The Fun World of Toy Collecting

Collecting toys has been a way for adults to stay young at heart no matter how old they get. Despite how much they age on the outside, inside they still retain that childhood pleasure of playing with toys. It's never too late to start a toy collection and there are many categories to choose from. Think back to what you liked to play with when you were a child and begin from there.

Dolls

Dolls are a favorite of women collectors. Often, a doll was one of the first toys that a little girl received and the joy of holding them and caring for them can be just as strong now as it was back then. There are many different types of dolls to collect. There are antique dolls, decorative dolls, baby dolls, ethnic dolls and fashion dolls. Some collectors even learn to make cloth dolls such as rag dolls. Others take great pleasure in making clothes and accessories so they can continuously change their dolls appearance. These hobbyists are proud of their collections and will often display them throughout their home.

Cars and Trucks

Men like to collect cars and trucks, and just like when they were children, they may still make the vroom sound as they push it around. There are also some women who like them too. Cars, such as antique cars can be pricey. There are also kits that allow the hobbyist to lovingly build their favorite models.

Other popular cars to collect are matchbox cars. They're small, so they don't take up much space and they come in many different models. A popular brand of truck to collect is Tonka. These trucks are work type vehicles, like bulldozers and dump trucks and many men played with them when they were children. They still bring a smile to the face of the men who collect them.

Plush Toys

Beanie Babies are highly collectible plush toys. They are made by Ty and are adorable representatives of just about every animal there is. They come in beautiful colors and the production for individual toys is limited, which makes them even more collectible. Another popular plush toy to collect is teddy bears. You can buy plain teddy bears or teddy bears that represent a particular era like the Victorian era, or an occupation like a fireman or doctor. Some hobbyists stick to one brand, while others like to collect from a variety of them.

Other Toys

There are many other kinds of toys to collect such as wooden toys. They have a nostalgic look to them and there are kits to make these as well. You can also collect puppets like marionettes, or hand puppets. The choices are practically endless.

By becoming a toy collector, you can leave the stressful adult world behind and re-enter the joyous world of a child.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Unique Collectibles Online at http://www.uniquecollectiblesonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall

Only Kids Are Allowed Toys?

I don't suppose there is no harm in not growing up.I mean through the eyes of a child,the world is an amazing place,full of wonder and awe.Starting a toy hobby as an adult should not therefore be seen as something odd or strange.Why should kids get all the pleasure?A toy hobby can go a long way to helping keep you young at heart.After all,do we ever grow up?

Dolls are a prime example,many women love dolls and never outgrow them.Antique dolls,decorative dolls and even fashion dolls are still collected by some women.Maybe they have an interest in crafting clothes and other accessories for their dolls as well as collecting them.This can lead to the hobbyist crafting their own figures in the form of rag dolls and ceramic head dolls.These special handmade dolls usually have an entire room in which they are displayed by their proud owners.

Cars and trucks in the form of diecast models are very popular amongst men.Models by Texaco and Coca-Cola can be very collectible and some are quite valuable too.Do you remember Matchbox cars and Tonka trucks from your childhood?If you collect these types of toys then you can safely say that your grandkids and their friends will have a great time either playing with,or looking at these models.

Beanie Babies are also a very popular toy that people collect.Beanie Babies come in all shapes and sizes in the form of velour animals.They each come with their own identity and a little humorous poem attached. They were originally intended as a childs toy but soon became popular amongst adults.A lot of Beanie Babies are in teddy bear shapes and these are added as an extension of a normal teddy bear collection.Teddy bear collections can grow quite huge and like doll collections usually have a room of their own in someone's house.

Good old fashioned wooden toys are also popular,either purchased or crafted by someone at home.Isn't there something enchanting about a handcrafted wooden toy being played with by a child?Doll's houses, games,puzzles and wooden vehicles are just a few of the toys that are hobbyists might collect.You might be suprised at the amount of adults who prefer old fashioned toys over the new electronic gizmos that are available.They find them noisy and irritable and much prefer the quieter toys.

Don't think that because you are now adult that you have to forsake toys.A toy hobby can keep you young and,who knows,maybe you can share your passion with your neighbours children and help them get off their computers.Whether you collect toys or craft them, a toy hobby can be great fun.

Alan Richardson is the owner of http://www.hobby-ebooks.com where you can find e-books on all types of hobbies and crafts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Richardson

The Hottest Toys for 2007

Year after year more and more toys flood the market, new trends rise, new trends die. Finally a trend comes along that will probably last for a while; Webkinz. Ok I must admit at first glance these look like a total gimmick to suck parents dry of every last dollar this year. However this toy crosses a barrier not many toys have been able to do. Not only are they cool, educational and fun, kids and parents alike seem to love them. Unlike many toy trends this one will last more than 1-2 years and you're about to find out why.

I know you are probably saying to yourself now (yeah right) but webkinz are different than other toys. They seem to come to life and children everywhere can't wait to get home and finish their homework to play with their webkinz online. So what is going to make them last you might ask? Tickle Me Elmo didn't last more than 2 years beanie babies they were great for a short time. Well the answer is simple; creation. When you go online with your webkinz pet you give it life into a game and then build your pet up and earn kinz cash after creating their pet and their world. Think of it as almost role playing a character that you created. Its also an interactive world that has limitless potential as long as Ganz continually updates the enviroment kids will be hooked at the changes. So you build your pet up in a new world and bring it all to life. Sure it could get dull at some point and it will as kids get older they won't want to play anymore, but new recruits can be brought in everyday. Unlike most toys that are just a physical doll or toy this brings entertainment to a new level. You get the physical products and the mental product of going into your own little world.

I see this trend lasting awhile I'd estimate about 5 years. Even after 5 years however it won't be dead it will have life for upwards of 7-8 years before fading out with the next new hot product that takes the world by storm. Webkinz bring a whole new element to the interactive experience that kids have longed for for years that outside of a video game or console system never really existed. Ganz will create new products each year that revolve in the webkinz universe that collectors and kids alike will have to get their hands on. Even as we speak some of the collectors pieces are going for over $200!

The trend will be determined by supply and demand right now supplies are low and eventually supply will meet demand and the trend will level off and fade away. It won't fade away for quite some time however because this product simply has it all. Parents think of it as a way to keep your kids out of trouble and away from violence all while enjoying their own virtual world.

Mikey Simms buy webkinz pets on line buy tmx friends elmo ernie cookie monster buy tmx cookie monster on line Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mikey_Simms

Beanie Babies – A Piece of History

One could say the story of the Beanie Babies begins seven years before the first beanies, even see the light of day. In 1986 the company Ty Inc is established in Illinois in the USA. The founder is a man named Ty Warner and one can believe he was a man on a mission. The story has it that the beanie baby father was already a high powered toy sales man after working for another toy company, Dakin, for several years.

The Ty Inc company releases a few different collections before the beanie babies enter the scene in the year of 1993. Nothing would be the same again for the marketing genius of Ty Warner. The legend speaks of the Original Nine, a famous group of beanies that are forever enshrined in the history of toys and collectibles. They were Legs the Frog, Flash the Dolphin, Patti the Platypus, Spot the Dog, Patti the Platypus, Chocolate the Moose, Pinchers the Lobster, Splash the Whale and Cubbie the Bear (originally named Brownie the Bear). They are all first shown to the world at the New York Toy Fair of that year.

In the following two years the Beanie Babies go from a local Chicago thing to being a nationwide talk of the town. Ty continues his strategy of selling only directly to small gift and collectible stores. This is later seen as an important part of create the enormous myth around these lovely little creatures. So called experts expect forecast that the Christmas of 1995 will be beginning of the end for the Beanie Babies, but the following year proves the utterly wrong and nothing could be further from the truth.

In the year of 1996 sales grow tenfold! Stores are screaming for more beanie babies and Ty is working hard to keep up with the demand. The legend has it that he even has to lease large airplanes to get all the beanies out to the stores in time for the Easter rush. Ty continues to tightly control the whole business and the website ty.com is launched creating a place in cyberspace where Beanie Baby trades can take place. Here also for the first time one can actually follow the retiring of the different characters, another part that contributes to the big craze around these toys.

The rest as they say, is history. Sales surpass 250 million dollars in 1996, Ty is interviewed in People Magazine and Forbes Magazine. Beanies Babies become one of the the largest crazes in toy history and with the step from just mouth-to-mouth into traditional advertising in 1996 they become unstoppable across the globe.

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and takes great interest in the Beanie Babies. He runs his site http://www.beaniebabiesdirectory.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources in regards to Beanie Babies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Eriksson

Beanie Babies – The Original Nine

These Beanie Babies have become known as Original Nine, a named filled with wonder amongst collectors around the world. It is as legendary as maybe Fantastic Four or Oceans Eleven. Or maybe these Beanie Babies launched in late 1993 at the New York World Toy Fair just plain play in a division of their own.

As with many new introductions there were people who were sceptical. They nicknamed these beanies Road Kill. This due to their all new design, which included being somewhat understuffed and containing a mix of traditional stuffing and the all new beans. The design made it possible to place your beanie baby in various positions, sitting or laying down.

The concept was simple, plush animals with a small number of colors and some facial expressions added. More than the beanie babies themselves what also became a vital part of their fame was their hang tags. In the beginning most people removed these tags, at this time they did not have the later poems on them either, but later collectors kept the tags on there and the most valuable beanies today all have their hang tag intact. Several pages have been written on the topic of these hang tags and it might well be possible to base a doctors degree on the research of these tags. With the years the came in a multitude of variations.

Back to the group known as the Original Nine. These beanie babies were named Cubbie the Bear (originally named Brownie the Bear, Splash the Whale, Patti the Platypus, Squealer the Pig, Legs the Frog, Pinchers the Lobster, Chocolate the Moose and Spot the Dog. As with all Beanies, these have been retired during the years. When the concept of retirement was first introduced by Ty Warner in 1996 the fame of the beanie babies really took off.

Of the beanies mentioned above May of 1997 saw the retirement of Flash and Splash. In October the same year Spot and Legs did the same. The following year, 1998, all the other five were retired with Chocolate the Moose being the last one in December of that year.

Though they have now retired these Beanie Babies will forever be remembered as the ones who made it all happen in those early years together with their father and creator Ty Warner. Today it is hard to believe that originally the beanies were actually meant for kids to play with!

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and takes great interest in the Beanie Babies. He runs his site http://www.beaniebabiesdirectory.com/ where you can find articles, links and useful resources in regards to Beanie Babies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Eriksson

Buying Genuine Beanie Babies

With the popularity of Beanie Babies, there is a problem with counterfeit or copy beanie babies on the market. Some copies are easy to spot, but some are getting quite clever in their attempts to sell less than true quality products. To be sure of only buying the genuine article make sure that the seller can be easily contacted and try to ensure that they are a reputable dealer who shows references on their website and feedback from other customers.
If you are already a collector then you will probably know what to look for in a genuine article, but if you are not familiar with the real thing then it is best to seek advice before buying so that you avoid the disappointment of falling for a replica. There are many Beanie Baby shows which are a good place to get the feel for the fabric and feel of the beanie. It is worth remembering that replicas are usually imperfect copies in more than one respect, so there may be several tell-tale signs of being a counterfeit.
The tags are usually the biggest give away for a replica, try to learn about the different generation hang tags and tush tags and the way that the information is printed on them and the wording that is used.
http://www.babybeaniecollectables.com
About The Author
Gary Prestwich
It was such a disappointment for my daughter when we all realised that her pocket money that she'd been saving had been spent on a counterfeit beanie baby, so I published this website about Beanies http://www.babybeaniecollectables.com

Only Kids Are Allowed Toys?

I don't suppose there is no harm in not growing up.I mean through the eyes of a child,the world is an amazing place,full of wonder and awe.Starting a toy hobby as an adult should not therefore be seen as something odd or strange.Why should kids get all the pleasure?A toy hobby can go a long way to helping keep you young at heart.After all,do we ever grow up?

Dolls are a prime example,many women love dolls and never outgrow them.Antique dolls,decorative dolls and even fashion dolls are still collected by some women.Maybe they have an interest in crafting clothes and other accessories for their dolls as well as collecting them.This can lead to the hobbyist crafting their own figures in the form of rag dolls and ceramic head dolls.These special handmade dolls usually have an entire room in which they are displayed by their proud owners.

Cars and trucks in the form of diecast models are very popular amongst men.Models by Texaco and Coca-Cola can be very collectible and some are quite valuable too.Do you remember Matchbox cars and Tonka trucks from your childhood?If you collect these types of toys then you can safely say that your grandkids and their friends will have a great time either playing with,or looking at these models.

Beanie Babies are also a very popular toy that people collect.Beanie Babies come in all shapes and sizes in the form of velour animals.They each come with their own identity and a little humorous poem attached. They were originally intended as a childs toy but soon became popular amongst adults.A lot of Beanie Babies are in teddy bear shapes and these are added as an extension of a normal teddy bear collection.Teddy bear collections can grow quite huge and like doll collections usually have a room of their own in someone's house.

Good old fashioned wooden toys are also popular,either purchased or crafted by someone at home.Isn't there something enchanting about a handcrafted wooden toy being played with by a child?Doll's houses, games,puzzles and wooden vehicles are just a few of the toys that are hobbyists might collect.You might be suprised at the amount of adults who prefer old fashioned toys over the new electronic gizmos that are available.They find them noisy and irritable and much prefer the quieter toys.

Don't think that because you are now adult that you have to forsake toys.A toy hobby can keep you young and,who knows,maybe you can share your passion with your neighbours children and help them get off their computers.Whether you collect toys or craft them, a toy hobby can be great fun.

Alan Richardson is the owner of http://www.hobby-ebooks.com where you can find e-books on all types of hobbies and crafts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Richardson

17 Ways To Determine If A Beanie Baby Is Counterfeit

You should always buy Ty Beanie Babies from reputable dealers or from sellers who you know how to contact. These dealers and sellers should also have many references and/or feedback from other people they have done business with.

Most counterfeit Beanie Babies are easy to spot if you know what to look for. If you don't know what to look for then you will probably have a hard time telling most counterfeit Beanie Babies from authentic Ty Beanie Babies.

Beanie Baby shows are a good place to check out expensive Beanie Babies. Try to handle them if you can. Get to know the feel of the fabric and their overall appearance.

Some counterfeits are excellent reproductions, but regardless of how good the counterfeits look, they usually have many mistakes. It is never just one mistake.

If you are buying expensive Beanie Babies, then you should educate yourself on the counterfeits or at least know where to find the information when you need it.

Here are two websites that have information on counterfeit Beanie Babies along with photographs of many of them:

About Beanies Counterfeit Information http://www.aboutbeanies.com/fakes/index.html

Ms. Janie's Beanies Counterfeit Page http://www.msjanie.com/fakes/fake_page.html

Your other option is to have the Beanie Baby authenticated which is inexpensive to do. You can get your Beanie Babies authenticated at these websites:

http://www.pbbags.com/

http://www.peggyg.com/

Most of the mistakes on the counterfeits can be found on the tags. Become familiar with the different generation hang tags and tush tags or know where to look to find this information.

You can find information and photographs of all the different generation hang tags Ty has produced here:

http://www.aboutbeanies.com/tags.html

Below are 17 ways to determine if a Beanie Baby is counterfeit:

1. Many of the counterfeits have spelling errors on the tags, but keep in mind that so do some of the authentic Ty Beanie Babies. So you usually have to look for other mistakes beside just this.

2. Check the tag dates and the addresses to make sure they are correct. Many of the counterfeits have the wrong date on the tush tag.

3. Compare the tags of the suspect Beanie Baby with the tags of another Ty Beanie Baby that you know to be authentic.

4. Is the type on the tags too light or too dark? Is it the right typeface?

5. Compare the tags to an authentic Ty Beanie Baby's tags and determine if the tags are smaller or larger than the authentic tags.

6. Compare the stock color inside the hang tag to another hang tag. Is it too white? Authentic tags have an off-white color.

7. Are the color of the hang tags identical? Or does the red and yellow on the hang tag look muted or too light or too dark? The hang tag should be blue red and not orange red.

8. The yellow star on the hang tag should be a bright sunshine yellow, not a mustard color.

9. Some of the counterfeit Beanie Babies have a yellow star on their hang tag that have points that are too "pointy." The points of authentic hang tag stars are slightly rounded.

10. Check the gold edge on the hang tag. It should have a nice clean line and be a light bright gold color. It shouldn't be brassy.

11. Check the overall size and shape of the Beanie. Some of the counterfeit Ty teddy bears have ears that are either too small or too large or perhaps the legs or arms are too short or are shaped strangely.

12. Is the teddy bear's head too large or overstuffed?

13. Check the eyes to see if they are too close together or too big or too small.

14. Are the eyes a solid color? Some Beanie Baby eyes are a solid color and some are not. Humphrey the camel has solid black eyes but most of the counterfeit Humphrey have eyes that are two-tone.

15. Check the fabric and see if it is rough or if the color is too dark or too light.

16. Does the fabric nap look right? Is the fabric rough, stiff or the wrong color?

17. Most authentic Beanies have nice plush fabric that "flows" in all directions and doesn't get "wrinkly."

One place you should avoid buying expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated is online auctions like eBay. Odds are that if you buy enough of these expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated, that you will eventually end up buying some that are counterfeit.

Reference: Mary Beth's Counterfeit Update

Barry Stein has been a Beanie Baby dealer since 1997. You can visit his website at http://BarrysBeanies.com, where he sells Beanie Babies retail and wholesale.

You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the BarrysBeanies.com website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_Stein

Buying Genuine Beanie Babies

With the popularity of Beanie Babies, there is a problem with counterfeit or copy beanie babies on the market. Some copies are easy to spot, but some are getting quite clever in their attempts to sell less than true quality products. To be sure of only buying the genuine article make sure that the seller can be easily contacted and try to ensure that they are a reputable dealer who shows references on their website and feedback from other customers.

If you are already a collector then you will probably know what to look for in a genuine article, but if you are not familiar with the real thing then it is best to seek advice before buying so that you avoid the disappointment of falling for a replica. There are many Beanie Baby shows which are a good place to get the feel for the fabric and feel of the beanie. It is worth remembering that replicas are usually imperfect copies in more than one respect, so there may be several tell-tale signs of being a counterfeit.

The tags are usually the biggest give away for a replica, try to learn about the different generation hang tags and tush tags and the way that the information is printed on them and the wording that is used.

It was such a disappointment for my daughter when we all realised that her pocket money that she'd been saving had been spent on a counterfeit beanie baby, so I published this website about Beanies http://www.babybeaniecollectables.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Prestwich

Beanie Babies Anonymous

A wise man once said, "If you ignore something long enough, eventually it will go away." Actually, he said it several times, but nobody listened so he left.

That old saw is one reason I've never done a column on Beanie Babies. I thought that if I could just resist the urge to poke fun and ignore their existence long enough, they would eventually go the way of Cabbage Patch Dolls and Tickle Me Elmos. Of course, ignoring them didn't work and I should have known better. I've been ignoring my kids for years and they're still around, standing right outside the bathroom door, pounding on it, asking me what I'm reading in there. My oldest caught me looking at the newspaper on the front porch the other day and asked if I shouldn't be doing that in private. I think it's time to talk boarding school. Russian boarding school. But first, comrade, back to the subject at hand.

I think Beanie Babies are cute, cuddly little creatures, and I will admit to having spent a few of my hard- earned dollars on Beanies for my baby girl to play with (I can hear many of you screaming, "They're not meant to be played with!"). But never have I sat outside a McDonald's at two in the morning waiting for it to open so I could get an Egg McMuffin and a Teenie Beanie to go. And I apologize in advance if I insult anyone, but I think people who go to such great lengths to buy a child's toy need help. And that's what this column is all about.

You see, my sister, a normally sane, rational human being, is awash in the Beanie Baby craze. She has tiny synthetic pellets racing through her veins and they are starting to affect every facet of her life. She is the reason I am willing to break my vow of ignorance and speak out against these demons in plush clothing. The thought of her sitting outside a Hallmark store at three in the morning staring blindly at a dog- eared copy of "The Beanie Baby Bible" just sends chills down my spine. The woman needs help, my friends, and I am willing to take on the task at hand.

So, to help my dear sister and the millions of others who have fallen under the spell of Beanie Baby mania, I am officially founding Beanie Babies Anonymous, an organization dedicated to helping you just say no to Beanie Babies. BBA will follow a simple 4-step program designed to help even the most severely- addicted junkie kick his/her Beanie Baby habit.

Here are the 4 steps of BBA. Follow them to the letter and soon your life will be yours to live again:

Step 1)
Admit you have a problem: The first step in any recovery program is admitting that you have a problem. Here are the three warning signs of Beanie Baby Addiction. If you can relate to at least one of them, you are a Beanie Baby Junkie.
(1) You would willingly camp out all night outside a McDonald's in the highest crime district in town just to be the first in line on Teenie Beanie day.
(2) You have no qualms about snatching Beanie Babies from the hands of little children and if it makes them cry, well tough patootie! And
(3) If you can't swing a dead cat (is there a dead cat Beanie?) anywhere in your house without hitting a display of Beanie Babies, you have a problem. A big problem.

Step 2)
Admit that your addiction is harmful to others: You've probably been too busy feeding that Beanie Baby monkey on your back to notice that the rest of your life has gone to pot. Your addiction not only affects you, but those closest to you. Have your children moved in with relatives because you forgot to fix dinner eighteen nights in a row because you were busy dusting the tags in your Beanies' ears? Did you angrily take the family dog to the pound and order them to "Gas the SOB!" just because he growled at your Princess Di Beanie Bear? Have you been served with divorce papers that contain the phrase "refuses to consummate marriage because it would disturb Happy the Hippo's nap?" If so, you owe everyone you know a big apology, especially your dog, God rest his soul.

Step 3)
Cast the snake from the garden: This is perhaps the most difficult, yet most important mile marker on the road to recovery. This is where you rid your life of the furry, little monsters that have almost driven you to the point of no return. Follow my directions to the letter and do it quickly, without thinking, because if you stop to think about what you're doing, your addiction will take the upper hand and you will be lost again. With that in mind, here is the biggest step you must take: Box up every Beanie Baby you own, especially Peanut the Elephant and Brownie the Bear, and send them to me, Tim Knox, Director of Beanie Babies Anonymous, in care of this website. Send me your kids' Beanie Babies, too! I will take these vile creatures and dispose of them for you free of charge so that they will never infect the lives of normal people again. Don't forget, box them up and send them to me as soon as possible. I guarantee that both our lives will be enriched.

Step 4)
Spread the gospel to others: This is the final step in overcoming Beanie Baby Addiction. You must go out into the world and tell everyone you meet the story of your addiction. Give witness to the masses. Show them the light. Have them send their Beanie Babies to me. You are getting sleepy... Remember, if you can change the life of just one person and they in turn pass the message along to someone else, soon the world will be a sane place once again.

A "retired" Beanie Baby, one that has been taken out of circulation, can go for a thousand times its original cost. A complete collection of Beanie Babies (600 in all) is valued at $100,000. Here are the top ten most valuable.

As further proof of the need for an organization like Beanie Babies Anonymous,read the following transcripts and media accounts of how Beanie Baby Mania is affecting our world.

From the Disassociated Press:
OAK BROOK, IL (DP): Shares in McDonald's Corp. rose to a 52-week high Wednesday in response to the news that the fastfood giant will stop selling food effective immediately and will instead become the nations top retailer of Beanie Babies. McDonald's stock jumped over three dollars per share after the announcement. A company spokesman said, "Nobody wants our food anymore, but everybody wants Beanie Babies. The change just makes sense."

Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News:
"Addressing a large crowd in Lahore, Pakistan on Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defended his country's decision to detonate six nuclear devices last week and said that Pakistan will continue nuclear testing until India signs the "No Nuke" test treaty and the Ty Corporation gives every man, woman and child in Pakistan a Nana the Monkey Beanie Baby. More now from Christiana Amonpour in Lahore..."

Bernard Shaw, CNN Headline News:
"This just in: Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr has announced that he is issuing subpoenas to executives of the Ty Corporation, the company that markets Beanie Babies. Starr claims his investigations have revealed that President Clinton gave Monica Lewinsky a 'Grunt the Razorback Pig' Beanie Baby as a gift after a sexual encounter in the White House."

Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes:
"The Ty Corporation, the company that sells Beanie Babies, is so secretive that not even the US government knows who is in charge. The company continually refused our requests for interviews and, in an anonymously-signed statement, said that, quote, '...if you do not immediately cease with your investigation into our operation we will have no choice but to send out a very large blue bear to bite your head off.' Unquote."

Dan Rather, CBS Evening News:
"Good evening. The bottom fell out of the Beanie Baby market today when it was revealed that the man in charge of the Ty Corporation, the mysterious company behind the popular line of plush toys, is none other than Microsoft CEO Bill Gates himself. Competing manufacturers of teddy bears and other plush toys have come out accusing Gates of trying to monopolize the plush toy industry, prompting the Justice Department to order an immediate investigation."

Alright, I made those up. But the following accounts are real, as reported by the Associated Press:

Forty guns were handed over to police in Kanakakee, Ill., in exchange for Teenie Beanie Babies, miniature versions of Beanie Babies given out by McDonald's as a Happy Meals premium. The no-questions-asked swap brought in 23 pistols and 17 shotguns in one day.

In an attempt to thwart the smuggling in of Beanie Babies available only in Canada, the U.S. Customs Service strictly enforces a one-Beanie rule. "A consumer is allowed to have one Beanie Baby for personal use every 30 days,'' says Customs officer Ralph Hackney. Any more are subject to seizure.

Customs agents seized an incoming shipment at O'Hare International Airport last December. Their catch: 456 imitations of Beanie Babies. Most were fake versions of "Grunt," the toy red razorback pig that is considered a collector's items and sells for as much as $130 each.

The Minnesota Better Business Bureau runs a Beanie Baby hotline to warn consumers of suspected counterfeits. Basketball's Philadelphia 76ers handed out 5,000 Beanies to children 12 and under during a game this year against the Golden State Warriors. It was only the second sellout game of the 76ers season. The other was against the Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

A crowd of thousands lined up outside a store in San Mateo, Calif., for the chance to buy new and retired Beanie Babies at below-market prices. The store gave out tickets, then called out random numbers. Those selected got to go in and buy the toys for $5.99 each.

Burglars broke into a suburban Chicago home in mid-April. They left the TV, stereo and most other valuables, but made off with a gold ring and a number of Beanie Babies, all valued at $4,000.

In Orange County, California, owners of a collectibles shop were treated and released for head injuries in early April after being clubbed with an iron barbell by thieves who made off with $6,000 worth of rare Beanie Babies.

The final divorce decree for Randy and Jan Staffan of Minneapolis stated that he got the house, much of its furnishings, and a few vehicles. She got to keep her salon business and half the couple's Beanie Babies.

Shocking, isn't it? Friends, let's stop this madness before it's too late.

Send those Beanie Babies to me today!

Tim Knox
Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Radio Host
Check Out Tim's New Radio Show! =>http://www.timknoxshow.com
Preorder Tim’s New Book =>Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama http://www.timknox.com/amazon/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Knox

Beanie Babies - The Years of Prosperity

After their rise to glory in the events leading up to 1996 the Beanie Babies continued their journey to world wide fame from whopping turnover of 250 million USD in 1996. The following year the beanie babies enter the fast food market in a joint venture with McDonalds, where a mini version of the beanies, called Teenie Beanies, are included in Happy Meals as part of the largest promotion of this meal ever.

Restaurants cross the globe are crowded with Beanie Babies fans, trying to get their hands on the teenie beanies. This year is also marked by the launch of the Sports Promo Beanie where ten thousand Cubbie Bear Beanies are given away to kids at a Chicago Cubs game. This year also marks the birth of Brittania, the first beanie created exclusively for the European market, where Germany is also awakening to the little creatures that Ty Warner is now promoting there also.

A second serving of Happy Meals is part of pushing sales in 1998 over the one billion dollar mark. This makes Ty the most succesful toy manufacturer in history. He also gives birth to the first Charity Beanie this year, as Princess a royal purple bear is sold in remembrance of Princess Di and in support for her foundation. A total donation of 10 million dollars is made from these sales.

The two following years several internationally exclusive Beanie Babies are launched, such as Germania in Germany, Sakura in Japan and USA Bear in, well you guessed it, in the USA. On a personal Ty note he buys the tallest hotel in New York City in the year of 1999, called The Four Seasons Hotel. This year is also the famous year when he announces that he will be retiring all Beanie Babies at the end of the year and a special beanie called The End is created. At years end he decides to leave it up to the collectors world wide to decide the faith of the beanies. The vote comes in with a roaring yes to continued creation of new Beanie Babies.

The following year, 2001, sees the birth of several different charity bears, such as Issy that comes in over 60 different versions and a series of bears to raise funds for those affected by the 11th of september events. A charity bear signed by Ty himself is sold on eBay for 24000 USD, money that is then donated to charity.

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and takes great interest in the Beanie Babies. He runs his site http://www.beaniebabiesdirectory.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources in regards to Beanie Babies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Eriksson

17 Ways To Determine If A Beanie Baby Is Counterfeit

You should always buy Ty Beanie Babies from reputable dealers or from sellers who you know how to contact. These dealers and sellers should also have many references and/or feedback from other people they have done business with.

Most counterfeit Beanie Babies are easy to spot if you know what to look for. If you don't know what to look for then you will probably have a hard time telling most counterfeit Beanie Babies from authentic Ty Beanie Babies.

Beanie Baby shows are a good place to check out expensive Beanie Babies. Try to handle them if you can. Get to know the feel of the fabric and their overall appearance.

Some counterfeits are excellent reproductions, but regardless of how good the counterfeits look, they usually have many mistakes. It is never just one mistake.

If you are buying expensive Beanie Babies, then you should educate yourself on the counterfeits or at least know where to find the information when you need it.

Here are two websites that have information on counterfeit Beanie Babies along with photographs of many of them:

About Beanies Counterfeit Information http://www.aboutbeanies.com/fakes/index.html

Ms. Janie's Beanies Counterfeit Page http://www.msjanie.com/fakes/fake_page.html

Your other option is to have the Beanie Baby authenticated which is inexpensive to do. You can get your Beanie Babies authenticated at these websites:

http://www.pbbags.com/

http://www.peggyg.com/

Most of the mistakes on the counterfeits can be found on the tags. Become familiar with the different generation hang tags and tush tags or know where to look to find this information.

You can find information and photographs of all the different generation hang tags Ty has produced here:

http://www.aboutbeanies.com/tags.html

Below are 17 ways to determine if a Beanie Baby is counterfeit:

1. Many of the counterfeits have spelling errors on the tags, but keep in mind that so do some of the authentic Ty Beanie Babies. So you usually have to look for other mistakes beside just this.

2. Check the tag dates and the addresses to make sure they are correct. Many of the counterfeits have the wrong date on the tush tag.

3. Compare the tags of the suspect Beanie Baby with the tags of another Ty Beanie Baby that you know to be authentic.

4. Is the type on the tags too light or too dark? Is it the right typeface?

5. Compare the tags to an authentic Ty Beanie Baby's tags and determine if the tags are smaller or larger than the authentic tags.

6. Compare the stock color inside the hang tag to another hang tag. Is it too white? Authentic tags have an off-white color.

7. Are the color of the hang tags identical? Or does the red and yellow on the hang tag look muted or too light or too dark? The hang tag should be blue red and not orange red.

8. The yellow star on the hang tag should be a bright sunshine yellow, not a mustard color.

9. Some of the counterfeit Beanie Babies have a yellow star on their hang tag that have points that are too "pointy." The points of authentic hang tag stars are slightly rounded.

10. Check the gold edge on the hang tag. It should have a nice clean line and be a light bright gold color. It shouldn't be brassy.

11. Check the overall size and shape of the Beanie. Some of the counterfeit Ty teddy bears have ears that are either too small or too large or perhaps the legs or arms are too short or are shaped strangely.

12. Is the teddy bear's head too large or overstuffed?

13. Check the eyes to see if they are too close together or too big or too small.

14. Are the eyes a solid color? Some Beanie Baby eyes are a solid color and some are not. Humphrey the camel has solid black eyes but most of the counterfeit Humphrey have eyes that are two-tone.

15. Check the fabric and see if it is rough or if the color is too dark or too light.

16. Does the fabric nap look right? Is the fabric rough, stiff or the wrong color?

17. Most authentic Beanies have nice plush fabric that "flows" in all directions and doesn't get "wrinkly."

One place you should avoid buying expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated is online auctions like eBay. Odds are that if you buy enough of these expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated, that you will eventually end up buying some that are counterfeit.

Reference: Mary Beth's Counterfeit Update

Barry Stein has been a Beanie Baby dealer since 1997. You can visit his website at http://BarrysBeanies.com, where he sells Beanie Babies retail and wholesale.

You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the BarrysBeanies.com website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_Stein

Baby Beanies: The Baby Toy of all Time?

Baby beanies haven't been around that much since they were "born" only in 1994 when Ty Warner introduced the first baby beanies in the market. Not many people know that a baby beanie or more officially known as beanie baby were first made by him. He made the baby beanie to be more lifelike by giving it more air. In other words, there was less stuffing inside each baby beanie. The usual baby toys were stuffed to the hilt and they were stiff. While Ty's beanie baby was half filled with stuffing and half filled with beans. Hence the name beanie baby. Other competitors sneered and said that his toys would not last long. But exactly the opposite is what happened!

Now, the "original nine" as they are officially referred to are the first nine baby beanies Ty Warner made. These are the Spot the dog, Squealer the pig, Patti the platypus, Cubbie the bear, Chocolate the moose, Pinchers the lobster, Splash the killer whale, Legs the frog and Flash the dolphin. Collectors have dubbed them as such since these where the first baby beanies available that were selling at less than $5.00 each. Each baby beanie comes with a short poem to introduce it to the toddler. This was written on a red heart-shaped tag that is attached by the animal's ear.

Not much is known how many baby beanies are totally in existence since there are lines developed that create a family of baby beanies. The most famous is the teddy-bear baby beanie that was created. The basic pattern was just re-used and different colors were utilized to create a family. Different names were given to each teddy bear in keeping with the tradition of having a name. Some teddy bear baby beanies are usually used for commemmorative uses such as in the Fourth of July or there is a Diana, the Princess of Wales have been made as a commemmorative collector's item.

However, the official baby beanies were mostly animal shapes such as cats and pigs, dogs and hippopotamuses. These are usually brightly colored and stylized to make them pleasing in the eye. The official baby beanie comes with his or her own name. It has its own date of birth. And most important of all, a short poem that describes its personality.

The baby beanie crazed happened in the late 1996 when a frenzied collection of baby beanies started. This prompted Ty Warner to retire some of the baby beanies to hype up even more the sales and marketing side of his products. There were people who bought wholesale in anticipation of the possible future value of a single baby beanie. However, as with other fads that easily rise and can be easily forgotten, the baby beanie craze was just another fad that quickly fizzled. Or what the expectation of those "investors" did not materialize at all.

Inspite of what happened, baby beanies are here to stay since babies usually prefer soft toys that they can easily hug and bite and hold easily in their hand. Baby beanies need not be in the same family of baby beanies to be appreciated. A colllection of baby beanies show the kind of personality the baby has or it speaks the kind of personality the giver has.

Visit http://www.BabyInFirstYear.com and learn things like when your baby will need to see the doctor and what immunizations she will receive. How to introduce solid foods into your baby's diet and how to make your home safe for baby as he grows and much, more...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_McDonald

Buying Genuine Beanie Babies

With the popularity of Beanie Babies, there is a problem with counterfeit or copy beanie babies on the market. Some copies are easy to spot, but some are getting quite clever in their attempts to sell less than true quality products. To be sure of only buying the genuine article make sure that the seller can be easily contacted and try to ensure that they are a reputable dealer who shows references on their website and feedback from other customers.

If you are already a collector then you will probably know what to look for in a genuine article, but if you are not familiar with the real thing then it is best to seek advice before buying so that you avoid the disappointment of falling for a replica. There are many Beanie Baby shows which are a good place to get the feel for the fabric and feel of the beanie. It is worth remembering that replicas are usually imperfect copies in more than one respect, so there may be several tell-tale signs of being a counterfeit.

The tags are usually the biggest give away for a replica, try to learn about the different generation hang tags and tush tags and the way that the information is printed on them and the wording that is used.

It was such a disappointment for my daughter when we all realised that her pocket money that she'd been saving had been spent on a counterfeit beanie baby, so I published this website about Beanies http://www.babybeaniecollectables.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Prestwich

Beanie Baby as One of Great Asset to Save You Money, Time, and Heartache!

When I was a young child I thought that my father knew EVERYTHING. It might have been true in my father's case, but now that I myself am a father (twelve times over) I see that this is as far from the truth as London is from Los Angeles! With the never ending technological and social changes it is almost impossible to be aware of all that is going on. But, do you know what, it really doesn't matter. Vickie L. Milazzo recently wrote in Entrepreneur.com that one of the ways that she grew her business 300% to be worth 12 million dollars was by not only listening to experts but also by listening to $8 an hour employees! Obviously she made the final decisions but she listened to EVERYONE'S ideas. Instead of spending lots of time researching what kind of car to buy, what is the best restaurant in town or even where you should shop, asks your teenagers.

Here are a few areas where they can you money, time, and heartache.

* Big Purchases. If you are planning to buy something expensive for the house, let's say a new dining room set, a new kitchen or a new home entertainment center then ask your teen to ask their friends (if they haven't already) or go on line to compare prices and quality between different brands. Ask them also to investigate which stores in your city have the best service. You'll be saving yourself a lot of time and, if you are like me, also a lot of money. (I usually lose my patience after I compare one or two stores.)

* Home improvements. You'll be surprised what great ideas your teens have to fix up your house. They have seen all types of good ideas at their friends houses and they are not lazy to go on line to find better ideas and to compare prices. An added benefit is they might do it themselves! The other day, after I asked my son how to fix a leaking washing machine he told me that he'll take care of it. He saved me a good few hours and probably did a better job than me!

* Family get togethers. Planning a holiday dinner for the whole family (cousins, parents, parent-in-laws etc.)? I'm sure your daughter will love to help you find new recipes that she heard from her friends. She canalso look through magazines for original ways to set the table. An added benefit you might gain is that since she helped plan the dinner she will help more willingly.

* Vacations. Researching where to take the family on a vacation could take a long time. Your teen can research for you hotel prices, plane schedules and fun and interesting activities in that area. Tell them the time that you are planning to go and basically where and see what they come up. If you feel uncomfortable to discusss with them the financial limitations, tell them to look at different price ranges and then you'll decide in the end. Remember, like all CEO's, you make the final decision. You'll be amazed at the cheap flights and hotels that they will discover. Also, if you choose to listen to what they suggest and it doesn't work out, they won't be able to complain since it was their suggestion!

* Younger children. The area in which they are most helpful is to help you with younger children. As long as you know that they really care about their younger siblings (don't pay attention to their petty fights) then they will help you find out what the younger brothers and sisters are really up to and with whom they really hang out and what they feel is a good intervention. Remember, they understand better than us what, nowadays is considered "normal" behavior and what is bizarre. This can save you much heartache and trips to the school's counselor. Just remember, the younger sibling can never catch on that you discuss him with the older siblings. You have to make sure not to use any information you receive from the older sibling in a way that the younger one will figure out how you know it.

One last word. Don't only listen to their facts and figures and totally disregard their opinions. You surely should decide what to buy, where to vacation, and what to do with your other child but show your teens that you appreciate and respect what they did for you. If you do this, I'm sure, you will probably be pleasantly surprised at how much they helped you.

About The Author

Shevach Pepper is the happy father of twelve children and is a family and life coach helping successful people to utilize their business and leadership skills in their personal life. For more information and helpful tips on family issues visit http://www.greatfamilyman.com.

Seventeen Ways to Determine if a Beanie Baby is Counterfeit

You should always buy Ty Beanie Babies from reputable dealers or from sellers who you know how to contact. These dealers and sellers should also have many references and/or feedback from other people they have done business with.

Most counterfeit Beanie Babies are easy to spot if you know what to look for. If you don't know what to look for then you will probably have a hard time telling most counterfeit Beanie Babies from authentic Ty Beanie Babies.

Beanie Baby shows are a good place to check out expensive Beanie Babies. Try to handle them if you can. Get to know the feel of the fabric and their overall appearance.

Some counterfeits are excellent reproductions, but regardless of how good the counterfeits look, they usually have many mistakes. It is never just one mistake.

If you are buying expensive Beanie Babies, then you should educate yourself on the counterfeits or at least know where to find the information when you need it.

Here are two websites that have information on counterfeit Beanie Babies along with photographs of many of them:

About Beanies Counterfeit Information http://www.aboutbeanies.com/fakes/index.html

Ms. Janie's Beanies Counterfeit Page http://www.msjanie.com/fakes/fake_page.html

Your other option is to have the Beanie Baby authenticated which is inexpensive to do. You can get your Beanie Babies authenticated at these websites:

http://www.pbbags.com/

http://www.peggyg.com/

Most of the mistakes on the counterfeits can be found on the tags. Become familiar with the different generation hang tags and tush tags or know where to look to find this information.

You can find information and photographs of all the different generation hang tags Ty has produced here: http://www.aboutbeanies.com/tags.html

Below are 17 ways to determine if a Beanie Baby is counterfeit:

1. Many of the counterfeits have spelling errors on the tags, but keep in mind that so do some of the authentic Ty Beanie Babies. So you usually have to look for other mistakes beside just this.
2. Check the tag dates and the addresses to make sure they are correct. Many of the counterfeits have the wrong date on the tush tag.
3. Compare the tags of the suspect Beanie Baby with the tags of another Ty Beanie Baby that you know to be authentic.
4. Is the type on the tags too light or too dark? Is it the right typeface?
5. Compare the tags to an authentic Ty Beanie Baby's tags and determine if the tags are smaller or larger than the authentic tags.
6. Compare the stock color inside the hang tag to another hang tag. Is it too white? Authentic tags have an off-white color.
7. Are the color of the hang tags identical? Or does the red and yellow on the hang tag look muted or too light or too dark? The hang tag should be blue red and not orange red.
8. The yellow star on the hang tag should be a bright sunshine yellow, not a mustard color.
9. Some of the counterfeit Beanie Babies have a yellow star on their hang tag that have points that are too "pointy." The points of authentic hang tag stars are slightly rounded.
10. Check the gold edge on the hang tag. It should have a nice clean line and be a light bright gold color. It shouldn't be brassy.
11. Check the overall size and shape of the Beanie. Some of the counterfeit Ty teddy bears have ears that are either too small or too large or perhaps the legs or arms are too short or are shaped strangely.
12. Is the teddy bear's head too large or overstuffed?
13. Check the eyes to see if they are too close together or too big or too small.
14. Are the eyes a solid color? Some Beanie Baby eyes are a solid color and some are not. Humphrey the camel has solid black eyes but most of the counterfeit Humphrey have eyes that are two-tone.
15. Check the fabric and see if it is rough or if the color is too dark or too light.
16. Does the fabric nap look right? Is the fabric rough, stiff or the wrong color?
17. Most authentic Beanies have nice plush fabric that "flows" in all directions and doesn't get "wrinkly."

One place you should avoid buying expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated, is online auctions like eBay. Odds are that if you buy enough of these expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated, that you will eventually end up buying some that are counterfeit.

--

You have permission to use this article on your website or in your newsletter, but you must include the resource box along with an active link for the BarrysBeanies website URL address.

About The Author

Barry Stein has been a Beanie Baby dealer since 1997. You can visit his website at http://BarrysBeanies.com/, where he sells Beanie Babies retail and wholesale.

The Original Nine of Beanie Babies

These Beanie Babies have become known as Original Nine, a named filled with wonder amongst collectors around the world. It is as legendary as maybe Fantastic Four or Oceans Eleven. Or maybe these Beanie Babies launched in late 1993 at the New York World Toy Fair just plain play in a division of their own.

As with many new introductions there were people who were sceptical. They nicknamed these beanies Road Kill. This due to their all new design, which included being somewhat understuffed and containing a mix of traditional stuffing and the all new beans. The design made it possible to place your beanie baby in various positions, sitting or laying down.

The concept was simple, plush animals with a small number of colors and some facial expressions added. More than the beanie babies themselves what also became a vital part of their fame was their hang tags. In the beginning most people removed these tags, at this time they did not have the later poems on them either, but later collectors kept the tags on there and the most valuable beanies today all have their hang tag intact. Several pages have been written on the topic of these hang tags and it might well be possible to base a doctors degree on the research of these tags. With the years the came in a multitude of variations.

Back to the group known as the Original Nine. These beanie babies were named Cubbie the Bear (originally named Brownie the Bear, Splash the Whale, Patti the Platypus, Squealer the Pig, Legs the Frog, Pinchers the Lobster, Chocolate the Moose and Spot the Dog. As with all Beanies, these have been retired during the years. When the concept of retirement was first introduced by Ty Warner in 1996 the fame of the beanie babies really took off.

Of the beanies mentioned above May of 1997 saw the retirement of Flash and Splash. In October the same year Spot and Legs did the same. The following year, 1998, all the other five were retired with Chocolate the Moose being the last one in December of that year.

Though they have now retired these Beanie Babies will forever be remembered as the ones who made it all happen in those early years together with their father and creator Ty Warner. Today it is hard to believe that originally the beanies were actually meant for kids to play with!

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and takes great interest in the Beanie Babies. He runs his site http://www.beaniebabiesdirectory.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources in regards to Beanie Babies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Eriksson

History of Beanie Baby

One could say the story of the Beanie Babies begins seven years before the first beanies, even see the light of day. In 1986 the company Ty Inc is established in Illinois in the USA. The founder is a man named Ty Warner and one can believe he was a man on a mission. The story has it that the beanie baby father was already a high powered toy sales man after working for another toy company, Dakin, for several years.

The Ty Inc company releases a few different collections before the beanie babies enter the scene in the year of 1993. Nothing would be the same again for the marketing genius of Ty Warner. The legend speaks of the Original Nine, a famous group of beanies that are forever enshrined in the history of toys and collectibles. They were Legs the Frog, Flash the Dolphin, Patti the Platypus, Spot the Dog, Patti the Platypus, Chocolate the Moose, Pinchers the Lobster, Splash the Whale and Cubbie the Bear (originally named Brownie the Bear). They are all first shown to the world at the New York Toy Fair of that year.

In the following two years the Beanie Babies go from a local Chicago thing to being a nationwide talk of the town. Ty continues his strategy of selling only directly to small gift and collectible stores. This is later seen as an important part of create the enormous myth around these lovely little creatures. So called experts expect forecast that the Christmas of 1995 will be beginning of the end for the Beanie Babies, but the following year proves the utterly wrong and nothing could be further from the truth.

In the year of 1996 sales grow tenfold! Stores are screaming for more beanie babies and Ty is working hard to keep up with the demand. The legend has it that he even has to lease large airplanes to get all the beanies out to the stores in time for the Easter rush. Ty continues to tightly control the whole business and the website ty.com is launched creating a place in cyberspace where Beanie Baby trades can take place. Here also for the first time one can actually follow the retiring of the different characters, another part that contributes to the big craze around these toys.

The rest as they say, is history. Sales surpass 250 million dollars in 1996, Ty is interviewed in People Magazine and Forbes Magazine. Beanies Babies become one of the the largest crazes in toy history and with the step from just mouth-to-mouth into traditional advertising in 1996 they become unstoppable across the globe.

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and takes great interest in the Beanie Babies. He runs his site http://www.beaniebabiesdirectory.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources in regards to Beanie Babies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Eriksson

17 Ways To Determine If A Beanie Baby Is Counterfeit

You should always buy Ty Beanie Babies from reputable dealers or from sellers who you know how to contact. These dealers and sellers should also have many references and/or feedback from other people they have done business with.

Most counterfeit Beanie Babies are easy to spot if you know what to look for. If you don't know what to look for then you will probably have a hard time telling most counterfeit Beanie Babies from authentic Ty Beanie Babies.

Beanie Baby shows are a good place to check out expensive Beanie Babies. Try to handle them if you can. Get to know the feel of the fabric and their overall appearance.

Some counterfeits are excellent reproductions, but regardless of how good the counterfeits look, they usually have many mistakes. It is never just one mistake.

If you are buying expensive Beanie Babies, then you should educate yourself on the counterfeits or at least know where to find the information when you need it.

Here are two websites that have information on counterfeit Beanie Babies along with photographs of many of them:

About Beanies Counterfeit Information http://www.aboutbeanies.com/fakes/index.html

Ms. Janie's Beanies Counterfeit Page http://www.msjanie.com/fakes/fake_page.html

Your other option is to have the Beanie Baby authenticated which is inexpensive to do. You can get your Beanie Babies authenticated at these websites:

http://www.pbbags.com/

http://www.peggyg.com/

Most of the mistakes on the counterfeits can be found on the tags. Become familiar with the different generation hang tags and tush tags or know where to look to find this information.

You can find information and photographs of all the different generation hang tags Ty has produced here:

http://www.aboutbeanies.com/tags.html

Below are 17 ways to determine if a Beanie Baby is counterfeit:

1. Many of the counterfeits have spelling errors on the tags, but keep in mind that so do some of the authentic Ty Beanie Babies. So you usually have to look for other mistakes beside just this.

2. Check the tag dates and the addresses to make sure they are correct. Many of the counterfeits have the wrong date on the tush tag.

3. Compare the tags of the suspect Beanie Baby with the tags of another Ty Beanie Baby that you know to be authentic.

4. Is the type on the tags too light or too dark? Is it the right typeface?

5. Compare the tags to an authentic Ty Beanie Baby's tags and determine if the tags are smaller or larger than the authentic tags.

6. Compare the stock color inside the hang tag to another hang tag. Is it too white? Authentic tags have an off-white color.

7. Are the color of the hang tags identical? Or does the red and yellow on the hang tag look muted or too light or too dark? The hang tag should be blue red and not orange red.

8. The yellow star on the hang tag should be a bright sunshine yellow, not a mustard color.

9. Some of the counterfeit Beanie Babies have a yellow star on their hang tag that have points that are too "pointy." The points of authentic hang tag stars are slightly rounded.

10. Check the gold edge on the hang tag. It should have a nice clean line and be a light bright gold color. It shouldn't be brassy.

11. Check the overall size and shape of the Beanie. Some of the counterfeit Ty teddy bears have ears that are either too small or too large or perhaps the legs or arms are too short or are shaped strangely.

12. Is the teddy bear's head too large or overstuffed?

13. Check the eyes to see if they are too close together or too big or too small.

14. Are the eyes a solid color? Some Beanie Baby eyes are a solid color and some are not. Humphrey the camel has solid black eyes but most of the counterfeit Humphrey have eyes that are two-tone.

15. Check the fabric and see if it is rough or if the color is too dark or too light.

16. Does the fabric nap look right? Is the fabric rough, stiff or the wrong color?

17. Most authentic Beanies have nice plush fabric that "flows" in all directions and doesn't get "wrinkly."

One place you should avoid buying expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated is online auctions like eBay. Odds are that if you buy enough of these expensive Beanie Babies that are not authenticated, that you will eventually end up buying some that are counterfeit.

Reference: Mary Beth's Counterfeit Update

Barry Stein has been a Beanie Baby dealer since 1997. You can visit his website at http://BarrysBeanies.com, where he sells Beanie Babies retail and wholesale.

You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the BarrysBeanies.com website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_Stein

Beanie Babies Anonymous

A wise man once said, "If you ignore something long enough, eventually it will go away." Actually, he said it several times, but nobody listened so he left.

That old saw is one reason I've never done a column on Beanie Babies. I thought that if I could just resist the urge to poke fun and ignore their existence long enough, they would eventually go the way of Cabbage Patch Dolls and Tickle Me Elmos. Of course, ignoring them didn't work and I should have known better. I've been ignoring my kids for years and they're still around, standing right outside the bathroom door, pounding on it, asking me what I'm reading in there. My oldest caught me looking at the newspaper on the front porch the other day and asked if I shouldn't be doing that in private. I think it's time to talk boarding school. Russian boarding school. But first, comrade, back to the subject at hand.

I think Beanie Babies are cute, cuddly little creatures, and I will admit to having spent a few of my hard- earned dollars on Beanies for my baby girl to play with (I can hear many of you screaming, "They're not meant to be played with!"). But never have I sat outside a McDonald's at two in the morning waiting for it to open so I could get an Egg McMuffin and a Teenie Beanie to go. And I apologize in advance if I insult anyone, but I think people who go to such great lengths to buy a child's toy need help. And that's what this column is all about.

You see, my sister, a normally sane, rational human being, is awash in the Beanie Baby craze. She has tiny synthetic pellets racing through her veins and they are starting to affect every facet of her life. She is the reason I am willing to break my vow of ignorance and speak out against these demons in plush clothing. The thought of her sitting outside a Hallmark store at three in the morning staring blindly at a dog- eared copy of "The Beanie Baby Bible" just sends chills down my spine. The woman needs help, my friends, and I am willing to take on the task at hand.

So, to help my dear sister and the millions of others who have fallen under the spell of Beanie Baby mania, I am officially founding Beanie Babies Anonymous, an organization dedicated to helping you just say no to Beanie Babies. BBA will follow a simple 4-step program designed to help even the most severely- addicted junkie kick his/her Beanie Baby habit.

Here are the 4 steps of BBA. Follow them to the letter and soon your life will be yours to live again:

Step 1)
Admit you have a problem: The first step in any recovery program is admitting that you have a problem. Here are the three warning signs of Beanie Baby Addiction. If you can relate to at least one of them, you are a Beanie Baby Junkie.
(1) You would willingly camp out all night outside a McDonald's in the highest crime district in town just to be the first in line on Teenie Beanie day.
(2) You have no qualms about snatching Beanie Babies from the hands of little children and if it makes them cry, well tough patootie! And
(3) If you can't swing a dead cat (is there a dead cat Beanie?) anywhere in your house without hitting a display of Beanie Babies, you have a problem. A big problem.

Step 2)
Admit that your addiction is harmful to others: You've probably been too busy feeding that Beanie Baby monkey on your back to notice that the rest of your life has gone to pot. Your addiction not only affects you, but those closest to you. Have your children moved in with relatives because you forgot to fix dinner eighteen nights in a row because you were busy dusting the tags in your Beanies' ears? Did you angrily take the family dog to the pound and order them to "Gas the SOB!" just because he growled at your Princess Di Beanie Bear? Have you been served with divorce papers that contain the phrase "refuses to consummate marriage because it would disturb Happy the Hippo's nap?" If so, you owe everyone you know a big apology, especially your dog, God rest his soul.

Step 3)
Cast the snake from the garden: This is perhaps the most difficult, yet most important mile marker on the road to recovery. This is where you rid your life of the furry, little monsters that have almost driven you to the point of no return. Follow my directions to the letter and do it quickly, without thinking, because if you stop to think about what you're doing, your addiction will take the upper hand and you will be lost again. With that in mind, here is the biggest step you must take: Box up every Beanie Baby you own, especially Peanut the Elephant and Brownie the Bear, and send them to me, Tim Knox, Director of Beanie Babies Anonymous, in care of this website. Send me your kids' Beanie Babies, too! I will take these vile creatures and dispose of them for you free of charge so that they will never infect the lives of normal people again. Don't forget, box them up and send them to me as soon as possible. I guarantee that both our lives will be enriched.

Step 4)
Spread the gospel to others: This is the final step in overcoming Beanie Baby Addiction. You must go out into the world and tell everyone you meet the story of your addiction. Give witness to the masses. Show them the light. Have them send their Beanie Babies to me. You are getting sleepy... Remember, if you can change the life of just one person and they in turn pass the message along to someone else, soon the world will be a sane place once again.

A "retired" Beanie Baby, one that has been taken out of circulation, can go for a thousand times its original cost. A complete collection of Beanie Babies (600 in all) is valued at $100,000. Here are the top ten most valuable.

As further proof of the need for an organization like Beanie Babies Anonymous,read the following transcripts and media accounts of how Beanie Baby Mania is affecting our world.

From the Disassociated Press:
OAK BROOK, IL (DP): Shares in McDonald's Corp. rose to a 52-week high Wednesday in response to the news that the fastfood giant will stop selling food effective immediately and will instead become the nations top retailer of Beanie Babies. McDonald's stock jumped over three dollars per share after the announcement. A company spokesman said, "Nobody wants our food anymore, but everybody wants Beanie Babies. The change just makes sense."

Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News:
"Addressing a large crowd in Lahore, Pakistan on Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defended his country's decision to detonate six nuclear devices last week and said that Pakistan will continue nuclear testing until India signs the "No Nuke" test treaty and the Ty Corporation gives every man, woman and child in Pakistan a Nana the Monkey Beanie Baby. More now from Christiana Amonpour in Lahore..."

Bernard Shaw, CNN Headline News:
"This just in: Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr has announced that he is issuing subpoenas to executives of the Ty Corporation, the company that markets Beanie Babies. Starr claims his investigations have revealed that President Clinton gave Monica Lewinsky a 'Grunt the Razorback Pig' Beanie Baby as a gift after a sexual encounter in the White House."

Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes:
"The Ty Corporation, the company that sells Beanie Babies, is so secretive that not even the US government knows who is in charge. The company continually refused our requests for interviews and, in an anonymously-signed statement, said that, quote, '...if you do not immediately cease with your investigation into our operation we will have no choice but to send out a very large blue bear to bite your head off.' Unquote."

Dan Rather, CBS Evening News:
"Good evening. The bottom fell out of the Beanie Baby market today when it was revealed that the man in charge of the Ty Corporation, the mysterious company behind the popular line of plush toys, is none other than Microsoft CEO Bill Gates himself. Competing manufacturers of teddy bears and other plush toys have come out accusing Gates of trying to monopolize the plush toy industry, prompting the Justice Department to order an immediate investigation."

Alright, I made those up. But the following accounts are real, as reported by the Associated Press:

Forty guns were handed over to police in Kanakakee, Ill., in exchange for Teenie Beanie Babies, miniature versions of Beanie Babies given out by McDonald's as a Happy Meals premium. The no-questions-asked swap brought in 23 pistols and 17 shotguns in one day.

In an attempt to thwart the smuggling in of Beanie Babies available only in Canada, the U.S. Customs Service strictly enforces a one-Beanie rule. "A consumer is allowed to have one Beanie Baby for personal use every 30 days,'' says Customs officer Ralph Hackney. Any more are subject to seizure.

Customs agents seized an incoming shipment at O'Hare International Airport last December. Their catch: 456 imitations of Beanie Babies. Most were fake versions of "Grunt," the toy red razorback pig that is considered a collector's items and sells for as much as $130 each.

The Minnesota Better Business Bureau runs a Beanie Baby hotline to warn consumers of suspected counterfeits. Basketball's Philadelphia 76ers handed out 5,000 Beanies to children 12 and under during a game this year against the Golden State Warriors. It was only the second sellout game of the 76ers season. The other was against the Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

A crowd of thousands lined up outside a store in San Mateo, Calif., for the chance to buy new and retired Beanie Babies at below-market prices. The store gave out tickets, then called out random numbers. Those selected got to go in and buy the toys for $5.99 each.

Burglars broke into a suburban Chicago home in mid-April. They left the TV, stereo and most other valuables, but made off with a gold ring and a number of Beanie Babies, all valued at $4,000.

In Orange County, California, owners of a collectibles shop were treated and released for head injuries in early April after being clubbed with an iron barbell by thieves who made off with $6,000 worth of rare Beanie Babies.

The final divorce decree for Randy and Jan Staffan of Minneapolis stated that he got the house, much of its furnishings, and a few vehicles. She got to keep her salon business and half the couple's Beanie Babies.

Shocking, isn't it? Friends, let's stop this madness before it's too late.

Send those Beanie Babies to me today!

Tim Knox
Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Radio Host
Check Out Tim's New Radio Show! =>http://www.timknoxshow.com
Preorder Tim’s New Book =>Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama http://www.timknox.com/amazon/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Knox