During the height of their popularity in the 1990s, Beanie Babies were an inescapable part of American life and appeared everywhere. The unassuming plush animals whipped people up into a frenzy and everyone was sure that they would someday become valuable collectors’ items. Unfortunately, Beanie Babies did not have longevity and even disappeared completely before returning in a modern format. However, there is still an active Beanie Baby collectors community and while Beanie Babies aren’t worth tens of thousands of dollars like people had hoped, some of the rare ones are still pretty valuable. Even today, the rarest Beanie Babies are worth a few hundred dollars and sometimes in the low thousands. There is a lot of misinformation out there saying that errors make certain Beanie Babies worth tens of thousands of dollars. According to serious Beanie Baby collectors this is not true at all and generally, the rarest Beanies are 1st generation Beanies in mint condition. Very few Beanie errors are actually worth any money – these valuable errors are featured on this list. Please note that since it is hard to determine Beanie Baby rarity because production numbers are not usually public information, this list was arranged in alphabetical order (with the exception of Humphrey at No. 10 since there were production numbers available).
Humphrey
Unlike most of the other Beanie Babies on this list, Humphrey the Camel was not released with any unique errors. Humphrey is rare because he was only available for about a year and was one of the first Beanie Babies to be retired. Only about 25,000 Humphrey Beanies were ever produced. Original Humphrey Beanies with intact hang and tush tags can sell for a lot of money. One current eBay listing has a good condition Humphrey priced at $719. Reason for Rarity: Only 25,000 ever produced
Quackers without Wings
For some bizarre reason, Quackers the Duck was originally released without any wings. Despite the error, wingless Quackers was available for over half a year and wasn’t retired until January 7, 1995. While no official production numbers have been released, it is estimated that about 780 or so wingless Quackers were sold before wings were added. On top of being wingless, some Quackers had a misspelled name tag featuring the name “Quacker.” Reason for Rarity: Retired quickly because of lack of wings
Spot the Dog without Spot
Spot the Dog was initially released without its signature spot on its back. This obvious error was quickly fixed and the spotless Spot Beanies were not available for very long. Spot Beanies without the spot are one of the few errors that are actually considered valuable by Beanie Baby collectors and are still worth a few hundred bucks when they go up for sale. Reason for Rarity: Retired quickly because of lack of spot
Royal Blue Peanut
Peanut the Elephant was originally released in a vibrant royal blue color, but this was later deemed a mistake. Like the other error Beanie Babies on this list, the Royal Blue Peanut was quickly retired and re-released with the correct coloring, a light blue. It is estimated that about 500 or so Royal Blue Peanut Beanies were produced and sold. Royal Blue Peanut is one of the most popular error Beanies, making it highly counterfeited. The Beanie Baby collectors community recommends that interested buyers only purchase authenticated Royal Blue Peanut Beanies. Reason for Rarity: Only about 500 produced
Punchers
Punchers the Lobster was one of the first Beanie Babies ever released in early 1994, but was quickly retired because “Punchers” was actually a name error. No one knows how many Punchers Beanies were made before the corrected Pinchers were released. Since it is a very rare mistake, no Punchers are currently listed for sale, but Beanie Baby collectors say that the error makes the already valuable Pinchers worth even more. Reason for Rarity: Few sold before quickly retired
Peking
Although Peking was on the market for two years, it is considered one of the rarest and most sought after Beanie Babies by Beanie Baby collectors. However, our research did not turn up a solid reason for why Peking is so desirable. It might be because pandas are very popular animals, so Peking Beanies in good condition probably don’t come up for sale very often. Currently, there are a few Peking Beanies for sale on eBay, priced as high as $500. Reason for Rarity: Unspecified, but considered highly sought after
Nana
Like a few of the other rare Beanie Babies on this list, Nana was only available for a short time. Nana was initially released in early 1995 and was retired before the end of the year. This early monkey Beanie Baby was re-released as Bongo, which was retired a few years later. Reason for Rarity: Few sold before quickly retired
Derby with No Star and Fine Mane
While there were four different versions of Derby the Horse released, the rarest one features no star/spot on its head and a fine mane. Derby Beanies with fine manes featured thinner and more strands of yarn on its mane and tail. This version of Derby wasn’t available for long and was replaced with a Derby with a coarse mane that used thicker strands of yarn, which most likely cut down on production costs as less yarn needed to be used. A white star was added to later versions of Derby and the coarse mane was eventually changed to a fluffy mane. Reason for Rarity: Few were sold before mane was updated
Chef Robuchon
Chef Robuchon is one of the rarest modern Beanie Babies out there. Reportedly only 200 or so Chef Robuchon bears were made and they were never available to any retailer or store. The Chef Robuchon Beanie was created to promote the opening of the L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons Hotel, New York in 2006. The special edition bears were given away to the guests invited to a private function that took place right before the restaurant’s grand opening. Because the Chef Robuchon Beanies are so special, very few have ever gone up for sale. One was sold by BBToyStore.com for $6,499.99. Reason for Rarity: Only 200 produced
Brownie
Brownie is most likely the rarest Beanie Baby Ever because it was retired very quickly. There is no publicly available data on how many Brownie Beanie Babies were produced or moved before it was retired forever a few months after it was released in 1993. The name Brownie was considered a mistake and the bear was later re-released under the name Cubbie. Although Beanie Babies are not really in demand much anymore, Brownie still fetches a fairly high price. One authenticated mint condition Brownie originally from Korea was sold for $819.19 in November of this year. Reason for Rarity: Few were sold before being quickly retired
This article originally appeared on Rarest.org.
More from Rarest.org
15 Most Expensive Purebred Dogs Ever
In the world of canine companionship, certain breeds stand out not only for their unique characteristics and loyal personalities but also for their hefty price tags. From majestic Tibetan Mastiffs to elegant Salukis, the demand for purebred dogs with exceptional lineage and desirable traits has driven prices to astonishing heights. Read More
10 Rarest Cattle Breeds in the World
In this article, we delve into the world of cattle breeding to explore the 10 rarest cattle breeds on the planet. From ancient heritage breeds with storied histories to exotic breeds native to remote regions, these cattle represent the epitome of genetic diversity and conservation efforts in the agricultural world. Read More
10 Rarest Gems in the World
Over 300 documented gemstones worldwide, ranging from readily available or poor quality to extremely rare, pure, and expensive, fetching amazingly high prices in certain cases. The Earth created these stones over millions of years in many different conditions, composed of various organic materials such as rocks and minerals. Read More
