Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Showcase

Spot the Dog - That was the name of the first Beanie Baby I ever got all the way back in the second grade. From that moment on I was crazy for Beanie Babies and insisted on spending every five dollars I earned on upgrading my collection. Eventually collecting more than 100 of the bean stuffed animals, I clearly fell trap to the Beanie Baby
obsession.

The toys were first introduced in 1993 by Ty Inc. and featured nine different animals to choose from. The original line featured several different animals from "Legs the Frog" to "Chocolate the Moose".

In 1995 the cuddly critters began to gain popularity and eventually more 100 million Beanie Babies were sold world-wide by 1996.

"Between my sister and I we probably had over 100," recalls junior Jordan Kuglitsch. "Sparky was my favorite, and he was also my first."

Children across the country went wild for the toys that had the red heart-shaped tag. With a white "Ty" logo on the front and a brief story on the inside, the tags were considered to be a very important part as to why the animals became so popular.

The rarest of Beanie Babies weren't only famous for their fluffy fur, but some also ended up being very valuable. A navy blue version of Peanut the Elephant sold for $3,005 in 2000, but is now considered to be worth more than $5000.

"Teenie Beanies," a smaller version of the original Beanie Babies, debuted in 1997 and were sold with Happy Meals at McDonald's restaurants across the country. In 2000 and 2004 new lines of "Teenie Beanies" were launched, but they were the most popular when they were originally introduced. The toys also were also known for causing many fights and thefts at the restaurants across the United States.

The marketing ploy was a great success and drew people into McDonalds specifically for the miniature toys. Kuglitsch said she absolutely went to the restaurant exclusively looking for the "Teenie Beanies."

"We probably had over 30, all still in the box," Kuglitsch said.

In 1999 the founder of Ty Inc., Ty Warner, decided to stop producing Beanies. However, due to consumer demand, Warner changed his mind and he still continues to design new Beanie Babies to this day.

Nowadays the animals can still be found at numerous toy stores across the country and are still a popular choice around the world.

Pellegrino is a sophomore print journalism major and copy editor for The Spectator.

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