. It’s four times the value of what most other Beanie Babies are worth!

Bubbles got a couple of makeovers over the years, and some of those have been accompanied by tush tag errors. They’re a fun talking point between sellers, but these tag errors won’t result in any extra coins in your pocket.

16. Halo the Angel Bear

Recent Sale Price: $8.80
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50

Halo the Angel Bear is one of the first special edition bears. Complete with a halo and wings, Halo the Angel Bear symbolized a child’s guardian angel. Some of the listings on eBay are pictured with gold wings, but this does not seem to impact their value.

Halo the Angel Bear

“When you sleep, I’m always here
Don’t be afraid, I am near
Watching over you with lots of love
Your guardian angel from above!”
Patti the Platypus

“Ran into Patti one day while walking
Believe me she wouldn’t stop talking
Listened and listened to her speak
That would explain her extra large beak!”

15. Patti the Platypus

Recent Sale Price: $10.00
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50 (Standard Version), $20 (Magenta Version)

Patti is one of the original 9 Beanie Babies, and most versions of her aren’t scarce. However, if you happen to have a magenta Patti the Platypus with a mint condition tag, you might be surprised how much it’s worth.

She’s the oldest-edition Patti, and her magenta hue hikes the price tag. The later versions of Patti were a darker purple and sold in much higher quantities, making them less valuable to collectors.

14. Gobbles the Turkey

Recent Sale Price: $8.48
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.25 (9-Inch Version), $0.50 (5.5-Inch Version)

Gobbles graced our presence in 1997 and came in a few different variations. Some Gobbles had a single-layer felt waddle, and others featured a double-layer waddle. Gobbles’ tail feathers were connected at different lengths, depending on the version.

Gobbles the Turkey

“Don’t bother calling me on Thanksgiving Day
I’ll be hiding somewhere far away!”
Claude the Crab

“Claude the crab paints by the sea
A famous artist he hopes to be
But the tide came in and his paints fell
Now his art is on his shell!”

13. Claude the Crab

Recent Sale Price: $8.99
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50

Released in 1997, Claude the Crab has gone by many names. At least, that’s what the various swing tag “errors” would have you believe. Versions of Claude have been found with the name “Inky”, “Snowball” and even “Weenie”. In Canada, versions of Claude have been found where the name is entirely capitalized.

Do these name variations add any value? Not really! Because Claude is tie-dyed, most of the value comes from the color mix and condition.

12. Princess the Bear

Recent Sale Price: $12.00
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $50.00 (PVC/Indonesia), $10.00 (PVC/China), $2.00 (PE/China)

This is arguably the most controversial item when it comes to “rare” Beanie Babies. The much-maligned Princess Diana Bear has been alluded to be worth over $500,000 by online shysters, though her actual value is far less.

She was introduced in 1997 after Princess Diana’s death and came with a much higher price tag than other bears. Some of the profits from her sales went to the late princess’ memorial fund. Fair warning: they made millions of these, so standard ones are not even worth $50. If you happen to have a PVC/Made in Indonesia version in mint condition, Sell2BBNovelties will give you $50 flat. Other versions are worth far less, but still fetch a decent price on the platform.

Princess the Bear

“Like an angel, she came from heaven above
She shared her compassion, her pain, her love
She only stayed with us long enough to teach
The world to share, to give, to reach.”
Peace the Bear

“All races, all colors, under the sun
Join hands together and have some fun
Dance to the music, rock and roll is the sound
Symbols of peace and love abound!”

11. Peace the Bear

Recent Sale Price: $3.36
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.25 (Standard Version), $0.25 (Blue Version), $5.00 (2010 Version)

Peace the Bear debuted in 1997, but only spread tranquility and harmony for a few years before being discontinued in 1999. Its gorgeous tie-dyed design makes it a fan favorite, but there’s a little confusion about the different versions of Peace. There are “emblem” and “no emblem” versions of this Beanie, one of which has the signature peace sign, and the other doesn’t. However, the one without the peace sign embroidered is actually another Beanie named Garcia.

There are also three different versions of the standard-size Peace the Bear. Shockingly, it’s actually the most recent edition of this Beanie Baby that has the highest value according to Sell2BBNovelties.

10. Peanut the Elephant

Recent Sale Price: $100 (Light Blue Version)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $0.50 (Light Blue Version), $400 (Royal Blue Version)

If you have the ‘right’ shade of blue, Peanut the Elephant has a considerable premium.

The royal blue Peanut the Elephant was introduced in 1995, but was retired soon after as the dark blue shade was actually a production error. Because of this, these original royal blue Peanuts are much rarer than the light blue version that came after.  So, if you have an original dark blue version, you’re in luck!

Peanut the Elephant

“Peanut the elephant walks on tip-toes
Quietly sneaking wherever she goes
She’ll sneak up on you and a hug
You will get
Peanut is a friend you won’t soon forget!”
Humphrey the Camel

“Humphrey’s resting here amid
A desert near a pyramid.
He thinks that it would be just grand
To live somewhere that has less sand!”

9. Humphrey the Camel

Recent Sale Price: $299
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $150

Humphrey is part of the OG crew as one of the original 9 Beanie Babies released in 1994. Unfortunately for him, he was discontinued in 1998 with only 25,000 ever being made.

If you got him for Christmas or your birthday before ‘98, you might be in luck!

8. Hong Kong Bear (Hong Kong Toy Fair Exclusive)

Recent Sale Price: $300 (2012 Version)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $150 (2010-2013 Versions), $250 (Pink 2017 Version)

Not all the rarest and most expensive Beanie Babies are from the 90s – some are much more recent!

There is an entire line of rare beanie babies that were produced several years in a row exclusively for the Hong Kong Toy Fair. Due to their limited production runs and unique point of sale, Hong Kong Bears are highly sought after by Beanie Baby collectors.

It’s unknown how many Hong Kong bears were produced, but as of writing Sell2BBNovelties is offering $150 for several of the mint-condition plushes, and $250 for the Pink 2017 version.

Hong Kong Bear

“This special limited Beanie Baby
was made to thank you for
attending our exclusive showing
at the Peninsula Suite!“
Nana the Monkey

No poems for 1st generation hang tags!

7. Nana the Monkey

Recent Sale Price: $128.27
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $250

Nana the Monkey was only on the market for one year in 1995, so she’s pretty difficult to come by. Bongo the Monkey replaced Nana, but you may still have a high-value beanie baby if you can find an original Nana.

A mint-condition Nana is among the most valuable beanie babies according to Sell2BBNovelties.com.

6. Brownie the Bear

Recent Sale Price: $99.99
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $300

This first-generation Beanie Baby is one of the few that’s actually significantly more valuable due to an error. The name Brownie is actually a typo, and this Beanie was only around for a short time before it was reintroduced as Cubbie.

Besides the name difference, the Beanies are identical. That doesn’t stop original first-gen Brownies from attracting a high price from collectors, though. Like this one for instance, which recently sold for $100 on eBay. That price is nothing to sniff at, but it’s still $200 short of what Sell2BBNovelties will give you for a mint-condition Brownie.

Brownie the Bear

No poems for 1st generation hang tags!
Billionaire the Bear

“Ty is the company that can’t be beat
Mattel and Hasbro can take a back seat
We did it again and it was fun
In the toy biz, we’re #1!”

5. Billionaire the Bear (Ty Employee Exclusive)

Recent Sale Price: $740 (Billionaire Bear #1)
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $600 (Billionaire Bear #2)

Billionaire the Bear is an exclusive Beanie Baby given out to TY employees every year at the company picnic. These are usually produced in quantities of 500 or less, making them extremely rare and valuable Beanie Babies.

While selling any of these bears won’t make you billions, they’re still worth quite a bit to the right buyer. As of writing, some eBay listings are asking for around $2000 for a Billionaire Bear, but Sell2BBNovelties has determined that the most valuable one is Billionaire Bear #2 at $600.

Due to its rarity, there are a lot of counterfeiters trying to make a quick buck by creating fake versions of Billionaire 2 the Bear. This video from Beanie Babies Price Guide does an excellent job of explaining how to identify an authentic Billionaire 2 Beanie Baby.

4. Coral Casino the Bear

Recent Sale Price: $1,325
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $1,000

Made in a gorgeous coral pink color, Coral Casino the Bear is one of the most unique and highly sought-after Beanie Babies out there. This bear was originally given out as a dinner party gift to members of the Coral Casino Beach Club in December 2001.

Only 588 Coral Casino bears are known to have been produced, and each one’s swing tag features Ty Warner’s signature, making this Beanie extremely valuable. 

So what’s it actually worth? This video from Earth Titan in 2017 claims that one Coral Casino the Bear was sold for $760, while BBToyStore’s video from 2020 values the Bear between $1800 and $2500. 

Despite a recent eBay sale at $1,325, Sell2BBNovelties (an authority in this market), still pegs Coral Casino the bear at $1,000.

Coral Casino the Bear
“Kissed by the sun
caressed by the sea
Rich with beauty & memories
Forever you’ll always
mean so much to me.”
#1 Bear

“In appreciation of selling over
several Billion dollars during 1998
and achieving the industry ranking of
#1 in Gift sales, #1 in Collectable sales,
#1 in Cash register area sales
#1 in Markup %
I present to you
This signed and
Numbered Bear!”

3. #1 Bear

Recent Sale Price: No Verifiable Sales
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $1,500

Another unique gift to TY employees, #1 Bear was given solely to TY sales reps in December 1999. Only 253 were made, and each was hand-numbered and signed by Ty Warner himself.

Created at the peak of the Beanie Babies craze, #1 Bear’s poem definitely gives the impression Ty and his team felt like they were on top of the world.

What’s this super rare Beanie Baby worth? Sell2BBNovelties is offering $1,500 for a mint-condition #1 Bear. However, Beaniepedia’s #1 Bear article claims this Beanie has sold for $7500 in the past.

We weren’t able to find any verifiable eBay sales for this one, but there are several ongoing listings priced at $9,000+ dollars. We can’t blame the owners of one of these rare Beanie Babies for holding on to their tiny gold mines.

2. Chef Robuchon the Bear

Recent Sale Price: No Verifiable Sales
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: $3,000

Created as part of a promotion with L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City, Chef Robuchon the Bear is incredibly hard to find nowadays. Only 200 are known to have been distributed, making him possibly the rarest Beanie Baby of all time.

However, it appears owners are holding onto their Robuchon Bears, as we couldn’t find any recent sales. With that said, this video from BBToyStore values the cuddly chef at a whopping $2000! This video was made in 2020, but its valuation isn’t too far off. Sell2BBNovelties has the Chef Robuchon bear valued at $3,000, a staggering amount.

Chef Robuchon the Bear
“If there is no love more
sincere than the love of food
you’ll find your soul mate in
Chef Robuchon’s cuisine.”
Employee the Bear

No poem for extra mystery!

1. Employee the Bear

Recent Sale Price: No Verifiable Sales
Sell2BBNovelties.com Price: (Undisclosed)

Ty, Inc gifted Employee the Bear exclusively to employees and sales reps on the Odyssey cruise ship in 1997. Only 300 were ever produced, half with a red ribbon and half with a green ribbon.

Since so few were made, it’s safe to say that those who own them are keeping them locked away. As of writing, we have no recent sales data to go off, so it’s anyone’s guess what this Beanie Baby is really worth in 2023.

However, there is this eBay listing that has both the red and green ribbon versions bundled for $6,500.

How to sell Beanie Babies in 2023

Do you have one of the Original 9 Beanie Babies? How about one of the coveted Employee the Bear Beanies, or perhaps another rare find you want to cash in?

Once you have properly evaluated the plushies in your collection, Facebook and eBay are the top two ways to sell your Beanie Babies in 2023. If you have an especially rare and valuable Beanie Baby, it’s a good idea to trust a professional authentication business to certify it.

Peggy Gallagher Enterprises is the first Beanie Baby Authentication service and has inspected over 150,000 Beanie Babies. This company will place your Beanie in a sealed acrylic display case and supply a certificate of authenticity. If you want to sell your Beanie for its best possible price, this extra step helps give buyers the peace of mind of knowing yours is legit – and it allows you to hike up the price!

Also, don’t forget to give your Beanie a bit of a spring clean before taking product photos. You’ll find some helpful tips to do just that in our guide on cleaning Beanie Babies.

So, what are Beanie Babies really worth?

Like any secondary market, Beanie Babies are worth what someone is willing to pay. For some avid collectors and nostalgia chasers, that one museum-grade Royal Blue Peanut or Peace the Bear can be worth more than what most are prepared to pay. While the market may be extremely niche, the demand is there. It’s all about finding the right buyers.

As with anything second-hand, the condition of the item also matters quite a bit. While you may have a Pinchers Lobster with a mint-condition heart-shaped hang tag, the value decreases significantly if it smells like your basement. Or a dirty laundry hamper. Your mom told you to take it out of your pocket!

With the release of the Netflix documentary “Beanie Mania” in late 2021, we’ve seen demand for Beanies slowly pick up steam again with an overall price increase throughout 2022. Now that we are well into 2023 and staring down the barrel of 2024, it looks like the second-hand Beanie Baby market is here to stay.

How to buy Beanie Babies

Do they still make Ty Beanie Babies? Yes and no. Ty Inc. stopped manufacturing the classic toys in 1999 (but not before releasing a larger version called “Beanie Buddies” in 1998).

In 2000, they essentially “rebooted” the franchise by issuing a new Beanie Baby named “The Beginning” after customer demand pressure. In 2008, Ty released a new version of Beanie Babies called Beanie Babies 2.0. The toys came with a code to access an online interactive website that unfortunately no longer exists. The Beanie 2.0s didn’t last very long either.

Today, you’ll find plenty of ‘Beanie Boos’ on the Ty website, which feature large plastic eyes and bright colors. It looks like Beanie Boos is the 21st-century version of the original toys – and kids seem to enjoy the new version. However, the collector’s craze is far behind the kiddos today.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a collector’s item, it won’t be as easy as doing a quick Amazon search. Most collectors still turn to eBay to find the rarest Beanies. Regardless of where you’re shopping, it’s important to know what to look out for.

Just because something on eBay is listed at a specific price doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth that much. The most recent ‘sold’ prices matter when trying to figure out a fair price for a rare Beanie Baby. The sold price is important because that’s what someone actually paid for the item, not what the seller hoped to get for it. Some unscrupulous sellers will create fake listings with exceedingly high prices and then use a fake account to buy the item, hoping to trick real buyers into thinking these are fair market prices.

Don’t fall victim to these scams.

Looking on ebay for Beanie Baby deals
There are a lot of fake eBay listings out there, but with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can find out what people are really paying for vintage Beanie Babies.

How to find sold listings on ebay:

  1. In the title search field, type the title name or the keywords of the item you want to find.
  2. Click the Search box.
  3. On the search results page, select the Sold Listings checkbox (from the filter options down the left-hand side) to see items that have sold (and how much they sold for) as far back as the eBay search engine will permit.
  4. Once the sold listings appear, tell eBay how you want the results sorted

How to tell if an ebay sold listing is fake:

  1. When you click on the listing, is the sale page still accessible? Some scammers will delete their fake listings to avoid detection.
  2. How many reviews does the seller have? More reviews, more legitimacy. Avoid listings from sellers with less than 20 reviews (minimum).
  3. How many bids did the auction have? Be wary of auction listings with only 1 bidder.
  4. Has the item been re-listed multiple times? Do multiple listings use the same product photos? These listings are often suss.
  5. Use your gut feeling, does something seem off? Does the price seem excessive, even if there are other listings at similar prices?

Be on the lookout for scams and counterfeits

Make sure your Beanies aren’t fakies. Counterfeit Beanie Babies started being manufactured in the mid-90s as the toy’s popularity surged. Fortunately, it’s easy to recognize a counterfeit Beanie. Take a look at the toy’s eyes. If the plastic eyes are a different shape or size, it’s a tell-tale sign that it’s not authentic. Also, an original tush tag will have its name in red. A lot of fakes print the name in orange.

Maybe it’s time to dig into your old toy chest!

There were two types of Beanie Baby owners in the ‘90s. We all had that one friend who kept their Beanie Babies in a clear plastic case instead of playing with them, and the kids who, well, played with them. Little did we know back then that Nana the Monkey and Humphrey the Camel would be worth a small fortune!

Although Beanie Baby mania and the insane speculation will likely forever remain an artifact of the ‘90s, some of the Beanie Babies in your collection could still net you a tidy sum in 2023.

Check it out!