We all remember the classic Beanie Baby - truly the best stuffed animals of the 90's. These adorable plush toys are Ty’s longest running product line. Ty started with floppy, understuffed cats in 1983, which eventually lead to the Beanies we know and love, which were only popularized in 1993 with the release of the Original Nine Beanie Babies. By 1995, Beanie Babies went nationwide, and managed to take the world by storm. Although I was born in the era post-Beanie Baby, I still remember playing in my grandparent’s crawlspace with piles and piles of the adorable toys. Because I loved them all, it was so hard to pick a favorite. You too can relive this nostalgia by checking out the Beanie Babies on our website. Curious about the Original Beanies? Read up on 'em here.

Ever thought about up-sizing? Now you can! Ty Buddies, or Beanie Buddies, were introduced as larger versions of Beanie Babies. In response to the increasing popularity of Beanie Babies, Ty created these bigger (and arguably better) toys. This also meant easier access to your favorite Beanie. Made from Tylon, these animals are extra soft and feature vibrant colors. As of October 2017, Ty has produced more than 600 different Beanie Buddies. It should be a breeze to find your favorite!

Craving more? We’ve got you covered. BBOC stands for "Beanie Babies Official Club." The club was announced by Ty in March of 1998. The way into the club was purchasing an Official Gold Membership Kit - with exclusive deals and member exclusive items, every 90’s kid wanted in! Some of these products included special edition Clubby bears, membership kits, pins, coins, and limited edition Beanies! Notably, for a short period of time, the BBOC members could order replicas of the Original Nine Beanie Babies. This special remake collection is yet another way to fuel your Beanie obsession. 

Happen to be obsessed with a specific beanie? Snag their collector card – or practically any Beanie’s card. The Collector Cards are a lesser-known Ty product released in 1998. When collectors learned of their impending retirement in 1999, the cards began flying off the shelves. This boom caused Ty to revoke the looming retirement. The contents in a pack of cards varied in each generation. (Can you believe there are 3 unique generations!?) Each pack includes 8 cards, a checklist, and a game or sticker. If you’re lucky, you might find special blue, red, silver or gold card featuring your favorite Beanie. The front of each card features an image of the Beanie Babie, along with their name and style number. The back includes their full name, birthday, issue date, a poem, and a fun fact about the animal.

When you ordered a Membership Kit from the Beanie Baby Official Club, it would contain one coin. Although most coins were printed in silver, some could be gold, or two toned. The first set was released in September of ‘99 and included coins featuring Clubby, Peanut, Millennium, Mooch, and Quackers. In November of that year, a new set featuring the Original Nine (Legs, Chocolate, Cubbie, Squealer, Pinchers, Spot, Patti, Flash, & Splash) appeared. These coins included an engraved image of the Beanie Baby, their name, and the year. If one of your favorites happen to be on this list, I suggest checking out these cool coins!

Ty continued to diversify their products by making decorative Beanies. Ty Jingles, Basket Beanies, and Ty Halloweenies are small Beanie Babies with a loop so they can be hung for decoration or used as a keychain. Jingle Beanies were the first released in 2001. Surprisingly, the heart tag in these toys didn’t include the expected poem! Instead, the tags were designed as gift-tags with to/from lines. When I was little, my siblings and I were gifted a small tree for our rooms that we were allowed to decorate for ourselves (every child’s dream!). While my brother spent time trying to fix hot wheels onto his tree, I covered mine head-to-toe in Ty Jingles!

A year later, Ty Basket Beanies were released- similar to Ty Jingles, but designed with an Easter theme. Ty Halloweenies later spooked everyone in 2004 with their release. Ready to feed your fixation by decorating with Beanies? You can find more info about these cute little ornaments here!

Now that you know all the varieties of your favorite Beanie Baby, go snag your favorites! The vast number of options can get overwhelming, but the nostalgia is worth it! If you've got a craving for more Beanie Baby fun facts, check out our post, 7 highlights from 28 years of Beanie Babies!

Grateful for you,