December 99 news

**Beanie Baby Retirements - December 23, 1999**
99 Holiday Teddy	Spangle	Goochy	Paul	Luke
Roam	Slippery	Almond	Schweetheart	B.B. Bear
Mac	Slowpoke	Germania	Pecan	Amber
Sheets	Mooch	Scat	Jake	Fuzz
Jabber	Valentina	Flitter	Sammy	Rocket
Butch	KuKu	Honks	The End	Silver
Early	Gigi	Lips	Scaly	Kicks
Swirly	Cheeks	Goatee	Knuckles	Ty2K
Whisper	Beak	Neon	Hope	Tiny
Wallace	Chipper	Groovy	Scorch	Prickles

**Dec. 1999 Beanie Buddy Retirements**
Jake 12/10	Bongo 12/11	Snort 12/12	Waddle 12/12
Peking 12/10	Chip 12/12	Jabber 12/12	Stretch 12/12
Hippity 12/11	Gobbles 12/12	Rover 12/12	Snowboy 12/12
Humphrey 12/11	Spinner 12/12	Pinky 12/12

... No Info Beanie Today?
Although The End wrote in the Diary last night: Thursday December 30, 1999 9:53 p.m. " ...... I'm going to go to bed now so I can get up early and be ready to watch "Ty TV!" I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night!" ... it appears that there are no updates today (at least so far) in the Diary. Is he going to make a final statement? The link to the Info Beanie is: http://www.ty.com/share/beanie/info2/Lastpage/

...
The Chicago Gift Show scheduled for January 29-Feb 1, 2000 is to be held at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago. Ty Inc., is on the list of exhibitors with booths 206-210, 207-211, 306-310, and 307-311. Could this be the first appearance of new Ty products?

... Reminder!!!
Doodle's Holiday Contest ends Monday, January 3rd at 12:01 am EST. (The winners will be announced January 10th on the Contest Page.) Don't forget to enter soon, if you haven't already! Red/White/Blue Face Spangles, as well as the '99 Holiday Teddy, are waiting patiently to find out their new home!!! (If you missed any, keep checking. They will be randomly posted until the Contest ends!) Thanks and HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR 2000 !!!

... Update! TyTV ...
At 2:00 pm today, there were 32715 global votes...The voter refresh changes every 5 minutes. It changed to 33279, which equals 564 votes in that timeframe. This averages more than 100 votes/minute. 93% of the votes so far are for MORE BEANIES!

... It's Voting Time on Ty TV!
At 6:00 am EST today, the TV website turned into "Ty TV". Should Ty create new Beanies in 2000?? Collectors can vote "yes" or "no" to this question! 100% of the proceeds from the vote will be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. In addition to this amount, Ty will TRIPLE the donations received. All voters must have their Credit Card (MasterCard or Visa) available to vote, either on the website or by phone (US only). There appears to be an overwhelming number of "yes" votes for New Beanies! (The polls will close at 5:59 am EST on January 2, 2000!)

Visit the Ty website at http://www.ty.com to vote ... or phone Ty: (see below) ...

... Millennium Contest Award
The results are in for the winner of the "Millennium Top 100 Webpage Award". Doodle's Page came in SECOND PLACE!!!! .... we are very proud !!!! - we couldn't have done it without YOU!!! Thank you so much for your support!!!

"I found out what Ty TV is all about! When the Global Polls open on December 31st at 6 a.m. (EST) the Ty web site will not be a web site but it will be TV! How cool is that? It will show what's happening with the voting live! It's going to be so cool to watch! I wonder how many people it will take to make all this happen? I should have asked Ty that when we were talking about it. I bet it's going to take thousands and thousands! And they will all be working very hard until 5:59 a.m. (EST) January 2nd. That is when the polls will close and we'll all find out whether or not there will be any more beanies. It's going to be so exciting watching "Ty TV" during the polls! Wow! I just thought of something! With all of those people making this possible we better make more cards! I better get busy! It's a good thing that we have so many Beanies here! They are all helping us to make the cards! I'll talk to you later. Bye!"

... Ty Warner's Interview with USA Today
Beanieholics (http://www.randyandtheresa.com/) has obtained an exclusive copy of the interview Ty Warner conducted with USA Today (see below). Thanks for sharing it with us!) Click here to read the interview!

... Get Ready for New Beanies! ...
"Ty Warner, the company's mystery-loving president, tells USA TODAY in an e-mail that he has a new creation in the works. "I wanted to come up with something that would be a total surprise. I did, and we will launch this new product at the trade shows in January." (No further details were given.)
You can read the story at http://www.usatoday.com/life/digest/ld1.htm .

*******************
A note from "Doodle" ...
Being a Webmaster of a website can be and should be a fun-filled job. I am a mother of two with a full time job as well. By sharing this site with you, we are able to keep up with the "Beanie" news, the kids learn about "computerizing", and most importantly, I have met very warm and genuine people - whom I would otherwise have never known. Some of my best friends and close contacts have come from having this site. My own domain is now registered ... thanks to a very dear friend of mine! It should be launching soon!!!

A special thanks to YOU ... for sending me news/information/rumors/comments/etc. .. I LOVE it. Please continue to email me at dmh13@alltel.net with anything you wish to share. Just keep in mind ... when you hear factual news or read it on someone's website, let me know where you read it ... they deserve to get the credit. I would hope they would do the same to me. A lot of time can be put in to finding information we think YOU may want to know.

The contest is moving along GREAT, and quite a few entries have been made over the last two days, as the last Beanie was displayed. I hope to be able to continue a Contest every month, with GREAT prizes to share with you, our readers! (I've also been "doodling" with graphics, for any Webmaster who may be interested.)

... Non-Ty News ...
I just have to mention this! :) For Christmas, the kids received a (hollow) chocolate Christmas Tree (from the Disney Store). Perhaps I'm just a little behind with news, or perhaps it's even irrelevant, but inside the tree is a tiny Christmas Pooh (wrapped in a plastic bag), complete with Christmas hat and stuffed with 'beans'. (Didn't even notice it at the time of purchase; the chocolate tree actually caught me eye! ... but, I KNEW they would share. Yeah, right!!!) :)

... Ty TV???
Update:
At 3:01:00 this afternoon, the English version of the Info Beanie's diary should be posted. The German version (translated) states that noone still knows what "Ty TV" means. Is he talking in riddles, or does he really hint at something??? (He also mentions the reasoning for the early voting poll of 6:00 am, due to the time zone differences across the world.)

Doodle's Note: Several readers have written to me stating that Rosie O'Donnell is scheduled to have a mystery guest on January 5th ... could it be Ty Warner??? Just an interesting thought ... probably no correlation. ... (I have also been informed that yesterday, on the 'Rosie Show', she mentioned that The End Bear was "the end" .... and gave The End Bear and Ty2K Bears to her audience. Please note .. this was a rerun from a couple of months ago.)

Tuesday December 28, 1999 9:16 a.m. ".... Ty even stopped in this morning so say hi to everyone. I was hoping to say hi to him and to wish him a Happy New Year. I also had some questions about the Global Poll. I didn't get a chance to though. He was talking to some of our friends at Ty and while I was waiting to talk to him I over heard him say something very interesting. He was saying something about "Ty TV". I wonder what in the world that means? ...."

... Ty Triples the Amount!
The following was posted on the Ty Talk Cyberboard today ... (Thanks to everyone who sent me this news):

I have been reading your posts both here and at other sites. I have heard your challenge to "put my money where my mouth is" by matching any funds raised from the "Global Poll". I think that is a great idea! I will, therefore, present the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation with an amount that is TRIPLE the amount raised by your voting! May the New Millennium bring each and every one of you health and happiness!

Ty Warner

...
It is my hope that everyone had a safe and Happy Holiday! I just returned from a day (and night) of visiting relatives; so nice to see everyone and join in sharing the precious warmth of friends and family. Now, it's time to work on what's coming up soon in the New Year! I DO know LOTS will be happening here! ..... (Don't forget the Contest ... only one Beanie has yet to be shown! Keep checking .... :)

... Our warmest wishes to you and yours ... for a very Merry Christmas! We're spending time together with family and friends! ... (I'll follow up with some news later today! :)

... Ty's Global Newsflash!
Well, we didn't have to wait very long today ... shortly after 12:00 this morning, Ty posted his much-anticipated ("expect the unexpected") Dec. 24th Newflash:

... Oh My Goodness!!! A Major Retirement TODAY!
Ty has just announced a major retirement. ALL Beanie Babies are now retired!!!! ... FIFTY (50) are on the list. (I had my "wonders" with the way the dates have been displayed on the Ty website ! ) ... (See above for the whole list!!!!) ... Now we can make our own speculations about tomorrow!!! :)

... Hmmmm .... BE PREPARED !!!!!
Did you see what the Info Beanie wrote this morning? Is the BIG announcement coming early???

I woke up this morning and realized that there is only one more day to wait until the big announcement! I wonder what time the announcement will be made. I hope it's not to early or I'll sleep right through it. Of course, I hope it's not too late either. I don't know how much longer I can wait! Hey! Maybe I can get our friends at Ty to tell me today. I am the Info Beanie after all ..........

... Blue Face Spangle
From Ms Janie - Sly the Beanie Guy reports an interesting fact! ... Blue Face Spangle's price has jumped dramatically in the last 10 days (secondary). Last week the price was stated at being under $15 on MetaExchange; Sunday it was at $19.99; and today ... at $26.50. That's double the price over the 10 day period. Not even "The End" is selling at that price right now!

So .... you better get busy! Remember, you have a chance to win Red, White and Blue Face Spangles in Doodle's Holiday Contest ! (and also a second drawing for a 99 Holiday Bear). There's only ONE Beanie left to show, which could be ANY MOMENT now !!!! - others will occasionally be repeated in case you missed them. You just need to keep checking. Each Beanie will be shown AT LEAST one more time before the contest ends! And ... the "unannounced prize" Contest is very simple. It's a great prize as well!

Have fun, good luck, and let me know if you have any questions. HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM DOODLE AND FAMILY!!!

... A little bazarre! ...
As I mentioned yesterday morning, the Ty website read "Thursday, December 23, 1999". (It was later changed to the right date!) I think the dates are definitely of some confusion at the Ty "home" - as the Info Beanie told everyone "Goodnight" and then posted an hour later ... a "strange" entry (which sounds like perhaps it wasn't supposed to be posted yet?). They read:

We had more guests arrive just in time for dinner tonight. Britannia, Germania, Maple and Erin all came together. Rex, Steg and Bronty came too! There are some others but I can't remember all of their names, there must be thirty or forty! I think it's going to take a day or two to get to meet everyone and remember their names. I wonder if there is some sort of trick to remembering names? It sure would be helpful right now to know one! Maybe I can ask around and that would help me to meet them all too! We're all too excited to sleep so I'm going to see what everyone is up to. I'll talk to you later. Bye!

We finished all of our nametags. There weren't one hundred like I thought but I was close, there were eighty-six. Golly, some of the retired Beanies have really funny names! Let's see if I can remember some of them. Let's see there was Baldy, Doodle Ziggy, Peanut, Daisy and Bongo. Those are the only ones I can remember right now. We're trying to figure out what kind of animals they are. We all have a list of names and next to the name we wrote what kind of animal we think that Beanie will be. Whoever has the most right answers will win a prize! We don't know what kind of prize it will be yet. We're going to let our friends at Ty pick out the prize. That way it will be a real surprise. I'm getting sleepy now so I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night!

...
Ty's website reads (this morning) that it's "Thursday, December 23, 1999". Does that mean 'the announcement' could be made tomorrow? ... that I am supposed to be on vacation today? Think I'll go double-check my calendar again! :)
Update: (12:01 pm) Ahhhh, it now reads "Wednesday, December 22, 1999" Guess I better keep working :)

... "A Holiday Salute to Best Santa, Snowmen Beanies"
Kathy Flood, Collecting Channel staff writer, has written a great article on collectible bean bag Santas and Snowmen ... Disney, Ty, Puffkins - you name it. You can read the story here.

... Scarce Bears in Canada
Canadian Ty^® retailers in Ontario are reporting demand for Ty2K^™, 1999 Holiday Teddy^™ and The End^™ bears is heating up. First shipments of the final Beanie release styles arrived only after November 1st, and December orders (for most) have yet to be received. Click here to read the story, by Karen Gomes, MBBBW staff writer.

... Domain Names Found with Similarities to Ty® Products
Although slightly different than reported earlier, an interesting list can be found here of domains name (with owners) similar to Ty products!

... The Contest !!!
Well, after the posting today on Doodle's Holiday Contest, there's only one Beanie Baby left, then you should have all 10 !!! If you have missed a couple, they will be posted randomly (as well as hints at times) ... so get busy. It won't be long now! (This is soooo exciting ... Ty's "global" announcement on Christmas Eve, Santa's visit Friday night, Christmas with friends and relatives (hopefully) on Saturday, and the new Millennium - Year 2000 just around the corner, followed by the winners of the Contests! (The "unannounced prize" contest is going along GREAT ... we do have the #1 friends and fans! You guys are the best!!! ... You give us the inspiration we so enjoy!) ..... (Hint: We have GREAT plans for the next Contest in January!!!)

... BBOC cards ... Auction
The rarest set of Ty BBOC cards ever offered is on auction on eBay. They are the prototype set of Series II. The only card not available is the Gold #1 Bear card, held by Ty! (A similar set of Series I cards sold for $17,000 less than a year ago!) ... Click here to view the auction. There's just a little over a day left to bid! :)

... Canadian Tire ... Beanie Babies!
In a flyer received last week by BeanieHeaven in Canada, it stated that from December 18 - 24 they would be selling Ty Beanie Babies at $7.95, while supplies last. After the sale, they would then be $9.99. It also stated that different stores would have different styles, and no rainchecks. Not being an authorized Ty account, where did they come from? Hmmmm!

...
Update: The Info Beanie posted in his diary at 2:51 today - but we already knew he would do that! :) You can now read the English version here. (Can you believe that right now that's all the Ty info to report?!)

...
Although the Info Beanie rarely gives facts, more like riddles and hints, The End mentions (in the German version already posted) that the playroom was cleared today of all furniture, and the wallpaper is being removed with new paint on the walls (while most were away at the Homeless Shelter). The English version should be posted on the Ty site around 2:51 today ... you can check it out here.

... Not much other Beanie news out there right now ... waiting on the 24th for a big announcement by Ty. ..... I guess, in the iterim, I should go over my Christmas list again; I'm NOT fighting the Malls today! :) Ssshhhh - I sent my hubby! :) as I've done MY share! Time to do some baking now! :)

... Info Beanie Diary - "Update"
The End Info Beanie submits in his diary tonight:

"None of the Beanies knew what "global proportions" means so I looked it up in the dictionary. I had to look up both words separately. From what I can figure out it means that something will affect the whole world! Golly, it must be a really big announcement if it's going to affect the whole world! Now I'm really going to have a hard time waiting for the announcement. I would start a list of things it might be but I wouldn't even know where to start for something that big! ....."

... Info Beanie Diary ...
This afternoon (3:02 pm), The End writes: "While we were decorating our cookies Ty stopped by to see us! .... I didn't mean to over hear what they were saying but I did hear a little. I think they were talking about the announcement! I didn't hear too much but I think he said something about "making history" and "global proportions". I know what "making history" means but I have no idea what "global proportions" is! ... " Click here to read the Info Beanie's Diary.

... Ty Rep Spills the Beans ...
Ty Sales Rep were given a special Millennium Buddy at the annual Chicago sales meeting. Autographed by Ty Warner and numbered 1 to 303. The hang tag reads as follows: "Congratulations on becoming an account executive". (The tag is signed and numbered by Ty.) The back of the tag reads: "Ty Sales Conference, Renaissance Hotel, Dec 12-14, 1999.)

... Mary Beth Predicts New Beanie Line ...
Mary Beth Sobolewski, editor-in-chief of MBBBW Monthly, believes that the December 24th "global newsflash" (announced on Ty's website yesterday) will involve the "birth" of a new line of collectibles. You can read the entire article here.

... Ty Retailer Letter
Ms Janie has informed us of a letter/ad that was placed in Gifts and Decor Magazine, addressed as "Dear Valued Retailer." (You might want to pay special attention to the last paragraph especially, which reads - "As we embark on a new millenium, we look forward to all that the future holds and to working with all of you to ensure that the next year, the next century, and the next millennium is even more successful for everyone.")
You can view the letter here.

... Ty Newsflash!!!
Late last night, the following Newsflash was posted on the Ty website:

A VERY IMPORTANT GLOBAL NEWSFLASH WILL BE MADE ON DECEMBER 24, 1999. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!!!

TY WARNER

...
The Ty Newsflash posting all the latest retirements was already removed this morning. With 17 days left until ALL Beanies are retired, hold on tight for what most anticipate to be a very busy time. With 51 Beanie Babies still "current", do we really expect them all to retire at once, on the 31st ??? As mentioned earlier, only 4 retired last month, and none so far in December! Feel free to send me an email at dmh13@alltel.net with your opinion. I intend to post what YOU think in the next few days! Thanks!

... "Top o' the Christmas list to you: bean bag plush"
It's Christmastime in the city ... see the kids bunch, hear the beans crunch ... Read CollectingChannel's article, by Kathy Flood, by clicking here. It's a nice overview of "what's hot", and quite an interesting article!

... Ty Sales Rep Meeting
At the Ty® sales rep meeting held at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago this weekend, each rep received a gift basket which included a Snowboy™ Buddy™, a box of chocolates from Marshall Fields, a bag of popcorn, catalogs from Crate & Barrel and Harry & David, and a letter on Ty Inc. stationery. Unlike last year's meeting, a rare Beanie Baby (such as The #1 Bear) was not included in the gift baskets. You can read the rest of the story on the MBBBW website.

...
I noticed, when checking the Beanie Buddies on Ty's site, that the first 3 Buddies that retired on 12/12/99 - Spinner, Gobbles, and Chip - are still not listed as "retired" - however, the group that retired late last night are already noted as such! Perhaps the Webmaster was having a loooong day! :) For the history of Buddies, including release dates and retirements, you can visit my Beanie Buddies page (which was updated this morning).
... Update: Late this afternoon, the 3 Buddies are now listed as retired on the Ty site!

With only 4 Beanie Babies having retired last month, and none so far this month, can we expect some more "major retirements" before the year's end??? (There's still 51 left!) Hmmmmm

... New Ty "Bean Bag" Items up for Auction !?!
What??? ... There are 14 presale auctions for the rumored "The Beginning" bear posted on eBay! The description reads that the bear is "all white"; one seller even has a perfect feedback rating with over 500 feedbacks! When you take a look at the auctions, there are other various presales as well - including a Ty2K Beanie Buddy, and Pearl (Oyster), Ick (Amoeba), King (Cobra), Hops (Grasshopper), Pounder (shark), Harry (warthog), Shadow (groundhog), and Bears - Unity, Pansy, and Shaggy! (Do they know something we don't? I doubt it, so be careful !!! ) Only 19 days until the year 2000! Tyme will tell !!! (Just remember, only Ty Warner himself knows what will happen.)

... Major Retirement by Ty
WOW! ... Early this morning, Ty posted a huge retirement announcement of Beanie Buddies, Attic Treasures, Pillow Pals, and Plush. (All noted show an actual retirement date of 12/12/99!) Sent to the Retirement Home were Buddies - Snort, Jabber, Rover, Pinky, Waddle, Stretch, and Snowboy; Attic Treasure - Beezee; Pillow Pals - Rusty, Carrots, Snap, Paddles, Antlers, Chewy, Ribbit, Meow, Kolala, Squirt, Swinger, Huggy, Sherbert, Ba Ba, Woof, and Sparkler; and Plush - Lovie, Winston, Woolly, Nibbles White, Nibbles Brown, Toffee, Pepper, Chips, Chrystal, Churchill, Bows, Buttons.

... Summary!
Only 4 Beanie Babies retired in November, and none so far this month. The Beanie Buddies are running fast to the Retirement Home, though! So far, 15 Buddies have retired this month alone! Peanut, the Royal Blue Elephant Buddy, is the only Buddy left in the "original 9", and all have retired in Ty's second release. All my pages have been updated to reflect the most recent changes/retirements to date!

... More Ty Retirements!
Ty retired Beanie Buddies - Chip the cat, Gobbles the turkey, and Spinner the spider today! (That leaves 22 Buddies as current!)
http://www.ty.com/ret_today_sm.html

... How many are left?
My calculations show 51 Beanies Babies that are still "current" (with all retiring within the next 20 days or by December 31st). So, there's still a lot of them around, if you're trying to complete your collection. .... AND, there are 25 Beanie Buddies (excluding Clubby I and II) still "current". Click here for a current checklist as of today!

... Three More Retirements Today!
Ty has announced the retirement of 3 more Beanie Buddies today: Hippity, Humphrey, and Bongo!
http://www.ty.com/ret_today_ms.html

... Ty® Retires Two Beanie Buddies™ and an Attic Treasure™
Late this evening, Ty "newsflashed" the retirement of Buddies Jake, the Mallard Duck and Peking the Panda. Spruce the Attic Treasure also retired.
Click here to view Ty's official announcement

... So, what does this all mean? ...
My opinion, like everyone elses, is simply that. Just an opinion! But Ty informed us on August 31st that "all Beanies would retire" at the end of this year. Reality is starting to set in as the time grows closer. What we don't know, and only one man does, is - what will the New Year bring? Bean E Babies, a whole new line, etc? Several sites are reporting that retailers (in Canada) WILL be allowed to order, with the January order, Buddies - but no Beanies or Attic Treasures. So ... the next few weeks will be busy ones, with the Christmas holiday, the new Millennium coming up, Ty's future plans?, retirements of Beanies, etc. And don't forget to keep checking the Contest page, too! Are we having fun yet? Glad I have patience!!!! :) Think I'll go bake some cookies!!!

... "They mean it: No more Beanie Babies"
A very kind reader has sent me an article that was found in USA Today:

"OAK BROOK, Ill. - Disproving skeptics who thought it was a ploy to boost sales, the maker of Beanie Babies says the end really is near: Dec. 31 will be the last day the popular stuffed critters are made. ......"

... "Ty to Halt Beanie Babies Production"
The following article was also sent to me ..... written by The Washington Post:

"OAK BROOK, Ill. –– New Year's Eve will be the last day of production for Beanie Babies, the maker of the popular stuffed critters says. Ty Inc. broke the news with a cryptic announcement on its Web site Thursday, saying only that production will stop Dec. 31 and warehouses will be cleared of surplus. ...."

... Tyra (pom-pomless) in the US now!
The Maison D'Ours site is reporting that Tyra, the Attic Treasure, is now showing up in the U.S.!

... Bean E Babies?
As you are aware, many people have predicted in the past that perhaps Ty will release a whole new product after the retirement of all Beanies at the end of the year. A reader has pointed out that someone on Ty's Cyberboard stated that "Bean E" does not exist. However, after researching a bit, the following was found - (Although there were several listings, these are just three of them):

Bean E Bears - serial # 75-641182
Bean E Buddies - serial # 75-641181
Bean E Baby - serial # 75-641183

..... Don't you just LOVE the anticipation? !!! We'll try and help keep you posted !!! Thanks, Carolyn!

... Hints from the Info Beanie
Yesterday, Ms Janie posted the French-to-English translation of the Info Beanie's diary input. It appears that both the French and German versions are posted long before the English one. You can copy the foreign diary entry and go to Ms. Janie's site and use the language translator that she has available, in case you're curious! (Did you read today's entry?) The End writes: "....We're all a little sad today since we heard that there would be no more Beanies after they retire" and later it read "....Our friends at Ty thought it was a great idea to have a big party for all of the Beanies that have lived here! We have so much work to do before the party? We may have a list of all of the Beanies...."

I suggest you keep checking the Diary daily! There's only 22 days left before all the Beanies retire!!! Of course, we'll also let you know here of any new announcements!

... Ty Info Beanie Announcement!!! (update)
The End Info Beanie stated at 8:49 tonight:

We just found out what the important news was that our friends at Ty had to tell us! We found out that when we all retire on December 31, there will be no new Beanies to replace us! Can you believe it! I just can’t imagine the playroom without any Beanies in it! I asked our friends at Ty what’s going to happen to all of our toys and games. They said that they would donate them to the shelter. I guess that is a good thing. Oh my goodness! I just realized something! I really am the last ever Info Beanie! Gee, that makes me a little sad. I’m going to go and talk to the other Beanies and see what they all think about this. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Good night!

http://www.ty.com/share/beanie/info2/Lastpage/

... Ty Info Beanie Clue?
The End Info Beanie stated in his Diary at 8:12 am today:
"... Our friends at Ty said since it was so cold they had a fun project for us to do. They also said that they had something really important to tell us too. I wonder what it could be? I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait to find out."

... And followed at 2:46 pm:
"... I'm going to see if I can find out when we'll hear what the announcement is. I'm going to see if anyone knows anything. I sure hope it's a good announcement."

... Tyra Attic Treasure on Auction (with pom-poms) ...
Tyra is for sale on Yahoo for a starting bid of $999.00. You can check it out here This individual was one of the purchasers from the Pickering flea market, as mentioned on the Maison D'Ours Canadian Connection site.

... Extra Beanie Babies in Retailer Shipments
Beanieholics reported yesterday that some retailers are receiving 48 each of the new releases instead of the maximum 36 that could be ordered for December. Today they have received a note from a retailer stating that the extra 12 Beanie Babies were sent at no extra charge. (... Perhaps an early Christmas present from Ty?)

... Autographed "The End" Bear Card Auction
The auction reportedly earlier for the autographed gold "The End" Bear card closed this morning. There were no bids; the starting bid was set at $2,000 with no reserve.

... Millennium Double-Tush Tag Buddy™
As I reportedly earlier, we found an oddity - a Beanie Buddy Millennium with two tush tags, one at the back crease of each leg (see picture here). We appreciate the many offers for this Buddy; but we are keeping it in our collection for the time being. Just check back if you are really interested; we may change our mind later.

... Canadian Update
It's always interesting to read what's happening in other countries regarding Ty products. The Tyra story seems to be a continuous saga - when will she ship, if she does, minus the pom-poms? (The UK reportedly had received the "pom-pomless Tyras as well.) The Maison D'Ours website (The Canadian Connection) has reported that a reader has received a FAX from Ty Canada stating that all back orders were cancelled. All attics had to be reordered, but Tyra wasn't on the order form. However, they were allowed to order 12 Maple Buddies.

Lulu also mentions, having purchased six of the original Tyra (with the pom-pom), what her current intentions are. (One just sold by someone for $1200 on Yahoo.) It's an interesting story, if you want to check it out on the Maison D'Ours site.

... Doodle's Ty® Beanie™ Prediction!
So many readers have asked for my prediction on the fate of Ty Beanie Babies! Nobody knows, except Ty Warner, what is set for the future. We all have our imaginations, our wishes, our hopes. I personally feel that Ty will not disappear ... Beanie Babies will evolve and be "reborn". There will be a difference, perhaps in name, size, and/or material. But I do believe Ty has an exciting new line coming our way. So, if you're a real Beanie fan, enjoy the anticipation of a new collectible in the upcoming Millennium !

... "The End" Bear Card on Auction
The first "The End" bear card to be discovered (Series IV) is now on auction. It is a "no reserve" auction, with the bid starting at $2,000. The auction ends Tuesday. Click here to view it.

"All good things must come to an end! The BBOC™ Members Only Exclusive Offer has expired. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for making the BBOC™ Clubby® Buddy Offers such a success. In the event that you have any questions about an open order or an order you have already received, please e-mail us at Buddies@BBOCMail.com".

... BBOC Clubby Buddy Offer Officially Ends
As you know, December 3rd was the last official day to order your Clubby Buddies. MBBBW reports: "Callers to the Clubby Order Line (1-888-760-1101) are greeted by the following message: "Thank you for calling the BBOC Exclusive Offer Order Line. Effective December 3rd our offer has expired and are NO longer accepting orders. If you have already placed an order and need further assistance, please call our Fulfillment line @ 1-888-750-1144 between the hours of 9am and 5pm CST".

... Millennium Buddy with Two Tush Tags
As I mentioned earlier, our "oddity" find was a Millennium Beanie Buddy with two tush tags. I have scanned a picture of it, which can be found by clicking here. Although probably of no increase in value, the kids think it's "cool" to have found "something different"! :)

... Rainbow pic!
Although I'm sure it is just an error with uploading the picture, a reader has pointed out the picture of Rainbow on Ty's website - Retired Beanie Babies. It was a funny way to start the morning anyway. Take a look at the pic at http://www.ty.com/beanie/list/retired.html. It WILL bring a giggle! :)

... And today is ???
On the Ty website earlier today, I noticed the date posted was "January 2, 2000"! ... It now reads correctly ... as December 2nd. Was this just a "Ty2K test" or the date for a big announcement? Who knows, but thought it rather strange anyway!)

... Thanks to several readers who emailed me with this information as well .... and especially to Ms Janie!

... Reminders!
... Just a quick reminder ... most people have probably ordered their Clubby Buddies by now, but in case you haven't, tomorrow (Dec. 3rd) is the deadline to order (US, Canadian, and UK). Click here to order yours before it's too late!

... Doodle's Holiday Contest started a few days ago ... the first prize being the Red / White / Blue Face Spangles; the second prize is a 99 Holiday Bear. Also, don't forget to enter, at the bottom of the contest page, for the drawing of an "unannounced" prize as well. (You can enter it daily to increase your chances of winning!) Although we don't intend on being the #1 Beanie site, it's our way of expressing our best wishes to all our friends and fans during the Holiday Season. We have met wonderful people through the site; THAT is our reward! Now we wish to share with you! Thanks to all !

... Millennium Buddy with Two Tush Tags
When out shopping the other day, I stopped by one of my favorite retailers and purchased a Millennium Buddy. I didn't realize until later that evening that it has TWO tush tags - identical - one on the back of each leg. I will shortly post a scan of it in case you wish to view it. (I'm not one to find the "oddities" usually - but the kids thought it was "cool"!

... 400 Autographed "The End" Bear Cards?
Update: The End autograph card has been confirmed, although it isn't a "retired" card. Click here to read the story on the Smart Collecting website.

Although still unconfirmed, Smart Collecting reports that a reader stated: "... End bear autographed 400 made and numbered. It came with a printer's plate." The card has not appeared on eBay. But if it is true and there are only 400 "The End" Bear Retired cards (and all have been autographed and numbered), it could create an exciting finale for card collectors in 1999.

... December Order Limits
The order limits for December are as follows:
36 ea ... Beanie Babies
6 ea ..... Beanie Buddies (except 15 - Snowboy)
24 ea .. Attic Treasures
100 ea . Pillows Pals
200 ea . Ty Plush

Note: Since all Beanies will retire on December 31st, it is quite interesting to note that regardless of which Beanie Baby would retire this month, none will be available after this last order anyway. So, Happy Shopping and Good Luck!

Nov. Ty® Retirements
Beanie Babies
Millennium, 11/12/99	Halo, 11/19/99	Tracker, 11/26/99	Osito, 11/30/99

Nov. Ty® Retirements
Beanie Buddies
Cranberry Teddy, 11/17/99	Smoochy, 11/24/99	Bubbles, 11/29/99
Erin, 11/19/99	Squealer, 11/24/99	Tracker, 11/29/99
Millennium, 11/19/99	Chilly, 11/24/99	Pumkin, 11/29/99