Valuing Your Beanie Babies
Sort your Beanie Babies by generation so you can look up each value. Older generations of Beanie Babies are typically worth more money than newer ones. Look at the design on the swing tag, the heart-shaped tag hanging from the Beanie Baby, to determine how old it is. The oldest generations have the letters “TY” printed in white with a black outline, while newer generations have larger letters and the words “Beanie Babies” printed in the top right. You can find a comparison of the tags over different generations on a Beanie Baby collectors website. If your Beanie Babies don’t have their swing tag, you can also check the year on the tush tag, which is the white tag on the back. Your Beanie Babies will also have less value if they’re missing their swing tag. Be careful not to damage or crease either of the tags while you’re handling your Beanie Babies since it could decrease their value.
Look online for a price list to know the value of specific Beanie Babies. Many Beanie Babies are common and don’t have a lot of value, but there are a few that may be worth more. Look up a Beanie Baby collector’s website online to find a current pricing guide so you know what they’re selling for. Compare the name of the Beanie Baby, which you can find on the swing or tush tag, along with the generation it’s from to get an estimate of what you could sell yours for if it’s in good condition. The generation will either be listed as a year or by a number, such as 1st or 2nd Generation. If all of the tags are missing on your Beanie Babies, then look through pictures of Beanie Babies online so you can find the ones you have. Don’t rely on printed price catalogs that list Beanie Baby prices since they’re usually out of date and have incorrect information. High-Valued Beanie Babies Princess the BearChocolate the MooseCubbie the BearFlash the DolphinLegs the FrogPatti the PlatypusPinchers the LobsterSplash the OrcaSpot the DogSquealer the Pig
Check sold Beanie Babies on eBay to get an idea of what price they’re selling for. Log on to eBay and search for the name of the Beanie Baby that you want to sell along with which generation it belongs to. Select the “Sold” option on the left side of the window so you can see the prices that the Beanie Baby sold for recently. Check the past 3-4 months to get an idea of how many people are selling it and how much they got for it. For example, you may search for “Chocolate the Moose Beanie Baby 1st Generation.” Don’t base the value of your Beanie Babies off of the asking price on eBay since sellers can post any price they want and it may not reflect what the Beanie Babies are actually worth.
Post pictures of your Beanie Babies in hobby groups to have them valued. Many Beanie Baby collectors have groups on Facebook or other social media sites where you can ask about the value of the ones you want to sell. Take good pictures of the Beanie Babies with closeups of their tags so other collectors can look at them. The collectors in the group will let you know the prices they’ve seen or what they may have sold them for. Some of the collectors in the group may ask to purchase your Beanie Babies right away if it’s something they don’t have in their collection. Always double check the value of your Beanie Babies since others may give false information.
Send Beanie Babies to an authenticator to determine their quality. Authenticators inspect the Beanie Babies to see if they’ve been damaged or counterfeited. Once you find an authenticator online, seal the Beanie Baby you want to sell in a plastic bag along with a check for the payment. Once the authenticator receives the Beanie Baby, they’ll determine the condition and provide a certificate of authenticity before mailing it back to you. You can find a list of legitimate authenticators here: http://www.aboutbeanies.com/fakes/authentication.shtml. Usually, authentication costs about $15 USD. Beanie Babies that have a certificate of authentication tend to sell more than those without one. You will have to pay for the authentication even if they find that your Beanie Baby is counterfeit.
Selling Your Beanie Babies Online
Take pictures of the Beanie Baby from multiple angles to show its condition. Set the Beanie Baby you’re selling on a flat surface in front of a plain backdrop, such as an empty wall. Use your phone or a camera to take pictures of the Beanie Baby from the front, back, and side. Be sure to include pictures of the tags as well to show their information. Always take pictures yourself rather than using stock photos of the Beanie Baby. Otherwise, potential buyers may think your post is a scam. Aim to have at least 3 pictures of your Beanie Baby on the post to get the best visibility. If you got your Beanie Baby authenticated, include a picture of the certificate so others know it’s real.
Write the details from the Beanie Baby’s tags on the sale post. Post your Beanie Baby in online marketplaces, such as eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook. Put the name of the Beanie Baby, the generation it belongs to, and the condition in the title of your sale post so others can find it easily. List the rest of the information in the body of the post, like the year listed on the tush tag or any damage it has. Proofread the listing to make sure there aren’t any errors before posting it online. For example, the title of your sale post may be “Chocolate the Moose, 1st Generation (mint condition)”Tip: List collections or sets of Beanie Babies in the same post since you may be able to get more money selling all of them at once.
Accept a secure payment method when you sell your Beanie Babies. Don’t accept checks for your Beanie Baby since it could bounce and you could lose money. Instead, ask for payment through secure services, such as PayPal or Venmo, so you don’t get scammed out of your money. Once you find a buyer, ask them to pay you before you send the Beanie Baby to ensure the sale is legitimate. You may also choose to accept cash if you’re able to meet the buyer in person. eBay already has a secure payment method so you don’t need to do anything else if you’re selling your Beanie Babies there.
Ship your Beanie Baby to the buyer once you receive payment. After you’ve been paid for your Beanie Baby, put it inside a resealable plastic bag or case so it doesn’t get damaged in transit. Put the Beanie Baby in a large envelope or small box, and include any receipts or certificates of authenticity. Take the package to your nearest post office to mail it out. Ask the buyer to include a shipping cost with their payment so you don’t have to pay for it. Get tracking and insurance on your package to make sure it doesn’t get lost in the mail. If you have insurance on the package, you may be able to get money back if the package was lost.
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