How we authenticate your Beanie Babies

The 10-step process

1. 1

   You submit & pay

   Choose your track on Beanie Xchange. We collect your shipping address, the Beanie's name and condition, and your photos, then charge the price (True Blue: $18 per beanie all-in, shipping included; BX: $10 per beanie + a flat $10 shipping per order; sales tax added at checkout). You print the prepaid USPS label we email you.

2. 2

   Ship to BX

   Pack the Beanie loosely with the hang tag protected (a stiff card sleeve or hard tag protector if you have one). Drop it at any USPS counter using the prepaid label. We track inbound shipments and email you when it arrives.

3. 3

   We drop-ship to True Blue Beans

   Through our True Blue Beans partnership, your Beanie goes directly to their authentication center. They cross-check it against the submission form, assign an individual Certificate of Authenticity (COA) number, and enter it into their database.

4. 4

   Swing tag examination

   True Blue inspects the swing tag (hang tag / paper tag) for: tag generation, gold trim, hole punch, punctuation, style number, and overall condition. The swing tag has direct impact on a Beanie's value — generation and condition matter as much as the plush itself.

5. 5

   Tush tag examination

   The tush tag (the sewn-in fabric tag) is examined separately — generation, country of origin, font, stitching, and the tag's own condition. A mismatch between swing and tush generations is one of the most common counterfeit markers.

6. 6

   Plush, stitching, and fill

   The Beanie itself is inspected for overall condition, stitching irregularities, fabric pilling, sun fade, fill consistency (PVC vs PE pellets), and any known production variations. Recall variants (peanut royal blue, old face vs new face) are noted.

7. 7

   Authentication outcome

   If authentic, a tag protector is placed on the swing tag and the Beanie is brushed clean of any lint. If counterfeit or inconclusive, you are notified with the specific markers; the item is returned with the COA fee non-refundable per True Blue's policy.

8. 8

   Sealed in a tamper-resistant case

   The authenticated Beanie is placed in an acid-free, clear acrylic display case. The case is ultra-sonically welded shut using a DuKane Ultrasonics welding machine. Voidable tamper-evident stickers are applied. The case cannot be reopened without visible destruction.

9. 9

   Certificate of Authenticity

   An embossed True Blue Beans Certificate is generated with the authentication date, Beanie name, swing-tag generation, tush-tag generation, style number, and any examiner comments. The COA is adhered to the bottom of the acrylic display case.

10. 10

    Shipped back to you

    Your sealed, authenticated Beanie is carefully packed and shipped to you via UPS with tracking. The sealed case + numbered COA means you can resell it as Authenticated on Beanie Xchange (or anywhere else) with a permanent BX Registry number that any buyer can verify.