What Are the Most Expensive Beanie Babies?
Beanie Babies are soft toys that were made with plastic “beans” as fillers, much like bean bags are. They were very popular in the 1990s and a wide range of toys were released, based on a selection of different animals. Many have been played with and loved to the point where they are falling apart, but some have been kept in very good condition.
If you do have a Beanie Baby that is in good condition, you might want to consider having it valued. Those that are in good condition can go for surprising amounts of money. Even if yours does turn out to be valuable, then it doesn’t mean you have to sell it, although you should certainly take good care of it.
1. Peanut The Royal Blue Elephant
Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant is perhaps one of the most iconic of all Beanie Babies. While it was not the first to be made, it was still among the earliest editions, and it helped Ty Inc. to get a foothold in the market. The elephant was not so popular to begin with, however, but a color change helped to correct that. The original toy was made in Royal Blue but, due to poor sales, the color was changed to a lighter shade. People preferred the lighter version and sales went through the roof, helping Ty Inc. to get established. The darker, rarer version is now valued at around $2,500.
2. Peace the Bear
Bears might be large, powerful predators, but sometimes you just want to give them a big hug anyway. Of course, doing so will be dangerous, but that is not the case when it comes to soft toy bears. They are perhaps the most popular of all soft toy animals, and some are really quite valuable.
Among the most valuable of all Beanie Babies is Peace the Bear. Peace the Bear was the first Beanie Baby to have an embroidered emblem. It also had a tie-dye pattern, and this meant that each one is unique. If you do have Peace the Bear that is in excellent condition, you may be able to sell it for up to $5,000.
3. Iggy the Iguana
Iguanas are quite large lizards that are fairly popular as pets. Despite their large size, they are fairly docile animals and live on a diet of fruit and vegetables. They are also relatively easy to look after and make for quite an impressive showpiece. They are still not for everybody, though, and a soft toy version may make for a suitable alternative.
One thing that makes Iggy the Iguana special is that it comes in so many varieties. Whereas most Beanie Babies will be made to the same specifications, Iggy’s design was chopped and changed throughout its production. If you have an Iggy the Iguana somewhere in your home, it could be worth around $5,000.
4. Snort the Red Bull
All companies have to keep within copyright laws. Failing to do so can end up getting them into rather a lot of trouble. Regardless, a company might actually infringe upon the law without meaning to, and this is exactly what happened with one of Ty Inc’s toys. Snort the Red Bull was originally named Tabasco.
It transpired, however, that this was breaking copyrighting laws so they changed his name to Snort to avoid having problems. If you do have a Snort the Red Bull at home, make sure to take good care for it because it could be worth around $6,300.
5. Gobbles the Turkey
Turkeys are not only for Christmas. They are delicious all year round, while some people would rather not eat them at all and keep them as pets instead. They can grow quite large, though, and don’t really make the cuddliest of pets. A soft toy turkey may be a better alternative, however.
There are numerous different versions of Gobbles the Turkey. Some have feathers arranged differently, for instance. The design of the waddle (the loose neck part) also varies in some versions. These differences help to make Gobbles quite valuable, and one that is in good condition can fetch as much as $6,667.
6. Patti the Platypus
The platypus is an unusual creature. Found living naturally in Australia, it has a bill like a duck, is venomous, and is the only mammal to lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. Their unusual features make them a fascinating creature, while they can be just as appealing in toy form.
Ty Inc. didn’t become successful overnight. It took a while for them to become as popular as they are, and a lot of their toys were designed and sold before they were considered to be cool. That Patti the Platypus was one of the original Beanie Babies helps to make it a valuable toy, potentially fetching up to $9,000.
7. Claude the Crab
When we buy goods, we expect perfection, or at least for the product to be without serious flaws. Products that do have manufacturing flaws tend to be less valuable, or even worthless, but sometimes the opposite is true. In the case of Claude the Crab, a product that has flaws can be worth rather a lot of money.
In fact, when it comes to Claude the Crab, it seems that the more flaws the toy has, the more valuable it will become. One, with multiple flaws, was recently sold for $9,000. So, if you do have a Claude the Crab, or any other toy with flaws, then don’t throw them away. They could be worth a lot of money.
8. Princess the Bear
Princess Diana was adored by millions of people around the globe. It was a tragedy when she died in 1997 and much of the world mourned her loss. After her death, a memorial fund was established to help continue much of the good work she was doing to help people in need.
Ty Inc. released a toy in honor of Diana and to help raise money for the fund. A lot of Princess the Bears were made, and many of them today are not very valuable at all, even if they do have a lot of emotional value for their owners. If you have the right bear, though, that is made using PVC pellets, it could be worth around $10,000.
9. McDonald’s International Bears
McDonald’s and some other fast food stores are well-known for offering happy meals to kids that come with a toy. In the 1990s, they had a happy meal promotion that included small Beanie Babies. The hype over Beanie Babies at the time helped make the promotion a huge success for McDonald’s and many of the miniature Beanie Babies were sold.
The promotion included an International Bear Collection, with bears representing Great Britain, Canada, Ireland, and the USA. If you have one of these bears at home then keep it in a safe place because it may be very valuable. In 2019, a Britannia from Britain Beanie Baby sold for $10,000.
10. Valentino the Bear
Valentino the Bear may not appear to be anything special, asides to those that love them, but it is still one of the most monetarily valuable Beanie Babies you can find. If you have one sitting around at home, consider getting it valued because it might be worth a surprising amount of money.
Valentino the Bear Beanie Babies are quite rare, with toys in good condition often selling for around $1,000. As with some other toys, however, their value is likely to increase if they were made with errors. In 2019, a Valentino with every error was listed on eBay. It eventually sold for an incredible $42,300.
