Brand: Ty Animal: Parrot Generation: 5 Style number: 4197 Birthday: 10/10/1997 Issue Date: 6/30/1998 Retired Date: 12/23/1999 Condition: Very Good, Mint Materials: Polyester fiber, P.E pellets
Approximate Dimensions: 4” x 4” x 6”
Hi Na,
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 "Jabber" in October 1997; TY Inc. has never released exact production numbers for individual Beanie Babies, including "Jabber", which my source says was retired on September 8, 1999. It won't change the value but I'd like to know if I've been given mis-information and this was retired a year earlier.
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 "Jabber the Parrot" beanie baby
dated 1997
The multicolored parrot in primary colors of yellow, red, blue and green, with white and black striping at the eyes, with heart-shaped "ear" tag and folded tush tag, made in China, with PE pellets
6 inches long
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$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