I believe this is a 6th generation beanie baby. I have Valentino I picked him up a few years ago at a thrift store, i had seen him before and knew he was rare. He is a little dirty, needs a bath and his hanger tag is a little damaged. Everything is legible and he even has a tag protector.
length: 9 3/4” width: 5”
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
Beanie Babies (BBs) were enormously popular in the 1990s and widely collected, with the consequence that now there are many "on the market" without nearly enough demand for the supply so values on most individual beanie babies are low.
The BB market is often subject to overvaluation and there are myths surrounding BB values, both for ones with - and without - tag errors (for discussion on tag errors, see https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22870250/nft-beanie-baby-price-guide-bubble-princess-value ).
Websites like eBay and Etsy - which are unregulated - are rampant with fraudulent sellers posting BB at exorbitantly high prices and then the BBs either don't sell or sell privately at undisclosed prices. (For an article that goes into detail about this, see: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epnwmn/investigating-the-fake-ebay-market-for-dollar25000-beanie-babies).
Ty released "Valentino" , was designed as a Valentine's Day-themed collectible. It was retired on December 31, 1998, making it one of the earlier and more memorable holiday-themed Beanie Babies.
Like 99.9999% of all beanie babies, this is not rare and has a very nominal value: $20-30 at auction.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
A near vintage Ty "Valentino" beanie baby
dated 1994
The white bear, adorned with a red ribbon and an embroidered red heart on its chest, heart-shaped "ear" tag and folded tush tag, made in China, with PE pellets
9-3/4 inches long
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition with some dirt to the fur
PROVENANCE: Acquired from a second-hand store.
$20-30*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia