***LINDA'S BEANIE LOVERS***

NEWS AND RUMORS ARCHIVES 4

JANUARY 26, 1999-MARCH 31, 1999

***UPDATE!***

3/31/99-On the Rosie O'Donnell Show today they released the new Clubby II and also some auctions for 4 All Kids, a charity. There are 5 of the new Club Kit for auction that are signed by Ty Warner I just looked and the bids are over $1000. on all five of them. There is a set of BBBOC Trading Cards bids over $1000. A Cranberry Beanie Buddy with the Old Face prototype bids over $1000. Also a Glory and Erin Bear Signed by Rosey bids over $900. Below is a picture of the new kit this picture is from the auction for the kits from the rosie show.

The kit has a package of trading cards which I beleive are different from Series I and Series II. There are 9 Original Nine collectors Coins. Clubby II a light blue Bear.

Looks like Hippie is the new Info Beanie for April.

This month Guess the Beanie contest winner has been e-mailed will post the winner as soon as I hear from them. Check tomorrow for 2 new Contests!

***SAY GOOD-BYE***

3/31/99-Today is the day we say good bye to Batty, Chip, Gobbles, Hissy, Iggy, Mel, Nanook, Pouch, Pounce, Prance, Pugsley, Rainbow, Smoochy, Spunky, Stretch and Strut. Also included are the Beanie Buddy Beak and the Attic Treasures Casanova and Skylar. They retire today. I am keeping my eyes on TY's web sight for any new releases today or tomorrow.

You have until noon to enter this month's contest, the winner will be notified by e-mail and posted tonight. I have 2 contest for next month!

TY has this "NEWSFLASH ON IT"S WEB SITE TODAY!" Be sure to watch the Rosie O'Donnell Show on Wednesday, March 31, 1999 (check your local listings for time and channel) to check out the best Beanie Baby Collection ever! Sign on to RosieO.com to get to the Rosie Charity Auction and bid on a one of a kind Beanie desk, fabulous Beanies and other Ty Collectibles!

MORE NEWS LATER

***CLUBBY CHANGE?***

3/30/99-I have received a number of e-mails from people who recently sent in for Clubby. They have received letters stating Clubby is back ordered and will be shipped around April 27. Today I have receive e-mails from people who say their Clubby arrived with a red ribbon instead of the ty-dyed ribbon. I do not know if this is fact, but the counterfeit Clubbys have red ribbon also. I will see if I can get more info and will post it at a later time.

There are 25 different trivia cards in the series 2 BBOC Trading Cards. Many people have asked me if I knew how many different cards there are. Did some research and found out there are 25.

Received an e-mail from a Ty retailer who said he received an e-mail that there will be new releases April 1st. He received a fax from his TY Rep and said after releases are announced he would add all new releases to his April order for him, so he would not have to reorder them.

I was just told that IMAGE the company that was making the Beanie Pals Checks can no longer take orders for these checks they have been orderd by TY to stop making them.

***BEANIES 4 KIDS***

3/29/99-Mike Widner a police officer for the Noblesville police department in Noblesville,IN. His daughter collects Beanies and they bring her so much happiness, thought about how he could get beanies to kids that may not be able to get them. he was at a flea market one sunday and there was a vendor selling beanies. he explained to the gentleman that he was a police officer and he had an idea to give beanies to kids that might be upset if he was at their house on a call or during a vehicle accident or if he just saw a kid that needed a toy. So the guy cut me a deal and he bought 10 beanies from him for $2.00 each. Well needless to say they went fast. Each time he gave one out he felt really good. he saw the smile on the kids face and joy it brought to them.His goal is to get enough beanies donated so he can visit local hospitals and pass beanies out to kids that are in alot worse shape then we are. There in Indianapolis is the Riley's Childrens Hosptial. Its one of the best centers for children in the country. Most of the kids there suffer from cancer. It's his hope that with the help from you he can bring some happiness to some kids that need it. Beanies 4 Kids is run by Officer Mike Widner. He can be reached by email at: Mike@Beanies4Kids.com

The rumor is that this years Tennie Beanies are going to be a little bigger than the last two sets. Also four Bears that will be availible for $2.39 a set of two with the money going to Ronald McDonald Houses. These will be in HIGH demand and very hard to get.

Only a few more days left to enter this month contest. Also check out the Trade Page. And If you wish to add something to the trade page send and e-mail with the subject: "TRADE PAGE".

***A FEW CARDS?***

3/28/99-I received this e-mail thought I'd pass it on to you,"I am a Ty retailer, and I received a fax from my rep yesterday. It said that the Series 2 cards are officially "sold out" and that all orders already taken will be filled." So you maybe able to find a few packages around if you look but they are sold out from the company.

I just got some really cute checks they are called "BEANIE PALS" they are made by IMAGE CHECKS. You can check them out at ~ www.imagechecks.com/bean5.html

I am receiving letters from Ty retailers who are very unhappy about their Ty accounts. They do not want me to mention their names or where their stores are located. Many claim their account status has been change, and they have not received any shipments since the 1st of the year. Ty will not give them reasons for their change in status. Many are fed up with dealing with TY. One Store owner said their account was change because they gave away Beanies to children for doing good in school, and TY told them they could not give away Beanies. Remember these are rumors.

***FLYING FURBYS? DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU LIVE***

3/27/99-Furbys were flying out of McDonald's on the first day of the promotion. Some customers had to wait more than 30 minutes to be served. The minature plastic Furbys were offered free with a Happy Meal or $1.69 without a purchase. Expect the offer and limits to vary depending on location. For collectors who are intent on keeping them intact in the original bag, it appears that opening the bag slightly to see the colors is acceptable. News Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

No crazy crowds like one might have found last year during the Teenie Beanie promotion with reports of rude behavior, fights, and cell phones. Many of the people found at an Akron-area McDonald's were simply there for the food. The McDonald's Furbys have limited actions unlike their full-size counterparts, leaving kids to use their own imagination. News Source: The Akron Beacon Journal

A close race for the April Info Beanie on TY's web site only a small margin between Eggbert and Hippie.

Received an e-mail from Melissa who says she received her Clubby in recorded time. She said it only took 6 weeks for this on to arrive, her first one took over 3 months. She said he also arrived wrapped in bubble wrap and was in great shape. My Clubby finally arrived after a year and had a bent tag and was shipped only in an envolope.

***BEANIE THEIVES CAUGHT***

3/26/99-Beanie Baby theft ring snapped,Police in North Hamptom, NH have broken up a crime ring that has stolen beanies from stores in Maine and New Hampshire. An employee and owner of a store called Beanie Mirage in Seabrook, NH are accused of operating the shoplifting ring. A two-month investigation has led to the arrest of the Beanie Mirage owner, Brenda L. Frost, 33, and an employee, William H. Smith, 19, for operating a shoplifting ring that stole ceramic figurines as well as the bean-bag creatures then resold them at Ms. Frost's store.

Many McDonalds started their Furby promotion today. It is estimated that McDonald's will spend more than $70 million on this Happy Meal promotion. I did get one they are hard plastic, the one I got had a number 2 on the bag. He walks and wiggles his ears and feet. It will be almost impossible to collect all 80 of these little critters.

(RUMOR)I have received an e-mail that these are to be the next Teenie Beanies remember this is only a rumor. Congo, Snip, Spike, Dotty, Ants, Roary, Bruno, Smoochy, Tracker, Whisper, Nanook, Early."

***SERIES II BBOC CARDS SOLD OUT***

3/25/99-Series II Trading Cards Sold Out,I have just received several email messages stating that Series Two is SOLD OUT. "A Ty Rep confirmed that Cryk BBOC is sold out of Series 2 cards now. "Ty has halted all new orders of the Series II Cards 12:00 pm EST".This is direct from Cyrk , yesterday retailers in our area recieved a fax from their Reps. stating that the cards were moving fast, and just to be safe we should place our back-up orders now. A another retailer called Cyrk to place her order directly and was told that the cards were no longer available because they had sold out just ten minutes before her call."

In Beijing behind the American Embassy is the Silk Market, home to outdoor sales of counterfeit Beanie Babies including Britannia, Billionaire, and many others. Ty has banned sales in China, so you can be sure all are counterfeit. Some sellers may claim these are factory seconds, however retired styles like Lefty have not been in production for over two years.

The first BBOC Club Kit is now retired in Germany as well. Those who have their order forms can still get Clubby. Currently there is no expiration date. But you must hurry as the kits are selling out and the Ty accounts can no longer reorder them. The second Platiunum Kit should reach the German Ty accounts around May 99.

Store owners in Germany are getting fed up with demands for Germania. They are being called by seconardy markets here in the US wanting to buy their full stock and are willing to pay what ever it takes to get them. Many saying, "We will not be undersold!" Ty has let them know they are not to be sold to secondary dealers, they may use them from charity.

I received an e-mail stating that Clubby is now out of stock. This person was asked if she would want her money returned or wait until April for them to get more to fill the number of orders that are left unfilled.

Mary Beth's Beanie World Collectible Conventions '99 Presents the First-Ever MBBW Convention on the East Coast Philadelphia * Valley Forge Convention Center * May 15-16, 1999

***NEW TRADE AND SELL PAGE***

3/24/99-I will be adding a new Trade and Sell page to my site. If you have Beanies or Beanie related products to trade or sell e-mail me. You must e-mail me worded exactly has you want it posted along with your e-mail address. Put the subject has Trade Page. Posting will stay on page for 2 weeks, but you can repost by sending another e-mail.

E-mail Me For Trade Page

Update on the stolen cards: The stolen card had been taken to a pawnshop in Omaha, Nebraska. When the pawn shop owner told the seller they could only do business with someone over 18 years of age the juvenile who had possession of the card left it and did not return. The pawn shop owner sold the card to a local Beanie dealer who had an associate that realized the card had been stolen and had the dealer contact Dustyn. Since then the card has been returned. It was still in its original holder in mint condition. A gold Zip card, which was taken at the same time as the Bongo card, has yet to be recovered.

McDonald's is hoping Furby is as hot as past Teenie Beanie promotions and is also starting a Monopoly board game promotion this week. The official end date for both promotions is April 22, however don't expect supplies of either to last that long! One visitor reported yesterday that a Miami McDonald's was already on the second style of Furby.

Sorry for lack of up dates yesterday having server problems again. Time I looked into another server. I have updated yesterdays news below.

***TEENIES IN UK***

3/23/99-A Teenie Beanie promotion will run from May 7 to June 3 in the United Kingdom using the 12 designs from the same promotion (TBB II) in the U.S. last year.

A few weeks ago I posted a story about 2 BBOC Cards that had been stolen, one of the cards have been found. It would appear that the numbered cards help in recovery of at least one gold Bongo card. The stolen card which was reported on several Web sites turned up at a pawn shop in Omaha, Nebraska where it ended up in the hands of a local Beanie dealer that had an associate who realized the card had been stolen. The card has since been returned in its original holder in mint condition.

I received an e-mail on Nibbler the new cream colored rabbit."On my new cream colored rabbit, that one has a smile with pink thread turned up and one is frowning with pink thread facing down. Has anyone else made notice of this??

***BBOC CARDS HARD TO FIND***

3/22/99-It is very difficult to find the Series 2 of the BBOC Trading Cards. Even if you do find them it is going to be hard to put a complete set together this time. The cards are going for more on the secondary market than the first set. I have sets of all the common cards from series 2 for sale these are cards #125-249 it is $40. a set for as long as they last. If your interested e-mail me.

Suffolk police said yesterday they have made an arrest in the Beanie Baby burglary that took place in February at a Centerport stationery store. Douglas Gibbs, 57, of Ethan Lane, Ronkonkoma, was charged with breaking into Hope's Stationery on Little Neck Road on Feb. 15 and stealing 200 Beanie Babies.

Beanie Babies help a group from Delavan Wisconsin raise money which could mean badly needed medical and dental treatment for as many as 2,500 people in Haiti. Tom Schuetz said, "The group supports its trips through donations. One donation included a collection of Beanie Babies, which the group sold over the Internet. That sale raised about $5,000, Schuetz said. The rest of the stuffed animals were distributed to children in Haiti."

The poem on the Canyon card in the series two Trading Cards is different than the poem on Canyon the Beanie Baby. It may just be a mistake in the printing or it could mean a change in the poem on Canyon. Have to wait and see!

***HAPPY 1ST DAY OF SPRING!***

3/21/99-What a beautiful day it was today, spring is just about here. For those of us who have had to deal with the snow and ice all winter a day like today is wonderful.

Just a little over a week left to enter this month's guess the beanie contest! Next month will be the first anniversary of my web site and I will have a special contest for a special Beanie.

On May 29 the Seattle Mariners will give a Beanie Baby to the first 15,000 kids in a promotion sponsored by Wade Cook Seminars in a game against the Devil Rays.

Just received an e-mail that on April 1st a new Bear Beanie Baby and a new Bear Beanie Buddie will be released. They will be the same like when Beak the Beanie and Beak the Beanie Buddie where released. I wasn't told what the name of these 2 new Bears is.

***McFURBY'S NEXT WEEK***

3/20/99-Thanks for all the e-mails on the date for the start of this promotion. I did check and your all right this promotion starts on March 26th. The info sent out had the wrong date for the start for the Furby's Promotion.

Sorry again for the late update I was having problems again with my e-mail server.

Millenium's tush tag has been corrected but the swing tag is still misspelled. I am sure it won't be long before the swing tag is corrected also.

After the March 31st retirement there will only be five current Beanie Babies that were introduced in 1997. All the rest appeared January 1998 or later. The five oldest available are Maple, Peace, Princess, Mystic and Derby. Out of these five, Maple and Princess are the only two not to have experience a design change in the past year.

***McFURBY'S***

3/19/99-McDonald's begins its mini Furby Happy Meal promotion today. There will be eighty different versions of the little creatures to collect. The toys will be distributed in opaque packaging making it impossible to see which Furby is being bought. This will be a tough set to put together.

Retailers will be able to order 36 extra of each of the retiring Beanies in April.

Beanie enthusiasts who mailed in Cyrk's official order form for their Clubby bear redemption might experience a temporary delay. Ty Beanie Babies Official Club membership has been a hot commodity, especially due to the recent deadline date. Orders that were postmarked no later than March 15, 1999, will be fulfilled. An informative postcard is being sent to collectors who might experience a delay in receiving Clubby

Ty Reps are confirming that there will be new releases March 31st or April 1st.

***NO SURPRIZE***

3/18/99-TY was just teasing us again last night! They got us all excited when the Info Beanie said a surprize was coming later that night. All the surprize was, were Irish dancers! Ty knows we are waiting for new Beanies they are having fun keeping us guessing.

Brace yourself in the spring for the third Teenie Beanie Babies promotion, which McDonald's Corp. President and Chief Executive Jack M. Greenberg promises will add "some different twists." Starting tomorrow, McDonald's will begin offering miniature molded plastic versions of the popular Furby toy with every purchase of a children's Happy Meal. There will be 80 different Furbies for kids to collect, Greenberg said. The tiny, plastic Furbies come in several different colors -- pink, orange, blue and others -- and perform different functions. Some make squeaking noises, some wiggle their ears and others roll around. None talk in Furbish. Greenberg also gave Beanie Baby fans something to look forward to. Later, during a press conference, he said next spring's line-up will be "new and improved," although he didn't elaborate."It's going to have some different twists that we think will appeal not only to the collectors, but will appeal to kids, which is of course why you make the toys in the first place," he said.

Some info from a Ty Retailer-Ty has cancelled all back orders from January and February. Their March orders are slow in coming. Many have order the new trading cards only to be told they are sold out. This retailer says the new BBOC Club bear is Bright red like Rover, and has not been told when shipments will start arriving.

***LUKE CHANGED?***

3/17/99-I was looking at my new set of BBOC Cards and noticed that the card withLuke on it has Luke with a maroon bow instead of the checked one. I not know if that means there will be a change in Luke, it will be interesting to see! The Millennium card has the name spelled right and now they are showing up with name right on the bears.

Goochy the info beanie might be hinting about something special tonight! There are lots of rumors out there, I have heard Erin will retire today. Or maybe new releases!

The TY BBOC web page has taken off all info on the first kit and Clubby. It just says that Kit one has retired.

I found some BBOC cards from the second series today. This is going to be a harder set to collect. So many more people are collecting this set that didn't the first set. I have noticed it it going to be hard to find all the cards. Many stores are just starting to get them and are selling out within hours of getting them cards.

***BBOC CARD NEWS***

3/16/99-The first autographed card from the second set of cards has been found in Maine. It is Canyon the autograph is different in this set of cards. There is a TY heart stamped over the signature. Wanted to let you know, I noticed that these packages are going to be very difficult to open and reseal. But still check them out before you purchase them.

Ty Warner purchased the Four Seasons Hotel last month, he did so under the name "57 BB Properties Inc." The "BB" standing for Beanie Babies and the "57" indicating 57th Street, the street where the hotel is located in Manhattan.

Do to high winds here in New Hampshire today I am having a hard time getting my web page updated we keep losing power so I may have to update the rest later. I have typed out a little and then we lose power for a few seconds and I lose everything I've typed before I can save it.

***BY BY CLUBBY***

3/15/99-Today was the last day to order Clubby. If you did not get your order postmarked by the end of the day you will not be able to order any more Clubbies.

As the first major league team to toss Beanie Babies into the promotional lineup, the Chicago Cubs helped Ty Co.’s little dolls become the No. 1 giveaway at ballparks last year. Now other dolls have been added on the Cub’s schedule. A limited edition Barbie doll, wearing a Cubs cap and jersey, will be given away at Wrigley Field this season, as well as two Cabbage Patch Kids – one in a Cubs home uniform and the other in a road uniform. The Cubs, who are aiming for the next generation, and Mattel Inc. reached an exclusive agreement to add Barbie and the Cabbage Patch Kids this year. Beanie Baby lovers can take heart. "Sammy the Bear" and "Erin the Bear" will be given away this year, and on Sept. 26, the last regular season game of this century, the Cubs will distribute "Millennium Bear."

Sorry for the late update today, had problems with the server for my web site.

***BBOC SERIES 2***

3/14/99-This second set of cards is going to be very hard to find. I have been looking for these cards for two days. Every store that has received them have sold out within hours of putting them on the shelves. The other stores that do have them are limiting you to 5 packages or less per person per day. Still other stores can not order any, they are told they are unavailable at this time.

I am receiving e-mails that Millenium now has 2 n's in it's name. I also noticed on the new set of BBOC cards Millennium is spelled with 2 n's on the card. I would think that the bears with one "N" are going to be the higher valued ones!

The Oakland A's have announced that their Beanie Giveaway Day on May 1st will feature Peace the Bear. The A's will be playing the Boston Red Sox that day. The ty-dyed bear will be availible to the first 10,000 fans ages 14 and under.

It is beleived that TY will be coming out with some new releases this week or by April 1st. The new line of Coca-Cola Bears will be released April 1st., and a new set will be released every 2 months. I am being told that TY wants to draw attention from this by retiring and releasing new Beanies. This could be why we had a March retirement!

I have scanned some pictures of the new BBOC Series II Cards:

RETIRED CARDS

BIRTHDAY AND ROOKIE CARDS

COMMON CARDS

I am also working a page for the second set of cards which should be finished tomorrow. It is about half done now, you can get to it by going back to my home page and clicking on Trading Cards II

***TY WARNER BUYS HOTEL***

3/13/99-"Ty Warner, the creator of Beanie Babies, has sold enough of his faddish bean bag animals to buy New York's Four Seasons Hotel for $275 million from a group of investors led by Lai Sun Hotels International Inc.The 370-room landmark on East 57th Street, where bathrooms are equipped with televisions and average room rates exceed $600 a night, has been on the market for almost a year as Hong Kong- based Lai Sun Group, parent of Lai Sun Hotels, sought to pare its debts." Source Bloomberg News

Police in Centerport New York report that 200 current style Beanie Babies were pilfered from a display case at Hope's Stationery, during the early morning hours of Feb. 15. The burglary was recorded by the store's surveillance camera. The thief was described as a white man, who appears to be in his late 20s or early 30s, with shoulder-length hair, a slight beard and a mustache. He was wearing glasses, a baseball cap and a Syracuse University jacket. Suffolk Crimestoppers has posted a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information was asked to call (800) 220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential, said police.

I received another e-mail that a Gold Snip card has been found. I think this second set of cards is going to go faster than the first set. Many store owners reporting that the cards are gone within hours of there putting them on the shelves. They have also been told that they will not be able to order anymore at this time.

Just a reminder that March 15th is the last day to get an order out for Clubby it must be post marked on the 15th for them to honor your request!

I was talking to one of my fellow Beanie collectors today we were talking about the new set of BBOC Cards and she told me she bought 2 packages yesterday in Ayer MA., and she got a Gold Twigs Card! I still have not found any store around here that has them yet.

***BBOC CARDS UPDATE!***

3/12/99-HERE'S THE INFO! The new set of BBOC Trading cards has 151 cards. Each sealed box come with a poster of which there are two versions.There is no mention yet of how many autographed cards there are yet. There are 12 "RARE BEAR" cards which come in four colors, Blue is the most common, Green, Silver, and very rare Gold. The hologram card front is the different colors with the number of the cards on the back. These cards are #1 Rep Bear, Billionare Bear, Britannia, Clubby, Erin, Garcia, Glory, Libearty, Maple, Peace,Princess, and Valentino. There are 15 Retired Cards Grunt, Puffer, Twigs, Floppitiy, Magic, Snort, Chops, Lucky, Sly, Bumble, Lizzy, Seaweed, Ally, Jolly, Rex. There are 24 Birthday/Rookie Cards Fleece, Peanut, Jabber, Snip, Echo, Patti, Hissy, Smoochy, Early, Nuts, Halo, Rover, Caw, Nip, Gracie, Rooket, Beak, Kuku, Gigi, Rainbow, Baldy, Jake, Freckles, and Pumkin. At this time I not know who the common cards are. Here are the chances of get what cards:

Birthday/Rookie 1:3 packages

Retired 1:5 packages

Rare Bear 1:50 packages

Autographed 1:50 packages

Trivia Cards 1:1 packages

Official TY 1 & 2 Poster 1:1 sealed box

Received an e-mail stating that on April 1st. Coca-Cola will released their new line on QVC. Ty Will want to steal their thunder by releasing their new Beanies.

I received an e-mail from Jessica which you can read on my thoughts and comments page. She wants to warn you about a person selling Bears from China which are counterfeits.

***BBOC CARDS II BIG HIT!***

3/11/99-The second set of cards hit the store shelves yesterday with many stores selling totally out within hours. This second set due to be a bigger hit then the first due to the fact more people know about them then the first set. Chances of getting a rare or autgrafhed card is about 1 in 50. In Series 2 there will be 12 Rare Bear cards to collect as opposed to nine Original 9 cards in Series 1. The odds of finding other chase cards are harder this time. Odds of finding a Birthday/Rookie Card are 1 in 3 packs and the odds of finding a Retired Card are 1 in 5 packs. There are scratch trivia Cards in this second set.

Rumors of a new Bear Peaches have been going around there has also been a picture on some web sites of this bear. But TY has said this is a fake bear and has asked many web sites to remove the picture.

If any of my readers from Germany has a Germanina for sale or wants to trade for a Maple please e-mail me. Thanks Linda

A Penn. man is accused of mail fraud. Joseph Scarmack, 24, of Sharon is accused of mail fraud. The grand jury alleged Wednesday that Scarmack advertised on the Internet that he had rare Beanie Babies for sale. Eight people ordered the toys and paid Scarmack $200 to $635 for them. Scarmack received a total of $2,586 but never mailed the toys, the grand jury alleged. Scarmack could be sentenced to five years in prison if convicted of mail fraud, prosecutor Barbara Carlin said.

(RUMOR)A new Beanie Buddie will be released on April 1st. It will not be Princess like we have all been waiting for it will be Millennium!

***TUSH TAGS!***

3/9/99-Be careful if you are using water around your new Beanies with the halogram tush tag! If the silver halogram gets wet it starts to flake off! Also if the tush tag gets wrinkled the halogram will start to flake off! I tought since some people to surface wash their beanies that you should be made aware of this.

Have received 2 e-mails saying the second set of BBOC Trading cards are starting to be sold. One was in Maryland and the other Penn. So keep your eyes open if they are like the last set they won't last long.

Texas Rangers will hold a Beanie Promotion on September 5, the first 15,000 children ages 13 and under will receive the new black lab Beanie Baby named Luke.

CVS’ exclusive four-week Spring Promotion of Peter Cotton Tail and his Friends started yesterday and will run through Saturday, April 3rd. Each week two new characters will be introduced.

The first annual Ty Collectibles Convention gets underway this weekend at the BWI Airport Marriott in Baltimore Maryland. This is a non-profit event that is being sponsored by Beanie Mania Magazine and Maison D’ours. Proceeds from this two-day event will benefit Camp Friendship; a summer camp for kids with cancer.

***TRACDING CARDS II SHIPPED***

3/8/99-The second set of BBOC Tradings cards are being shipped out to the stores this week. These are going to be HOT! HOT! HOT! As soon as I know what cards are the ones to be looking for I will pass it on to you. Let me know when you start to find them in the stores!

Seems the Beanie Police are out there, received an e-mail from a store owner who was told drop your prices or TY will drop you! The store owner claims TY Rep made a surprize visit same time Beanies arrived and didn't like prices on the Beanies and Buddies and was told to drop prices.

(RUMOR)TY will announce new releases April 1st! I have received 6 e-mails from store owners claiming to have been told by their Reps new releases would be coming by April 1st! We will also finally find out the mystery Beanie Buddie. I have been told it is diffently "Princess." I have also been told TY is trying to keep the beanies moving and not have so many styles sitting on the selves so long no one wants them. Also TY will a surprize for us in April???

***WHICH RETIREDS WILL BE HOT?***

3/7/99-According to Mary Beth's of Beanie World Magazine,"The Beanie "most likely to succeed" in this retirement is Batty, the "Ty"-dyed bat which was only first introduced in October. Many collectors had not had the chance to find him before this announcement." "Similarly, Beak the Beanie Buddy, introduced in September, with an ordering limit of only six per store per month, is going to be a very hot commodity. The Attic Treasures Casanova (new in 1998) and Skylar (new 1999) have not been in the marketplace very long." She also said that the original Goochy will be a hot Beanie.(remember you heard it from me first :o) )The new verion is already on the selves this is the one with the hot pinks, oranges and yellows.

Counterfiet Billionare Bears are now showing up. Also be aware that the lastest Bears like Millenium and 99 Signature, and Fuzz are also showing up with a poorly done halogram tush tag! Know your tags!!!

Many stores are discounting the Gold BBOC Membership Kit. This is a good time to pick them up and get another kit before the 15th of March.

***BBOC II CARDS SOLD OUT!***

3/6/99-Retailers trying to order the second set of the new BBOC Trading Cards are being told "SORRY" sold out at this time. Due to the growing knowledge of the first set and the values of the cards on auctions such as E-bay the second set will be in higher demand then first. Some stores have ordered them by the the first of March, but they have not received them yet. I have packages of the the first set for sale at $1.50 each, it's not to late to start collecting them.

Another company was on TY's list to take to court over the word "BEANIE". Silver Star International Inc. had announced plans last week to sell 12 plushes under the name Beanie Brigade. Friday, Michael Faessler, Silver Star president, said he would "fall back" and rename the line Bean Brigade. Silver Star changed the name after a law firm representing Beanie Babies creator Ty Inc. sent a letter demanding the St. Petersburg company cease using the word "beanie" in its product name and Web site address, and stop using a multicolored logo. Ty has registered trademarks for "Beanie Babies" and "The Beanie Babies Collection."

A complaint accusing a couple of trying to peddle counterfeit Beanie Babies has police detectives scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to tell a fake from the real thing. Panama City, Flordia police Lt. Joe Hall said Thursday. ``We're trying to get someone to authenticate these things.''. The Pekings were purchased in China for $1. US. The man claims he thought they were real or would not have tried to sell them. The Beanie were sold for $38,000. Detectives contacted Ty Inc., which makes the dolls, but the company declined to pursue charges against Bird. ``It's very possible that this investigation won't produce any criminal charges,'' Hall said. ``But it really has been interesting.''

***BRING YOUR BEANIE TO WORK DAY!***

3/5/99-Today is the first annual bring your Beanie to work day! Last week the Info Beanie Valentina said today is the first Bring your Beanie to work day. Goochy this months Info Beanie reminded everyone that it is today also.

Retailers can order 36 of each Beanie Baby this month. Beanie Buddies they can order six of each style and Pillow PAls only 4 of each style. 12 of each Attic Treasure both large and small.

I am hearing that the second set of BBOC Trading cards are starting to show up at stores. If you have seen them, let me know!

Furby is now banned in any buildings that are used by the Navy. Poor little Furby has been banned from most of the goverment buildings now. They say due to his learning and speaking ability he could repeat classified information. The makers of Furby said there is no recording device in Furby. But poor Furby is still banned!

***MORE LEGAL STUFF FOR TY***

3/4/99-TY has an Injuction againest West Highland Publishing. The publishers of the highly successful Beanie Baby Handbook series by Les and Sue Fox. Ty won an injunction against West Highland Publishing when the judge in the case ruled that Ty would "suffer irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief."

From Beanie World: Mary Beth will be appearing on a short QVC segment (tonight) at 9 p.m. EST. She will be the official spokesperson for Cavanagh International Group Inc., introducing Coke's new International Bean Bag Collection. The collection is featured in the April issue of "Mary Beth's Beanie World Monthly" magazine and an upcoming Beanie World Coca-Cola special edition due on newsstands soon.

(RUMOR)I have received an e-mail stating that new Beanies will be released in April. One will be the new BBOC Club Bear. Th e-mail also said that TY will be using older Beanie styles and using new material and different names for some of the new Beanies (Like Sammy and Hippie). We'll just have to wait and see what new surprizes TY has for us in the future.

***LACK OF UPDATES***

3/4/99-Sorry for the lack of updates, I had a brief visit to the hospital and have not had a chance to update. I will update tomorrow morning. Thanks for your understanding.

***UPDATE!***

3/1/99-TY's web site has said that the March retirement is finished. The 16 retired Beanie Babies are, Batty, Chip, Gobbles, Hissy, Iggy, Mel, Nanook, Pouch, Pounce, Prance, Pugsley, Rainbow, Smoochy, Spunky, Stretch, Strut. The Beanie Buddy Beak, and Attic Treasures Casanova, And Skylar.

February's News and Rumors are now archived so that this page will load faster.

***NEWS FROM TY?***

3/1/99-Goochy was elected the Info Beanie for March. Goochy says his first duty will be to plan a going away party for the newly retired Beanies. Don't know if there will be any retirements today will keep you updated as soon as I hear. I don't know if we will hear about any new releases, TY has always retired then released new Beanies. One month being the longest time between them.

The second set of BBOC Trading cards is starting to be shipped today. Keep your eyes open they will go fast, if you didn't collect the first set, the second set is suppose to be better! The first set sold out in a month in a half here in New England!

The New BBOC Club kit will start to be shipped May 1st. Each store will receive 75 each. I beleive these will be hard to find for a while.

Did anyone else notice on day one of TY's retirement that Millennium's name was spelled correctly? This could mean that TY has corrected the selling on Millennium's tags.

New Contest for March has started. I have gone back to a question, many of you could not get the picture to come up on the screen. You can find the contest on the contest page. Thanks to everyone who entered! Don't give up, keep entering!

***MORE RETIREMENTS!***

2/28/99-Six more retire making a total of 16 that will retire on March 31st. Added to the list today,Gobbles, Pugsley, Spunky, Iggy, Rainbow, Prance. Will have to see if there are anymore tomorrow!

It has come to our attention that someone is offering a Beanie Baby authentication service using our names -- Vicky Krupka and Becky Phillips. Someone from this "service" contacts Beanie sellers by e-mail, saying they are Vicky Krupka. They offer to authenticate Beanies if the other party sends the Beanies to them and a money order made payable to "Counterfeits Co." The Beanie is then returned with a letter of "authentication" saying that it has been looked at by both Vicky and Becky, but with no address or signature on it. Please be advised that Vicky Krupka and Becky Phillips do not have an authentication service. Nor do they charge for looking at Beanies and offering an opinion. If anyone has any more information about this fraudulent practice please contact Vicky at OddOnes@aol.com. Thank you -- Vicky Krupka and Becky Phillips

#1 TY Rep Bear sold for $19,600. on E-Bay. Who says the Beanie craze is dying?

The Auburn Maine Police received 50,000 Beanie Babies from the Sammy Sosa Foundation. Police Chief Robert Tiner said a truckload of the toys arrived Tuesday, after a friend of his who is friendly with an agent for the Chicago Cubs star helped arrange the delivery. Now police are parceling out the toys to hospitals and other organizations. Officers will keep some on hand to distribute to children they encounter in emergency situations.

You have until noon to enter this month's guess the beanie contest. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. A new contest will start tomorrow.

***TODAY'S RETIREMENT!***

2/27/99-TY has announced this retirement today. Stretch, Nanook, Pounce, Batty, Smoochy, Hissy, also Attic Treasure Casanova will retire March 31st.

Germanina has arrived in Germany. The stores are receiving 36 of each Bear. From those I have heard from the shops are selling them to their loyal customers at the suggested price. Those that are making it to the secondary market are selling for a much as $450.

An e-mail from someone who has found one of the new Goochy, says the change in the material is not just the color. Debi says the material is a different texture, it's not as soft.

I found a FUZZ Bear yesterday! I was so surprized! I think he is beautiful! He is diffidently different from any other TY Bear. He is very soft!

"In an exclusive interview, Steve Murphy, new business development manager at Cyrk, Inc., provided details on Series Two of Ty Beanie Babies Collector's Cards to Jacqueline Greenwood, president of the Beanie Babies Collector's Cards Unofficial Club. "Series Two will be even better than Series One!" Mr. Murphy claimed."

BBOC TRADING CARDS II

Valentina the Info Beanie says in her diary today that Friday, March 5th, Is the first annual "Bring Your Beanie To Work Day!" I think that's a nice idea, but what about those who don't collect Beanies? I think that would be a good time to do something nice for someone, "GIVE A FRIEND A BEANIE DAY!"

***TY ANNOUNCES SURPRIZE RETIREMENT!!!***

2/26/99-March 31st Ty will retire, on thier site this morning they have just announced there will be a surprize retirement! I am trying to find out who they will be, has soon has I know I will post it!

TY is playing a matching game if two of the same pictures appear on the same day then those will retire, today it is: Strut, Chip, Pouch, Mel. Also Beanie Buddie Beak and Attic Treasure Skylar. Have to check tomorrow and see who else!

***SORRY!!***

2/26/99-Sorry for the lack of news yesterday, we had a really bad blizzard here in New England yesterday and I was having problems with my internet server. I am going to get caught up on the news this morning!

Already there is a change to Goochy the jelly fish. He has gone from the light blue and pink pastel material to more like neon with brighter pinks,greens, and oranges.This is going to make the old Goochy more sought after.

Only 31% of the autographed BBOC Trading Cards have been accounted for. California and Pennsylvania seem to have been hot spots. Of the 296 autographed cards 17 showed up in California with 9 in Pennsylvania. These cards have sold on E-bay for as much as $3,500. each

***TY's #1 REP BEAR***

2/24/99-There are more of Ty's #1 Rep bears up for bids on E-bay there are now 5 more currently up for sale. The bids range from $8,500. to $12,000. The high prices are causing more of them to be put up for auction.

(RUMOR)I have received an e-mail stating that TY has made a correction to "Millenium". It says that the new corrected MIllennium will be out soon. The misspelled name on both swing and tush tags have now been corrected. Making the first version highly collectible! It is very common for spelling mistakes on TY's Beanies, only to have them corrected with the next production of that beanie.

Not much in Beanie news the last couple of days. Don't forget to enter this months contest guess the beanie! It's on the contest page. Let me know if you like guessing what the picture is or answering the question better. I have received a few e-mails that some of you don't like the picture. Let me know.

***BEANIES HERE TO STAY!!***

2/22/99-"It looks as though those cute, cuddly Beanie Babies are here to stay in the next millennium.""It really is the fastest growing hobby," said Bob Marchionda, manager of Sports Cards Etc. of Wexford. "Every time it appears there will be a lull in interest, the things take off again.I've collected sports cards all my life, and I've never seen anything like this, Marchionda said. The reason for Beanies' popularity, Marchionda said, is that unlike baseball or other trading cards, they appeal to both girls and boys, and even adult collectors. I think they will be around for many years to come," Marchionda said.""(SOURCE The Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

A BEANIES FOR BASKETBALL FUNDRAISER - A non-profit youth basketball organization that provides athletic and academic support programs for young student athletes.We are raffling off a Beanie Baby a week for the next 16 weeks. We're trying to raise enough money to take at least one of our teams to Australia this summer. We've been invited to play 10 games over a two week period.We are very exicited about the opportunity to take some of our kids on the trip of a lifetime. If you have any questions you can e-mail Larry Gray the Executive Director of Ultra StudentAthletes.

Germanina is do to be coming out in March with a value of about $300. With Easter coming Hippie, Eggbert, Nibbler and Nibbly are becoming harder to find. If you are looking for these Easter Beanies e-mail I have a few of these for $15. each plus postage.

"BEANIES FOR PREEMIES INC. is asking for everyone's help. Not only do we need donations, but we now need letters of endorsement. We are trying to get TY to see that we are a worthwhile organization, and that what we do does mean a lot to the families we touch. If you would like to help BEANIES FOR PREEMIES to get the recognition it deserves, please write a letter to Mr. Warner, and e-mail it to us. We will then attach a specially made coloring sheet of a preemie w/beanie(that has been colored by the children of the country) and send them in a big package to Mr. Warner himself. Thank you for caring and sharing! --Mary Stocum-founder" (Send all email letters for Ty to the following address: critsit@alltel.net)

***SPORT BEANIE PROMOTIONS***

2/21/99-Here are some Sports Beanie giveaways:

On Sunday, August 15, 1:35 p.m., the New York Yankees will hold a Beanie Baby promotion for the kids ages 14 and under. They play the Minnesota Twins.

Kansas City Royals will host a June 6 Ty Beanie Baby (First 10,000 kids 14 and under) promotion sponsored by Guy's Snack Family Day. The Sunday 1:05 p.m. game will be against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Minnesota Twins will host a Beanie promotion on Friday, June 18, details yet to be announced. The 7:05 p.m. game will be against Tampa Bay.

Saturday, June 19 vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 7:05. (A free Beanie Baby to the first 10,000 fans in attendance 14 and under.)

On Sunday, July 18, the Houston Astros will play against the Cleveland Indians and give away Tiny to the first 20,000 kids.

The McDonalds Furby promotion will be starting on March 26th. It will be almost impossible to collect the 80 different versions of Fury. It has been estimated that the value of the entire set of eighty would be about $1,500. But you will not be able to see which Furby you are getting as the packaging will not allow you to see which Furby is inside!

I saw a FUZZ BEAR today even got to hold it in my hands! This is a beautiful Bear! It is a copper, rust color and he is so soft! This is going to be one of TY's best Bears and I beleive it is going to be a very hard one to find for a while!

(Rumor)Some Ty Retailer received a memo that Ty will be bringing back some old Beanies styles, but change their material & names. We have already seen some of this happening with the newly released Sammy & Hippie!

***Germanina***

2/20/99-I have received an e-mail from Cindi, one of my readers from Germany. She states that Germanina is starting to show up in shops. She was lucky enough to get one of the new Bears.

The Info Beanie on TY's Web Site, is teasing us again this time talking about St. Patricks Day and gold coins. We all waited for Valentines day and nothing happened. There are rumors of a new release "Irish" which is a white bear with shamrocks. (like Glory)The gold coins could be the collectors coins in the new BBOC Kits, maybe they will be releasing the new kits in March? Ty always keeps us guessing!

You will now be able to pick up your copy of MaryBeth's Beanie World Magazine at Blockbuster Video. They started testing sales of the magazine in October in some of their stores and found they sold very well. So starting with the June issue it will be availible in over 3000 Blockbuster Video Stores across the US.

McDonald will have four International Bears for sale with the new Teenie Beanie Promotion. Glory, Erin, Maple and Britannina.These are Collector's Sets in collectibles and "connectable" packaging with an International Bears theme benefiting the Ronald McDonald House and retailing for $2.49 each.

I have received many e-mails asking me about the tush tags on the Beanie Buddies. I apologize that have not gotten back to you until now. The first generation tush tag has just the TY Heart on the front of it. The second generation is pictured below, it has the words Beanie Buddie Collection on the top of the TY Heart. Twigs has been retired, but is now being sold in the UK with the 2nd generation tush tag.

***TY TRADING CARDS HOT!!***

2/19/99-Ty Trading cards are getting hotter and hotter. The value on the cards is getting higher, an autographed cards value is in the thousands and gold cards are bring about between $250 - $1000 for each card. Some people are just starting to collect and are finding it harder to get the cards. Unopened boxes of cards are selling for $80, whole unopened cases are selling for $400 and up. As the demands is growing for these cards the prices are getting higher and higher. A set of 233 cards is for sale, this set has no duplicates, the price $3500. On ebay auction #68826564.

It has been brought to my attention that the pictures of Nibbler and Nibbly are backwards in the new issue of Marybeths Beanie World. People are confused as to which beanie is which. I have looked and they are mixed up in the magazine.

Rumors are getting around about Taco Bell sueing TY over Tiny. As soon as I saw Tiny I knew it wouldn't take long for this rumor to start. I have done some checking and I have been told that this is in fact a rumor. Taco Bell is not and does not plan on sueing TY over Tiny.

Chat With The Stars! (http://www.beanie411.com/chat.html) Tonight at 9 PM EST/6 PM PACIFIC come chat with beanie information experts Tony and Melissa Davis for a night of fun only at Beanie411 !

***MORE SPORTS BEANIES***

2/18/99-Tampa Bays' second home game will have a Beanie babie give away. "Traditionally in baseball, the second night's always a downer. So we thought: 'Why not have the second night be as big as the first (opening) night?'" managing general partner Vince Naimoli said. There is no mention of which Beanie will be featured in the giveaway."

Ty Warner was at the Toy Fair in New York, There are a lot of new Ty product coming out. The New Club Kit has interesting packaging. It has a soft clear plastic front that zips from the top. The New Collector Card Book that will be available from Cyrk the same company that makes the cards. This book will contain pictures of all of the Series I and New Series II Cards. The book is being produced according to a company rep" because there are just so many false rumors on the Internet concerning this product." Also remember if you are bidding on Beanie Babie cards on the internet that you are bidding on TY's Cards. There is another set of Beanie Babie cards out there, they are not the same and not as collectible as the Ty cards. Many have found out to late that they're not Ty cards.

I have been receiving e-mails asking if the new Derby and Mystic have the new Halogram tush tag? From what I am hearing the only Beanies at this time with the Halogram Tush tag are the new releases.I would think that soon the new tush tag will appear on all the Beanies. And I would also think that the new Derby and Mystic will be more valuable due to the fact very few will have been made before the switch to the new tush tag.

Fuzz has been arriving in stores, and people who have been lucky enough to get them say he is the Best Bear yet, sure to be the most wanted of the Ty Bears. He is Very, Very soft.

***!***

2/17/99-Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I had a very busy day and didn't get to my web site until now which is 11:52 PM. So I am going to give you two days news.

The #1 Rep Bear sold for $12,000. today on ebay!

Beanieholics is encouraging everyone to vote for Goochy as the March InfoBeanie. "Your vote for this misunderstood Beanie would be appreciated. We think that Goochy would make a great Info Beanie. With all those arms (tentacles) he’s bound to be able to answer email faster than any of the other Beanie Babies. And how could you not vote for him after looking into those eyes? "

I'll have more news later this morning for you.

***NO NEW BUDDY!***

2/15/99-TY has done it again, teased us into beleiving there would be a special announcement on Valentines Day. But Nothing new, in fact there hasn't been any updates on the info beanie since the 12th. I think TY likes to keep us guessing! I just looked at the TY web site and they have now updated to today. Nothing mentioned about a new Buddie only that Valentino came to visit.

Retailers at the New York Toy Fair were able to give their March orders to the TY reps at the fair! They were able to order 36 of each of the current styles, 6 of each Beanie Buddies, 8 Attic Treasures and 4 Pillow Pals.

(RUMOR)A new Bear has been seen. It is white with green shamroocks on it(like Glory). I have not gotten a name for this new Bear. Only that Erin will retire this spring and the new one will be released. We'll have to wait and see on this one.

The poles are now open on TY's web site for next months Info Beanie. So far Goochy is in the lead, followed by Millenium and 99 Signature Bear.

***SO FAR NO NEWS!***

2/14/99-So far the TY web site has not announced any releases or retirements today. The rumors have been that Ty would announce a new Beanie Buddie today. I will let you know if anything is announced. I think Valentina the info Beanie as taken a few days off, no updates on her site for 2 days.

News from a TY rep, "Said Fuzz is now shipping & retailers should be receiving theirs very soon. Fuzz is reported to look like he is made out of brown terry cloth, but is very soft. Retailers will be allowed to order a maximum of 72 BBOC kits a month & that they should beginning shipping in May. The retailers who ordered Mystic, Derby, & Batty should see the newer styles arrive with there next shipment.

Received an e-mail from Anne, she says she as found a Valentina with a red heart. She says she looked through all the others in the bag and that was the only one.

***UPDATE!***

2/13/99-TY BBOC WEB SITE NEWSFLASH - "News Flash for Club members !You've still got time! Important notice to BBOC Members! Due to the overwhelming demand for Clubby, the Beanie Baby Official Club has extended the Clubby deadline to March 15, 1999, in order to accomodate the loyal Club members. Make sure you take advantage of this extended offer and order your Clubby today! (Offer valid while supplies last. All orders must be postmarked no later than March 15, 1999. Any orders postmarked after March 15, 1999 will not be accepted."

Ty Warner was at the Nuremburg Toy Fair on Thursday and Friday February 4 & 5. He brought 4 prototype Germania's with him and two were stolen! If these show up on the black market they will bring high prices. According to eye witnesses, Germania's tag is full of German grammar errors. They plan on correcting the tags, but the first shipment will have the errors. Each German Ty Rep received a Germania bear for free from Ty Warner.

***FUZZ IS OUT THERE!***

2/13/99-I am receiving more e-mails that Fuzz is out there. One persons thoughts on Fuzz," This teddy is unlike any other Beanie produced by Ty to this point. The material is very soft. It is somewhat napped as Beak, but much, much softer, this is the best bear so far." I have also received this picture from Beth.

I have finally seen the new Ty-dyed Batty and the new Derby. I was in a store yesterday, a little late to get one for myself but did get to see them. I really like the new Batty, he has black ears and and a darker nose. The new Derby has a brown mane not black and I do like it better than the yarn.

Mary Beth's Beanie World is looking for Beanie Moms and Dads."We're looking for photos of you and your special "bean bag collecting Mom or Dad" for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of Mary Beth's Beanie World Monthly! "

Reader Scrapbook - Mom/Dad

Mary Beth's Beanie World Monthly

P.O. Box 551

Mt. Prospect, IL 60056-0551

Photos previously submitted to another publication cannot be considered. Make sure to include your full name, postal address, E-mail address (if any) and daytime phone number on the back of the picture. Address and phone information are for office use only and will not be published. The publication regrets that submitted photos cannot be returned.

Cyrk, Inc. has announced strong fourth quarter results. Net sales for the quarter ended December 31,1998 increased 15% to $212.4 million from $184.1 million for the same period in 1997. CEO, Patrick D. Brady said, "In 1998, we successfully executed the reorganization of Cyrk, achieved profitability sooner than anticipated, and bolstered our position as a global leader in the promotional marketing industry. The exciting introduction of authentic Beanie Babies® merchandise, and the continued growth of our Corporate Promotion Group."

I have some Kicks, Halo, and Hope $30 each, I have Prickles, Ewey, Goochy, Slippery, Mooch, Tiny, Goatee, Butch, Scat, Nibber, Nibbly, Stilts, Luke,Princess, Erin, Fortune for $15. each plus $4 postage. E-mail me.

***TY's CUBS GAME***

2/12/99-Ty Inc. is sponsoring its own sports promotion. In honor of the last regular-season baseball game of the 20th century at Wrigley Field, Ty will present its Millenium bear and special commemorative sports card. The game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates is on Sunday, September 26, at 1:20 p.m.

More info was sent to me about the 1999 Teenie Beanie III Promotion. "There will be 12 Teenie Beanie Babies again in 1999 Eight Beanie Babies versions of the Teenie Beanies will RETIRE before the promotion begins Promotion runs May 21st - June 17th, 1999 There will be a "Unique Version" Teenie Beanie for McDonald's Crew ONLY!! There will be a lot more produced this year, and you will be able to purchase them with any food purchase! There will be a Series of 4 Teenie Beanie Collector's Set in collectibles and "connectable" packaging with an International Bears theme benefiting the Ronald McDonald House and retailing for $2.49 each. The names of the 12 Teenies have not been made known yet." Thanks for the info Angie.

Fuzz is still very hard to find. Lots of rumors as to why no one can find this Bear. I have heard his fuzz is falling out, he is being redesigned, that Ty has pulled him and not producing him. Only TY knows what going on with Fuzz, I have received e-mails that he is out there just very hard to find, and TY has not announced he retired so he's still out there.

A #1 Rep Bear is up for auction on Ebay the current bid is at $7600. with 3 days remeaining of the auction.

***VALENTINA HINTING?***

2/11/99-On TY's web site the info beanie said yesterday, ". Our friends at Ty said that Valentino might stop by to help us celebrate Valentine's Day. That would be very nice." Are they hinting or teasing

TY is in court again with another company over trademark infrigement. This time it is Laid Back Enterprises Inc. maker of the "BEANIE FORD CLINIC" and a 12-step list to help a fan kick the Beanie buying habit. This company make novelity shirts and coffee mugs. TY has asked for a restraining order and punitive damages equal to three times the actual damages!

A Duluth, Minnesota couple faces federal charges for allegedly ripping off beanie baby lovers over the Internet. Richard William Davis and Kelly Williams allegedly stole thousands of dollars from collectors by offering to sell them rare beanie babies that didn't exist. One woman sent 19-thousand dollars. Nobody ever got a beanie-baby. Again use caution when buying over the internet know who your buying from and get references and check them out!!!

Word of caution. I have receive many e-mails from people using TY's new tag protectors. They claim these protectors are wrecking the tags and in some cases have cut the tag right off! They are claiming where the tabs are inserted it is ripping the tags.

(RUMOR)Received an e-mail from someone who says they work for McDonalds. They claim there will be 12 Teenie Beanies and 7 International Bears. The promotion will start May 21st. The 7 International Bears will not be as small as the Teenie Beanies and not as big as Beanies Babies. These Bears will be sold seperately from the Happy Meals.(Remember this is only a rumor)

The new releases with the halogram tush tags no longer have the watermark on the inside of the tush tag! I just check mine and none of the have the number inside the tush tag. Also another warning I am being told that there are already counterfeits out there with A HALOGRAM tush tag! I have been told by a couple of people they have purchased 99 Signature and Millenium with this kind of tush tag, only to find out they were counterfeits.

***$3000 IN BEANIES STOLEN!***

2/10/99-Beanie Babies were stolen from a women at a Beanie Fair in Danbury CT. at the Danbury Mall. The woman stated she had the Beanie in a case under a table. The Beanies ranged in value from $100-$400. The Police closed the case because so many people had touched the case they would not beable to get good fingerprints. Use caution when at Beanie Shows or even just talking about your collection. Beanie Baby thefts is on the rise. Many people have had the collectin stolen after just talking to people while standing in lines waiting for beanies. They have been follwoed home, only to have someone come in a steal their collection later when no one was home. If selling to someone meet in a public place with lots of people around.

Friday February 19th the Buffalo Sabres with be giving away ROAM to the first 5000 kids under 12. Doors will be open at 5PM.

Picture from USA Today of new McDonald's Little Furbies to be given away starting March 26th.

***CLUBBY LAST DAY!***

2/9/99-I was just looking at the calendar February 15th is President's, and the Post office will be closed. You will have to have any orders for Clubby post marked on the 13th! Which is this Saturday!

There has been a lot of talk around the net about the grammer on Ty's web site and on the Valentines Day cards on their site. Well Ty must be reading the web sites because they have fixed their grammer.(I didn't complain! I'm not one to judge my grammer isn't all that great! LOL)

In March McDonald's will be offering teenie Furbies. McDonald's will spend $70 million dallors on this campaign. They will be unveiling the little Furby on Monady at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

Paula of "HALO FOREVER" is looking for some ideas to keep the campaign going. She is asking for some help, if you have some creative ideas let her know. You can reach her by clicking HALO FOREVER.

The Beanie Top 100 is working again, you can increase my sites rating by clicking on the the blue box above. Thanks Linda

***TEENIE BEANIE III***

2/8/99-The word is out that the Teenie Beanie Promotion will start on May 21st. I still have not heard what the Beanies will be. My source no longer works for McDonalds and I have not heard from him, if he does have any info let me know.(he reads my site regularly)

Beanie Buddies are appearing in England, The first set are available including Twigs! One difference is Twigs has a second generation tush tag, which was never made in the US. Which also make it a highly collectible Buddie!

(RUMOR)I have been told that a store in Illinois has received a shipment of Germanina. The store owner has decided to take names of the regular customers and draw 36 names, then they can purchase them for $5. each.

(RUMOR)I received an e-mail this morning stating you can tell which Peace bear you have by the number on the tush tag. I have not had a chance to check this out for myself. This is what the e-mail says the first Peace has the #102, Pastel Peace #101, the new Neon Peace #115. I will have to check this out and see if this is true.

***THE WORD "BEANIE"***

2/7/99-Two web sites with the word "Beanie or Beanies" in their name have received letters from TY ordering them to remove the word from their site or TY will see them in court. They have also been told to remove and pictures or images of TY's product. Planet Beanie and Beanie Baby web sites have both been given ten days to remove anything with Ty's name and images. The letters they received claims that their using the name constitutes unfair competition. Let me know what your thought are on this, I will post them on my "Thoughts and Comments Page".

I have noticed in a number of stores where I buy my Beanies there are now signs that state " This store will no longer knowing sell any Beanie Babies to anyone who resells a SINGLE Beanie Babie. This is Ty's new policy!" Has anyone else seen these signs? Let me know what your thoughts are on this!

MORE NEWS LATER TODAY

***VALENTINA'S SURPRIZE!***

2/6/99-Valentina announces her surprize! It is some Valentines Day Cards you can print out. One you can color the other are already colored. They have Beanie Babies on them. I don't know if this is the only surprize from Ty for Valentines Day? Have to wait and see?

CLICK HERE FOR VALENTINA'S SURPRIZE

Time is running out to get your Clubby. You must have your order Posted Marked by February 15th! If you still haven't received your Clubby please call the number on my BBOC Page to find out about your Clubby before you run out of time.

Ty's new policy on orders to stores. If you don't receive your order the month you place the order it will not be carried over to the next month it will be cancelled. Some store will not receive orders for months depending on what their standing is with TY!

There has been a lot of talk about the different verisons of the Peace bear. This is a picture from Dr. Peace. There are 3 different verisons the first, then Pastel, and now NEON. I do have some NEON Peace Bears for sale for $20.plus postage.

***MISSING BBOC CARDS***

2/5/99-Dustyn Lachenmaiser is looking for help in finding his one of a kind stolen BBOC CARDS. They were stolen from his collectible booth in Des Monies, Iowa. These two cards are easy to tell if you should see them. One is a Gold Signature Bongo with the number 1/1 only one card like this one. The other is a Gold Zip with the number 111/150 only card with this number on it. Dustyn is offering a reward for any information lending to the return of the cards. If you have any information on these stolen cards you can e-mail him at Tripledez@aol.com .

On "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," Pamela Anderson Lee brought Bongo as a gift to Rosie. At the end of the show, Rosie announced that Pamela and herself would autograph Bongo and that Bongo would be put up for auction on eBay. All profits made from this auction will go to the For All Kids Foundation. EBay Auction #63669518

***SERIES TWO TRADINGS CARDS***

2/4/99-I have received some news on the 2nd set of trading cards. They are vertical this time. I person sending me the info said they don't think they are as nice as the last set. No Clear Original Nine, Retired, Birthday, or Roockie cards. They come with trivia cards. They sound a little dull to me what makes them collectiable if nothing worth the chase? I guess will have to wait and see.

Another person has seen the NEW FUZZ, says it looks like a terrycloth Curly? Doesn't sound like Lynn was to thrilled with him.

More on the New BBOC Kit, the vinyl case is a draw string bag. The collectors coin is about the size of a silver dallor and this person is saying only 6 of them instead of 9. Makes a little easier to collect.

I was told that the Surprize Valentina is working on for Valentines Day is a Valentino Beanie Buddie! Everyone is thinking the release of Princess Beanie Buddie. But TY loves to surprize us!

Also I am hearing that the Germanina Bear and poem are real with all the mistakes on the tag. Rumors are this is going to be Highly collectable to get one before the mistake are corrected by TY! And the Birthdate is the day the Berlin Wall came down.

***SAMMY SOSA DONATES BB***

2/3/99-The Sammy Sosa Charitable Foundation has announced today that it has donated one million Beanie Babies to 1,200 children's charities throughout the United States and Sammy's homeland, the Dominican Republic. Says Sammy Sosa, "I am extremely grateful to Ty, Inc. and Cubs Care for their help with this project. The Beanie Babies will bring joy to a million children both in my home country of the Dominican Republic and the United States."

A word about the ty-dyed Batty, I feel really bad for these people who are being taken advantage of over the new design on Batty. I have received so many calls and e-mails on Batty. These people are being told that Ty-dyed Batty is a mistake and only a few are available. This is not true. Though hard to find Ty-dyed Batty is a current Beanie Baby. Some people are paying in the hundreds of dollars for one, please wait you'll find one at a more reasonable price.

February's Guess the Beanie has started! Good Luck to everyone.

***FUZZ APPEARS***

2/2/99-The first sighting of New Fuzz. He is mocha brown in color with longer fur than Curly. A very pretty bear I am told.Thanks for the info Karen.

Beanie Babies are the hottest thing in Germany. Beanies have caught on like wild fire. Germanina will be making it first appearance at the Trade show in Nuremburg the middle of February. It will be presented by Ty Warner himself.

Another Ty-rrific Store opens. This one in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport will join the other two in Pittsburgh and Chicago.

Police on the east coast of New England says Beanie Babies are the hottest commodity on the black market right now. Police from Portsmouth NH to Newburyport MA are looking for a women in her 40's and a man in his 20's. They are beleived to be involded in a number of thefts which has plagued the seacoast.Police says they have seen an increase in Beanie Baby related thefts over the last few weeks.

***THANKS TO ALL***

2/1/99-I just want to say thank you to everyone who tried for the 50,000 visitor, and that I am sorry about all the confusion. I will have to either find another page counter or come up with another way to doing a contest for the 75,000 visitor. Also January's Guess the Beanie Contest had the most entries so far. Thanks to everyone who entered, but don't give up a new contest is starting today.

Scorch in his last entry as Info Beanie says Valentina the new Info Beanie has something special planned for Valentines Day. From the Info I am getting Princess will retire and the new Princess Beanie Buddie will be released. Have to wait and see!

Ty retailer can order 36 of each style of Beanie Baby, and 6 of each Beanie Buddie this month. They can also order 72 of the NEW BBOC KITS but these will not be shipped at this time.

***50,000 VISITOR***

1/31/99-There are 2 Winners in the 50,000. visitor contest. The page counter is not working correctly. More than one person has gotten the 50,000. Also some people are getting numbers under 50,000 now. THE CONTEST IS OVER AND THERE ARE 2 WINNERS! No more winner will be announced.

Valentina is the new Info Beanie on Ty's Web Site.

. Ty retailers will be allowed to order only 72 of the new BBOC Kits and was told they probably won't be able to get more, however, A Ty rep says you must purchase the second kit to get this bear. Gold card members will have other offers available.

***50,000 VISITOR***

1/30/99-I had a winner early this morning just have verify the winner. It was at 2:30 AM I guess quite a few stayed up all night. Will let you know who the winner is as soon as I can.

One day left to enter the January Guess the Beanie contest. The winner will be picked tomorrow at 5 PM EAST. A new contest will begin on Monday.

The word out is the Germannia picture is not a counterfeit.The birthdate is the day the wall came down. Here is a tranlation of the Germanina poem:

Birthdate: October 3, 1990

Unity and Justice and Freedom,

Is the song of German unity.

All good little girls and boys,

Should love this little German bear.

Gold members of the BBOC Club will be receiving an order form in the mail soon to purchase the new Club Bear that is in the second BBOC Kit. I have also been told that another Bear will be available soon to those who purchase both kits.

I have received a couple of e-mails from people who have purchased the new releases from China. Germannia and others are comming out of China, but they do not have the halogram tush tag on them. Before you buy check your tush tags!

***IS IT GERMANNIA OR NOT!***

1/29/99-A Germanina Bear has been found I can not copy the picture on to my page the picture is copyrighted. I think from the picture it is a counterfeit. The birthdate on the Bear is October 3, 1990. The problem is that it is written in German, and translating what the poem says is the problem. From what I under stand is that there are over 9 grammer mistakes. I don't beleive Ty would allow that many mistakes! I will keep you updated

June 14, the Cardinals with be giving away MAC to the first 20,000 kids under 15.

Have you notice some small differences in your tush tags. It takes a couple of printings to make the tush tags, which is why some are spaced a little different. The tag is printed frist then the name is printed on second. I have been told with the new Halogram tuch tag it is and even longer process.

***TY TRADING CARDS ARE HOT!***

1/28/99-The TY BBOC Trading Cards are HOT. Many people didn't start collecting them when they came out in December. Many thought I don't need to start collecting those. Or they thought I'll get some later. To their surprize they where sold out in a little over a month. Now people are scrambling to get what they can of these cards. A full set of 296 cards has an estimated value is $25,000. Just the set of Clear Original Nine Cards are valued at $10,000. This is based on prices they are being sold for on E-Bay.

I still have packages of the opened and resealed cards at $1.50 a package, plus postage, this is a good way to start collecting. I have been asking those who have purchased some cards what they have gotten in these packages most have gotten common cards, but some have gotten retired, birthday, and rookie cards. One person got a Silver Quauckers card which is selling on E-bay for about $28.(Just to repeat: I purchased these cards this way I do not know what are in the packages)

A new Beanie Collector? The Pope was given a Beanie Babie during his visit in Mexico.It was a give from a child. Does this mean Beanies are becoming popular in Mexico? How long before we see Mexicanna??

***THIS IS ALL***

1/27/99-This is all I was able to get back of my web page so I guess I'll just start over again. I want to thank everyone who sent your kind words about both the lost of the web page and comments on the beanies. I have posted a couple letters on my thoughts and comments page.

New Releases Ewey, Scat, Goatee, Slippery, Butch, and Scorch $15., Mac, $20. Sammy and New Neon Peace Bear $25., Santa, Pumkin, and 98 Teddy $35. each plus Postage. E-mail me.

Canadian Clubby appears to be an Americian left over. His second Canadian tush tag is connected by a swiftacre.(the thing that holds the swing tag) These tags are not sewn onto the Clubby just attached. These also seem to have the number "2" on their tush tags.

(RUMOR)Gold BBOC Card Members will be receiving and order form soon for another club Bear.

***LOST EVERYTHING***

1/26/99-HI, I lost every thing that was on my News & Rumors page. I was working on my site when we had a power failure and was saving todays news at the same time we lost power so I lost everything on this page. I am working on trying to get back as much of it as I can. Thanks for your understanding.

Today News-Ty retailers have told me the three hotest Bears from this release are 1.Millenium, 2. Valentina, 3. 99 Signature Bear. The hottest of the non-bears are, 1. Goochy, 2. Tiny, 3. Hippie. The last to sell are 1.Stilts, 2. Luke, 3. Goatee. Still no one has gotten Fuzz.

For as long as they last I have New NEON PEACE BEAR $25.

I would like to take a second a respond to the e-mails I have gotten for selling Beanie Babies on my site for a higher price, than Ty's suggested price. I am not a direct Ty dealer and I do NOT buy direct from dealers out the back door. I purchase all my Beanies like everyone else does 1 at a time. I also buy from other people. I try to be as fair as I can on prices depends on what I pay for them. My husband and I are both disabled and are on a very tight budget, I sell Beanies to help make ends meet. Thanks for letting me have a second.

***TY ADDRESS***

Many of you have e-mailed me asking for Ty Address here it is:

TY INC. Complaint Dept.

PO Box 5377

Oakbrook, IL. 60522