April 1-30, 2000

 

 

Sunday, April 30th

... May Info Beanie!
The Beginning Bear writes:

Sunday April 30, 2000 9:04 a.m. It's official. Springy is the May Info Beanie! I'll make the announcement at lunchtime.

http://web3-2.ty.com/infobeanie/lastpage/


Note: 2:20 pm EST ... As of yet, there is no further announcement, but it should be posted soon. I'm just hoping The Beginning doesn't retire now!

... Beanie Kids
Ms Janie reports: "I have received inside information that as of Monday retailers who attended the shows will find Beanie Kids on their order form. They will be allowed to order all nine styles and should receive 6 of each style. This is exciting news especially for retailers who have never received them before!"

Note: A retailer had mentioned to me earlier that Beanie Kids would be a 'seasonal' reorder ... once every 3 months. It will be interesting to see if there are any changes from the first shipment. I do know a local retailer who attended the Atlanta show, and has only received 3 different styles, 6 of each! ... Of course, I checked by there a day too late!

... Ty - Singapore Expansion
Beanie Mom has received a newspaper clipping from a reader referencing a company in Singapore - Ty Collections Pte Ltd. Looks like a potential expansion in the works. The article states that the 'World's Largest Soft Toy Company' is looking for Executive and Administrative positions. Click here to read the article.

... Peace Beanie Buddy Give Away
Peace the Beanie Buddy will be given away at the Chicago Cubs game today. If you attended the game and have any information/pictures you would like to share, please Email me. We would love to hear what you have to say! :)

... Rosalyne Attic Treasure
Maison D'Ours reports of a new version of Rosalyne. Pictures are posted on the site!

... Slight Change in Beanie Kids Clothing
A Smart Collecting member reports of a minor change in the clothing of the 'girl' Beanie Kids. The underwear now has elastic in the back, to keep them from falling down. (A nice correction .... several readers have written to me stating this to be a minor problem).

... A Change in Swoop
Perhaps a reason for the rarity of Swoop when the new releases starting showing up ... it appears there is a change in the stitching. Beanie Mom received a note from a reader stating:

Saturday, April 29th

... The Beginning Bear near 'the end'?
Is it getting near 'the end' for The Beginning Bear? Rumors are abound of a possible retirement of this Beanie in the near future. Have you ever imagined a The Beginning Bear Buddy? Since there never was an 'end' to Buddies, I know that's highly unlikely ... just an imaginative image of a buddy with all those stars!!! (Ty once stated "every Beanie needs a Buddy, everybuddy needs a friend"!) But then, we never saw a The End Buddy either!!! Funny how your thoughts can wander when news is a bit slow! :):)

...
Beans AZ has moved to their own domain name now ... http://www.beansaz.com. If you get a chance, stop by and pay a visit .... tell Bobby we said 'hello' :)

Friday, April 28th

... Ty Newflash - Attic Treasure Retirements
4:20 pm ... Ty has retired two Attic Treasures today ... Azalea (the purple bunny) and Bonnie (the yellow duck with blue checked bonnet). It appears all the Ty Easter collectibles are retiring!!! To view, go to

http://www.ty.com/announcements/0428atret.html

... Swampy Update
As reported earlier, the Beanie Swampy is finally making an appearance (notably in the Illinois area). So be on the lookout for him. A reader has written in stating "Swampy is made out of a material like no other Beanie before ... more of a dark green with a brighter green spine across his back". I will post the picture as soon as I receive it! :)

... Celebrity Bear ... 'Millionaire Bear' Contest
Celebrity Bears will be giving away a Millionaire Bear each day during the month of May. Details on how to enter the contest are posted on the Celebrity Bears site.
Celebrity Bears Contest - Details

Thursday, April 27th

...
The Ty Newflash on the retirement of the Xlarge Hippie (from Tuesday) has now been removed. Can we expect something tomorrow?

... Peter the Bunny!
This Ty Classic is listed as retired on Ty's site now, in the Ty Classic Retired List. (It can be viewed by clicking here.)

... Info Beanie news?
Yesterday the Daily Bean posted that a reader had read an entry in the Info Beanie Diary - " ... Then I made the announcement. Springy is so excited! She can hardly wait to start tomorrow morning! ..." I didn't catch the entry, but it appears it was erroneously posted and quickly removed! It just stirs up an interesting question: Was the posting intentional? Is The Beginning Bear going to retire soon? Makes you wonder!

Wednesday, April 26th

... A Ty Classic Retirement
The Daily Bean reports that the Ty Classic Peter the rabbit (#8020) has retired. (Information was from the Ty retailers website.)

...
The Dennis the Menace comic strip mentions Beanie Babies today.
http://www.randyandtheresa.com/Dennis.gif

... Source: Beanieholics

...
A local retailer reports that Osito and Valentino Buddies were not on the order form. Hmmmmm

... Peace Comparison
A reader has sent in a pic of the Jumbo and Xlarge Peace Buddies, which shows a great comparison of the fur length. My, what a BIG nose he has! :)

... "Bring Your Child to Work Day"?
I never pay much attention to this noted "day", as my office is out of my home! EVERY day is "bring your child to work" day. (I think they actually try to avoid it now!)

Tuesday, April 25th

... Another Buddy Retirement
4:45 pm ... Ty retires Extra Large Hippie today!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/4_xlg_25_hippie.html

... Buddy Recap
All Beanie Buddies, prior to the release this year, are retired ... except for 8 of the 13 releases on August 31, 1999 ... they are: Amber, Britannia, Halo, Maple, Peace, Silver, Slither, and Spangle. (Of course, 13 have retired from the latest release. There is, of course, no sequence of retirements, just interesting to see what the "oldest" ones are that are still "around". :) (You can click on the "Buddy History" button if you're interested in a complete overview!)

... InfoBeanie Poll
The InfoBeanie Poll will be closing soon, for next month's Diary. In the current lead are: Springy 32.2%, Sneaky 15.2%, Halo II 10.2%, and 2000 Signature Bear 2.8%. Might want to get your vote in, if you haven't done so! Go to

http://www.ty.com/infobeanie/vote.html

... Update: Ty/Winey Suit
"Ty takes a swipe at an area bear-maker" ... Click here to read an article in the 'Philadelphia Inquirer'.

... Information shared with us by Ms Janie

... Update: Zany Brainy to Buy Noodle Kidoodle
NEW YORK, April 24 (Reuters) - Zany Brainy Inc. (NasdaqNM:ZANY - news) on
Monday said it would buy rival Noodle Kidoodle Inc. (NasdaqNM:NKID - news) for about $35 million in stock, bringing together two niche retailers of specialty toys, books and multimedia products.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000424/g5.html

... Source: Ms Janie

Monday, April 24th

... Ty retires large Hippie Buddy
5:30 pm .... A retirement by Ty this afternoon ... Ty retired the large Hippie Buddy! To view, go to http://www.ty.com/announcements/424ret_lghippie.html.

... "The Many Colors of Peace" Updated 
Susan Sternberg, Smart Collecting's Peacologist has updated her article entitled, "The Many Colors of Peace," that was originally published on July 23, 1999. The article provides a wonderful explanation of the various styles of Peace Beanie Babies that were produced.

Click here to read the article .... which one(s) do YOU have?

... Noodle Kidoodle to Merge with Zany Brainy
Noodle Kidoodle to merge with Zany Brainy (Business Wire) ...
Zany Brainy, Inc., a leading specialty retailer of high quality toys, games, books and multimedia products, and Noodle Kidoodle, Inc., another retailer of children's specialty toys, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Click here to read the article.

... Orig. source: Ms Janie

Sunday, April 23nd
Happy Easter!

... 'KB Toys' To Sell Beanie Babies
The Cajun Connection reports that the latest KB Toys newsletter contained the announcement that the chain toy store would start selling Beanie Babies. A search of the KB Toys online site turned up numerous older Beanie Babies for sell with only one bear in the bunch and that was Sammy. Prices range from $6.96 to $24.95. KB Toys would not be a direct Ty account. To view Beanies for sales, click here.

... Source: Beanieholics

Saturday, April 22nd

...
Ms Janie has recently been experiencing problems with her newsletter being received by her subscribers in a timely fashion. She has now moved her list and needs you to sign up under Topica to continue receiving the daily news from her. You can do so by clicking here!

... News?
Beanie news is still a bit sluggish ... hopefully everyone is enjoying the Holiday weekend with family and friends! (I'm sure enjoying my 3-day weekend with the kids ... we planted flowers, went kite flying, and enjoyed a treat to the ice cream shop ! :)

... I did notice in The Beginning's Diary today .... he mentions ".....maybe when I retire I can become an author" ... Hope he isn't planning on doing that soon!

http://web6.ty.com/infobeanie/lastpage/


... Ty Employee Sale
Brent from BeaNGO sent us the following Exlusive Info:
"According to a reliable source, Ty Inc. had an employee sale on Thursday, April 20. Ty employees were able to purchase the 2000 Beanie Babies for $2.50 each, except for Swampy and Swoop, which could not be purchased. Beanie Buddies could also be purchased including Princess and Pastel Peace. Employees were also able to purchase Attic Treasures and Ty Plush. It is unknown why Ty employees could not purchase Swampy and Swoop, but I suppose it has to do with their scarcity."

... Where is he?
Swampy, the new Beanie Baby alligator, still has not made an appearance! Where IS that little rascal?

... No retirements, no newbies posted on the Ty site.

... A local retailer told me today that Beanie Kids were a "seasonal" reorder (available to reorder only every 3 months!)

... Not much other news to report .... yet! :)

Hope you're having a safe and happy Easter holiday weekend!

Friday, April 21st

... No Ty Newsflash!
7:10 pm EST - No Ty Newflash (yet) on the Ty website, as we were perhaps anticipating. Does he have something special in store for Easter?! Hmmmm

... Ty vs Hard Rock Lawsuit Settled
The lawsuit between Ty Inc and the Hard Rock Café has been settled. The lawsuit developed over the Isaac Beara bear that Hard Rock Café was selling. Ty maintained that the bear design was based on their design. It was stated that Ty has won this lawsuit and was awarded over $2 million. Hard Rock Café has also agreed to discontinue manufacturing their bears.

... Source: Beanieholics

... Ty's Privacy Policy
A new button is located on Ty's website, on the right side over the "Quote of the Day" .... labeled "Privacy Policy". The policy explains what needs to be done to protect the privacy of children on the Internet. Parents may want to take particular notice! To read the policy in it's entirety, click here.

Thursday, April 20th

... A Similarity!
Beanie/Buddy news is a bit slow these days ... the kids are enjoying Spring Break ... a 3-day weekend for me! We decided (yes, once again) to venture out .... searching! :) No luck, but wasn't really expecting much, as the newest shipments have not yet arrived in this area! What I did see were 3 Large White Paws (Classic) sitting on the shelf! I love polar bears, so this of course, caught my eye! But even more interesting was the similarity in this 'plush' and the Aurora Beanie Baby, down to the little black paw prints on the feet! .... just an interesting observation! :) They are BOTH very nice.

Perhaps a Newsflash tomorrow for the Easter holiday! J ... It's about that "usual" time of the year, anyway!

... Hurray for Spangle!
A reader has reported that the 3 versions of Spangle (red, white, and blue face) are now noted on the retired list on Ty's site. Click here to view.

... Canadian News Update
Lulu from The Canadian Connection reports on the Beanie Kid update, Maple Buddy is shipping again (finally), MacKenzie Ty Attic has been removed from the order form, and her wish for an "Attic Kids" line.

... Ty 2000 Signature Bear - Contest!
It's contest time again at Beanieholics! They are giving away one of the new Ty 2000 Signature Bear Beanie Babies! The contest starts today and ends at midnight on April 27th. You can't win if you don't enter .... check out Beanieholics for your chance to win!

... Fake Snowball Beanies
Ms Janie has shared some information and photos of a FAKE Snowball Beanie, with a comparison picture of a REAL one (as well as the hang tag differences). As she suggests, buyer beware! Visit http://www.msjanie.com/ fakes/snowball.html to view.

Note: Ms Janie has been experiencing some problems with Listbot, therefore a delay in her daily newsletter. However, knowing Ms Janie, I would suggest checking her site daily anyway! (Thanks for sharing the info, Ms Janie ... :)

Wednesday, April 19th

... Ty Update!
7:00 pm ... Well, I noticed the Diary input now posted for the afternoon ... "baby animals"! Hmmmm I wonder now ... since Precious and Tumbles said their 'vows' ... does that mean Beanie Kid Babies? Oh, my gosh! I think the excitement of a long weekend. and the recent Beanie "hunt" are finally getting to me!!! :)

4:30 pm ... No new input in the InfoBeanie Diary since 7:34 this morning, but I did notice the Beanie poems and birthdays are FINALLY listed on Ty's site. They were first posted on March 2nd but removed the next day! ... Click here to read them now!

Think we can expect a Newsflash soon!?

... Still no Swampy!
During a rushed lunch hour, ran to the local Mall ... retailers are reporting still no Swampy Beanies YET! Wonder where he is? It seems the Beanies are shipping in 'groups', as one retailer only received the Signature 2000 bear and no others. One retailer I visited went to the Show in Atlanta, ordered the Beanie Kids, and the first 3 just showed up last Friday. (Of course, that was THE DAY I didn't stop in!) ... and NO new Beanies YET! Weird!

... 36 of Each Style Starting to Ship
Some retailers are reporting that 36 of each new Beanie Baby style are being received, instead of the 24 previously shipped.

... Source: Beanieholics

... Sally Winey and ToyUpdate Magazine
Ms Janie has been sent some information by the request of Sally Winey from ToyUpdate Magazine.

Sally Winey and ToyUpdate Magazine are teaming up to answer any and all bear questions in a new column called "Beary Good Questions!" Sally will respond to reader's inquiries about how to care for bears, how to get started in the bear business, repairing bears, industry trends, and anything else that reader's can think to ask! The column will be featured monthly in ToyUpdate's Doll & Plush section. ToyUpdate is a magazine that features toy collectors and toy collecting. (Articles covering doll & plush, die-cast, trains and models appear each month in their own sections, providing full coverage of the toy collectibles industry! Sally's first column will appear in the June issue, so send your questions in today!)

Write to Sally at:
Beary Good Questions!
c/o ToyUpdate! Magazine
4515 20th Ave. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Questions? Call ToyUpdate! Toll free at 1-877-298-6987.

Tuesday, April 18th

... Info Beanie Message!
The Beginning bear states in the diary today: " .... Our friends at Ty thought that the idea of a Beanie Baby running for president of the USA was pretty funny. They said that all things considered a Beanie Baby might actually have a chance at winning the election. ..."

http://web2-2.ty.com/infobeanie/lastpage/

..... Just a 'funny' remark I HAD to post!!! I'll say no more!

... Springy Variation
It appears there are possibly two "versions" of Springy ... two different color variances and two different sizes? You can read about it at Beanieholics.

... News?
There hasn't been a whole lot to report lately, in the news area. But this has given me some time to work on the upcoming Contest, finish up with "Uncle Sam" work, get some work done in the office, and spend some time with the kids (not Beanie Kids LOL) over their Spring Break. As news happens, I'll let you know, so stay "tuned".

Sunday, April 16th

... Canadian News
Lulu (Maison D'Ours) reports of new Beanies showing up in Canada, as well as Beanie Kids ..... and a rumor of a new Canadian Exclusive! You can check it all out at http://www.maisondours.com/canadianconnection.html.

... BBOC Site
The BBOC website is up and running again. There have been no changes (well, not yet anyway). But it has been down for 3 days ... perhaps changes will emerge soon!
Cick here to go to the BBOC.

... Wedding Vows?
When I received these adorable pictures from a friend, I just HAD to share them with you. Precious and Tumbles show a potential reason for their scarcity and limited appearance lately. Click here to view their pics!

... Large Fuzz Buddy Easter Giveaway
DailyBean.com is giving away a large Fuzz Beanie Buddy. All you have to do is find 9 Easter eggs hidden somewhere on the site. You can check it out at: http://www.dailybean.com/easter/.

Saturday, April 15th

... InfoBeanie Update
I mentioned Thursday that the InfoBeanie polls were still closed for voting. But, it is now open! Vote for the InfoBeanie for May on Ty's site.

Friday, April 14th

... Swoop has arrived!
Beanie Baby Swoop has finally come out of "extinction! ... So keep an eye out for him at a store near you soon! Want to take a sneak peek at him? Then view pics (front/back view) by clicking here. ... He's definitely one of my favorites!!! :)

... Beanie Games and Trivia
How much do you really know about the new Beanies? Ms Janie has just posted a new trivia game called "Who Am I?" It's fun for all ages :) ..... Click here to check it out!

Thursday, April 13th

... The next contest ...
The next contest should start soon! With the transferring over to the new domain, it occupied more time than anticipated. But it won't be long now. (And more great things to come as well!) So keep watching ... you won't want to miss it!!!

... InfoBeanie for May?
The InfoBeanie poll is still closed for voting for next month's Beanie. In fact, the final percentage results are still up for April. Perhaps it will be available soon!

Should we anticipate another newsflash on the Ty site? Maybe tomorrow!? (OK, just my prediction! :)

... Fake Digger Info
Ms Janie has posted some information concerning a fake version of a Digger Beanie Baby that was recently purchased through an auction. There are also pictures of both an authentic Digger vs the fake one, for comparison. To view the info, click here.

Wednesday, April 12th

... Just some thoughts ... Commentary time ... :)
Ty has now retired an even dozen Beanie Buddies in 2000. And I am surprised that the two Bunny Buddies retired before Valentino ... considering the holidays! The oldest released Buddies yet to retire were introduced in August '99. I still can't figure out why Clubby I and II Buddies are still listed as "current" on the Ty site. But the "unexpected" is what we are supposed to "expect", right? Also, the new Beanie Baby hang tags read, of course, 2000! You know what THAT means? Any Beanie released this year will retire this year, or have a hang tag change?

I did get a chance to see all the newest Beanies today, at a secondary location. I just stood and admired them, but did ask the whereabouts of Swoop and Swampy. These two STILL aren't around in the US, but was told Swoop has made his way to the UK!

It was an interesting "lunch excusion" ... actually felt that nostalgic "rush" when I saw them. But thanks to a very special friend, a few of them ARE in MY collection :) :) ... I'll keep looking. Gotta love those lunch hours! :)

... Jumbo Peace and Beanie Kid Boomer Added to Benefit Auction
Yesterday a note was posted concerning a benefit auction to help a 5 year old girl recently diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Lisa from Planet Beans informed me today that two additional tiems have been added to the auction:
JUMBO Peace Bear: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=306906393
Boomer the Beanie Kid: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=306915758

... New Beanies - Shorter Red Tab Attachments
Lisa also received the following note from a reader:
"I have noticed the red tabs on the new beanies are MUCH shorter. I'm so aggravated about this!! Many of the tag protectors I have I've had to cut a little space in them so I won't put too much strain on the tag. Is anyone else noticing this?! I highly recommend using the slip on tag protectors for the new beanies."

... Another Buddy Retires
Ty has announced the retirement of the Fuzz Beanie Buddy this morning.
http://www.ty.com/announcements/411_ret_fuzz.html

... I've predicted the last three retirements ... think I should quit guessing now!

... Three Ty Classics Retired
Beanieholics reports that there is a posting on the Ty Talk Cyberboard that the Ty Classics ... Paws Sable and Spout have been moved to the retirement section. After double-checking, it was also found that George has been moved there as well. Makes you wonder .... why doesn't Ty officially announce the Classic retirements? Why so quietly?
Click Here For Ty Classic Listings

... Pastel Peace Buddy
A reader writes:
"About a month ago I saw on your site that the pastel peace buddy had an error.  It read "Beanie Bady".  I was so happy that the day I saw it on your site I found him at a local shop.  I bought him.  Today I found him again in the same shop but it the error has been corrected.  It reads "Beanie Baby".  I wish I could send pictures but I do not have the capabilities to do so.  I just thought I would let you know."

Thanks for the info, Anthony!

... Win The Beginning Bear on "Tax Day"
As you know, "Tax Day" is this Saturday! Beanieholics is giving you something to look forward to!!! Want a chance to win "The Beginning" bear Beanie Baby? All you have to do is send them an email. So stop on over and enter .... now! You can't win if you don't enter!

Tuesday, April 11th

... So far ....
Ty has officially retired 11 Beanie Buddies in 2000. Princess and Fuzz were the oldest current Buddies, until yesterday when Princess retired. Will Fuzz be next? .... There are 37 current Buddies (Ty still has Clubby I and II officially listed as "current" on the Ty website). You might want to check out the Buddy history, from the first releases until now, on this site. It's quite interesting to read and full of information!

... "Sakura Beanie World"
Ms Janie has informed us of a website filled with lots of information on the history of the Sakura tree, with facts, photos, and more. Be sure to check out the "news" section on the Sakura Beanie Baby while you're there!
http://members.aol.com/sinteeuh/history.html

... Benefit Auction
I received the following information from Lisa at Plant Beans and wish to pass it along:

"Please share this with your readers. We just need to get the word out to help this little girl.
VERY Rare White Face/White Belly Zip on Auction!!
AUTHENTICATED by Peggy Gallagher---1st Generation ZIP with White Face and Belly, no hang tag, and has been loved!! http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=306054544  This is a benefit auction to help a 5 year old little girl that was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis about a month ago. Please take a look and pass this on to anyone you feel might be interested."

... Source: http://www.planetbeans.com

... Win A One-Of-A-Kind Sally Winey Design
Ms. Janie has announced a new contest; the winner will receive a very special rabbit called "Cherry Chub", which Sally Winey has specially designed. "Cherry Chub" would normally retail for around $350 but you have a chance to win it for free. Check out the following link to see how. 
Click here for contest Info

Source: Beanieholics

Monday, April 10th

... Ty Buddy Retirement
Ty retired the Princess Buddy this afternoon! You can view it at:
http://www.ty.com/announcements/princess_410_ret.html


... Tumbles Shares Ty Warner's Birthday
Beanie Kid Tumbles shares the same birthday as H Ty Warner ... September 3rd. It's interesting to note: Tumbles' hang tag reads: "A little bit naughty I'm known to be, make sure you don't take your eyes off me!" .... Beanie Babies Claude and Inch also share the same birthday and have been noted in the past to be two of Ty's favorites!

... News Source: Smart Collecting


... Thank You!!!
I failed to mention earlier, a huge thanks to those of you who so kindly helped me in making the new site what it is. Your generosity and the sharing of your valued time are forever grateful. Also thanks to the special people who offered their opinions and inputs!!! :)

There are lots of new and exciting things coming to the site, now that it's up and running (except currently the mail server is down for upgrading ... nice timing.) (In the interim, you can still send mail to dmh13@alltel.net until I can retrive them.) You will definitely want to check out the next contest as well ... just around the corner! Three winners .... three GREAT prizes!!! :)


... Beanie Compulsive Disorder
Beanieholics has a possible cure? :) Theresa mentioned recently that Randy was suffering from Beanie Compulsive Disorder or what she refers to as 'BCD'. An interesting cure (or did they say a curse in disguise) can be read by clicking here (a story by 'dumb guy' Don).

(Does that mean I have 'ABCD'? ... 'A' meaning 'acute', of course! ") Well, I do feel better, now that it's been identified, so I'm off on another mission tomorrow! :) ... and I'll cancel that doctor's appointment :) Shhhh ... just don't tell my husband!!!)

Sunday, April 9th

... So, what do you think???
As you know, I have now moved to the new domain. Today is 'Doodle's Page' Birthday, so I figured no better time. :) It's hard to believe the site has been up 4 years!!!! I have tried to make the site easy to navigate ... If you have any suggestions or opinions, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at webmaster@doodlespage.com! ... YOU are the reason that I am here ... I want to provide you with what YOU like!

Many of you have asked about the next Contest; it will launch VERY soon. In addition, there are some new and exciting things ahead. A huge thanks to all of you who continue to vote for this site, still accessible on the main page! The most rewarding part of it all is meeting such wonderful friends ! :):)


... Randy's Beanie Tale - Week 2
Randy from Beanieholics has written his second tale of Beanie "Hunting" today. He found himself in what he calls "Beanie Heaven". Click here to read his story.

I had to giggle as I read his story. Although I haven't stood in lines lately (as I haven't been "at the right place at the right time"), I had some interesting reminders of past experiences. It does remind me of the "rush" I felt when THAT certain Beanie was found. Congratulations, Randy, and a nice reward as well :):)


... Aurora Giveway Announced
Aurora the Beanie Baby will be given away at the Chicago Cubs baseball game, Sunday, September 10th, to the first 12,000 children 13 years old or younger.

... News Source: Smart Collecting

Friday, April 7th

... Ty Newsflash!
The first Ty Beanie Buddy Promotion has been announced ... with two Major League Baseball Teams: The Chicago Cubs, April 30th (Peace) and The New York Yankees, May 29th (Spangle).
http://www.ty.com/announcements/peacespangle_news040700.html


...
The Razamataz Mall has sent in the follow info:

"We are having another great contest!!! We are giving the 500th person that signs up to recieve our newsletter a Lizzy Beanie Buddy!! All they need to do is go to our site at: http://www.therazmall.cjb.net and click on Free Newsletter. That will take them to the sign up page and that is it!! Maybe the easiest contest ever!!! You May Be The Lucky One!!"

Thursday, April 6th

... The Beginning Bear Update
As you are probably aware, there are several reports (and talk on the Ty Talk Cyberboard) of concern that the stars on the Beginning Bear Beanie Baby can easily be "removed". BeaNGO reports: "I contacted Annie Nickels (Ty Inc.) yesterday regarding the rumor about The Beginning Bear's stars falling off. She e-mailed me back this morning and stated:   "We are aware of the rumors and are investigating the situation."

Could this mean a possible 'change' in this Beanie? Tyme will tell!


... More new Beanies showing up!
A reader has reported finding more of the new Beanie Babies - Springy, Scurry, Wiggly, Aurora, and Grace. (Aurora ... the polar bear ... was noted as being of "Fuzz" material and too CUTE!). It appears that Swampy and Swoop are still yet to be seen! (At least the bunnies are finally showing up!!!)


... Another Buddy Retirement!
Ty has retired Bronty the dinosaur today!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/bronty_ret_4600.html

Wednesday, April 5th

... Another Ty Newsflash
1:50 pm EST ... The Ty website has posted the following Newsflash:

"Recently, many of you began asking questions about our relationship with Internet retail merchants such as Amazon.com, eToys and QVC. It can certainly confuse people since they all sell our products directly online! However, let us reassure all of you that we do not supply any of these companies with products of any kind (nor do we supply product to Internet auction sites such as eBay). In fact, it is IMPOSSIBLE for any Internet merchant to claim a relationship with Ty as an authorized retailer or to guarantee Ty product authenticity. Bottom Line: All Internet merchants and auction sites must purchase their Beanie Babies® products from secondary market sources - NOT FROM TY!"

http://www.ty.com/announcements/newsflash4400.html


... Another Buddy Retirement by Ty!!!
Hopping right behind Hippie, Flippity, the blue bunny Buddy, retired today.
http://www.ty.com/announcements/ret_4500_flippity.html


... Beanie Babies? Where are you?
Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places ... perhaps I'm just not there at "the right time"! But the new Beanies just aren't around in my area. And the most frustrating ... there were LOTS at a local flea market over the weekend. I know "back door" selling has always been a problem, but it seems just a prevalent as ever, at least in this area. And the sad part ... $35 - $50 for the new bear Beanies! Not me! A good friend of mine, in another state, has come across a couple of the 'newbies' and is mailing them to me, that she found "at retail". But how can I repay her for efforts when there's nothing around here!!! And just where are those bunny Beanies? My kids are hoping for those in their Easter basket. Maybe the Easter Buddy DID buy all of them for the kids this year! :) That's what their relying on anyway! .... And did you notice what The Beginning Bear stated in the Info Beanie diary yesterday? It reads, in part, "... Golly, I just thought of something! I wonder how long it is before a Beanie retires? Can we be retired at anytime? Oh my goodness! I'm going to have to ask our friends at Ty about that. I wouldn't know what to do if I were retired. Maybe I could travel the world? I hope I have time to think about it before I'm retired. ..." Surely, The Beginning can't retire while still being an Info Beanie???

Just a little 'venting' ... more news to follow! :) ... (Sure hope Flippity Buddy doesn't retire next!!!) Looks like I have a busy few lunch hours coming up!

Tuesday, April 4th

... Another Buddy Retires Today!
Ty has retired Hippie the Ty-Dye Bunny this morning!
http://www.ty.com/announcements/4400_ret_hippie.html


... Put Your Beanie Hobby into Prospective
What do you think is going on in the Beanie Baby market today? What do retailers think about the situation? Ms Janie gives her viewpoint and offers a few suggestions you may want to consider. Click Here to read her article.


... Beanie Kids variance
The UndergroundBean has reported: "A reader sent this information in: I have been told by a friend that there is a slight difference in the tags on the original shipment of Beanie Kids to the 20 stores and those that were shipped later. She says that the original ones have tags with the word Beanie, the first letter B is a sky blue and the last letter E is a dark blue. The subsequent shipments have the first letter B a sky blue and the last letter E a sky blue. While this is a very small difference, if indeed it is true, it would be a good way to identify the initial shipments or first editions. Do you know if there is any credibility to this information?"

BeanieMom further reports, "After reviewing a report on the Underground Bean of a slight change in the tag for the Beanie Kids, I went and pulled out my own "family". It is true, there is a slight tag difference. In the original version shipped to the 20 select retail stores, the final "E" in Beanie is a navy blue whereas the "E" in the latest shipments is a sky blue. At this time, this allows collectors to tell when their Beanie Kid was released."
Click here to view the tags.

Monday, April 3rd

... Ty Newsflash ... Retirement
Boy, he wasn't out very long! Ty has retired the 2000 Signature Bear Buddy today. Click here to read the official Ty retirement.


... Beanie Babies are Back!
With Beanie fans happy to find these collectibles back in the stores again, best-selling publisher CheckerBee Publishing has announced their ninth edition guide to Beanie Babies. "The Spring 2000 Collector's Value Guide™ to Ty® Beanie Babies®" looks at all the Beanie Babies (including the newest ones), the Beanie Kids, and the new Beanie Buddies. Click here to read "Beanie Babies are Back".

... News Source: Beanieholics


... The Beanie Hunt
It seems Randy (Beanieholics) had an interesting, and busy, Saturday (with an allotted time limit to shop ... we know how that can be :) .... hunting down new Beanies in his area. His story, Randy's Beanie Tale! is definitely an interesting story you may want to check out!

Sunday, April 2nd

... Ty Ordering Limits for April
As reported by MBBBW, the items and quantities are listed below for ordering limitations for April:

Beanie Buddies - 6 pcs. per design per location
Jumbo & X-Large styles - 1 piece per design per location
Large styles - 2 pcs. per design per location
Attic Treasures - 24 pcs. per design per location
Baby Ty - 8 pcs. per design per location
Ty Classics - 12 pcs. per design per location
Beanie Babies 2000 - 36 pcs. per design per location
Beanie Kids - (no orders being accepted) all prior orders will still be shipped

Saturday, April 1st

... Info Beanie Diary
After 3 months (since the end of December), the Info Beanie Daily Diary is up and running again. The Beginning Bear's first entry, posted at 7:03 am, reads:

Woo hoo! I can't believe I'm the first Info Beanie of the new millennium! How cool is that? Thanks so much for voting for me. Jumbo Peace was watching the polls and told us last night who had won. When he said my name I thought that it was an early April Fool's Day joke. He said that you could only do April Fool's Day jokes on April first. You can't do them early or late. Sneaky has been having so much fun today because of April Fool's. She keeps sneaking up on everyone then yelling April Fools! I'm going to try and do it to her but I'm not a very good sneaker-upper. I think I'll go practice. I'll talk to you later. Bye!

To view, go to http://web3-3.ty.com/infobeanie/lastpage/

 

See The Archived News Section for Previous Months