The Beanie Baby craze took the world by storm, sending shockwaves through the collector world. Caught up in that wave, many people bought Beanie Babies, convinced they would be worth a fortune. While some are certainly worth a bit of money, many are mass-produced and not worth much at all. So how do you find the actual Beanie Baby value for any of these plushies? Here are some tips for finding the true ty Beanie Babies value.
The True Beanie Baby Value: Tags
Far and away, the most important thing about a Beanie Baby’s value is its tag. Oftentimes the same style of plushie was made for several years, and the only way to tell the age or rarity is with its tag. You might have a cute bear plushie that looks like a rare version, but if it doesn’t have the right tag, it’s just a common edition.
You can check a guide to see what each generation of tag looks like. In general, only generations one to three of Beanie Baby tags are valuable or worth anything more than the common editions. Generation four and onwards don’t carry a collectible premium.
A quick rule of thumb is to look at the “ty” on the tag. If it has a star, logo, or other design on the upper right above the “ty,” it’s probably a newer generation Beanie Baby. Sadly, this means it won’t be worth the big bucks.
You can also look up a Beanie Baby value guide to see the potential values for specific babies. Again, bear in mind that the tag will have a huge effect on its worth! But a Beanie Babies value list is a great place to start your search.
Condition
Aside from the tags, other factors can play smaller roles in a Beanie Baby’s value. Even if you have the same exact toy as someone else, the condition can change how much they’re worth.
If your dog has been using your 1st generation ultra-rare collectible as a chew toy, you’re probably going to be disappointed in your returns. On the other hand, if you saved the toy in a sealed plastic box from the moment you bought it, you just might be in luck!
Errors and Variations
There are definitely some rare Beanie Baby errors and varieties. Many of these are with the earliest generations, so you’ll still need those Generation 1-3 tags.
But if you already have an early Beanie Baby, finding a rare variety can definitely multiply your toy’s worth quite a bit! Whether it’s the wrong color, the wrong name, or some other typo on the tag, there are a lot of rare variations worth keeping an eye out for.
Many of these errors or varieties can be very subtle, so don’t assume you’ve hit the jackpot just because you have something that looks similar to a valuable toy you see online! Using a Beanie Baby value lookup tool can help you eliminate confusion and find out if you really have anything valuable.
Learn More About Beanie Babies!
If you’d like to learn more about finding the Beanie Baby value for a particular toy or to learn how to sell Beanie Babies, we’d love to help!
Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, and we’ll do our best to help you. We want you to have the best knowledge possible when it comes to these great toys.