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How to Value Retired Beanie Babies

The first nine ̶0;Beanie Babies̶1; were introduced in 1993 in New York City at the World Toy Fair. These animals, called the ̶0;Original Nine̶1; by enthusiasts, were the whale, moose, dog, frog, platypus, lobster, pig, dolphin and bear. The Original Nine were retired by the Ty Company in 1996, raising their value and increasing their status among the collector community. Placing a value on the Original Nine or other retired Beanie Babies requires some basic information.

Things You'll Need

Library or bookstore access
Computer access

Instructions

- 1
  Check the Beanie Baby for two tags placed on the toy by the Ty Company. One tag is heart-shaped and made out of paper. The other is a cloth tag sewn on the Beanie Baby. Beanie Babies with both tags have a much higher value than ones that are missing one or both tags.
- 2
  Check the Beanie Baby closely for stains, tears or others signs of wear. Clean, odor free Beanie Babies with no signs of damage carry a higher value.
- 3
  Look up a specific Beanie Baby on a list of classic Beanies to authenticate the toy and its retired status. Ty.com and About Beanies.com are some of the websites with lists of retired Beanie Babies.
- 4
  Research information about retired Beanie Babies and view photos in reference books such as ̶0;Beanie Babies Collectors' Guide̶1; by Holly Stowe or ̶0;Warman's Bean Plush Field Guide: Values and Identification̶1; by Dan Brownell.
- 5
  View online auction websites like eBay and Bonanzle to see the current market value and demand for retired Beanie Babies. Enter ̶0;Retired Beanie Babies̶1; in the search field and click ̶0;Search.̶1; The sites will show how many toys are currently up for auction and what specific toys are selling for. Click on ̶0;Completed Listings̶1; under ̶0;Preferences̶1; in the toolbar on the left side of the page to view completed listings. This will give you an idea of how much the toys are selling for, which is an approximate market value.

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