February 2002 News

... The World's Top Billionaires
Thu Feb 28, 5:45 PM ET
By The Associated Press
The rankings of the world's 100 richest people are estimated by Forbes magazine ... with the listings including rank, name, home country, age where known, wealth in billions of dollars, and source of the money.
#87 Warner, H. Ty, United States, 58, dlrs 4.0, Beanie Babies
(Bill Gates still leads the list, at $52.8 billion.)
Click here to view the complete list

... Another German Beanie Exclusive?
4:55 pm EST ... Noted on the Ty Cyberboard:

I saw the pictures!! And a surprise!!
mrsducky (03:23 pm. Feb 28, 2002 )
Message Id: 1023422
The new Mary Beth's Beanies and More magazine is out. There are picures of the new releases, an article on the Teenie Boppers, and an up-to-date pull out checklist. But the BIG news is Graf von R o t (it should be together, but the board doesn't like it), a new German exclusive. He's red and has the same crest and ribbon as Freiherr von Schwarz. His name means The Red Count.
POEM: translated
Love, friendship, contentment
The Red Count wishes these
things for you
And to all Germans for all times.
You should all watch over one another.

Good hunting to all!Happy Beanie day!

http://www.ty.com/cyberboard/news/msg1023422.html

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A
4:30 pm EST ... The next 'Ask Ty' question and answer has been posted, along with your chance to vote for the next question you would like Ty Warner to answer.
Q: What are you working on now? Any new ideas? (submitted by melanielyn)
A: New ideas, new fabrics, new designs, new products . . . . I’m always working on something. Speaking of new, I can’t wait for you to see the new Teenie Beanie Boppers!

Click here to visit 'Ask Ty'

(Note: A summary of all Q & A's to date can be found on this site by clicking here)

... Clubby IV (Counterfeit) Warning!

Fraud unit nets Aurora teen in online Beanie Baby swindle
Police here are warning entrepreneurial Internet surfers that going online is not the quick way to easy cash. An international Beanie Baby scam concocted by a 16-year-old Aurora boy is one of the most recent cases of "Buyer Beware" the Police Department's fraud unit has tackled. The teen tricked victims out of $3,000. On Jan. 18, the youth confessed that he duped three people into buying $7.95 Beanie bears with forged autographs for $1,000 a pop, said Sgt. Tim Genaro, who supervises the fraud unit. The buyers - women in California, Alaska and the United Kingdom - thought they were getting a deal on a coveted, Clubby IV bear, which features an autograph tag with the signature of Ty Warner, the founder of the company. Terri Houston, 38, from Wasilla, Alaska, said she was suspicious because the seller she found online had only two favorable "feedback" messages from past traders on his Beanie bulletin board. Still, she agreed to trade $700 worth of her most prized Beanies for the Clubby IV.
Click here to read the article in the Denver Post

Note: I found this article earlier today through a search engine, and thought it was 'old news'. But apparently this is the newest development on an earlier report by Peggy Gallagher.

... M.C. Beanie Promotion Extended
The Ty MasterCard promotion offer has been extended. It was originally scheduled to end today ... the Ty site now shows the promo has been extended through June 30th.
Click here for M.C. Beanie Promotion

... Source: Beanieholics

... Ty Promotion in Australia and New Zealand
A promotion is being run by Ty in Australia/New Zealand - a special Ty collector's card. Purchase of 10 Beanie Babies entitles you to a free 'exclusive' Beanie Baby. For more information and to view a scan of the card, visit the link on Ms. Janie's site below.
Click here for info on Ty collector's card

... New Ty Products? Maybe .....
On Saturday, February 16th, we were informed of four possible new Beanie Buddies. The newspost stated:

Martin sends us information of possible new Buddies:
9436 Pounce
9440 Wrinkles
9443 Cinders
9445 Legs

Note: Please remember, this is to be considered 'unconfirmed information' as it has not been announced by Ty. It should be treated as rumor only until an official Ty release. Guess it's another 'wait and see'.

Ms. Janie has received 'rumored new products' to possibly be released by Ty soon. Included in the list are the above four Buddies, with the same style numbers, along with the addition of Dearest Buddy AND other new Ty products (including Beanie Babies, Classics, Baby Ty, and Boppers). And YES, 'Darling Debbie' Beanie Bopper would be a MUST HAVE for me :)

From Ms Janie:
Rumored New Product supposed to be released by Ty soon.
I guess tyme will tell!

BEANIES
# 4391 April ??? White face and paws
#4517 MUM pink bear with tulips on chest
#4518 Hoofer - house Clydesdale
#4519 Frolick - black and white dog
#4520 Panama - Tree Frog

BUDDIES
#9436 Pounch the cat
#9440 Wrinkles - the Bull dog
#9443 Cinders the bear
#9445 Legs the green frog
#9448 Dearest the bear with rose

CLASSICS
#2046 Skippy - golden nose - ??? Maybe a dog

BABY TY
#3307 Cutsie Moose - light blue buddy with yellow horns????
#3308 Tyger Hugs - Tiger that this striped
#3309 Huggy Ducky - yellow duck

BOPPERS
#219 Darling Debbie - black hair
#220 Giggly Gracey - Red hair
#221 Adorable Annie - blonde hair

... Evidence in Beanie Baby Domain Dispute No Collector's Item
Evidence In Beanie Baby Domain Dispute No Collector's Item
Critics of the system that has been used to settle thousands of clashes between trademarks and Internet domain names have said the quasi-judicial process set out by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) makes it too easy for strong companies to take addresses from the weak.
But a new decision under ICANN's Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) warned the manufacturer of the popular Beanie Baby toys that it should at least make an effort to round up some evidence before accusing someone of being a cybersquatter.
One earlier dispute, resolved in Ty's favor in June of 2000 - Read the rest of the article at the following link.
Click here to read the article

... Another Ty Store in Japan
A second 'Ty Store', managed directly by Ty Japan, opened yesterday - February 26th, in the Yokohama-Mitsukoshi Department store. To view a photo, visit the link on Ms Janie's site below.
Click here to view 'Ty Store'

... 'America' Bear
The newly announced white 'America' Beanie Baby is noted on the official American Red Cross website.
February 25, 2002 — To honor American Red Cross chapters that provide lifesaving services and education in local communities year-round, Ty is introducing a second edition "America" bear to support local Red Cross disaster relief efforts. Beginning on February 25, 100 percent of Ty's profits from the original sale of "America" will be donated to the local disaster relief fund of Red Cross chapters where the buyers live.
Click here to read the article

... Asia Pacific Flower Exclusives
A couple of days ago, we posted a link from Kooler, depicting close-ups of all the Asia Pacific Flower Beanie Babies. Three of the Beanies' hang tags are written in English (Ferny, Vanda, and Wattlie). Ty has now posted the translation for the other three (Bunga Raya, Mugungwha, and Sakura II).
Click here for details on Asia Pacific Flower Exclusives
Click here for the translations on Ty's site

... Ty Newsflash - "White America" Bear
9:40 am EST ... Ty has introduced an Internet Exclusive this morning ... the American Red Cross Bear. "100% of Ty's Profits from each purchase of this internet exclusive Beanie Baby "America" will support Red Cross disaster relief services in your community."
Click here to view and order

... Ty Warner and His Private Plane
Last Tuesday, we posted an article concerning Ty Warner and a reported mishap with his plane. The article was soon removed, as we were uncertain as to the accuracy of the report. (The newspaper article had also been temporarily removed as well.) A correction to the story has now been reported, and can be found at the link below. A spokesman for Ty, Inc. has said that Ty Warner's mother is in intensive care at an undisclosed hospital and was NOT at the airport. The plane reportedly left PBIA on a flight to New Jersey, but returned when the landing gear failed to retract after takeoff.
Click here to read the corrected article
... Thanks to Ms Janie for helping with the clarification

... White 'America' Beanie Baby
On February 12, Ms. Janie posted that 'Ty once again shows their generosity by supporting the Red Cross.' The article was about a new bear (a white 'America' Beanie Baby) that would be released to support this organization. (Click here to read Ms Janie's article.) She now points to an article in 'The Daily Times', with a description of the Bear and what it's all about. Perhaps this will clarify some questions you may have.
Click here to read 'The Daily Times' article

... Asia Pacific Flower Exclusives
As you are probably aware, the six Asia Pacific Flower Exclusive Beanie Babies are now shipping. Kooler, of 'Bean Book' in Japan, has acquired all six of them. He has posted all six Beanies, with various close-ups of each one ... check out the hang tag, tush tag, face, embroidered flower, and more at the following link. (As typical of Kooler, he has done an excellent job of depicting the details! Thanks for sharing with us, Kooler!)
Click here for details on Asia Pacific Flower Exclusives

... New Beanie Tush Tag
A reader of Ms. Janie has sent in scans of a new Beanie Baby tush tag ... hopefully another attempt to deter counterfeiting. If you're interested in viewing, click on the link below.
Click here to view new tush tag

... RyeByPost Beanie Lottery Update
This week's winning numbers, prizes and winners have been announced on the Rye By Post lottery page. Just the 3 and 4 number prizes in last week's draw were won. Next week's winning lottery prizes are:
6 number prize - Billionaire #1 Bear.
5 + Bonus number prize - New York Issy with Card.
5 number prize - Tyra Attic.
4 number prize - Sizzle Beanie and Buddy Duo.
3 number prize - Smooch Beanie Buddy.
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 Member ID.
Click here to visit RyeByPost

... Beanieholics Website
Randy and Theresa at Beanieholics are experiencing ISP problems. You can view the site, but they are temporarily unable to update. The problem should be fixed shortly.

... Sakura 2 Beanie Baby
9:20 am EST ... Asano from Beans Tokyo has sent a great comparison photo of of the new Sakura 2 Beanie (vs Sakura). There is a slight difference in the shade of pink of both bears, the cherry blossom is a different color, as well as the ribbon. The hang tag of Sakura 2 is written in Japanese. Both are beautiful bears! Click on the link below to view.
Click here to view Sakura / Sakura 2 Beanie Babies

... Japan Sports Promos
We mentioned several months ago that beginning November 6, 2001 - March 7, 2002, six Beanie Babies (Pecan, Almond, Whisper, Puffer, Quackers, and Gracie) would be distributed at six different ice hockey games (HC Nikko Ice Backs) in Japan. Each game would distribute a different Beanie, and would be available to the first 500 women and children attending the game.

Although the last game still remains to be played, Kooler of 'Bean Book' has posted pictures of the following ... (note the special sports promo 'collar' which came with each Beanie Baby):

Whisper ... Nov 6, 2001 - Ice Backs vs Kokudo
Gracie ... Nov 21, 2001 - Ice Backs vs Oji
Quackers ... Dec 5, 2001 - Ice Backs vs Kokudo
Almond or Pecan ? ... Dec 13, 2001 - Ice Backs vs Seibu
Puffer ... Feb 13, 2002 - Ice Backs vs Oji (with special collar)
Click here to view Japan Sports Promo Beanies

... Ty-Signed Zodiac Beanie Raffle
Nicole has sent us a reminder that there are only a few days left to join in the raffle for a Ty-signed Zodiac Beanie Baby at Planet Beans. She writes:

Only 6 more days left to join in this great raffle! Lisa (from www.planetbeans.com ) and I are running a raffle for a Ty signed Zodiac Beanie. I won these Beanies back in October 2000, in the Olympic Challange on TyTrade. Winner will be able to choose from Monkey, Ox, Horse, Goat and Rooster. All have been signed in gold ink on the back of the hang tag, and have been authenticated by Becky E. from www.truebluebeans.com All info can be found at: www.planetbeans.com/ZodiacRaffle.htm and pictures, and some more on the story of these Beanies can be found here: www.geocities.com/tysigned "Only" 72 tickets have been sold so far, so your chances of winning are pretty good. Feel free to e-mail me at tysigned@yahoo.com if you have any questions. Nicole

Added Note:
Lisa at Planet Beans also adds:
Nicole has added a 2nd and 3rd place prize to the raffle pot.
1st ~ Ty-Signed Zodiac of choice from the 5 listed on the news page.
2nd ~ Mum Beanie Baby (see the picture on the auction Nicole won) link on the news page.
3rd ~ Paula Plappertasche (the German Exclusive Bopper)

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A
The next 'Ask Ty' question and answer has been posted, along with your chance to vote for the next question you would like Ty Warner to answer.
Q: Do you stop production of a retired product before or after you officially retire it? (submitted by Broder)
A: If you see a retirement announcement you can be sure that production has stopped. Speaking of retirements . . . . I was wondering which Beanie you would like to see retired next. Post your ideas on Ty Talk!
Click here to visit 'Ask Ty'

(Note: A summary of all Q & A's to date can be found on this site by clicking here)

... Contest at Beanieholics
Randy and Theresa are having a contest on their site, called "Feel the Love". You can check out the details at the link posted below. It's easy to enter ... and there are LOTS of great Celebrity Bear prizes.
Click here for Contest Details

... What's up? .... and "Mum" in the UK!
Looks like Ty is working on the Beanie Baby portion of the site. When clicking on a Beanie Baby category, it reads "This portion of the web site is currently unavailable. Please try again later." (Perhaps they're working on adding the new Beanie Baby "Mum"? We shall wait and see.)

Update: The site seems to be up and running now, with all updates (except "Mum"). In case you hadn't noticed, the six Asia Pacific Flower Exclusive Beanies are listed, with poems.

And speaking of "Mum" ... a reader from the UK writes:
"I saw where you posted about the new Beanie Baby "Mum". Yes, this is a new Bear. Yesterday I purchased one in London. There were only about six on display. Mothering Sunday" is March 10th here. Hope you guys receive it in the U.S. soon as well; it's a beautiful bear! ... Love your site, and LOVE the contest! RBP has donated some wonderful prizes as well. Keep up the good work."

... New Counterfeit Buckingham
Peggy Gallagher has issued an alert that a new counterfeit Buckingham, serial # 4BGUOERA, has been discovered.
http://www.peggyg.com

... A New Bear .... "Mum"
There seems to be a lot of talk about a new Beanie Baby called "Mum" which has supposedly showed up at a few retailers in Germany. Mother's Day is celebrated earlier in Germany than in the U.S. ... perhaps the reason for showing up there first. Will it be an Exclusive? Will it be introduced by Ty soon? It's probably only a matter of 'tyme' so keep a watch on the Ty website for a possible announcement soon.

3:10 pm EST Update: A UK reader has sent a link to an eBay auction, with a picture of this Bear. It appears that this Beanie has the typical "UK" hang tag ... the seller is located in Germany. However, it is interesting to note that 'Dearest' was out too late last year for the earlier Mother's Day celebration overseas. So perhaps it's a 'make-up' on Ty's part. (I personally feel this Bear will show up in the U.S. soon ... it's just a matter of tyme, and of course my opinion only.)
Click here to view the eBay auction with picture

... Ty Asia-Pacific Flower Exclusives ... What do they Stand For?
The following information on the Asia-Pacific Flower collection tells what each Beanie stands for, along with dates. It's quite interesting and worth a read! Check it out on Ms. Janie's site at the following link:
Asia-Pacific Flower Collection details

... Planet Beans Contest
Lisa shares the following:
WIN ENGLAND AT PLANET BEANS
BeanieTown-USA.com has asked me to run a contest and they have kindly donated an England Beanie Baby AND ??? as the prize. This will be a 2 week contest in which you can gain daily entries as well as 50 additional entries PER ORDER you place during this time.
Click here for Contest details
-smiles
Lisa
Planet Beans

... Site Down ... and Back Now
Earlier today, our server was down for minor repairs. Everything seems back up to par now. Thank you for your patience and understanding. (Perhaps our family flu bug has bitten the server as well ... it does seem to be quite contagious!)

... Beanie Babies Tycoon May Own Damaged Plane
A reader has sent us an article that hit the paper today about Ty Warner. He writes: I have some big news about Ty Warner that never hit the wires, but was published in the February 19 edition of The Palm Beach Post. Ty Warner had an emergency landing at Palm Beach International Airport in his new $40 million dollar plane (a Gulfstream Five plane)!!! No one was hurt, but a wing of the plane was destroyed and a lot of fuel was spilled. Ty Warner, as we all know is keen on keeping his privacy, so his plane turns out to be registered to a corporation in Delaware named "BB Five".
(Link removed)

Note: The reader did state to "be warned the Palm Beach Post seems to take down articles and archive them promptly every 24 hours" so the article may soon be removed.

... All is pretty quiet, at least momentarily. But you never know what may happen next. (The 'flu bug' has taken a pretty big chunk out of me with his vicious bite! ... and has now ventured on to the other family members.) I'll keep you posted with the latest news as best I can though.

... Courage / Rescue Variation !!!
4:45 pm EST ... Right / Left ..... Right / Left!!! We had suspicions this may happen, didn't we? Kooler of Bean Book sends some interesting information, along with a photo, of a variation of Courage and Rescue Beanie Babies. Both Beanies have showed up (in Japan, so far) ... the US flag showing up on both the right and left leg now! Great find, Kooler! ... thanks for sharing. It will be interesting to see if it shows up this way in other countries. (Notice the Japanese tag.)
Click here to view photos or see above

... Asia-Pacific Exclusives Launch
Ms. Janie reports: Odie is going to the BIG show! ... she has received an invitation to attend the launch of the Asia Pacific Exclusive Beanie Babies. A photo and additional information can be viewed by clicking here.

... Paula Plappertasche Photos
Interesting in seeing photos of Beanie Bopper 'Paula Plappertasche'? Looks like she is now shipping. Some pics have been posted on Ms. Janie's site, sent by John in Germany.
Click here to view the photos

... New Year Brings New Collection of Beanie Boppers
Beanieholics has posted an interesting article found in the 'Chicago Sun-Times'. "There's a new kid in town. Ty Inc. has added Beanie Boppers to its popular line of stuffed products ...." Read the article by clicking here.

... Next Retirement? ... & New Buddies?
Many collectors are 'expecting' the retirement of Cupid Beanie Baby and Flirty Francie Beanie Bopper, as these are Valentine Ty products. I guess we shall wait and see, but I do imagine it will be soon.

Martin sends us information of possible new Buddies:
9436 Pounce
9440 Wrinkles
9443 Cinders
9445 Legs

Note: Please remember, this is to be considered 'unconfirmed information' as it has not been announced by Ty. It should be treated as rumor only until an official Ty release. Guess it's another 'wait and see'.

... RyeByPost Extends "Successful" Freeserve Ad Campaign
by Iain Hepburn on 15 February 2002 09:49:00 GMT

Freeserve is to run a year-long campaign for the postal delivery service Rye by Post which delivers soft toys such as Beanie Babies and Harry Potter.
The new campaign, which will run through skyscraper and banner advertisements promoting the Beanie Baby collection on Freeserve’s auction channel, comes after a successful link up between the two companies last year.
Rye By Post, which has around 225,000 customers, will offer free membership and online purchasing of the collectable soft toys through its site.
“The decision to renew our contract for 2002 was based on the significant success of our 2001 Freeserve campaign, which generated a click-through rate of 3%,” said Rye By Post MD Vic Underwood.
“The Beanies section of Fsauctions provides the perfect platform to target customers with an interest in the product, whilst the skyscraper format enables us to communicate with them in an effective, innovative manner.”
Click here to read the article

... Pierre Buddy
Several collectors have recently reported finding the Pierre Beanie Buddy at their local retailer in Canada. John shares the following with us and sent along some pictures as well. (What a beautiful Buddy ... then, of course, red is one of my favorite colors anyway.) Thanks for sharing, John!

Hi Deb!
How are you? Just a note to let you know that I was able to pick up Pierre Buddy today! It is such a great Buddy! I have attached some pics of the bear if you would like to share them.
Take care!
John
Click here for pics

... Olympic Update
1:30 pm EST ... Although not Beanie-related news, we have just received a CNN newsflash that the Canadian figure-skating pair who won the silver medal have just been awarded a gold medal. (The figure skating and speed skating are two of my favorite events to watch.) As you may be aware, there has been quite a controversy over this competition. CNN posts the following:

Canadian skaters get gold; judge suspended
February 15, 2002 Posted: 1:23 PM EST (1823 GMT)
(CNN) -- The International Olympic Committee Friday afternoon awarded a gold medal to the Canadian figure-skating pair who initially won the silver in a hotly contested performance ruling Monday night. The Russian skaters who had won the gold in that free-style pairs competition will still keep their medal.
Click here to read the fully story

... RyeByPost Acquires ebeany.com
We have receiving the following information from Sam at RyeByPost:

EBeany.com as of 16.00hrs today, Fri. February 15. 2002 has become part of the retail division of RyeByPost Ltd. Ryebypost Ltd has only purchased the domain name www.ebeany.com and relevant website. Any outstanding debts, supplier or customer concerns are the responsibility of the previous owners, however if you require any assistance then please do not hesitate to contact us on the following page:
http://www.ryebypost.com/pages/techsupport/

RyeByPost.com looks forward to assisting you with any future purchases and we will endeavour to give you the service that RyeByPost customers have become accustomed to.

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A
5:45 pm EST ... The next 'Ask Ty' question and answer has been posted, along with your chance to vote for the next question you would like Ty Warner to answer.
Q: What is the Godzilla secret? (submitted by The Collecter)
A: The more I thought about this the more I realized . . . . if I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret any longer. I can tell you to expect a big announcement within the next 10 days !
Click here to visit 'Ask Ty'

(Note: A summary of all Q & A's to date can be found on this site by clicking here)

... England Exclusive Bear
Although we posted pictures of the three Exclusive Bears we have in hand for the Contest Grand Prize winner, I wanted to also share an email from Hayley of Beanzaddiction in the UK. She has recently found an England Bear and has posted it on her site, along with her other finds. She writes as follows:

I managed to pick up an England today. I have attached a picture for you to use if you want on your websites. He is lovely. There are more pictures on my website www.beanzaddiction.com including some of the other newbies I managed to find today. England is very similar to the Tradee material. I expected him to be more like America's material. We hear a whisper that they will only be shipping to retailers this month that attended the recent show in Birmingham. The others will be getting theirs next month at the earliest. Hope you like it.
Hayley
Webmaster,
Visit my Website www.beanzaddiction.com

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
10:30 am EST ... Ty has retired Beanie Babies Romance and Kissme this morning.
Click here to view the announcement

... New Version Of 'America'
Ms. Janie had posted a note about a new version of the America Beanie Baby that will be released by Ty next month. This will be a white version of America, in support of the Red Cross.
Click here for more information

... Photos of Teenie Boppers
As you are probably aware, Teenie Beanie Boppers were introduced by Ty and on display at the NY Toy Fair on Sunday. Ms Janie has received a photo from a Ty Rep, which can be viewed at the following link.
Click here to view Teenie Beanie Boppers on display

... Ty Newsflash - Attics Retire
11:20 am EST ... Well, it wasn't quiet for long. Ty has retired Attic Treasures™ Flynn, Lancaster, and Barrymore this morning.
Click here to view the announcement

... All is Quiet
Sshhh ... it's been a quiet day so far. So what's next? We'll keep you posted.

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
11:15 am EST ... Ty has retired Smooch and Sizzle Beanie Buddies this morning.
Click here to view the retirement

... New York Toy Fair News
Ty has announced 'Teenie Beanie Boppers' at the New York Show. These are smaller size versions of the Beanie Boppers, and include some Exclusives as well. Ms. Janie has posted a report from the Show on her site, with a list of which ones were introduced, retail costs, and more.
Click here to read Ms Janie's Show Report

Update: It appears that US retailers can order all 12 Teenie Boppers. (Did you notice the Teenie Bopper ... American Millie??) Keep checking Ms. Janie's site at the link above for continued updates from retailers.

... Bean Bag World UK March Edition
On Valentines' Day, the March issue of 'Bean Bag World' will hit the stands in the UK. A summary of the contents in this issue, as well as a cover scan can be found on the link below.
Click here for March BBW UK Summary

... New York Gift Show Begins
Per the "Ask Ty" section on the Ty website, Ty Warner responded to a question, by stating ... "You heard right, the New York Toy Fair opens February 10 and to answer your question ...... Yes, you can expect a big announcement (let's call it a debut). .." So what will debut today? We've heard possibilities, ideas, hopefuls, rumors, and more. Keep you eyes and ears open ... we should know soon.
(See update above)

... Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund Auction Ends
The eBay auction for the basket of Ty products, donated by Ty for the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, has now ended ... at $550. The products included Beanie Babies - Unity and Nipponia, Beanie Buddies - Sakura and Buckingham, Beanie Boppers - Hat-Trick Hunter, Ivy Leaguer, and Bronx Bomber, and Classics Godzilaa, King Ghidorah, and Mothra.
Click here to view the auction

... RyeByPost Beanie Lottery Update
This week's winning numbers, prizes and winners have been announced on the Rye By Post lottery page. Just the 3 and 4 number prizes in last week's draw were won. Next week's winning lottery prizes are:
6 number prize - Billionaire #1 Bear
5 + Bonus number prize - New York Issy with Card
5 number prize - Tyra Attic
4 number prize - Carrots, Cottonball & Spring Beanie Babies
3 number prize - Kissme and Romance Beanie Babies
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 Member ID.
Click here to visit RyeByPost

... Birmingham Show - Ty Stand (Booth)
Daphne Roberts (Bean Bag World UK Editor) has written an interesting report on the Ty Stand at the Birmingham Show last weekend.
Click here to read the article

... Ty Website
12:10 am EST ... OK, so what's going on at Ty so early in the morning. I clicked on the Ty 'Retirement' Newsflash, and Ty has posted the retirement of Attic Treasures - Chillings, Santa Bear, and Ms Santa Bear (dated 12/21/01). Then it switches back to the Sugar Beanie Kid retirement when clicking the 'refresh' button. It seems to be alternating, at one time even mentioning that "Ty Trade is temporarily unavailable"or "Thank you for contacting Ty. Portions of the Ty website are temporarily unavailable at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience, and ask that you please check back later. Thank you for your patience and support. Regards, Ty".

I suggest keeping an eye peeled on the site ... either an announcement soon or simply some technical problems?

... It's Contest Time
Our 'Anniversary Celebration Contest' begins today. As we mentioned yesterday, we will soon begin our 7th year of running this website, and would like to include YOU in the celebration! ... Check it out - it's fun, free, and easy. Our special thanks to RyeByPost for donating the wonderful prizes!
Doodle's Page Anniversary Celebration Contest

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
12:40 pm EST ... Ty has retired Sugar Beanie Kid today.
Click here to view the announcement

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A (and just what does 'he' mean??)
10:50 am EST ... The next 'Ask Ty' question and answer has been posted, along with your chance to vote for the next question you would like Ty Warner to answer.

Q: How many America, Rescue and Courage Beanie Babies have been sold and what is the total contribution so far? (submitted by manstep)
A: Thanks to you, America has raised over $1,000,000 for the American Red Cross and we have raised over $1,000,000 for the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund with Rescue and Courage. Keep an eye on Ty.com for a special announcement that I think will help us raise even MORE money.
Click here to visit 'Ask Ty'

Doodle's Comment: And just what could that be about? ... a U.S. Exclusive Beanie? ... rumored Olympic Beanies? an 'America' Buddy? Hmmm ... Remember last week's answer? - "You heard right, the New York Toy Fair opens February 10 and to answer your question . . . . . . Yes, you can expect a big announcement (let’s call it a debut). I wouldn’t miss this for anything. See you in New York !"

(Note: A summary of all Q & A's to date can be found on this site by clicking here)

... Pierre Buddy
Looks like Pierre Buddy is finally shipping. Sly the Beanie Guy has pointed out an eBay auction to Ms Janie. (There are some great photos to view of this new country exclusive Buddy.)
Click here for link to the auction

Note: Thanks to Will, who has informed us of the hang tag info of this Buddy:
Pierre the Beanie Baby was the second bear to wear the flag of Canada!

... It's Contest Time (Almost)
It's time to gear up for another contest! "Doodle's Page Anniversary Celebration Contest" begins tomorrow. Next month we will begin our 7th Year of running this website. We figured no better way to celebrate ... as without our friends and fans, we wouldn't be here!!! There are eight sets of prizes to be won ... eight winners. So keep watching ... it will be fun, free, and easy!

... New Discussion Board
Ms Janie has recently opened a new Discussion Board. There are some interesting posts to read there ... You can check it out at the link below. You may just learn something!
Click here to visit Ms Janie's Discussion Board

... Tokyo Gift Show
As a reminder from our earlier report, the '53rd Tokyo International Gift Show' is February 26-28. Martin informs us that retailers attending the Show will be able to order the following Beanies in a set. "The set consists of: 6 Tracks, 6 Frisbee, 6 Chickie, 12 Eggs II, 6 Cottonball, 12 Carrots, 6 Spring, 6 Saquoia, 6 Vanda, 6 Bunga Raya, 6 Wattlie, 6 Mugungwha, 6 Ferny, and 18 Sakura II. Although this is a Tokyo Gift Show 'set', the Beanies can be ordered in advance. The sets will begin to ship on February 19th."

The style numbers for the Asia-Pacific Flower Exclusives are as follows:
4614 Vanda
4615 Bunga Raya
4616 Wattlie
4617 Mugungwha
4618 Ferny
4619 Sakura II

Note: I realize from various emails that collectors are confused as to exactly who (which country) may be able to order what (Beanies). From the reports heard so far, it appears to me that all Asia-Pacific Flower Exclusives can be ordered in each relevant country, with perhaps the specific Beanie for that country in a larger quantity (such as mentioned above). Tyme will definitely tell on this one. We'll just have to wait and see! (It is unclear exactly how many sets each retailer will be allowed to order.)

... Chicago Cubs Promo - Exclusive Bopper Giveaway!!!
12:30 am EST ... The new promo schedule for the Chicago Cubs has just been posted. Noted on June 1, 2002, it states "Beanie Boppers™ featuring exclusive Ty Gear™ with Cubs Road Uniform -- first 7,000 Children. Commemorative card included. Exclusive promotion available to Wrigley Field guests only."
Click here to view the Chicago Cubs promo schedule

... Ty Store - Japan
12:05 am EST ... It looks like 'Ty Store' in Japan is all decorated for Valentines' Day now. Kooler of 'Bean Book' shares photos of the store, all ready for the special occasion day!

He also notes that the Japanese Godzilla™ Classic Exclusive (retailer version) was available ... with black eyes. (The theatre version Godzilla, of course, has white eyes.) There are no differences in the hang tags and tush tags of both versions.
Click here to view Godzilla pics

... Newbie Pictures
Beanieholics has posted photos of the new products shared by a collector. They are too cute! (Notice the Basket Beanie hang tags are smaller than those of the Jingle Beanie's tags ... a comparison of the two is on their site.)
Click here for Beanie pics
Click here for Buddy pics
Click here for Basket Beanie pics

... New Products Arriving
Norma and Will both report that the newest releases are now showing up at retailers ... including Beanie Babies, Beanie Buddies, AND Basket Beanies. So be on the lookout in your area!

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
Ty has retired the Jumbo Peace Buddy this morning. This Buddy was introduced on January 4, 2000, in a major announcement by Ty. There were 31 Buddies announced at that time; Jumbo Peace is the last to retire from that group.
Click here to view the announcement

... 'England' Beanie Baby - UK or England Exclusive?
Collectors seem to be wondering ... is the newly introduced 'England' Beanie Baby a UK or England Exclusive??? If it's an England Exclusive only, then it will probably be restricted to England only. If it's a UK Exclusive, it would also be available in Wales and Scotland? The introduction Newsflash on Ty's site listed it as a "UK Exclusive" ... it is listed in the Current's section as a "England Exclusive". We shall see!

. ... New UK Exclusives Formally Introduced
5:05 pm EST ... Yesterday, it was mentioned that the new UK exclusives were already noted in the 'current Beanie Baby' list on Ty's site. This afternoon, Ty has formally announced the three on the main page - Scotland, England, and Wales.
Click here to view the announcement

... UK Exclusives and Their Country Flags
For those of you interested in a little history, below are the UK Exclusive Beanies and the flags for their respective countries.


England National Flag - 'St. George's Cross' (St. George - Patron Saint of England)	Scotland National Flag - 'St. Andrew's Saltire' (St. Andrew - Patron Saint of Scotland)	Wales National Flag - 'The Red Dragon' (St.. David - Patron Saint of Wales)

... Birmingham Show Photos
Although photos were not allowed at the Ty booth during the UK Show, BBW UK has posted photos taken at the Chubbley Bears and Celebrity Bears booths. To view, click on the link below.
Click here to view photos on the BBW site

. ... New UK Exclusives On Ty Site
Update: Although no official Ty 'Newsflash' was posted, the three new UK Exclusive bears ... England, Scotland, and Wales ... are now listed as 'current' on the Ty website.
Click here for 'England'
Click here for 'Scotland'
Click here for 'Wales'

... Three New UK Beanie Exclusives
Bean Bag World UK magazine editor, Daphne Roberts, is in attendance at the Show today. They have reported on three new Ty UK Beanie exclusives. The new bears are named 'England', 'Scotland' and 'Wales' and will only be shipped to Ty retailers in the respective countries. (BBW UK mentions that the Welsh bear will probably be in shortest supply, followed by Scotland, and then England.) Daphne even had a chance to chat with Ty Warner, who is also in attendance at the Show. (Poems and more information on the Show can be found on the site by clicking on the following link.)
Click here for Bean Bag World website

(We wish to thank BBW UK for keeping us updated on the latest from the Show! Nice job!!!

... Chubbley Bears News
The Bean Bag World UK website also has reported on the Chubbley Bears news from the Birmingham UK Show. Charles and Darren, the bears' creators, are in attendance. Seven (yet unnamed) Chubbley Bears and their descriptions can be found on the Bean Bag World site by clicking here.

... Celebrity Bears News
Also in attendance at the Birmingham Show was Christine Rigby, president of Celebrity Bears. Introduced is a special limited edition Celebrity Bear ... "a beautiful deep purple bear with the Celebrity Bear logo embroidered on its chest and Spring Fair, Birmingham embroidered on its back". For more information, visit the BBW UK site by clicking here

... RyeByPost Beanie Lottery Update
This week's winning numbers, prizes and winners have been announced on the RyeByPost lottery page. Just the 3 and 4 number prizes in last week's draw were won ... Next week's winning lottery prizes are:

6 number prize - Billionaire #1 Bear
5 + Bonus number prize - New York Issy with Card
5 number prize - 5 number prize - Tyra Attic Treasure
4 number prize - Sizzle Beanie and Buddy Duo
3 number prize - Kissme 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 Member ID.
Click here to visit RyeByPost

... Birmingham UK Gift Show
As you know, the Birmingham Show is today. Watch the Ty website for any possible new announcements. 'Bean Bag World' will be attending the Show and will try to keep us updated with the latest. It should also be posted on the magazine website ... keep your eyes peeled for any news 'as it happens'.
Click here for Bean Bag World website

... Ty Merchandise with Ty MasterCard
You may recall a link posted by Ty last year (November 1st) with information regarding the Ty Promo Rewards Points Program available for Ty MasterCard account holders. (Click here to read the Ty Promo on Ty's site).

A reader has sent a copy of a flyer to Ms Janie which she has received in the mail ... showing the merchandise available for Platinum Ty Card holders (preferred customers with a $100,000 credit line). Also noted is an 800 number you can call to see if you are approved.
Click here to view the Ty Points Flyer

(The Ground Hog saw his shadow today ... and ran back in for cover! Arggg ... six more weeks of winter?!)

... It's Show Time
There are three Shows coming up over the next couple of days. Will there be any new introductions? We know the International Toy Fair (February 10 - 14) will have some surprises ... per "Ask Ty". (Maybe 'Tyme' wrist watches?) And most are anticipating new Exclusives at the Birmingham UK Show which begins tomorrow. (The Show in San Francisco starts today through February 6th, and the Washington DC Show starts tomorrow and runs through February 6th. (A listing of Shows can be found on Ms Janie's site at the link listed above.) We'll keep you posted of any 'new' news, as it happens! So stay tuned!

... Valentine Fun Page
Have you checked out Ms Janie's Valentine Fun Page yet? It's not a contest, it's simply for fun! While you're there, you might want to check out that dog! Now HE'S ready for Valentines and has definitely received his share of kisses! LOL
Click here for some Valentine (Beanie) Fun

... Contest at The Daily Bean
Heather shares the following:
The Daily Bean is having a fun new contest to win Hugs & Kisses. These two bear are from the Chubbley Bears line! As Valentines day is just around the corner, these bears might retire soon! ... Heather
Click here for details

... Take a look
Daphne has shared the following with us:

The UK Bean Bag World magazine website was pleased to hear from one of its readers today, announcing the launch of her new beanbag website: www.beanzaddiction.com

Fourteen year old Hayley from the UK was inspired by a feature by WWWebster in Bean Bag World’s February issue. The feature, entitled ‘So you want to be a Webmaster’ shared the secrets on the basics behind setting up your own beanbag website.

Hayley said ‘I read the article in Bean Bag World and it helped me get the site together. I took the advice in BBW and bought a domain name. I found the article really helpful and making the website was really hard work and took a long time. I was even up really early so I could do half an hour before school!’

Daphne, Editor of Bean Bag World added ‘We’re delighted that Hayley’s been inspired by a feature in BBW and we’re also amazed that she’s put all this together so quickly. Well done, Hayley! Please visit Hayley’s site and see what she’s done.’

... Contest at Planet Beans
Lisa shares the following:
WIN "GEORGE" THE UK EXCLUSIVE CHUBBLEY
How would you like to own one of the HOTTEST, up and coming Chubbley Bears?! Actually, how about the UK Exclusive named George? Since George is retired he is very hard to come by so make sure you enter the contest often for best chance to win.
Click here for details

... Contest and Raffle at Collectiblez
Ryan informs us of the following:
Collectiblez has now launched a new Raffle to give collectors the chance to win Unity Beanie Baby, Unity Beanie Buddy & Rhine Attic Treasure in one package, with the proceeds going towards the webmaster's College Fund for this Fall! In addition, there's a new contest happening to win a set of the Hugs & Kisses Valentine's Day Chubbley Bears!
Raffle
Contest

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A
1:20 pm EST ... The next 'Ask Ty' question and answer has been posted, along with your chance to vote for the next question you would like Ty Warner to answer. And just what could he have up his sleeve?
Q: I heard that there is a big International Toy Fair coming up in New York, are you going to be making any big announcements there? (submitted by a.dingo.ate.my.beanie)
A: You heard right, the New York Toy Fair opens February 10 and to answer your question . . . . . . Yes, you can expect a big announcement (let’s call it a debut). I wouldn’t miss this for anything. See you in New York !
Click here to visit 'Ask Ty'

(Note: A summary of all Q & A's to date can be found on this site by clicking here)

... February Ordering Parameters
11:20 am EST ... Ms Janie has posted the February ordering parameters for Ty retailers, along with the names of two Classics "no longer available for ordering".
Click here to view

... Ty Newflash
11:05 am EST ... Ty has posted the February Desktop Wallpaper calendar.
Click here for link to Wallpaper instructions

... What's In a Name?
If you visited Beanieholics yesterday, please be advised that they have clarified the information regarding Ty's announcement of the new German Exclusive Beanie. They received an email, asking ... "Why is it that you are calling the new German exclusive Freiherr von Schwarz Willkommen when the Ty site only says Freiherr von Schwarz? ~ Andrew
Click here to visit Beanieholics


Click here to view the Newsflash announcement	Click here to view the 'Current' Beanie listing