I think most people know what TY beanie babies are, but the Teenies aren’t so well known. These are small versions of the beanies and were available as promotions at McDonald’s from 1997 until 2000. Australia is the only country with a 2001 promotion.
Each year’s promotion saw a variety of Teenies being sold. Most of these can still be bought from the internet (try the auction sites or the list BritBeanz@yahoogroups.com) for anything from 50p to a couple of pounds.
The Teenies from 1997 are, not surprisingly, the hardest to find and the most expensive. As you would expect, a complete set is worth more, especially if all the Teenies are MIP (Mint In Packet) – this means they are in perfect condition and still in their original
sealed packaging.
Individual Teenies from 1998, 1999 and 2000 are usually worth £1- £3, with the 1997 ones worth around £3 - £9. A complete set is worth between £19 and £28, but if you are selling, it is useful to remember something is only worth what someone offers to pay for it! (Prices quoted from Mary Beth’s Bean Bag World Monthly, October 2001 edition.)
In the same way as the beaniebabies, the Teenies are cuddly toys of different animals, including an elephant, fish, penguin, dogs, giraffe, squirrel and so on. The bears are the most collectible, especially if they are kept in their original boxes.
There are several sets available. The 2000 ones included a special Millennium bear, the Dinosaur Trio ( boxed set of Rex, Steg and Bronty), International Bears II (Osito, Germania and Spangle), Legends (Chilly the polar bear, Humphrey the camel and Peanut the royal blue elephant), American Trio (Lefty, Righty and Libearty) and The End bear.
The Legends set comprises three Teenies, of which their beanie counterparts were released a long time ago and are almost impossible to find. TY produced the set of Teenies as a kind of compensation for the beanies being so rare. The Teenies set is worth around £6, the beanie versions are worth around £600 (Chilly and Humphrey) and over £1000 for Peanut!!
My favourite Teenies are the bears. The older set of International Bears was released in 1999 and comprises of Britannia, Erin, Glory and Maple. They are small versions of the beanies, but with sewn features instead of the bead eyes. Their emblems are stickers instead of embroidered, but otherwise they are tiny replicas of the beanies and very cute.
I collect all TY products and have around 320 in total, with over 50 Teenies. There are advantages and disadvantages to collecting the Teenies specifically. I find them harder to store than the bigger versions, because their tags are easy to bend (which reduces their value). They would be ideal to place on a set of small shelves though.
They are cheap to buy, especially if you don’t mind about tag condition. It is easier to try to collect all the Teenies than the beanies, if you are a completist. The boxed versions look especially nice, but then you have to choose between keeping them in their boxes (which I do) or taking them out, which means you can see the toys clearer, but they might get damaged.
I prefer the beanies, buddies and Attic Treasures, as being bigger, they seem better made, more cuddly and tougher, less able to be damaged. But the Teenies are cute too and kids like them, they are a great stocking filler.
This year, there are new toys called Jingle Beanies, which are similar to Teenies but with a little bit of gold cord to attach it to your Christmas tree. These are gorgeous, better quality than the Teenies but the same kind of size. There are currently nine varieties available and they sell for around £2.50 each.
Incidentally, if anyone has any TY toy lying around and you wonder if it is worth anything, email me and I’ll let you know. Similarly, if you’ve got any you might want to sell.
For a complete checklist of the TY Teenie beanies, go to http://www.smartcollecting.com/teenie-beanie-babies-all.asp where there is a printable list. A price list is available here - http://www.smartcollecting.com/priceguide/teeniebeanies.htm - but in dollars.
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great op. have been tasked with finding a bear for an American cousin. any tips gratefully received.
Paddys_back 12.11.2001 00:56
We have loads of the MacD stuff around the house as one of my nephews used to work there & get toys for the kids. The kids love these little toys. .. Tom
claireydeacon 31.10.2001 19:42
Hi Karen, Great Op. I have the Glory, Erin and Britannia and Maple Teenie Beanies in the boxes and Hubby has just got the 5 Jingle Bears Peace, Holiday 97, Holiday 98, Holiday 99, and Halo. They are really cute. Claire
Oct 31st, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
