Following the wild success of Beanie Babies, the Ty toy company released Beanie Boos—wide eyed, adorable companions perfect for hugging. The production and reach of Beanie Boos are impressive, with plenty of examples of country and store exclusives. This list looks at a fraction of the Beanie Boo family and showcases some of the rarest and cutest toys the line has offered over the years.
- First Edition Slush
- First Edition Kiwi
- First Edition Waddles
- Bubblegum
- Treasure
- Elfie
- Hennie
- Switzerland
- Loy
- Rasmus
- Dory
- Penguin Show Exclusive
Notable Characteristics: White ears
Country Released: UK
photo source: Ty Toys
Slush is a husky puppy that was first released in the UK as part of the original Beanie Boos. While newer versions of Slush are easy to locate, the older versions are much more difficult to come by. The second-generation Slushes feature rounder faces with blue accents on their tails and ears. In contrast, the first Slush had white ears with a white-tipped tail.
Did you know?
The later versions of Slush included small, medium and key-sized Beanie Boos
Notable Characteristics: Yellow chin and belly
Country Released: UK
photo source: Ty Toys
Kiwi the frog is one of the original Beanie Boos released in 2009. Like Slush, the later versions of Kiwi are quite common, but the early iterations are rare. The first-generation Kiwi features a yellow chin, belly and feet, whereas the second Kiwi has pink accents. He was retired after only a year and a half of production.
Did you know?
There are over 300 Beanie Boos in existence
Notable Characteristics: Orange feet
Country Released: UK
photo source: Ty Toys
Another one of the original Beanie Boos, Waddles is a cuddly penguin who was ultimately retired in 2013. While the blue-footed version of Waddles is easy to find today, the one with orange feet is much more valuable. Like many of the original Beanie Boos, Waddles went through a redesign—making the first edition a collectible.
Did you know?
The most expensive Beanie Baby costs $500,000.
Notable Characteristics: Name change
Country Released: UK
photo source: Ty Toys
Bubblegum the koala is another one of the first Beanie Boos ever released. Like its brethren, it has gone through significant changes since its debut. Rather than appearance, Bubblegum’s namesake changed shortly after its release. Ironically, Kooky, the newer version of Bubblegum, is also rare as it was discontinued in 2010.
Did you know?
Unlike the other original Beanie Boos on this list, Bubblegum’s appearance remained consistent.
Notable Characteristics: Sparkly hooves
Country Released: USA
photo source: Ty Toys
Treasure is a USA-exclusive Beanie Boo only sold at participating Justice stores. Sparkles features an aqua blue body and lots of sparkles, especially on her horn, hooves and on her eyes. She also has a bright, multicolored mane and matching tail.
Did you know?
Ty Warner, creator of Beanie Babies and Beanie Boos is now a billionaire, according to Forbes.
Notable Characteristics: Multi-colored
Country Released: USA
photo source: Ty Toys
Elfie is another Justice stores /USA-exclusive. Elfie is a small elephant with a bright array of colors, including a pink and blue body, green belly, sparkly green inner ears, and blue eyes. The toy’s associated poem talks about how much Elfie loves peanuts, friendship and sharing.
Did you know?
Unlike cuddly Elfie, real life elephants are the largest land animals in the world.
Notable Characteristics: Red accents
Country Released: USA
photo source: Ty Toys
Hennie the chicken is an exclusive to Rural King, a farming store with about 125 locations across the USA—most of which are in the Midwest and the South. Hennie is marketed as a white chicken, but she features a red comb and wattle, two characteristics found on roosters. Additionally, her birthday, July 6, is on National Fried Chicken Day—sorry Hennie!
Did you know?
Hennie’s poem says, “July sixth is national Chicken Day… I think we all should celebrate”
Notable Characteristics: Switzerland heart
Country Released: Countries of the EU
photo source: Ty Toys
Released in 2013, Switzerland is a polar bear Beanie Boo only available in the EU. He has sparkly yellow eyes and white fur with brown accents on his paw pads and inner ears. Endearingly, he holds a fuzzy red heart with “Switzerland” written across it— either an act of patriotism or self-love. In any case, this rare Beanie Boo is a great addition to any collection, especially ones outside of the EU.
Did you know?
According to Worldometers.info, 8,707,920 people live in Switzerland.
Notable Characteristics: White and yellow fur
Country Released: Japan
photo source: Ty Toys
Loy is a Japanese exclusive, making the toy quite rare outside of the country. He is a blonde akita with white accents who is known for his loyalty to his owners. He also features orange sparkly eyes and a black stitched nose and mouth. Akitas were originally bred in Northern Japan and, for a long time, could only be owned by the imperial family—making Loy a great find indeed!
Did you know?
When a baby is born, it’s tradition to gift the parents with an Akita figurine in Japan.
Notable Characteristics: Checkered details
Country Released: Denmark
photo source: Ty Toys
Rasmus, along with companion Beanie Boos Egert, Väinö, Birger and Harald, is a Danish exclusive design with checkered details. Rasmus features red accents as well as the Danish flag on his chest. While he seems like a Christmas-themed Beanie Boo, Rasmus was released in March 2020, celebrating the deer’s lasting presence in Denmark.
Did you know?
Roe deer are the most common deer species in Denmark, with evidence of their existence tracing back 8,000 years.
Notable Characteristics: “Finding Nemo”
Country Released: Unclear
photo source: Ty Toys
While the character of Dory from the Disney films “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory” is anything but rare, this special edition toy is a different story. To obtain one of these Beanie Boos, kids had to collect four bread loaf wrappers from Nature’s Harvest and turn them in to the company during the promotional period. Notably, Ty sells its own Dory Beanie Boo, but that toy features a slightly different design.
Did you know?
“Finding Nemo” made over $70 billion opening weekend but “Finding Dory” blew it out of the water—making over 1 billion dollars during the weekend of its release.
Notable Characteristics: Pink fur
Country Released: Germany, Switzerland and Austria
photo source: Ty Toys
This sparkly pink penguin is the rarest Beanie Boo on this list. While it was released in more than one county, it could only be obtained at the 2013 Nuremberg Toy Fair. The penguin includes a pink body with orange details, pink sparkly feet and pink sparkly eyes. The poem on the tag thanks the customer for visiting the Ty Toys booth and mentions that the doll is a limited-edition item.
Did you know?
The Nuremburg Toy Fair is one the largest toy-centered events in the world and has existed since 1949.
