History of Beanie Babies in Timeline

Beanie Babies are a line of stuffed toys created by Ty Warner and Ty Inc. distinguished by their plastic pellet filling. They became a significant fad and collectible item in the late 1990s, notable for their variety of animal shapes. Their popularity grew significantly as they were regarded as the world's first Internet sensation. The toys were collected as both playthings and financial investments due to a perceived high resale value.

1986: Ty Inc. Founded

In 1986, American businessman Ty Warner founded Ty Inc., the company that would later create Beanie Babies.

1993: Beanie Babies Introduced

In 1993, Ty Warner introduced Beanie Babies at the North American International Toy Fair/World Toy Fair in New York City.

1993: Introduction at Toy Fair

In 1993, Ty introduced Beanie Babies at the Toy Fair in New York City to attract retailers to stock the product.

1994: Initial tag designs

From 1994, each Beanie Baby included two tags for identification: a heart-shaped swing tag and a fabric tush tag.

1994: Manufacturing and Sales Begin

In 1994, manufacturing of Beanie Babies began, and the toys were first sold in stores in Chicago, Illinois, for around $5. The original nine Beanie Babies were Legs the Frog, Squealer the Pig, Spot the Dog, Flash the Dolphin, Splash the Whale, Chocolate the Moose, Patti the Platypus, Brownie the Bear (later renamed Cubbie), and Pinchers the Lobster.

1994: Beanie Babies for sale in Chicago

In 1994, small local stores in Chicago, Illinois, began selling Beanie Babies for around 5 US dollars.

1995: Ty Website Launch

In 1995, Ty created the first iteration of the Ty website, the first business-to-consumer website designed to sell to consumers directly. All Beanie Baby hangtags were printed with the Ty website URL, marking the beginning of the Beanie Babies boom.

1995: Sales restrictions and character retirements begin

In 1995, Ty, Inc. began restricting production and distribution of Beanie Babies, allowing stores to buy only 36 of each character per month. Warner also decided to retire characters after a certain period, leading to increased scarcity, sales, and the start of collecting and reselling.

1995: Beanie Babies Become Popular Collectibles

In late 1995, Beanie Babies emerged as popular collectibles due to the company's strategy of deliberate scarcity, creating a huge secondary market for the toys.

1995: Ty Website Drives Popularity

In late 1995, Ty Inc. launched its website, driving early and rapid growth by engaging directly with consumers. Beanie Baby hangtags displayed the website URL, prompting consumers to visit the site for information, contributing to the brand's internet sensation status.

1995: Lovie the Lamb Discontinued

Later in 1995, Ty was forced to end production on Lovie the Lamb. CEO Ty Warner suggested that other Beanie Babies would be discontinued as well, leading to increased demand and bulk buying for resale.

1996: Teenie Beanies Released

In 1996, Ty, Inc. released Teenie Beanies, a line of miniature Beanie Babies, which were sold alongside McDonald's Happy Meals for the Happy Meal's 17th anniversary.

1996: Tag Design Changes

Starting in early 1996, the swing tags of Beanie Babies began including four-line poems and a date of birth for the toy. The poems were written by Lina Trivedi.

1997: Mary Beth's Bean Bag World Magazine Published

In 1997, Mary Beth's Bean Bag World, a monthly magazine dedicated to Beanie Babies and competing plush toys, began publication.

1997: Counterfeit Beanie Babies Surface

In 1997, counterfeit Beanie Babies began to surface, with cheap knock-offs widely available at discount prices.

1998: Counterfeit Beanie Babies Seized in the UK

In 1998, UK authorities seized more than 6,000 counterfeit Princess and Britannia Beanie Babies.

December 1999: Production Stop Announced

In December 1999, Ty, Inc. announced it would stop producing Beanie Babies.

1999: Man Imprisoned for Smuggling Counterfeit Beanies

In 1999, a Minnesota man was imprisoned, fined, and put on probation for involvement in smuggling counterfeit Beanie Babies.

1999: Company announces that they will stop production

The Beanie Babies craze lasted through 1999, then declined after Ty announced that they would no longer be making Beanie Babies and made a bear called "The End".

2000: Production Restarts

In 2000, production of Beanie Babies restarted with a new Beanie Baby named "The Beginning".

2001: Mary Beth's Bean Bag World Magazine Ends

In 2001, Mary Beth's Bean Bag World, a monthly magazine dedicated to Beanie Babies and competing plush toys, ended publication.

2008: Beanie Babies 2.0 Released

In early 2008, Ty released a new version of Beanie Babies called Beanie Babies 2.0, which included a code for access to an online interactive website.

2015: Publication of "The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute"

In 2015, Zac Bissonnette's book "The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute" was published. This book was later used as the basis for the 2023 film "The Beanie Bubble."

The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute

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January 2020: Katy the Koala profits donated to WIRES

In January 2020, Ty announced that 100% of the profits from the sale of "Katy the Koala" would go to WIRES, an Australian animal rescue organization.

April 2020: Hope Bear profits donated to United Way

In April 2020, H. Ty Warner pledged that 100% of profits from the sale of a limited edition Beanie Baby bear named "Hope" would be donated to the United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Fund.

August 2021: Beanie Babies Featured on "Dark Side of the 90's"

In August 2021, Beanie Babies were featured on season 1, episode 4 of Vice Media's Dark Side of the 90's, titled "Beanie Babies Go Bust".

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December 2021: Beanie Mania Documentary Released

In December 2021, a documentary film about Beanie Babies, titled Beanie Mania, was released on HBO Max.

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March 2, 2022: Profits donated to Save the Children

On March 2, 2022, Warner declared all profits from the sales of Beanie Babies during the month of March would be donated to Save the Children, an organization providing emergency assistance to those in Ukraine.

July 2023: The Beanie Bubble Film Released

In July 2023, Apple TV+ released a comedy-drama film titled The Beanie Bubble, based on Zac Bissonnette's 2015 book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute.

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