In the 90s, Beanie Babies were all the rage.
Plenty of people bought several, or several dozen, of these little toys, only to toss them out a few years later. Somehow, all these years on, some of them are now worth staggering amounts of money.
Toy maker Ty Warner launched the Ty Toys company behind these plush animals, and after their explosive popularity, Warner became a multi-billionaire.
If you have any Beanie Babies from back in the day, read this before you toss them out.
Here are seven of the most valuable ones to look out for, in case you’re sitting on a small gold mine without realizing it.
1. Princess Diana Bear Beanie Baby
Released in 1997 in tribute to Princess Diana, this Beanie Baby carries a hefty price tag today. It’s been listed on eBay for as much as $900,000. Whether anyone actually pays that much for a decades-old toy is another question, but it shows just how far collector demand can push a listing price.
2. Weenie the Dog Beanie Baby
This little toy dog is stuffed with rare original pellet filling, giving it a plusher feel than later versions. Today, it can sell for more than $2,500.
3. Patti the Platypus Beanie Baby
One of the original nine Beanie Babies released in 1993, Patti has sold for over $12,000 across multiple eBay auctions. The toy was named after Patricia Roche, who went on to head Ty Corp’s European operations.
4. Snort the Red Bull Beanie Baby
In 1997, Ty Toys Corp avoided a copyright issue by quickly replacing an earlier bull design, called Tabasco, with a new one named Snort. If you have one of these in pristine condition, it can sell for around $5,000 at the right online auction.
5. Pinchers the Lobster Beanie Baby
Pinchers is another one of the original nine Beanie Babies from 1993. In good condition, it can sell for roughly $5,000 on eBay today.
6. Peace the Bear Beanie Baby
Peace was the first Beanie Baby to feature an embroidered emblem, and its tie-dye pattern means no two bears look exactly alike. Today, this one is valued at around $5,000 on eBay.
7. Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant Beanie Baby
Peanut originally launched as a royal blue elephant. After a few months of slow sales, the color shifted to light blue, and demand took off. The original royal blue version got the last laugh, since it can now sell for anywhere between $4,000 and $5,000 on auction sites like eBay.
Worth a Second Look
If any of these sound familiar, it’s worth digging through your old bins or asking family members if they held onto theirs.
Check the tag, check the condition, and search completed eBay listings before you decide what a piece is really worth. Most Beanie Babies won’t come close to these numbers, but the ones that do can turn a forgotten toy box into a genuine windfall.
