Beanie Info
Ty Error Tags, Birth Dates & Values
Long-time collectors are stunned by the asking prices on certain Beanie Babies. Here's the honest reality: the “error tag” beanies everyone's chasing aren't rare, aren't worth authenticating, and aren't worth much at all — millions were made. This is what actually matters, and what's pure myth.
The famous “error” tags (and why they're common)
The most-hyped “errors” are the “ii” and “surface” mistakes printed on early 5th-generation swing tags. Yes — they are genuine printing errors. But they were printed on millions of tags, which means they are not rare and not valuable.
You'll find these same errors on Peace bears, Blackie, Roary, Curly, Ears, Goldie, Hoppity, Cubbie, Chocolate, and countless others. Essentially any early 5th-gen swing tag can carry this error. It is not worth paying a premium for, and it is not worth the cost of authentication.
Myth: “The birth date doesn't match the tush-tag date”
The date on the tush tag is the copyright date, not the Beanie's birthday — so the two routinely differ. Ty frequently copyrighted a Beanie's name well before releasing it, so a copyright/tush date that's earlier or different than the printed birthday is completely normal. It does not make a Beanie rare.
Myth: “The birthday is written differently, so it's rare”
A birthday written as “July 1, 1996” versus “7-1-96” is simply a tag-generation difference, not a rarity:
- Spelled out (“July 1, 1996”) → a 5th-generation swing tag.
- Numeric (“7-1-96”) → a 4th-generation swing tag.
Both are normal production variations. Neither commands a meaningful premium on its own.
The one tag variation collectors do pay a little extra for
There are six versions of the 4th-generation swing tag. Version 6 prints the Beanie's name in ALL CAPS. A few of these are genuinely harder to find, and some collectors pay a small premium for them. They look like ordinary 4th-gen tags — the only difference is the all-caps name. Even here, keep expectations modest.
So why are the asking prices so high?
The key word is asking. Anyone can list a common Beanie for $10,000 — that doesn't mean it sells for $10,000. Most of the original, knowledgeable sellers left the hobby years ago. As they exited, some ambitious newcomers began marketing “error” tags as rare, invented stories to justify the prices, and even staged fake sales— listing an item and having someone “buy” it (the sale never actually completed) to trick newer buyers into thinking those prices were real. Clickbait articles then repeated the myth.
Price from completed/SOLD listings, never asking prices — and learn to spot the staged sales and fakes mixed in.
Bottom line
“Error tag” and odd-birthday Beanies are almost always common. Before you pay a premium — or list one — check what real examples actually sell for, and look it up in our database.
Educational information adapted for Beanie Xchange collectors, informed by public price-guide resources including beaniebabiespriceguide.com. Not affiliated with Ty Inc. Beanie Babies® and Ty® are trademarks of their respective owner.