April 2001 News

April 1-30, 2001

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Monday, April 30

... New Releases on Ty's Current Lists
7:45 pm EDT ... The newly released May Beanie Babies, as well as Glory Buddy, are now listed on Ty's current list (birthdays and poems are not noted yet).
Click here to view Ty's Beanie Babies List

*** Also ... if you are interested in viewing a NICE close-up of them, check out the following pictures:

Cheery (my favorite; too cute!)
Kooky (looks a little 'kooky' :)
Midnight (check out the eyes! but doesn't look like a panther to me)
Nectar (the fabric reminds me of Kaleidoscope)
Patriot (is it red, white, and BLUE?)
Poseidon (check out those spots!)
Regal (looks just like our dog, Tanner ... with 'tan ears')
Glory Buddy (nice, of course!)

... Contests at RyeByPost
RyeByPost has added six new contests:
Win a sewn-on patch Britannia (Write a story) for ages 12 and under
Win a Niponnia (see website)
Win a Chinook (see website)
Win Britannia (answer a brief survey)
Win a 1998 Holiday Teddy (May 2001 - wordscramble)
Win a Wise the Owl (May 2001 - quiz)

As a reminder, don't forget to enter the lottery daily ... have your ID # available or register for one while you're visiting.
6 number prize is the 'Billionaire #1 Bear'
5 + Bonus number prize is the 'New York Issy with Card'
5 number prize is the 'Unity Beanie Baby'
4 number prize is the 'Sewn-on-Patch Britannia Beanie Baby'
3 number prize is the 'Chinook Beanie Baby'.

Click here to visit RyeByPost

... May Info Beanie
Purr has been voted as Ty's Info Beanie for May. Prince states:

Monday April 30, 2001 12:02 p.m.
Congratulations, Purr, the May Info Beanie! Purr is also the winner of the tree-climbing contest we had this morning! Boy, if she thinks she’s happy now just wait until she finds out she’s the next Info Beanie! I’ll talk to you later! Bye!

Click here to read the Info Beanie's Diary

... "The People's Beanie!
Which Beanie won? Classy or Fancy? Who knows yet, and it's 10:30 am EDT. If sleeping is for 'whimps', Ty better get out of bed. Voting was to have ended at 9:00 am CDT ... and voting is still allowed. Come on Ty ... 'the people' are waiting.

And the winner is ....... ?????

Update: 10:50 am EDT ... Classy is the new People's Beanie:
Birthday ... April 30, 2001
Poem ...
I'm proud to be the Beanie you chose.
I know for sure my happiness shows.
Thanks so much for creating me.
It's great to be the People's Beanie!

Click Here to View the 'People's Beanie' Winner

Sunday, April 29

... Ty Warner Posts on Cyberboard
11:30 EDT ... Ty has made an appearance on the Cyberboard tonight ... stating:

WOW! Look at all of those votes!
Ty Warner (10:15 pm. Apr 29, 2001 )
Message Id: 862190

Ty Warner writes:
We're down to the wire now! I can't wait to see who the winner will be! Remember it's all up to you, so keep on voting.
http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg862190.html

(Note: At last check, there had been 1,621,592 votes cast.)

... Last Chance to Vote!
Tomorrow is your last chance to vote for The People's Beanie ... Will it be Fancy or Classy? What will the birthday be? and which poem?
Click here to place your final vote!!!

And while you're in the voting mode, it's your last chance to vote for May Info Beanie. Purr is currently in the lead (33.6% ), followed by Dart (26.0% ).
Click here to vote for May Info Beanie

Saturday, April 28

... RyeByPost Lottery Update
This weeks winning numbers, prizes & winners have been announced on the lottery page. Only the 3 & 4 number prizes in last weeks draw were won.

Next weeks winning lottery prizes are:
6 number prize is the 'Billionaire #1 Bear'
5 + Bonus number prize is the 'New York Issy with Card'
5 number prize is the 'Unity Beanie Baby'
4 number prize is the 'Sewn-on-Patch Britannia Beanie Baby'
3 number prize is the 'Chinook Beanie Baby'.

The weekly lottery is totally free to play and you can enter daily; you just need to register/join at RyeByPost to receive your very own Unique ID number.

Click here to visit RyeByPost

... Now on Northern Trade Winds
From our email, Lulu reports:

New Releases: Fun facts and Trivia about our latest newbies!
Canadian Issy Update
CGTA Trade show most likely spot for Canadian Exclusive
Lulu's final report

Now at http://www.northtradewinds.com/

(We send our best wishes to Lulu and our special thanks for sharing your information and keeping collectors informed on the latest Canadian 'happenings'. You will be missed by many. I do agree, as most webmasters will, that maintaining a site takes up a lot of time ... take care of your family, they grow too fast!)

Friday, April 27

... UK News ... Unity and Issy Beanies
News from the UK from several readers informs us that Issy and Unity Beanies have been delivered today: ....

"J" writes: "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time for once ... and picked up a couple of the newly released Unity (bears) and a couple of Issy's, so yes, they are here and they do have the Beanies tag up againsst the Beanie Baby tags from the USA. Happy Hunting. "J"

Stevens writes: "Hi Debs ... You know I wrote to you the other day about my local retailer getting a poor delivery, well she phoned Ty and complained that she only got a quarter of her delivery on Wednesday - the only new ones she got were India and Ariel buddy. The woman at Ty was very apologetic and said the due to a computer error her order was not completed, but she promised the the rest of the order would be at the shop by today. Well the delivery did arrive today and was still incomplete no other new buddies and the only newbies were Buzzie and Hero, she got 6 Buckingham Buddies and a surprise delivery of 12 Unity's and 24 Issy's that she wasn't expecting, so it was pretty cool, I was dissapointed not to have got Cassie and Trumpet Buddy also Jester and Dart. Oh well you can't have it all can you!!"

(Sounds like a nice Beanie Day for you both! Congrats on your find and for keeping us informed!) Take note ... Issy DOES have the UK version hang tag "Beanies" instead of the U.S. version!

... While you're voting ...
There are only a few days left to vote for May Info Beanie. Purr is currently in the lead (36.2%), followed by Dart (22.9%). Doesn't look like Dearest will make it, as she's in 3rd with only 6.1%.
Click here to vote for May Info Beanie

... The Final Round
12:30 am EDT ... Another Beanie will be eliminated in 'The People's Beanie' today (at 9:00 am CDT). You know what you need to do ... soon it will be 'the final two'. :)
Place your vote here.

Update - 10:20 am EDT ... Gem has just been eliminated. Now it's down to Fancy and Classy. Ty states "Due to overwhelming response we are extending the final vote on extra day! The voting for this round ends on Monday, April 30th at 9:00 a.m. CDT." With this vote, your choice includes selecting a poem and birthday.
Click here to place your final vote!!!

(At last check, 1,306,752 votes had been cast!)

Thursday, April 26

... An Interesting Note
The last three big releases by Ty have been announced early on the Ty website, with an introduction date as noted for the first of the following month. (See the home page on this site for a brief listing.) I would suspect Ty lists these early to inform collectors and allow the retailers to prepare for their next month ordering allotments.)

Cassie, Float, Hornsly, Mellow, and Purr
* Shown on Ty's website 2/28/01 with an Introduction Date of 3/1/01

2001 Spring Introductions **
** Shown on Ty's website 3/30/01 with an Introduction Date of 4/1/01

May 2001 Introductions ***
*** Shown on Ty's website 4/26/01 with an Introduction Date of 5/1/01

... Ty Newsflash - New Releases / Retirements!!!
Ty has introduced seven new Beanie Babies, one new Buddy, and six new Attic Treasures this morning. (All have introduction dates of May 1, 2001). Three Buddies also retired.)

NEW Beanie Babies:
Cheery the Sunshine Bear
Kooky the Cat
Midnight the Black Panther
Nectar the Hummingbird
Patriot the Bear (USA Exclusive)
Poseidon the Whale Shark
Regal the King Charles Spaniel

NEW Beanie Buddy:
Glory the Bear (USA Exclusive)

NEW Attic Treasures:
Babette
Genevieve
Kaiser
Sophia
Uncle Sam
Washington

Retirements:
Floppity, Inky, and Baldy Beanie Buddies

... Ms. Janie's Website
Ms. Janie is currently moving her site to a new server. If you visit her site (www.msjanie.com) over the next several hours and it's not 'there', please be assured it should be up and running SOON. Her email address IS working, ms.janie@home.com, in case you would like to get in touch with her.

Update: 2:00 pm ... Her site is up and running smoothly now after the transition. While you're visiting, you might want to check out all the newest Beanies just released ... all printable on one page.
Click here to view.

Wednesday, April 25

... Unity's Birthday and Poem
3:55 pm EDT ... Thanks to Sly The Beanie Guy, we have been informed of Unity's Birthday and Poem:

Birthday - September 28, 2000

The poem is as follows:

The EU Finally came to be
That's Why I'm Named Unity
Our Countries Now unite as One
A brand new Era has Begun!

6:15 pm ... The poem and birthday have now been added to the Ty Beanie Babies section on the Ty website. Thanks to Sly for the headsup, though :)

... The 'People's Beanie' ... Another One Gone Soon
12:15 am EDT ... The next Beanie will soon say goodbye in the Elimination Round. Will it be Classy, Charmer, Fancy, or Gem? You can vote off your least favorites on Ty's site by clicking here. The voting in this round ends today at 9:00 a.m. CDT.

Update - 10:05 am ... Charmer has now been eliminated. There are 'the three bears' left ... Classy, Fancy, and Gem. The next Round ends at 9:00 am CDT on Friday, the 2th.

Update - 4:40 pm ... Ty has posted a "Newsflash" ... "Now it's Down to Three! Who's it Going to Be?"
Click here to vote off your two least favorites

... Unity
12:05 am EDT ... Interested in seeing a nice close-up of 'Unity', the new European Exclusive Beanie?? You can check it out on the Ty website by clicking here! What a beautiful Bear! Rumor is that it's already starting to ship to the UK!

Tuesday, April 24

... Ty Newsflash - Retirements
10:00 am EDT .. Ty has announced the retirements of Beanie Babies Howl and Sniffer this morning.
Click here to view the announcement

... The 'People's Beanie' - Summary
You have probably been following along on the Ty Website, since word was out, of the steps taken for the nomination of "The People's Beanie". Do you remember what all nine Beanie Babies looked like? Who was voted off the list and when? I have put together a summary you may be interested in reading.
Click here for 'The People's Beanie' article

... Unity Added to List
9:15 am EDT ... Unity has been added to the Current Beanie list on the Ty website.

... Buckingham Beanie
Becky at Pbbags has updated an article on a questionable Buckingham Beanie Baby. You may want to educate yourself on the characteristics to look for, particularly the numbers inside the tush tag.
Click here to view pictures and read the article

... UK Zip Codes on Hang Tags
Don't be misled by UK zip codes (postal codes) on hang tags. You will find this under the Gosport address on the tag ... it is NOT a rarity.
Click here to read more info posted by Ms Janie

Monday, April 23

... Ty Trade Auction Ends
1:05 pm EDT ... The Larry Walker Autographed Bat Auction, featured on Ty Trade, closed today. The bidding closed at $110 (with 4 bids). Apparently, an earlier bid (bringing the auction to $910) was a bogus bid.

... RyeByPost Lottery
Now is your chance to win BIG! It's "Lottery Madness at RyeByPost! The new list of prizes are:
- 6 Numbers = Billionaire #1 Bear
- 5 Numbers + Bonus Number = New York Issy with Card
- 5 Numbers = Unity the Bear
- 4 Numbers = Britannia Beanie Bear
- 3 Numbers = Valentina Beanie & Buddy Duo
The weekly lottery is totally FREE to play and you can enter daily, you just need to register/join at RyeByPost to receive your very own Unique ID number. So get moving ... you can't win if you don't enter!
Click here to visit RyeByPost

(While you're there, check out the special offers as well. (Unity is being shipped to the UK (stock is expected soon); looking for a specific Issy? and more!)

... The 'People's Beanie' ... Another One Gone
The next Beanie has bid farewell ... in another round of the 'People's Beanie. 'Winner' says 'goodbye', leaving Classy, Charmer, Fancy, and Gem. You can vote off your next least favorites by clicking here. The voting in the next "Elimination Round" ends Wednesday, April 25th, at 9:00 a.m. CDT.

Sunday, April 22
(Earth Day)

... Ty Trade Auction Ends Tomorrow
The Larry Walker Autographed Bat Auction, featured on Ty Trade, ends tomorrow. The auction currently is at $110 (with 4 bids). Apparently, an earlier bid (bringing the auction to $910) was a bogus bid.

... The "People's Beanie" - Next Round Ends Tomorrow
The next Elimination Round ends tomorrow, at 9:00 am CDT. There are five bears left. Is you favorite still in the rankings?
Click here for 'The Peoples Beanie' Contest

... RyeByPost Update
RyeByPost has a Big Winner. One person matched 5 numbers in the RBP Lottery to win the grand prize - a Buckingham Beanie / Buddy Duo. Both the 3 number (prize - Germania Beanie Baby) and 4 number (prize - Hero and Dearest Beanie Babies) were won as well. Check the lottery page on Monday to see what the next prizes will be. The RyeByPost lottery is free to play and you can enter daily - you just need to register/join at RyeByPost to receive your very own unique ID number.
Visit the RyeByPost website here
Click here for Lottery Details

Saturday, April 21

... May Info Beanie
Who will it be? Purr is currently ahead in the rankings (34.2%), followed by Dart (28.0%). (With Mother's Day approaching, I would have thought Dearest would have a stronger vote (currently she's in 3rd, with 5.7%).
Click here to vote for May Info Beanie
Click here to view the current rankings

... Shimmer says 'Goodbye'
Shimmer has been eliminated this morning from Ty's 'The People's Beanie' Contest. The next Elimination Round has begun, ending on Monday morning (9:00 am CDT). There are five bears left. Is you favorite still in the rankings?
Click here for 'The Peoples Beanie' Contest

Friday, April 20

... "Issy Map"
As you may be aware, I have an Issy checklist on the site (click here to view) showing the different 'variations' available. RyeByPost has an interesting link you may want to check out ... an "Issy Map" - a world map depicting each location. Just click on the dot for the relevant one!
Click here to view the "Issy Map"

... Ty Warner speaks ... The People's Beanie
12:30 pm EDT ... Ty Warner posts on the Ty Cyberboard:

People's Beanie
Ty Warner (10:13 am. Apr 20, 2001 )
Message Id: 851228

Ty Warner writes:
Hi Guys!
Hope you're having fun voting for the People's Beanie! Pretty soon I'll know which one you want me to make!

May the best bear win!
Ty

P.S. You're vote really does count!

http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg851228.html (link removed)
http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg851713.html (link replacement)

... Ty Newsflash - New Release!
9:50 am EDT ... Ty has introduced a new Beanie Baby Bear this morning ... "Unity" ... a Ty Europe Exclusive. WOW ... What a beautiful Bear! Now THAT was not expected! (The first picture shown on Ty's site was a mirror image, with the Bear's 12-star EU flag image on the left ... it has been corrected .. see below.)

(Picture Removed)
Click here to view the announcement

(Picture Removed)
EU Flag
The EU (European Union) is a treaty based 'organization', currently consisting of 15 member countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom)
The official flag, above, consists of 12 stars.

... New Beanie Babies Soon?
RyeByPost reports: "We've ... been informed of a possible further 7 new Beanie Babies to be released shortly, one of them being 'Regal', another bear that may even be another European Exclusive Bear."

Guess we'll wait and see! For now ... it's ONLY a RUMOR!

... 'We Make Bears 4 U'
The WeMakeBears4U website has issued a press release on their new Teacher Bear. What a nice gift for that special teacher!
================
(April 19, 2001) PERSONALIZED TEACHER BEAR ! What a great gift for that special teacher that has given so much time to you or your child. Now is the time to order this special personalized gift to ensure a timely delivery before the end of the school year.
Harry and Jerry

Thursday, April 19

... What is Earth Day?
The Info Beanie has recently mentioned Earth Day and the upcoming projects / celebrations lined up for the weekend. Click here to read what the Info Beanie has written. In the United States, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. You can read about the history and mission of Earth Day at The Official International Earth Day Site. The site includes the Earth Day Magna Charta, and you can find out about John McConnell (founder of Earth Day), whose interest in ecology began to grow while he was working in a laboratory in California. If you want to find your nearest Earth Day event, check out the Earth Day Network.

... Just wanted to share, as I found it quite interesting! :)

... The People's Beanie
10:05 am EDT ... Round #3 this morning eliminated the next Beanie ... Razzle! Now you need to eliminate the next least favorite! You have until Saturday, April 21st, in this round.
Click here to vote

... Ty Newsflash - Retirements
10:05 am EDT ... Ty has retired three Beanie Babies this morning ... Trumpet, Peekaboo, and China.
Click here to view the announcement

Wednesday, April 18

... The 'People's Beanie' - Update
5:00 pm EDT ... Ty's latest posting on the 'People's Beanie' Elimination Round reads: "Razzle, Shimmer and Winner need your help! Every vote counts! The voting for this round ends on Thursday, April 19th at 9:00 a.m. CDT."

Have you eliminated your least favorite yet? Click here to vote

... Ty Trade 'Featured Auction' - Update
The Larry Walker Autographed Slugger bat auction, featured on Ty Trade, has reached $910 now (with 2 bids). The bidding started at $100 ... with the auction ending on April 23rd.
Click here to view the Larry Walker Autographed Bat Auction

... The People's Beanie - Clarification
To eliminate any further confusion regarding a 'suspected' winner of "The People's Beanie", perhaps this will help clarify any suspicions:

There seems to be a lot of confusion in regards to the suspected winner of the People's Beanie Vote! It appears to me that Ty has just prepared themselves for a winner and that the graphic named (Winner) is for the winning vote.
Many websites prepare and upload files in advance for when the time comes to unveil them. This does NOT mean that everything on the server will be released to the public!
I think the lack of news has made all of us read into things that just aren't there! Continue to enjoy the game and remember to vote at the following link - HERE
.... Ms Janie

... 'The End' Buddy?
Ms Janie has been notified by a reader that there is a seller on eBay, offering a presale of a "The End" Buddy. Has anyone else heard of this Buddy? Click here to view the auction.
10:30 pm ... Update: The auction now reads:
Bidding is closed for this item.
The seller ended this listing early because of an error in the listing

... BeanKid's Contest
Kody sends us the following:
BeanKid's NEWSCenter and Ryebypost.com are teaming up to bring you a new contest to win SEWN-ON PATCH Britannia! We will be hosting the first "Who Wants to Be a Beanbagaire from BKNC" starting May 1st. But you must register to become a contestant before April 29th! Be sure to go to www.beankid.net today for information on how to register for this wonderful contest!

Tuesday, April 17

... Ty Japan
Kerstin also points out that the Ty.Japan website is 'open' at http://www.ty.com/jp/. Did I miss something ... when did that happen? Hmmm

... A New Buddy?
Kerstin from Germany has written with some interesting news. (Although she has provided very reliable information in the past, please treat as a RUMOR for now, until further information is available.)

Translated email:

"Have you heard anything about a new Buddy named "Happy Easter" ? He has the Style Number 9003. One of my German Ty-Dealers has phoned me that he "received" them as a gift from the Ty Rep. The dealer has called me stating that the Tag Line reads " Happy Easter " and he is a Buddy. I think this to be true, as the Style numbers beginning with 9 are Buddies. He is brown and has " kräuselig " ("I can't translate this") fur. I have bought "it" from my Dealer and "it should be here" in three or four days. I will make a picture for you and give you more details when "it" arrives.
Greetings, Kerstin

Update - Added Note: (Wednesday 4/18 - 9:10 am)
Penny has sent the following ... (perhaps this answers the question; we shall see):
Hi there
Have just read your message about the apparently new Happy Easter Buddy. My local TY dealer recently received a delivery and was also suprised to see the 'Happy Easter' marked on the Delivery note. This turned out to be a Large Curly Bunny sent from TY as a FREE Easter Gift! So it is not a new buddy, just a gift from TY!
Hope this clears thing up! Thanks

... UK Update
From our email, Steven writes:

Hi Debs
I saw my local Ty retailer on Saturday and she said that she was expecting a delivery of the new beanie babies this week all except Dearest which was not available in the UK, she also said there is a real shortage of Ty stock in the UK.

The Ty rep said that Ty had changed its shipping policy so now once a design has been retired that means there are no more in the warehouse, no more will be made .... , so when its gone its gone!! The rep also said that there is alot of new stuff still to come!!!

With the Buddies retailers have to buy all 7 new buddies but are only allowed to have 3 of each buddy unlike the ususal packs of 6. They will come as 3 sets of 7 and each set of 7 buddies will also include a Buckingham Buddy. So 3 Buckinghams per retailer is going to make Buckingham even harder to get hold of!!

I hope this is useful
Steven

... Thanks for the info, Steven!

... The People's Beanie - Update
10:10 am EDT ... Another Bear in 'The People's Beanie' contest has been eliminated this morning ... 'Dreamer' has now been voted off. The next 'elimination round' ends Thursday, April 19, at 9:00 am CDT.
Click here - The People's Beanie Contest

... Ty Catalogs
Sal's Attic has posted a price guide and pictures for 1989 - 2001 Ty Catalogs.
Click here for more information

Monday, April 16

... Ty Trade 'Featured Auction' Item Added
4:50 pm EDT ... An official Louisville Slugger (bat), autographed by Larry Walker, has been added to Ty Trade's Charitable Auction. Larry Walker is Colorado Rockies right fielder and 1997 National League MVP, a 5-time gold glove, and holds back to back National League batting titles. All proceeds from this auction with benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation through research, education, and outreach programs. The bidding starts at $100 ... with the auction ending on April 23rd.
Click here to view the Larry Walker Autographed Bat Auction

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement!
11:20 am EDT ... Ty has retired three Beanie Buddies this morning ... Chops, The Beginning Bear, and Grace. All three Buddies were introduced on January 1, 2001. Click here to view the announcement

Sunday, April 15

... Happy Easter!
We have just returned from a two-day trip, visiting relatives out of town. We had a great time ... the Easter eggs were hidden - the adults had brunch while the kids did their hunts. Hmmmm ... or was it the other way around?! :)
Have a wonderful Easter today!

... May Info Beanie
The polls are also open for voting for Ty's May Info Beanie. You can select your favorite candidate and vote for May Info Beanie here.

... The People's Beanie - Update
Winner, Fancy, Classy, Charmer, Razzle, Dreamer, Gem, Baby, and Shimmer were the nine finalists in the Elimination Round. Now it's down to eight, with the elimination of 'Baby'. The voting for this next round ends on Tuesday, April 17th at 9:00 am CDT. Who will be next? The polls are open - place your vote here.

... UK (Norwich) Beanie Update
Thanks to Kevin for sharing the following:

Hi Debbs
Just to keep you up-to-date with the news from the United Kingdom Norwich.
The new beanies have made an appearance for the first time with Buzzie -
Dart - Jester being on same at normal prices. Hero and Smart were only
available as a multibuy of five others to get these. Ariel the buddy was
also available as a multibuy but (BUY TEN others to get it) Most people
leaving this on the shelf and they did not appear to be selling. No sign of
a new batch of Buckingham Buddies - only one shop still admitting to having
this very scarce buddy in the first shipment. . . . More news later
Kind regards
Kevin
(Happy Easter)

... RyeByPost Lottery Update
This weeks winning numbers, prizes & winners have been announced on the lottery page. No one matched five numbers, so the Buckingham Beanie and Buddy Duo will continue to stand for the next lottery draw.
Next weeks 5 number prize is the 'Buckingham Beanie & Buddy Duo'.
Next weeks 4 number prize is the 'Hero & Dearest Beanie Bears'.
Next weeks 3 number prize is the 'Germania Beanie Baby'.

The weekly lottery is totally free to play and you can enter daily, you just need to register/join at RyeByPost to receive your very own Unique ID number.

Click here to visit RyeByPost

... Contest at Collectibles
Collectiblez is currently holding a 'Tyday's Fact Contest' where you can win Mellow the Bear by submitting Ty factoids! Visit Collectiblez for full contest details!

Friday, April 13

... The People's Beanie - 'Elimination Round'
The 'Elimination Round' for 'The People's Beanie' begins today. Nine finalist have been posted on Ty's site. You have from April 13 - 26 to eliminate one Beanie every two days, until there are only two left. Then on April 27th, the remaining two Beanies will be posted ... for your final choice. The winner will be announced on April 29th. To eliminate your first choice and vote off one Beanie, click here.

Thursday, April 12

... New Contest at Planet Beans
Lisa at Planet Beans share the following:

Ryan of BeanySpot is sponsoring a simple contest that will be like the other trivia type contests I've been running. He is providing one winner with Bessie and Daisy Beanie Babies. Details can be found at: http://www.planetbeans.com/CowabungaContest.htm

Note: BeanieSpot has changed names and is now BeanySpot

... Collecticritters News
If you are a 'Collecticritter' fan, you may want to check this out from Linda:

The latest Critter News is now online...
visit http://www.collecticritters.com/
and click on the link to "Critter News".

Wishing you all the best,
Linda Braun

... RyeByPost Contests
RyeByPost has several onsite contests you might want to check out! Now's your chance at winning a Cairo Issy, a set of new Beanies, a Holiday '97 Teddy, a Tank Beanie, a Glory Beanie, or a Wise the Owl ... as well as a coloring contest and poem contest. And don't forget the Lottery ... a chance for a Buckingham Beanie/Buddy Duo, Sakura Buddy, or Nipponia Beanie! You can't win if you don't enter!
Click here for link to RyeByPost

... The People's Beanie - Elimination Round
Tomorrow is the beginning of Round 2 ... the elimination round. The 9 most popular Beanie designs chosen by collectors will be finalists in this round. You will be able to vote for your favorite 'candidate' by voting off until only two remain. This round is April 13 -27. "Vote early, vote often".
Click here for link to the 'People's Beanie' on Ty's site

... 48 Different Issy's on Auction
Ms Janie points us to an auction on eBay for 48 different Issy Beanie Babies.
Click here to view the auction

... "Tyme"?
While browsing through the Trademark site, I noticed that Ty registered for the word "Tyme" - on April 4, 2001 ... under the category "wrist watches". Perhaps Beanie watches? Makes for an interesting thought at any rate! ("Tyme" will tell, I suppose.)

Wednesday, April 11

... Counterfeit Sakura Beanie Babies - from Illinois
If you have purchased a counterfeit Sakura (EZTKT) from anyone in Illinois, please note take of the following information received from Peggy Gallagher:

Hi everyone!
If anyone has purchased a counterfeit EZTKT Sakura from anyone in Illinois.
Please have them email: PeggyGallagher1@aol.com
We need the date it was purchased.
The person selling: their name, address, phone number, and email.
Thanks this will help in the Ty investigation!
Happy Easter Bunny Weekend!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Peggy Gallagher Enterprises, Inc.
www.peggyg.com

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
10:50 am ... Ty has retired Float, Aruba, Runner, and Whiskers Beanie Babies. (Float was just released last month ... on March 1st.)
Click here to view the announcement

Note: These Beanie Babies have also been added to the retired list on Ty's site ... which you can view here. The current / retired lists on this site have been updated as well.

View the Current Beanie Baby list here
View the Retired Beanie Baby list here

... A Special Thanks!
Did you notice the daffodils above? I'd like to give special thanks to Christi for 'redecorating' the flowers into a 'Spring Doodle' :):) .... Happy Easter to everyone !!!

Tuesday, April 10

... Fake Ty Attics Hit Canada
Lulu from Northern Trade Winds reports on the following:
Special Report: Fake Ty Attics Hit Canada!
Thank You Bear Stolen
'Float' Oddity "spotted"
This and a whole bunch more now at www.northtradewinds.com

... 'Spring Has Sprung' Contest
12:10 am ... The contest is officially over ... all seven winners will be announced later today. I wish to thank everyone who participated ... it has been a LOT of fun!

Update: Please note!
11:45 pm ... All seven winners have been announced on the Contest Page ... an email has been sent to each winner. I am still awaiting the acknowledgement from two winners!! If it's you, could you please contact me so I may get your prizes mailed to you soon!

... Thanks again to two special friends for their donations of prizes!
Click here for link to Contest Page

Monday, April 9

... Easter Contest at Celebrity Bears UK
Have you seen the crazy floating Bunny on the Celebrity Bears UK website? If not, you should check it out. There's an Easter Contest that's started there ... all you need to do is name the 'mad bunny' and mail it in! Clues will appear at random on the site ... for a brief time. Visit the Celebrity Bears UK Website for all the details.

... Ty Still in Top 3
Ty still holds the Top 3 slots, according to "Giftbeat", a retailer magazine. Ty ranked #1 for 'plush', #2 for 'spring/seasonal' items, and #3 under 'collectibles'. Ms Janie has posted scans showing each list, with individual rankings.
Click here to view

... Celebrity Bears
The newest releases of Celebrity Bears have been posted ... Star #86 (Uncle Sam) and Star #87 (Smiley, One Happy Bear). They can be viewed on the Celebrity Bear site by clicking here.

Sunday, April 8

... 'Spring Has Sprung' Contest
Just a reminder ... the contest will end tomorrow night at 11:59 pm EDT. That means you have two more chances to enter ... today (if you haven't done so) and tomorrow! All winners will be announced April 10th. Have Fun and Good Luck!

Spring has definitely sprung here! The weather is gorgeous! Enjoy your Sunday!

Saturday, April 7

... RyeByPost Lottery Update
This weeks winning numbers, prizes & winners have been announced on the lottery page. No one matched five numbers, so the Buckingham Beanie and Buddy Duo will continue to stand for the next lottery draw. Next weeks 5 number prize is the 'Buckingham Beanie & Buddy Duo'. Next weeks 4 number prize is the 'Sakura Beanie Buddy'. Next weeks 3 number prize is the 'Nipponia Beanie Baby'.

The weekly lottery is totally free to play and you can enter daily, you just need to register/join at RyeByPost to receive your very own Unique ID number.

Other Contests on the site include: A Set of New Beanies (Smart, Hero, Dearest, Buzzie, Jester & Dart), A Holiday '97 Teddy, A Tank Beanie, Wise the Owl, Plus, an Old Face Jade Teddy Beanie (Ends Friday 13th April '01).
Click here to visit RyeByPost

... Ms Janie's Beanie Counterfeit Page
Ms Janie has an interesting compilation of articles on various fake Beanie Babies. You might want to earmark it for future reference.
Click here to view the article

Friday, April 6

... Why the Limited Number of Name Choices?
Found on the Ty Cyberboard:

Just thought you would like to know...
Ty Warner (04:39 pm. Apr 06, 2001 )
Message Id: 838547

Ty Warner writes:
I had noticed that some of you were commenting about the limited number of name choices for the People's Beanie. I thought I would take a moment and explain just that.

Well, in a word… lawyers!

As you know, we are very careful about protecting our trademarks and copyrights, including names. Which means that we also have to be respectful of other companies' trademark rights as well. In order to avoid any legal tangles, we needed to make sure that any name chosen for the People's Beanie was not a trademark owned by anyone else. We gave our lawyers a long list of possible names to approve and the twenty listed are the result of their nit-picking. It would have a been a big disappointment to everyone, including myself, to have voted for a name only to find out that it was already owned by someone else.

Now go forth and vote and may the best Beanie win!

http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg838547.html

... The People's Beanie
5:05 pm EDT ... "The polls are closed. The Create Your Candidate Round is now over. The Elimination Round will begin April 13th."
http://www.ty.com/pb/index.html

... RyeByPost Notice!
If you happen to live in the UK, around the Kent area, you might want to stop by RyeByPost tomorrow. They are having a Grand Opening party at their new shop in Bybrook Barn, Ashford, Kent, on Saturday, April 7th. There will be special offers, free food and drink, and fun for the kids. Stop by and join the fun!

Reminder: There are some special (members) offers on the site, including sewn-on patch Britannia, Issy, and more. Some of the new Beanies are also available. And don't forget to get your entries in the Beanie lottery for Saturday's drawing ... you only need one entry to win, but you can't win if you don't enter!

The Saturday Draw Prizes include:
5 number prize - 'Buckingham Beanie & Buddy Duo'.
4 number prize - 'Sakura Beanie Buddy'.
3 number prize - 'Nipponia Beanie Baby'.

Visit RyeByPost here

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
9:55 am ... Ty has retired two Beanie Babies this morning - Halo II and USA (Exclusive) Bear.
Click here to view the announcement

... The People's Beanie
12:05 pm ... The first elimination round of the People's Beanie closes this afternoon. The site currently reads: "Attention all Mahogany Brown lovers: 2-4-6 is now ranked #10. Do you want her to make it to the elimination round? The polls close at 4:00 p.m. CDT."

10:00 am ... April 6 - 13, Ty will tally the votes, photograph the 9 most popular designs, and prepare for the next round. So shortly we shall see what the choices have been narrowed down to. (Ty has been dropping 'elimination hints' the last two days of ones that probably did NOT make it ... this morning it read: "Don't you like Green? Choose 2-2-1 or else no Green will make the finals." ... We shall soon see!
Click here to view the latest update and vote for your choice

... Beanie Babies on Ideal World
Christian has sent in photo shots taken from Ideal World in the UK. The pictures include Billionaire 3 Bear (price £1925) and Issy with card (price £595).
Click here to view the pictures

... Sakura Beanie Counterfeit Update
The Traderslist has posted some information from a seller by the name of Mike Ward. Mr. Ward has posted a page for those collectors who purchased fake Sakura's from him.
Counterfeit Sakura Message from Mike Ward on Traderslist

... Questionable Buckingham Beanies
Along with the recent Sakura research is the discovery of the Buckingham Beanie with similar characteristics! He appears to be the latest 'questionable' item found with a holographic tush tag and 'heat sensitive' heart. Pbbags has posted some information you might want to take a look at.
Click here for Buckingham Beanie Research Findings

Source: ... A special thanks to Ms Janie for her continued efforts in helping to keep collectors alert and aware of this situation !

... Ty Trade Ariel Auction
The Chad Lowe Autographed Ariel auction ends today on Ty Trade. The auction is currently at $310 (with 5 bids).
Update: 1:05 pm EDT ... The auction closed at $310. (No additional charity auctions have been added.)

Thursday, April 5

... New Spring 2001 Beanie Buddies Available
Norma reports that Ariel, Inky, Hornsly, and India Buddies have now shown up. Two of the newest Buddies can be viewed by clicking here.

... 'Spring Has Sprung' Contest
The Contest is running smoothly, and still a few days left to enter. All 10 Beanies have been posted ... with repeat showings and hints randomly throughout each day. Remember, it's one entry per person per valid email address each day. So it's not too late, in case you missed one. It's free, it's fun, it's easy! (Another contest will soon follow ... you will definitely want to check it out!!!)

... Celebrity Bears News and Updates
New Wizard Bears ... new Namesake Bears ... coming soon to Celebrity Bears. All this and more ...
Click here to read the latest Celebrity Bear Newsletter.

Celebrity Bears UK
Celebrity Bears UK news page has also been updated, including picture from last night's Ideal World Celebrity Bears Show.
Click here for Celebrity Bears UK

'Ideal World' (UK) Presenter Getting Dunked
Any UK Collectors who watch Ideal World know presenter Ellis Ward, who presents a Beanie show every Thursday. Celebrity Bears UK have some photos of her getting dunked in cold water. Click here to view the photos.

... Ty Trade Ariel Auction
The Chad Lowe Autographed Ariel auction ends on Ty Trade tomorrow. The auction is currently at $310 (with 5 bids).

... "Millionaire" Update
I earlier posted some information on the Show that you may be interested in, which can be viewed by clicking here. If you are a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" fan, and you don't like 'hints', then I wouldn't suggest reading it! :)

... "People's Beanie" Updates
Ty has added various 'People's Beanie' voting updates today ... If you're keeping elimination tabs, you might want to keep checking. The updates are changing quickly!

10:00 am ... "Attention all Turquoise lovers! 1-5-5 is now ranked #10. Don't let her lose!"
12:30 pm ... "2-3-4 needs your support! Looks like he won't make the final cut."
2:10 pm ..... "Hey, all you Disco Fans, there will be no glitter in the final 9 unless you vote for 1-2-1 or 2-2-1 now."
3:05 pm ..... "Attention 'Purple People' ... 1-8-8 will positively not be in the elimination round, unless you vote for it now."
3:30 pm ..... "Attention 'Purple People' ... 1-8-7 will positively not be in the elimination round, unless you vote for it now."
4:55 pm ..... "Don't you like red? Chose 1-7-4 or 2-7-2 or no red will make the finals."
11:30 pm ... "Hey voters from the 'Sunshine States', don't you want the sunshine bear, 1-1-3, to make the elimination round?"

Click here to view the latest update and vote for your choice

Note: April 6 - 13, Ty will tally the votes, photograph the 9 most popular designs, and prepare for the next round.

Wednesday, April 4

... Spring 2001 Beanies Arrive!
A reader has sent in her lucky find of all six of the newest Beanie Babies ... Dearest, Hero, Smart, Dart, Buzzie and Jester. Please visit the following link to view the NICE photos. (Thanks for sharing, Norma!!!)
Click here to view the pictures!

... Ty Classic Bluebeary
Ms Janie has informed us that Bluebeary, a Ty Classic, is "no longer available".

... "People's Beanie" Update
Ty had added a note on the voting page of the "People's Beanie", which states:
"So you like blue and brown???
You better vote...2-6-6 is losing."
Click here to vote for your choice

... New Beanie Poems and Birthdays
Yesterday morning, Ty listed the newest Beanie Babies and Buddies to the current list on the site. This afternoon, the poems and birthdays have been added. (The hang tag information has not been added to the new Buddies yet.)

New Beanie Baby Birthdays:
Buzzie ... October 20, 2000
Dart ... November 22, 2000
Dearest ... May 8, 2000
Hero ... June 18, 2000
Jester ... September 30, 2000
Smart ... June 7, 2000

To view the list and read the poems, visit the Beanie Baby Current List on Ty's site.

... Counterfeit Sakura ... Additional Note - Important!!!
In order to warn collectors once again to insure that you are familiar with the very serious situation concerning Counterfeit Sakuras, please take note of the following information from Ms. Janie:

A note from Ms. Janie:
For those of you trying to return fake Sakura's for a refund.
Please tell the seller that you will be marking the Beanie with a permanent marker so that it accidentally does not go back into circulation. Keep in mind that these Beanies can be altered and made to look real with a simple tush and hangtag change. Protect yourself and others by becoming educated and passing on information relevant to this problem. If you have additional questions I can be reached at ms.janie@home.com
Click here to read Ms Janie's article and view photos

ADDED NOTE!
FAKE SAKURA PASSES HEAT TEST
The Ty heat test has been a real concern for most. They have been conflicting emails regarding the heat test to determine the authenticity of Beanie Babies with the 4FWEZTKT tush tag number. Reports are that some have passed; some have failed. (It was previously thought that if you applied heat to the back of the tush tag and the heart disappeared and did not reappear, then you had a fake Beanie.) ... The heart DID come back on the counterfeit Sakura Beanies! Ms Janie has posted various photos, regarding the heat test, which can be viewed by clicking here.

... 'Dearest' in the UK??
Will 'Dearest' Beanie Baby be available in the UK? Is it only going to be available in the U.S.? A reader has written in with the following information: (Tyme will tell, I suppose).

Hi Deb ... I thought you may be interested to hear what two of the retailers in my town (in Wales, UK) told me yeserday after they'd both had a visit from their TY rep. They were told by the rep that they couldn't order Dearest as this was (quote) "being kept for the USA". Now I hope it's not true or that Ty has a change of mind ... but I guess US collectors would welcome an exclusive!
Regards, "DCD"

RyeByPost also reports:
It has been reported that Dearest is not going to be shipped to UK accounts and may well be a USA Exclusive!

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
10:00 am ... The 'Happy Spring' and 'Spring Introductions' newsflashes have been replaced with a retirement announcement this morning. Ty has retired Sarge, Sneaky, Hopper, and Slayer.
Click here to view the announcement

... MarketWatch Update
BeanKid's has posted a marketwatch summary of 'The End' Beanie Baby and 'Princess' Beanie Buddy.
Click here to read the article

... "Beanie Baby Maker Settles Suit Against Casinos"
Las Vegas Sun
Ty Inc. which accused Aztar Corp. of illegally promoting Ty's "Beanie Baby" toys in exchange for slot play at Aztar's Tropicana hotel-casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, has reached a settlement with the Phoenix-based hotel-casino operator.
Click here to read the article
... Source: Ms Janie

Tuesday, April 3

... It's Official - Direct from Ty - Fake Sakura Beanie Babies
Sakura style # 4FWEZTKT is a counterfeit! Peggy Gallagher has just received the official word from Ty. The Sakura Beanie Babies with # 4FWEZTKT inside the tush tag are definitely fakes. Peggy has put up a special email address for people to email if they purchased this counterfeit Sakura (PeggyGallagher3@aol.com). In the email, state when you purchased the counterfeit Sakura, from who, and where it was sent from. For additional details, please visit Peggy's site by clicking here!

Also, Ms. Janie has posted some great comparison photos of this counterfeit vs a real Sakura Beanie Baby.
Click here to view the photos

Note: The message ... be on the lookout, educate yourself! Do your homework! Our special thanks to Peggy Gallagher, Ms Janie. Becky Phillips (www.pbbags) and Jackie Greenwood (Smart Collecting).

... Newest Releases Listed
10:15 am ... The six new Beanie Babies in the Spring 2001 Introduction are now listed on Ty's current listing. No birthdays or poems are noted yet. (Ariel appears to be the only Buddy listed so far, from the seven newest Buddies.)
Ty Beanie Babies
Ty Beanie Buddies

Update: 3:45 pm ... All seven new Buddies are now shown in the currents list.

... Northern Trade Winds
Lulu sends the following:

Now on Northern Trade Winds

Newbies in Canada!
Issy Update for Canada
New Releases and some fun details about them!

Now at www.northtradewinds.com

Monday, April 2

... Buckingham Buddy News - New Contests at RyeByPost
RyeByPost has been advised by a Ty retailer that Buckingham Buddy can only be ordered as part of a pack with all seven new Buddies.

Also, there are some new Contests on the Site:
Win Holiday 97 - Just enter your ID number (ends 30th April)
Win Tank with a Shell - Complete the Wordscramble (ends 30th April)
Win Manny the Manatee - Just enter your ID number (ends 30th April)
Win Wise the Owl - Complete the quiz (ends 30th April)

There are also some special offers available you may want to check out.

... April Order Parameters
Along with the newest Ty releases, retailers can now order Issy (in quantities of 24). (The bear was previously only being shipped to retailers who ordered it at the New York Toy Fair.) Beanieholics has listed all the April ordering parameters, which can be viewed by clicking here.

... Info Beanie
For those of you wondering ... Yes, Prince is the April Info Beanie. But Shamrock's picture still appears on the Diary Page. Yesterday, Prince wrote:

Sunday April 1, 2001 7:12 a.m.

Sunday April 1, 2001 7:12am
"Good morning! Hi, it's me Shamrock, again! Prince decided that he didn't want to be the Info Beanie after all. So I'm going to fill in until we redo the vote. APRIL FOOLS! Hee hee! It's really me, Prince. I was just playing an April Fool’s Day joke. I can't imagine any Beanie not wanting to be the Info Beanie! It's the coolest thing ever! Thanks so much for voting for me ...."
http://www.ty.com/infobeanie/April2001/page01.html

Click here to read today's Diary entry

(Update: Prince has made his 'appearance' this afternoon.)

... Planet Beans Contest
Win 5 Beanies - Contest at Planet Beans ... Answer a simple question daily to gain entries to win - Mellow, Purr, Hornsly, Cassie, and Float. This contest is sponsored by The Beanie Zoo.
Click here for Contest Details

Sunday, April 1

... Design a Beanie!
11:00 am ... Ty posts the following this morning:
"The People's Beanie"
"Now it's your turn to design a Beanie Baby"

Click here to get started!

... Contests
Several webmasters have informed us of Contests they have recently launched. You might want to check them out:

I would be very appreciative if you would let your readers know that 3 great new contests are happening over at The Daily Bean.
Heather
The Daily Bean

Bean Source is starting a new contest joint with Andreas Attic today, to win an Easter/Spring Ty Product a day for twenty days called "Spring Fever".
Bean Source

I just thought you may want to let your readers know that BeanieSpot.com is back after a 10 day "maintanence." We are now back & better than ever with over 5 Contests going on to win Tons of Prizes!
Thanks So Much, Ryan Johnson
BeanieSpot

Could you please post on your website that BeanKid's NEWSCenter is currently holding a contest March 30-April 30 for ALL 6 NEW BEANIES!
Thank you! Kody Looper
BeanKid's NEWSCenter
BeanKid

... Info Beanie plays April Fool's joke
Sunday April 1, 2001 7:12am
"Good morning! Hi, it's me Shamrock, again! Prince decided that he didn't want to be the Info Beanie after all. So I'm going to fill in until we redo the vote. APRIL FOOLS! Hee hee! It's really me, Prince. I was just playing an April Fool’s Day joke ....."
Click here to read the last Info Beanie Diary entry

... Today's THE day
It's 1:30 am EST ... the Ty counter is rolling at around 2,500 - 3,500 hits per minute. Nothing has been announced yet ... but many are anxiously awaiting "The People's Beanie" introduction. Ty has made several comments on the Cyberboard ... he's apparently had his coffee, too! (I think I'll go set the clocks ahead, and think of a good April Fool's joke to play on someone while we wait!)

... Additional news on FAKE Sakura's
There have been numerous reports of counterfeit Sakura's within the last few weeks. Ms Janie has posted more information that you might want to check out.
Click here to read Ms Janie's article