March 2002 News

... Additional Info on NEW Releases
Ordering information on the new releases, as well as descriptions of the products, can be found at the following links:
Click here for info on Ms Janie's site
Click here for info on Beanieholics' site

... 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 - Tyra Attic Treasure
4 number prize - Sakura 2 Beanie Baby
3 number prize - Sakura 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

... (Red) "America" Almost Gone
A reader sends us the following info:
I just wanted you to know that I received an email from Friends at Ty stating that time is running out for the red America. Rosemary

From: YourFriends@ty.com
To: xxxxx
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 8:26 PM
Subject: Important news from your Friends at Ty

Time's running out ! The latest edition (red) to our "America Trio" is almost gone ! Don't delay, visit the Ty Store now to complete your collection.

Your purchase of this new red version of "America" will help support Red Cross services in your local Community.

Click Here for all the details

Your support of our "America" series has been overwhelming. With your help we have raised over 1.5 Million Dollars for the Red Cross.

From all your friends at Ty . . . . THANK YOU !

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
Being Easter weekend, guess we aren't too surprised that Ty has retired some Easter products ... probably more to follow soon, including Beanie Babies and Buddies. The Basket Beanies (Eggs, Ewey, Grace, Hippity, Eggbert, and Floppity) have retired this morning.
Click Here To View Announcement

... New Ty Releases
Beanieholics has received a letter from a retailer friend concerning Ty products in April. Just remember ... nothing is definite until the official announcement by Ty.

Buddies ... Dizzy, Hero, FIFA World Cup Soccer Bears
Beanies ... Toothy, Smarter, Pop, Mattie, Herder, May BD Bear, June BD Bear, FIFA World Cup Soccer Bears

Note: You may also want to check out Ms Janie's website for some additional information regarding potential new releases!

... Ty "Ad Bear"
The following has been added to the main page on the Ty website:

Whenever you see this Ty Ad Bear, you are viewing
advertisements that promote Ty's products.
Kids, you should get your parent's permission
before you try to buy anything online.

... Thanks to everyone who passed along this info to us.
July 29 ... Update: The logo has now been removed from the site ... not sure what that was all about anyway!

... "Spring Has Sprung" Contest
We will shortly begin our annual "Spring Has Sprung" Contest, so keep watching! ... More to follow SOON! :)

... 7 Days Left to Order Speckles Buddy
A flashing note on Ty Store reads "Only 7 days left to order Speckles".
Click here to visit Ty Store

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A (April Introductions Soon!)
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: I always wondered when you know it's time to do another animal, like the lion, elephant and the butterfly. Do you have some sort of rotation for repeated animals or is it just when a certain design strikes you as being perfect?
(submitted by Figmentbear )
A: As you can imagine, I am always working on new designs. There is no special rotation or a set plan. Every detail on a new design must be perfect. Once this has been accomplished the piece goes into production and then is introduced. Speaking of new introductions, here's a hint . . . . APRIL YES !
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)

... Chubbley Name Change
RyeByPost informs us of the following:
The company that designed the very popular Chubbley Bears have now changed their name: 'Soft Touch Toys' will now become 'Chubbley (UK) Ltd'.
Click here to visit the Chubbley site

... Beanie Bopper List Complete
Thanks to Ruth, Jennifer, and Jessica for helping us to complete the Beanie Bopper listing now. All the birthdays are now noted ... It's interesting that Ty doesn't list their birthdays on the site, on their individual home page. The birthdays can only be found in the hang tag of each Bopper. What's also noteworthy is that there are now a total of 28 Beanie Boppers, with at least one Bopper for each month of the year!
Click here to view the Beanie Bopper page

... Kissme Bear vs Ribbon Color
As you may be aware, there has been much talk about the ribbon color variation of the Kissme Beanie Baby. For the record, Kissme was released by Ty with a blue ribbon. I have had several readers inquiring about these variations and wish to hopefully clarify any questions you may have. (As ribbons can be changed quite easily, I had not posted anything prior to this point. I only wish to avoid a collector being scammed by what they think may be an 'oddity'.) Peggy Gallagher writes the following:

Buyer Beware if you are planning on spending a lot of money on a Kiss Me bear oddity with a pink, purple, yellow and white ribbons! Save your money. Here is what has been occuring). Kiss Me was released from the Ty company with the blue ribbon! A few Beanie collectors AKA fashion designers have been removing the yellow ribbon from Chickie, pink ribbon from Eggs II, purple ribbon from Eggs, and the white ribbon from Issy. Now we have an array of Kiss Me with a variety of pastel color ribbons. This is not a Ty company manufacture error! This is only a few people changing ribbons from Beanie to Beanie. The blue ribbon Kiss Me will be the most valuable because that is the way the Beanie was designed and released! Important to remind yourself....... when a seller begins explaining that they got it from someone that bought it direct from an authorized Ty store. This is the oldest story in the "Beanie Baby book!" You may also want to ask yourself,... Does the authorized Ty store sell secondary market Beanie Babies? Many store owners have innocently switched, redesigned, dressed, and removed ribbons from all kind of stuffed toys, not only Ty! So please BUYER BEWARE
Peggy Gallagher ... http://www.peggyg.com

... Ty Teenie Beanie Boppers ... The Genesis?
2:30 pm EST ... Sly the Beanie Guy posts on Ms Janie's Message Board that 'we WILL be heading to McDonalds for a Ty Promo this Fall'. Just what could "Ty Teenie Beanie Boppers - The Genesis" mean? (Genesis means "an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events".) Thanks, Sly, for giving us the heads up. Guess we shall wait and see!

... Beanie Bopper Birthdays
We have updated the Beanie Bopper list on the site now, with the exception of three birthdays. If you know the birthday of Adorable Annie, Giggly Gracie, or Paula Plappertasche, please send me an email. Thank you!
Click here to view the Beanie Bopper page

Added note: 3/27 ... Thanks to Ruth and Jennifer for helping us out. Giggly Gracie is the only birthday needed now.
* Thanks, Jessica, for Gracie's BD! The Bopper listing is now completed updated.

... Next?
11:00 am EST ... The Newsflash announcements have been removed from Ty's main page and now placed in the past news archives on Ty's site. With April just around the corner, can we expect a new announcement soon ... ie - May Birthday Bear, World Cup Beanies?, retirements of Easter products, etc.? Wait and see!

... Contests at BBW
Some additions to the Chubbley Bear line are expected to be announced this Spring and there's a brand new contest on the Bean Bag World website to help share in the excitement! Visitors have the chance to offer their guesses at the names of the new ones and can win prizes of these new Chubbleys. You can enter new guesses each day and the contest will run until announcements of the names are made on the official Chubbley Bear website. Be sure to check out Bean Bag World's two other contests for a chance to win a Sakura II and a numbered/signed show exclusive Chubbley Bear.
Click here to visit Bean Bag World

... Celebrity Bears
If you are a Celebrity Bear fan / collector, you'll want to check out Celebrity Bear #81, Easter Bunny. This darling white bear has long white bunny ears trimmed in pink to match his pink nose and pink bushy tail. Embroidered on the front are three bunny faces in pastel colors. What a cute addition to an Easter Basket. For more information ... check it out at the following link. (A special announcement of their anniversary bear, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Teddy Bear, is coming soon.)
Click here for Celebrity Bears Spring Newsletter

... 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 - Tyra Attic Treasure
4 number prize - White America Beanie Baby
3 number prize - Mum 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

... New Beanies Soon?
On Tuesday, we reported information received from Martin "that there will be new soccer exclusives which are coming out very soon for the World Cup Soccer in Korea and Japan." RyeByPost has reported on some additional information, which if it pans out to be true, could be quite interesting (and challenging) to collectors ... 32 Beanies AND Buddies, one for each country participating in the World Cup. (Beanieholics also reports some additional information.) For a list of countries participating in the World Cup, you can visit RyeByPost at the link listed below.
Click here for more info at RyeByPost
Click here to visit Beanieholics

Added note: This rumor has been circulating for some time, specifically on the Ty Cyberboard a few months ago (although I do not remember the mention of Buddies at that time.) At any rate, sounds like it could possibly be another "Issy" type collection for many. Guess it's a wait and see! :)

... Ty Newsflash - Red 'America' Release
7:15 pm EST ... Ty has released a 'red' version of 'America' Beanie Baby, available to order through Ty Trade by clicking here.
Click here to view the announcement

... Ty Newsflash - Retirements
12:40 pm EST ... Ty has retired the following items today:
- Beanie Babies - Kirby, January Birthday Bear
- Beanie Buddies - Seal, Ears, Flitter
- Attic Treasure - Rosalyne
Click here to view the announcement

... '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: Where do you get the personal info for each Beanie Bopper (hometown etc)? (submitted by QB_Sue)
A: Whenever I travel I always try to visit one of my retailers. More times than not, I spot a child playing with one of the Beanie Boppers. The personalities, hometowns and pets . . . . . all come from these wonderful children.
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)

... American Red Cross Flyer
Sal's Attic has posted a picture of an American Red Cross flyer. It shows the white America Beanie Baby, along with other info.
Click here to view the flyer
... Source: Beanieholics

... Ty Newsflash - Retirement
5:45 pm EST ... As perhaps a bit of a surprise, Ty has retired America (blue) Beanie Baby today. Perhaps a red one next? Many collectors feel this may happen. Let's just wait and see.
At least our 'sniffer' was working a little bit :)
(Thanks to Rosy and Joe for passing along the info.)
Click here to view the announcement on Ty's site

... Sniff Sniff
11:00 am EST ... Do we smell something brewing at Ty? The latest retirement newsflash has now been removed, leaving room for ???? ... Perhaps another announcement later today.

... More New Exclusives Soon?
So what's next? All is VERY quiet in 'Tyland' lately. Hopefully, collectors have had time to find the latest releases and perhaps work on buys/trades for some of the recently announced country Exclusives. My prediction ... for what it's worth ... is that Clover Beanie Baby and the Shamrock Buddies will retire soon, as well as perhaps January and February Birthday Bears? Many are 'expecting' a BIG retirement announcement. I do know, from the past, just when all seems quiet, we're sometimes thrown a big surprise.

I rarely post 'rumors', but thought this was interesting and worth passing along.

Martin writes: "Got the following information today ... that there will be new soccer exclusives which are coming out very soon for the World Cup Soccer in Korea and Japan."

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'.

... Happy 3rd Anniversary, Ms. Janie
Today Ms. Janie celebrates her 3rd anniversary of being webmaster of Ms. Janie's Collectors Studio. Congratulations, Ms. Janie! You're a dear friend whom we hope will bring many more years of collectible news ... Thanks for all your hard work and efforts.

... 'Beanie Booster'
Update of previous story posted

On March 7th, we posted an article from the 'Canoe' website (canoe.com) ... a news website in Winnipeg, Canada. The story read as follows:
'Beanie Booster' (News Article)
A heroic teen is recovering from second-degree burns in a Toronto hospital after rescuing her younger brother and sister is a fire that destroyed the family's home (including 150 Beanie Babies). A trust has been set up at a Toronto bank, as well as hopes that people will rally together and donate Beanie Babies to boost the brave teen's spirits.
Click here to read the article
(At last check, this link did not work. Further information will be posted soon for those of you who showed interest in donating.)

Update: Angie, 14, is doing much better after suffering severe burns. (Her brother (4) and sister (6) suffered minor burns.) Although their home was destroyed by the fire, they are an incredible family with a lot of strength and faith.

There have been several collectors who have written in, wanting to know more information and how they may help this young girl boost her spirits with Beanie donations. I had contacted the editor of the Newspaper, and have obtained more info for those interested. If you wish to donate, just send me an email for further details.

... Ty Newsflash - Retirements
12:10 pm EST ... Ty has announced the retirement of Beanie Babies Sizzle and Cupid.
Click here to view the announcement

... Be Strong Enough to Bend
Some collectors have lost their zest or passion for collecting but what about the memories that these toys held? Ms. Janie has written an article on her opinion on the current status of Beanie Babies ... and why we may still collect them.
Click here to read Ms Janie's article

... Contest at BeanySpot
Ryan sends in the following:
With Easter just around the corner, BeanySpot has launched an Easter contest! With a chance of winning five great easter-themed prizes, you don't want to miss out! Easter Egg Hunt 2: http://www.beanyspot.net/egg2.php3 Thanks, Ryan

... 'Bean Bag World' Contests
Daphne Roberts, editor of 'Bean Bag World' magazine, writes:
I thought you may wish to know that we’ve just launched two competitions at www.beanbagworld.info - One to win a Sakura II Beanie ... Another to win a Show exclusive Chubbley Jubilee, numbered 274 of under 500 produced; this one is signed by the Chubbley creators.

Visit the above link for more details.

... 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 - Dearest Beanie Buddy.
3 number prize - White America 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

... Collectiblez Raffle
Ryan at Collectiblez sends us the following:
Collectiblez has now started a new raffle on their website giving collectors a chance to own a new England the Bear Beanie Baby! Tickets for the raffle are only $1 each or five tickets for $3 so it's a great buy to get in on a lucky chance to win this pretty bear! The profits from the raffle go towards Ryan's College Fund for this Fall!
Click here for more information

... Ty Newsflash - Attic Retirement
12:10 am EST ... Ty has retired the Attic Treasure - Blarney this morning. (That was an exciting newsflash ... Not quite what we were expecting, now was it?)
Click here to view the announcement

... Interesting!
While many wonder what and when the next Ty retirement will be, I find it interesting that only six Beanie Babies (including Speckles e-Beanie) and four Beanie Buddies (including Clubby IV BBOC Exclusive) have retired this year. The last Beanies to retire was one month ago today (Romance and Kissme) and Cupid has not even retired yet.

Last week (March 7), while updating the lists on the site, I checked to see what the 'oldest' Beanie Buddies were yet to retire. As you may recall, it was stated that Ty had introduced 21 Buddies at the Dallas Gift Show in June, 2000. Of those 21 Buddies, 10 still remain current ... Bones, Bushy, Flitter, Happy, Pouch, Schweetheart (lg and x-lg), Sneaky, Teal Teddy, and White Tiger. Are these (or at least some of these) next in line for their spot in the retirement home?

So what's next in the Ty plans? Retirements of some of the older products? ... new releases? ... new products? ... where are the Teenie Beanie Boppers? Come on Ty, we're (patiently?) waiting to see what's next! With St. Patrick's Day and Easter just around the corner, perhaps something soon? I think I've heard the saying a few times ... "tyme will tell".

... Clarification
Ms. Janie has posted some information regarding an email sent to some people in reference to Gramma Pat and Traderlist.com. Hopefully this will clarify some of the questions many people have had.
Click here to read the article

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A
12:05 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: Do you have your own fabric designers or do you just view fabric samples until one strikes you? (submitted by QB_Sue)
A: I look at thousands of fabrics every year. When I can't find just the right one, I create it. Tylon and Tysilk are two examples of fabrics I created exclusively for Ty product.
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)

... Bean Bag World Magazine - April Issue
What's in the latest issue of 'Bean Bag World' magazine? Daphne Roberts, editor of the magazine, sends us information on what's included. Read all about it, and a scan of the cover at the following link.
Click here for info on April issue - BBW

... Buyer Beware
Check out the article posted by Ms Janie ... Buyer Beware! Protect yourself and keep informed. Click here to read the article

... Counterfeit Buckingham
Another counterfeit Buckingham has been discovered by Peggy Gallagher ... serial #4CFTREDA. The other counterfeit Buckingham serial numbers are: 48PRDE93, 4HBNGFRD, 4SXWQAZD, 4DDB339J, 4ZS0GT6D, and 4BGUOERA.

... RyeByPost Special Offer
RyeByPost sends the following special offer for anyone interested:

Todays offer is England at $22.65; we will soon be making a complete section for NON UK customers. We have also added the Standard Airmail option on the website other than just Fedex, so your readers can choose dependant on price or speed!
http://www.ryebypost.com/usorders.shtml

Thanks,
Sam T.
Ryebypost Ltd

... Graf von Rot
In case you'd like to take a peek at this new German exclusive Beanie Baby, Ms Janie has posted a photo (with tag scans) on her site.
Click here to view Graf von Rot

... A Quiet Weekend
It's a quiet weekend ... the weather is gorgeous, the birds are celebrating (thinking it's the beginning of Spring), and a great time to relax and recuperate. We'll keep you posted on any news, as it happens. Enjoy your day!

... 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 - Tyra Attic Treasure
4 number prize - Pierre Beanie Buddy
3 number prize - Cashew 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

... Another Beanie Bopper Exclusive!!!
3:30 pm EST ... We have some NEW Bopper news to pass along to you ... the New York Yankees have JUST posted their promotion schedule today for 2002. Included in this years promo is yet another Beanie Bopper. The promotional giveaway is currently scheduled for Saturday, September 7, 2002 ... and reads "Beanie Bopper - Road Uniform Day - 1st 18,000 fans/14 & under - sponsored by adidas".

We figured the promotional items would be announced by the NY Yankees soon. On February 6, 2002, we posted news of the Chicago Cubs Promo, which stated on June 1, 2002, "Beanie Boppers featuring exclusive Ty Gear with Cubs Road Uniform would be given away to the first 7,000 children (commemorative card included).

New York Yankees promo schedule
Chicago Cubs promo schedule

... 'Ask Ty' Q & A
2:45 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: How do you decide which Beanies will get made into Buddies? (submitted by elecboy)
A: That's pretty easy. I just look at all of your "Bright Ideas" and then get to work!
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)

... Ty Store Open to Many Countries Now
If you have a valid credit card and live in one of the following 17 countries, you can now order from Ty Store. Many collectors in these countries have been waiting a long time for this to happen. The Shipping and Handling Charges, as well as applicable duty charges, are noted as well for each specific country (based on quantity ordered).

U.S.A.	Denmark	Portugal	Canada
France	Spain	U.K.	Germany
Austria	Belgium	Luxembourg	Finland
Netherlands	Greece	Sweden	Ireland
Italy

... 'Beanie Booster' (News Article)
A heroic teen is recovering from second-degree burns in a Toronto hospital after rescuing her younger brother and sister is a fire that destroyed the family's home (including 150 Beanie Babies). A trust has been set up at a Toronto bank, as well as hopes that people will rally together and donate Beanie Babies to boost the brave teen's spirits.
Click here to read the article
(At last check, this link did not work. Further information will be posted soon for those of you who showed interest in donating.)

... 'Ty Hair' vs 'Ty Silk'
12:15 pm EST ... 'HJ' from Wisconsin writes:

Good Morning All (Good Afternoon for some)-- I haven't noticed this posted previously so I hope I'm not repeating old news. I was able to get all five new March Beanies and Buddies (and Rescue with flag on left arm) yesterday. All the stores I went to also received the brand new (and recently new) Baby Ty and Classics. The Baby Ty pieces used to say "TyHair" on their tush tags to describe the shell material, but the newest ones say TySilk. I purchased a Baby Ty Snugglefrog in January and his tush tag says "TyHair", but the ones I saw yesterday in stores (including the new Snugglefrogs) said "TySilk" on their tush tags. The new Classic dog Skippy says "TyHair" on his tush tag, whereas the newer shipments of the Classic dog Nuzzle say "TySilk" (my Nuzzle, purchased in July 2001, just sports the Ty heart on his tush without any shell material indicated). Just thought I'd share my observations. Thanks for listening. One day closer to Friday.....

HJ :-) Madison, WI

Note: After further communication with HJ, it was noted that there appears to be no texture (feel) change of the fabric. Perhaps just a name change of the material?

... Clarifications on 'America' Beanie Baby
11:45 am EST ... If you have had some questions regarding the 'America' Beanie Baby, perhaps this will answer some of them. Have you wondered ... where exactly are Ty's profits going ... if you live in Canada, where do the proceeds go? Is it really an Internet Exclusive or will it eventually show up at retailers? Read below to see what Ty Store has to say, posted on the Ty Cyberboard.

Ty Store (10:42 am. Mar 07, 2002 )
Message Id: 1026988

Ty Store writes:

Thank you for your post.

America, the blue Red Cross Beanie Baby, is currently available at a Ty Authorized Retailers. It will not be available through the Ty Store. 100% of Ty's profit from the original purchase of this America Beanie Baby will be donated to the Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.

America, the white Red Cross Beanie Baby, is an Internet Exclusive, and is currently available only through the Ty Store. It will not be available in retail stores. 100% of Ty's Profits from each purchase of this Internet Exclusive Beanie Baby "America" will support American Red Cross disaster relief in your community.

Proceeds from United States purchases will be donated to local chapters of the American Red Cross, based on zipcode. Proceeds from Canadian purchases will be donated to the National fund of the American Red Cross.

Thank you for your continued support.
Ty Store

Click here to read the response on the Ty Cyberboard

... Ty Europe News
9:30 am EST ... Daphne of 'Bean Bag World' magazine has informed us that news has just broken of a Ty Europe sponsorship deal with Portsmouth Football Club. The sponsorship deal is worth more than £1,000,000 over 3 years, running as shirt sponsors, until June 2005. Futher details, pictures and background information on the Club can be found on the link listed below.
Click here to visit Bean Bag World

... Next Beanie Buddy Retirement?
While updating the lists on the site, I checked to see what the 'oldest' Beanie Buddies were yet to retire. At the Dallas Gift Show (June 24-27, 2000), Ty introduced 21 Buddies ... and introduced them on the Ty site on July 10, 2000. Of the 21 Buddies released, 10 still remain current. They are Bones, Bushy, Flitter, Happy, Pouch, Schweetheart (lg), Schweetheart (x-lg), Sneaky, Old Face Teal Teddy, and White Tiger. Will these be next to retire? or even any time soon? Whenever it may be, I'm sure these guys will be ready for their retirement home rocking chairs!

... America Bear Hang Tag
A reader has sent Ms. Janie a photo of the hang tag on the 'America' Beanie she just received. An oddity? Who knows. Her 'America', ordered as an "Internet Exclusive" from Ty Store, is displaying a retail tag (bar code) instead of the Ty Store tag.
Click here to view the photo

... New Products Listed
1:45 pm EST ... Following the 'announcement' on Ty's site this morning, all the new products (including the Beanie Babies and Buddies) are now listed on Ty's website . (The poems and birthdays will probably be posted soon as well.)

... Ty Newsflash
10:50 am EST ... Ty 'announces' the new March products on the Ty website, by stating "Visit your local Ty Authorized Retailer to see the 17 new March designs from Ty!"
Click here for link to Ty 'announcement'

... Contest Winners Announced
The winners of our Anniversary Celebration Contest have been posted on the Contest Page this morning. Today marks the beginning of our 7th year of running this website. We would like to thank everyone who participated, and hope you enjoyed it. Congratulations to all the winners. We shall begin another Contest in the near future ... watch for details to follow soon.

... New Beanie Boppers Listed
4:30 pm EST ... The three recently introduced Beanie Boppers, although never officially announced on Ty's site, are now listed in the 'current' section of the Boppers listings on Ty's site. Just added are Darling Debbie, Giggly Gracey, and Adorable Annie. (Guess Darling Debbie is one I'll HAVE to have :) ... her bio even sounds a bit like me as well.)
Click here to view Beanie Boppers on Ty's site

... McDonald's Special Disney Promo
2:50 pm EST ... Although non-Beanie related, if you are a Disney fan, you may want to take note.

McDonald's® Brings Walt Disney World "100 Years Of Magic" Celebration To Customers Through 100 Happy Meal Toys And Special Edition Glassware

OAK BROOK, Ill. (Feb. 28, 2002) -- Beginning March 8, McDonald's restaurants nationwide will salute the Walt Disney World "100 Years of Disney Magic" celebration with a full-scale promotion including a parade of 100 Disney character Happy Meal toys and a set of four special edition commemorative glasses.

Click here to read the McDonald's Press Release

... Rescue / Courage Variation
As noted above, a couple of weeks ago we reported on Rescue and Courage showing up in Japan with the flag on the left leg. A reader has now reported to Ms Janie of finding this variation in the U.S. as well, although quite limited. So when you're out hunting for that special Beanie, you might just want to check them out and see if you're lucky enough to find this variation as well.

... (White) 'America' Beanie Shipping
Several collectors have reported to have recently received shipping confirmations from Ty Store of the (white) 'America' Beanie Baby. If you ordered one, perhaps your Beanie is in the mail soon as well. A reader has sent Ms. Janie a photo of this Bear that she has just received.
Click here to view 'America'

... Our Anniversary Contest
Our Anniversary Celebration Contest ended at 11:59 pm EST Sunday. All winners will be notified soon, and announced on the site March 6th. All names will be randomly pulled through a computer automated number system, and the winners will be notified by the email you noted at time of entry submittance.

This contest lasted a bit longer than usual, as I was unsure of some personal situations at the time it was launched. (However, due to my unexpected 'illness', the surgery has been 'delayed'. Go figure, eh?)

Our special thanks to RyeByPost for donating the prizes! Without them, the Contest would not have been possible! And thanks to all of YOU who participated; there were over 6,300 total entries. Thanks for all the kind comments! We hope you enjoyed it and wish the best of luck to everyone!

... 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 - Tyra Attic Treasure
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

... Our Anniversary Contest
Don't forget to enter our 'Anniversary Celebration Contest'. It's fun, free, and easy; and some great prizes are being given away. Eight prize packages, eight winners! Remember, you can enter once per day. Our special thanks to RyeByPost for donating the prizes!

Note: The contest ends tonight at 11:59 pm EST. The countdown is underway ... just a few hours left to enter. We hope you have enjoyed it ... and good luck to everyone!

... Slow News
The news has been a bit slow the last couple of days. After the diagnosis of pneumonia from the doctor on Friday, I was forbidden to do anything but rest. (Well, at least when the hubby is watching anyway! :) Somehow, the feet just want to tiptoe in here quietly and check things out .... ssshhhh!!!) The contest winners will be announced shortly ... and more exciting things are scheduled SOON! So keep watching!

... Ty Website
Update: 5:00 pm EST ... I would advise you to keep checking the Ty site. Seems everything is back up and running with no noticeable changes (yet).

4:45 pm EST ... The main page of the Ty website reads ... "Some parts of Ty.com are currently experiencing difficulties. Please check back soon. We apologize for any inconvenience." The only thing showing on the main page (momentarily) is the new 'America' Bear, and the two recent newsflashes. Perhaps an announcement of the new March Ty products soon? Wait and see!

... Ty March Wallpaper
2:10 pm EST ... You can now download the March Wallpaper / Calendar on Ty's site.
Click here to view and download

... March Ordering Parameters
Ms. Janie has placed the Ty retailer ordering parameters for March.
Click here to view

... Annie Nickels Birthday Celebration Contest
Ty's secretary - Annie Nickels - celebrates her birthday on March 2nd. Four websites have planned a fun contest that begins on that day ... Ms. Janie's Collector's Studio, Beanie Mom, Beanie Phenomenon and Smart Collecting