What Sells: Beanie Babies

The once-hot Beanie Baby craze has cooled, yet some rare Beanies are still valuable (and the manufacturer continues to produce new Beanies). Many Beanies are sold in lots and depending on the number of items and their rarity, they may go for less than a dollar each.

Research Resources

About Beanies has photos and information about every Beanie ever made, along with photos of different tags and counterfeit spotting tips. Visit the website at http://www.aboutbeanies.com/..

All Beanies have two tags: a heart-shaped paper hang tag (also called swing tag) and a sewn-in “tush tag.” If one or both of these tags is missing the value is substantially lower. The design on both tags changed frequently and is key to proper identification and authentication (see the About Beanies website for photos). Look for the words “first generation;” these toys have the most value. Also, the value goes up for beanies that have a clear plastic tag protector.

Look for these signs of wear and tear:

• Torn fabric
• Creased, torn or missing hang tag and/or tush tag
• Stains
• Odors (especially cigarette smoke)
• Fading and discoloration

Professional Bean Bag Grading Service will authenticate Beanies. Visit the website at http://www.pbbags.com/.

If you can borrow a Beanie that you know is authentic, use it to compare to the one you are considering selling. Or, use the Professional Bean Bag Grading Service to authenticate Beanies for you. Visit the website athttp://www.pbbags.com/. For a quick initial verification, answer the following questions:

• Notice the hang and tush tags. Does the year match the production year of that particular Beanie? Do the font type and size match other Beanies from the same generation? Imitations will often have larger fonts. Is the gold outline foil (authentic) or ink (imitation)? Are there misspellings? Are the colors too bold or too muted? Are there circles around the copyright and registered trademark symbols?
• Feel the Beanie. Does it seem heavy? Counterfeiters tend to overfill the toys. Are the proportions right? Imitations sometimes have bigger-than-normal heads and the eyes might be too close together or too far apart.

Keep Beanie Babies in their original packaging in a well-ventilated room, away from children, pets, smoke and cooking odors. Don’t place items in direct sunlight or next to heating vents or air conditioners, either, since the temperature/humidity changes can cause damage. Serious collectors use clear plastic hang tag protectors and may even store each Beanie in its own clear plastic box.

Wrap each item individually in plastic to protect it from moisture, bubble wrap it and place it in a sturdy box in a bed of packing peanuts for shipment to the buyer.