Hi Allison,

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" in February 1994; it is one of the better-known Ty bears because of its simple but elegant design and its place in the height of the Beanie Baby craze. It was one of the earlier Ty bears, helping establish the popularity of bear-style Beanie Babies. TY Inc. has never released exact production numbers for individual Beanie Babies, including "Valentino" the bear, which was retired in December 1998.

Like 99.9999% of all beanie babies, this 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 1995
The all-white bear with red heart on its breast and red ribbon, heart-shaped "ear" tag and folded tush tag, made in Korea, with PE pellets
8-3/4 inches long
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition
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