Why Beanie Baby Employee the Bear is Worth $3,000
We all remember when the Beanie Babies were the stuffed toys that were in Vogue with kids and some adults as well. Although there are a lot of the old relics from the past that aren’t worth much, some of them have become highly collectible and are worth a fortune. The Employee the Bear Beanie Baby is one such collectible that has been valued at approximately $3,000 to some collectors. Those which are still in mint condition are extremely rare and hard to find, but there are still a few in existence which has been identified. Even if you have one of these very special editions that are not perfect, it’s likely to be worth at least hundreds of dollars if not more. Only some of these unique little bears are valuable though. There is a group of them which were made which were not made available for sale to the general public, and there are some distinguishing marks to help you tell them apart. If you’re wondering how in the world this stuffed toy has come to be worth so much, here is the complete explanation of how and why.
How to tell if you have a valuable Employee the Bear Beanie
The Violet the Employee the Bear, created by the Ty brand toy manufacturer was given a new face in 1997, and there were just 150 made with green ribbons and 150 made with red ribbons. They were given away at the Second Annual Appreciation Night. One of the distinctions of this valuable collectible edition is that the group is the only one of the Beanie Babies collection to be produced minus the hangtag. These bears were only given to Ty Inc. representatives and employees during the event, so they were not released to the general public for sale. The valuable Employee the Bears will have a tush tag that reads either 1993 or 1995 and will be red and white from the second generation. Only those who match this description perfectly are the rare collector’s items.
The true value of Beanie Babies collectibles
When it comes to Employee the Bear Beanie Babies, the price that different collectors are offering them for can vary widely. There are a few reasons for this. The first is the condition of the bear. We found one on Etsy that was offered for a price of $3,000. While this is one the high end of the spectrum and the average hovers between $2,000 and $3,000, some can go for as low as $1,000. The real value amounts to whatever someone is willing to pay for one. The Bear that is valued at 3 Grand is in mint condition and it was sealed in a container from the time that it was purchased. It’s in pristine condition an is ain the same shape as it was the day that it was bought. This makes the bear a very rare find, hence, the higher the value. What really sets these collectibles apart from the rest is that there are differences. The first being that they were distinguished with either red or green ribbons and they were only distributed to employees and representatives of Ty Inc. These bears were never released to the general public and since there were only a total of 150 of each type given away, they’re quite rare and those surviving bears are worth thousands potentially. What’s even more rare is when the ear tag is still attached.
The growing market for Beanie Baby collectibles
We must acknowledge that Employee the Bear is one of the most often counterfeited toys in the Ty brand Beanie Babies collection. They’re highly valuable, but if you know what to look for you can avoid getting scammed out of your money by cheap imitations. A thorough inspection of the toy to ensure that it is made of the right colors, that the tush tags are the correct ones with the proper dates, made of the right colors and sewn into the right locations and that the stitching is consistent are great places to start. It’s always a good idea to become completely familiar with the features and small details of true and verified collectibles before you attempt to purchase one on your own. You should also check out the reputation of the seller before you close the deal, just to be sure that there are no negative comments for the sale of fake merchandise because some of the counterfeits are fairly close to the authentic creations. It can take a trained eye to spot the discrepancies, but anyone can learn how to do so. Collecting Beanie Baby rarities such as Employee the Bear can be a fun and profitable venture as with the passage of time and careful preservation of your treasure, the value is likely to increase, making this a sound investment.
Final thoughts
If you were an employee of Ty Inc in 1997, and you received a free Beanie Baby Employee the Bear, then you’re sitting on a collectible that could be worth some serious cash. While this is not the most valuable vintage toy made by the brand, it’s still worth a lot more than they were the day of their manufacture. The best place to find these rare Beanie Bears are with former employees of the company or their relatives. Some of them may even have been sold at estate sales years ago and traded hands to total strangers. Every now and then you can find them for sale on popular auction sites, but the best place to look for the violet bear is through a collector who is willing to part with their example. This lovable and stylish little bear was given to workers to show how much the company appreciated their contributions to make Ty Inc and the Beanie Babies collections such a great success, and now those who still have theirs may be able to receive a monetary reward, that is if they can bear to part with them.