A RARE Beanie Baby has sold for a whopping £150 on eBay – more than nine times its original value.
One lucky seller managed to pocket the huge chunk of change after a week-long bidding war broke out among collectors.
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Childhood toys can be worth a fortune because they might be just what an avid collector needs to complete their collection.
So it’s worth checking your loft to see if you’ve got any hiding away.
Beanie Babies, which launched in 1991, became particularly collectable in the mid-90s.
At the height of popularity, Beanies made up 10% of all eBay sales, according to Fortune.
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For years, the cuddly toys have been flogged on eBay, and now one has been sold for a whopping £150.
The TY toy named Spooky the Ghost was listed on the online marketplace for £110 off the bat.
Three bidders competed for the soft toy over a week before it was won by the highest bid.
We had a look online and found that the same Beanie Baby toy goes for around £20 on Amazon.
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It means this seller pocketed a whopping £130.
There is no information on how old the soft toy is but the description states it’s a third “hang tag generation” and a first “tush tag generation”.
I was left gobsmacked after I discovered my retro toy collection was worth a fortune on Antiques Roadshow
According to the Beanie experts at Beanie Babies Price Guide, a first-generation tush tag (on the rear of the toy) means it was made between 1993 and 1995.
The item had also been preserved in a glass case and is in perfect condition – all of which likely led to its high selling price.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records – just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
OTHER BEANIE BABY SALES
Over the years fans of the cuddly toys have been flogging them on eBay.
We’ve rounded up some of the best examples.
In 2015, one couple bought a £10 Beanie Baby at a car boot sale — then found it was the world’s rarest version, worth tens of thousands of pounds.
The teddy was one of less than 100 Princess Diana memorial bears made, and fans said past versions had sold on eBay for £20,000.
The Employee Beanie Baby sold in 2017 for a huge $1,600 (£1,309) after 26 bids.
In 2001, the Coral Casino Beanie Baby bear was given as a gift to Coral Casino Beach Club members of the Four Seasons Santa Barbara Biltmore Hotel.
According to the blog Ty Collector, there were 588 of these bears made, with each swing tag numbered and signed by Ty.
After 19 bids, this Coral Casino beanie went for a staggering £621 on eBay.
Peanut the Elephant was released in 1995 in two shades of blue (light and royal).
The label must also have the copyright year 1995 on it. Peanuts with any other year on its label is a counterfeit.
This royal blue version sold for $395 (£320) on eBay after 39 bids in 2017.
What should I do if I have a rare Beanie Baby?
FIRST of all, do your research.
You can find information about all Beanie Babies online, and you can check how much yours could be worth by going onto eBay and clicking the “sold listings” option (bottom left-hand side) to see what previous versions of your toy have sold for
Compare your Beanie Baby to the higher-selling auctions and ask yourself, is the condition similar? Is my toy authentic? Is it in good condition?
If your Beanie Baby is worth a moderate sum and isn’t in pristine condition, then it’s worth flogging it on eBay.
If it’s worth in the high thousands and in mint condition, then it could be worth selling it through auction or to a collectables website.
How to sell a rare toy or collectable
Once you’ve deemed whether a toy is rare or not, there are several ways you can sell it, including through eBay, Facebook, or in an auction.
But be wary of the risks, particularly on Facebook.
There have been instances where fraudsters have contacted sellers saying they want to buy a rare toy and ask for money upfront for a courier to collect it.
But the items were never picked up and sellers have been left out of pocket.
To avoid this happening it’s always worth meeting a potential buyer in person when using Facebook Marketplace.
Of course, make sure it’s in a well-lit, public meeting spot.
The safest way to sell a rare toy will more than likely be at auction.
Get in touch with local auction houses, plus they’ll likely have a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your toy.
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Meanwhile, here are the most valuable toys worth up to £20k including Thundercats and Scalextric.
Plus, all the highest value and rare posters worth up to £3,500 including Elvis Presley and The Jam.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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