Referred to by collectors as the “Original Nine,” the first line of Beanie Babies debuted in Chicago in 1994. The arrival of the bead-filled plush toys signalled the start of one of the greatest and longest-running collector crazes in history.
The bubble finally burst for Beanie Babies when the floppy animal dolls got so popular that they were no longer exceptional – but not before making their creator, Ty Warner, a billionaire several times over.
You May Also Like
Raleigh Grifter Launched in 1976, the Raleigh Grifter became the ultimate 1980s bike - chunky and funky with…
Billy Blastoff He may not have looked as space-ready as Major Matt Mason, but don't let Billy Blastoff's…
Game Boy Gaming companies had launched primitive and clumsy portable consoles in the past, but it was the…
WWF Action Figures Action figures had many faces in the early 80s - the blonde brawn of He-Man, the…
Colorform Aliens In 1968, the Colorform company made a bold attempt at cracking the action figure market with…
Bump 'n' Jump You just had to love a game whose entire philosophy on life was summed up in…
Wasteland The gameplay of Warlords (from Interplay) revealed the strong Dungeons & Dragons role-playing influence on the…
Frogger The object of Frogger was almost Zen-like: to get to the other side. But considerably less…
