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Ty Celebrations the Bear
by freud
I've recently moved house and, whilst unpacking one of the hundreds of boxes I brought with me, found to my surprise that this little TY Beanie Celebrations Bear was amongst the things I intend to sell on eBay. To be honest neither myself nor my two grown-up daughters remember us buying this, strange really as we used to collect beanies ... quite seriously and for a particular reason.
He is very sweet however -
- none of us like the bright orange fur
- we aren't Royalists in our family and this TY Celebration bear was produced to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee
Hence it is bit of a mystery of how he arrived in our possession.... but I am sure someone will appreciate him more which is why I am putting up for auction.
Like all beanie bears he has a cute face with a 'glass' effect nose and eyes. He boasts a regal purple ribbon around his neck and he has a machine-embroidered design with a crown and the words 'The Queen's Golden Jubilee 2002' forming a circle as shown in the Dooyoo picture. The bear itself is made from a velvety type of fabric which is very soft and tactile and he is filled with those famous beans.
The all-important tag states the following -
'Celebrations' 50th anniversary, June 3, 2002.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, celebrates her Golden Jubilee this year making her the fifth-longest reigning monarch.
This is the only time I ever remember reading a tag which does not have a poem?
I have kept quite a few of our few TY bears because of special memories but this one, in our opinion, isn't a favourite but may be a good one for collectors? I DO hope he sells and is appreciated more by his new owner?
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Ty Beanie Baby
by zombieflesh
OK, so let's start with a confession: I am a collector of Beanie Babies. Despite having no interest in them when I was growing up - I preferred collecting virtual creatures thanks to Pokemon - I have recently started a little Beanie Baby collection and their numbers are growing rather quickly. For newbies like me the best way to start ... shopping for beanies is through eBay, where you can pick up mixed lots for a low price. If you are looking for just one specific beanie, then toy shops or Amazon are good places to look, and they are usually priced at around £5.00 each.
What to look for if you're collecting. There are several important factors to take into account when buying a Beanie Baby, especially if you are going for the option of buying pre-owned beanies. Consider the overall condition of the toy, is it in good shape, with no marks, rips or pulls in the fabric? Does it have the heart tag intact and still attached? You can buy protective plastic covers for the TY heart tags and I would recommend this to keep the tag from getting bent or torn. Buying to collect is different than just buying for enjoyment of the item, or giving to a child for playing with. I'm no serious collector, but I would definitely ensure that the condition of my beanies is like new, with the tags still attached.
I personally prefer the animal Beanie Babies, as the bears are not to my liking. One of the first beanies I ended up with was Fleece, a lovely little lamb. I think that sheep and lambs are particularly cute, and being a knitter with a fondness for wool, these fuzzy animals hold a special place in my heart. I was really happy with Fleece's appearance, as although she looks plain with her pure white coat, she has an air of innocence and a sweet little face. Fleece is positioned as though laying down, which looks great when on display as she sits nicely on a shelf and holds her position well, so there is no chance of her falling over or slipping out of place.
This Beanie Baby is made from a textured fabric which gives the look and appearance of fleece, rather than the smooth faux fur used for the other beanies. I think this is a nice touch as it makes the toy a bit more realistic looking and adds some interest to the otherwise plain body section. The material can be surface washed if necessary, and should not be soaked as this can ruin the finish of the fabric.
One of the neat little features of Beanie Baby toys is that each has their own special name and birthday, as well as a little poem inside the heart tag. I think this is a really nice touch which is fun, and at times sentimental. My tag tells me that Fleece here was born on March 21st 1996 and her poem reads:
"Fleece would like to sing a lullaby
But please be patient, she's rather shy
When you sleep, keep her by your ear
Her song will leave you nothing to fear."
I find this poem particularly endearing and it helps me imagine the toy as the Fleece character, rather than just being a lamb shaped plush toy.
On the negative side there is only one small problem with Fleece, and that is that her beanie insides sometimes shift around a little too much when she is being handled. If I pick the toy up and move it around a bit, the beans falls out of place and usually settle into the leg sections, leaving the body looking flat and under-stuffed. This can be fixed by simply shaking the beans back into place and making sure the body is filled out properly.
Overall I think that Fleece is a lovely little Beanie Baby character and makes a nice addition to my Beanie Baby collection.
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