How to Determine the Value of Your Beanie Babies

Defects, retirement and condition all affect the value of Beanies. Whether you're adding to, selling or keeping your beloved collection, it's nice to know there are standards by which to evaluate your Beanies.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Calculators
• Internet Access
• Beanie Babies
• Beanie Baby Tag Protectors

Price Guides

1. Check Ty's Web site (Ty.com) to determine if your Beanie Baby is retired. Ty's site lists all Beanies and their comparative values.

2. Consult Beanie Baby collector's guides for another viewpoint or if you don't have access to the Internet.

3. Check the Internet or a collector's guide to determine if a flaw on your Beanie Baby will lessen, or increase, its worth.

4. Write to Ty through its Web site if you can't find a price for your Beanie on the Web or in a collector's book.

Assessing Your Beanies

5. Examine the tags on your retired or flawed dolls.

6. Consider Beanies with perfectly preserved hang or tush tags and no factory defects to be in "mint" condition.

7. Value Beanies with slightly bent tags at 80 percent to 90 percent of the top price. These Beanies are in "near-mint" condition.

8. Give Beanies with creased tags - those in "excellent" condition - 65 percent to 75 percent of the maximum value.

9. Price Beanies with missing tags at 45 percent to 60 percent of the optimum value. These Beanies are said to be in "very good" condition.

10. Reduce the value of Beanies with worn fabric, tears, stains or missing parts - those that do not meet the "very good" standard - to 5 percent to 35 percent of the top price.

Tips & Warnings

• Beanies with manufacturer's errors, like missing tails or spots, are not assigned preset values, but they may be worth a lot of money.
• Hang-tag errors are easily fixed and not worth much, but tush-tag errors may have significant value.

[kcbeanies]

on 11/13/2009 I have my moms collection of Beanie Babies, Buddies, Kids, Attic Treasures, probably 300 in all +- all in mint condition to excellent condition. All are retired. Most are in acrylic cases with the swing tags covered in the swing tag covers, those not in acrylic cases are in ziploc bags. I would like to sell, anyone interested in a list please contact me at [e-mail]

[spookie1953]

on 11/2/2009 on 11/2/09 I have about 300 beanie babies I am wanting to sell they all have tags and most have tag protectors on I also have about 150 plastic containers to sell if anyone is interested my email is [e-mail] thank you

[GlamourDomme]

on 10/25/2009 This article would have been even better if the author had included the names of a few reputable collectors' guides and their website links.

[delora]

on 10/10/2009 btw to contact me u can do so by emailing me at [e-mail] or call 304-267-4797 and this is in regards to the comment i just posted.

[delora]

on 10/10/2009 i have 2 beanie babies dated 1993. the first one is the royal blue elephant... it does not have the hanging tag but has the tush tag which says its from the ty inc. on the tag it says pa reg# 1965. also, it does not have a name of the elephant on it. could this be one of the beanies that they call one of the first 9 and it was meant to be a light blue cux i do have that one. the 2nd 1993 beanie that i have which is in excellant condition with both tags from the ty inc. is from what is from The Attic Treasure Collection and the bears name is Rosalie. One i didn't meantion was the 15th year bear called Celebration which is also in excellant condition. I am curious about these ones meantioned and wondered if anyone could give me some insite on what i have here. i have lots of others which i just rec'd but these seem to have caught my curiousity.