18 Retired Beanie Baby Bears Worth Checking
Somewhere in a closet, a plastic bin of bean-filled plush is still waiting for a second look. Most of it is worth little, but a handful of bears have kept collectors hunting for decades.
Value in this hobby depends almost entirely on condition. A bear with a crisp, undamaged tag and a clean body can bring many times what the same bear brings with a bent or missing tag, so the details below only matter if the tag is intact.
Princess
Released in 1997 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, this purple bear carries a white rose embroidered on its chest. Ty directed proceeds to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, which helped make it one of the best-selling Beanie Babies ever.
Because it was produced in huge quantities, only early versions with particular tag and filling details tend to draw real money, and even those depend on a pristine tag.
Teddy
The brown, cranberry, jade, magenta, teal, and violet Teddy bears of the mid-1990s came in an early “old face” design and a later “new face” version. The old-face versions had a different stitched snout and a rounder look, and they were pulled from production quickly.
Collectors compare faces and tags closely, since an old-face bear with a perfect tag is a very different item from a later one.
Cubbie
Cubbie began life in 1993 as Brownie, one of the earliest bears Ty produced, before the name was changed. The earliest tags carry the Brownie name, and those first-generation bears are far scarcer than the Cubbie versions that followed.
A Brownie in good shape with a readable tag is a genuine find.
Peace
This tie-dyed bear with a stitched peace symbol arrived in 1997 and is one of the most colorful in the line. The pattern varies from one bear to the next because the dye was applied to the fabric rather than printed in a fixed layout.
Mint examples with the original tag remain steady sellers, while worn ones sit in bargain bins.
Erin
Erin is a green bear with a white shamrock on its chest, made for St. Patrick’s Day. Holiday bears like this one tend to be popular around the holiday and quiet the rest of the year.
Early tag versions and spotless condition separate the few valuable ones from the many ordinary ones.
Valentino
Valentino, a white bear with a red heart on its chest, was one of the early bears and came out in the mid-1990s. Its simple design hides the fact that earlier versions had tag and fabric differences from later runs.
As with most early bears, a tag in perfect shape is what collectors pay for.
Britannia
Britannia was made for the United Kingdom market and wears a Union Jack on its chest. Because it was sold mainly in Britain, many American collectors had to import theirs, which kept supplies thin in the United States.
Tags matter here too, and a bear missing its tag is worth a fraction of one that has it.
Maple
Maple, a white bear with a red maple leaf, was made for Canada. The first batches carried the name Pride on their tags before the name was changed, and those early-tag bears are the ones collectors chase.
Check the tag for the name and the country listed, then compare it against collector guides.
Hope
Hope is a praying bear, posed with its paws pressed together, and it was released in 1998. Its gentle design drew steady interest, and it has stayed a familiar name in collector lists.
Like most later bears, it is common enough that only a flawless example commands attention.
Garcia
A tie-dyed tribute to the Grateful Dead guitarist who died in 1995, Garcia was released in 1996 and retired the following year. The short production window is a large part of why it still draws interest from both Beanie Baby collectors and music fans.
Tie-dye patterns differ on every bear, so condition and tag quality do the heavy lifting in pricing.
Curly
Curly, a brown bear with a textured, curled coat, came out in 1996. The fabric is the main attraction, since it looks different from the smooth plush on most bears.
A crushed or matted coat lowers value quickly, so condition is the main thing to check.
Fuzz
Fuzz carries a wavy, fluffy coat that stands out among the line’s bears, and it was released in 1998. That coat is also its weakness, because the fur mats and flattens easily when handled or stored badly.
A fluffy, clean bear with a clean tag is the version worth looking for.
Glory
Glory is a white bear with an American flag across its chest, released in 1998 as a patriotic piece. Patriotic bears sold well when new and were bought in bulk, so most survivors are common.
The bears worth checking are those that have stayed untouched since they left the store.
Spangle
Spangle, released in 1999, is another red, white, and blue bear, and it came in more than one version. Collectors look at the face color and tags to tell the versions apart.
Differences like these are why a quick comparison with a collector guide is worth the effort before listing one.
Sammy
Sammy is a rainbow tie-dyed bear released in 1998. Each bear’s pattern is a little different, which gives collectors a reason to hunt for the brightest examples.
The tag still decides the price, and a worn tag erases most of the premium.
Fortune
Fortune is a panda with a red heart, released in 1998. Pandas had a loyal following in the line, and this one was a popular choice for gifts.
As with other late bears, only top condition counts for much.
Chilly
Chilly is a white polar bear from the mid-1990s, and it belongs to the earlier era of the line. Early bears were made in smaller numbers than later ones, which gives them an edge in the collectors’ market.
Check the tag generation and the body for yellowing, since white plush shows age quickly.
Germania
Germania was designed for the German market, and it is one of the country-specific bears that never saw wide release elsewhere. Region-exclusive bears give collectors a reason to look beyond the usual suspects.
Their value rests on a clean tag and a body without wear.
When a Tag Is Worth More Than a Bear
Across all of these bears, one pattern repeats: the fabric and stuffing are nearly identical to millions of others, and the tag does most of the talking. A bent corner, a crease, or a missing tag can erase most of what a collector will pay.
That is why the best advice for anyone sorting a bin is the least exciting one. Keep tags protected, compare against current collector guides, and treat any bear with a flawless tag as the one worth a second look.
More from Go2Tutors!
- 27 Silver Dollars and Half Dollars Worth Keeping
- 28 Restaurant Menu Items Nobody Orders Anymore
- 17 Places Built in Seemingly Impossible Spots
- 27 Vintage Rings Worth More Than They Look
- 25 Restricted Sites Tourists Can’t Enter
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
