New Santa’s helper Nov 17, 2008
They ve also delivered hundreds of thousands of books to Montana schools and more than 33,000 Beanie Babies to help law enforcement officials, plus raised money for Christmas meals and more. It s a tremendous undertaking and Foster said she s just now learning how much behind-the-scenes work Heffernan did in this unpaid position. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Local hearts set in motion Nov 13, 2008
Steinhorst helped bring an extra smile to children in the rural villages by handing out beanie babies donated by Draeger Floral of Watertown. She said the children's usual toys consisted of sticks and rocks. (Watertown Daily Times, WI)
Halloween party to celebrate community Oct 4, 2008
Activities include an inflatable obstacle course and a variety of carnival games, and children can spin the "Webkinz Wheel" to win Webkinz accessories and a chance to win a Webkinz, which is a popular stuffed animal similar to Beanie Babies. Another attraction is the "Crazy Maze," a darkened tunnel running throughout the sanctuary. (Pekin Times, IL)
Operation supplies Aug 29, 2008
The soldiers do not give toys to children on the street for safety reasons, but they do hand out school supplies, Beanie Babies and small trucks when they are visiting schools. We are stationed in the most remote province in Afghanistan, along the Pakistan border. (Washington University Student Life, MO)
Toy drive honors slain Indiana soldier's wish Aug 19, 2008
Jonathan Menke (MEN'-kee) asked his family send him Beanie Babies and Matchbox cars so he could hand them out to Iraqi children as gifts. The Indiana National Guard soldier from Madison died Aug. 4 in a roadside bombing near Baghdad. (Rensselaer Republican, IN)
Doll makers try to keep up with times Jul 6, 2008
Even though many a fortune is made with flash-in-the-pan trends like Pogs or Beanie Babies, it s hard to find anything with the staying power of classics like the standard baby doll or the American Girls line. There s something wonderful and timeless about seeing a child play with a doll, said Beaux James, a Westport resident and president of North American distribution for Corolle dolls. (New Haven Register, CT)
Party pooper?: Jun 22, 2008
Gifts are not invited to all birthday parties. Parents want break from clutter, excess. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Charity event sets plush toy record Apr 16, 2008
The mountain of more than 5,600 stuffed animals in the gymnasium at Andover's Shawsheen School rose 10 feet high: Beanie Babies, teddy bears, smiling alligators, puffy dogs, a child-sized Winnie the Pooh, a 4-foot penguin, a 5-foot Bugs Bunny, and a stuffed gorilla the size of, well, a gorilla. The elementary school collected the animals for charity from school and community members. (Boston Globe)
* Boys will be boys, even if they're monkeys kRdAYUl]@ Apr 14, 2008
As for his little sisters preference for Barbie and Beanie Babies, chalk it up to DNA, say scientists. The idea that childrens taste in toys might somehow be genetically determined has long been disparaged by psychologists and ridiculed as being sexist. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Missouri Guard gives gifts to Iraqi children Feb 22, 2008
Chad Lynch, of the 769th Engineer Battalion, made sure that each of the approximately 75 children received small toys, Beanie Babies, necklaces and other items. This was truly a rewarding experience, said Lt. Col. David Lowe, of Dixon. (Waynesille Daily Guide, MO)
TRIBUNE UPDATE: Toymaker fights state recall Jan 22, 2008
When the attorney general's office confronted Ty, best known for its Beanie Babies, the Westmont-based company said it would no longer sell new versions of Jammin' Jenna to Illinois retailers. But it refused to recall dolls already in stores, according to the state. (Chicago Tribune)
Stuff a bag at Relay For Life Thrift store Jan 17, 2008
In December two large bags of new beanie babies were taken and donated to the police department. Also a large box load of gently used toys were given to the Toys for Tots project. (Moberly Monitor-Index, MO)
Needy children receive Christmas gifts Dec 28, 2007
Five hundred toys were collected from All Nations Church, Winds of Hope supporters, LAPD Foothill Division and 500 Beanie Babies from Childrens Hunger Fund. Each child received two toys and one Beanie Baby. (Los Angeles Daily News)
Good Question: Should I be worried about exposure to lead from my holiday decorations? Dec 9, 2007
A: Don't throw away your holiday trappings just yet, but if Beanie Babies were the season's hottest gift when you bought your faux tree, take some precautions. A.jpgicial trees are made of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, in which lead is used as a stabilizer and softener. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Decking the halls with boughs of ... lead? Dec 8, 2007
But if Beanie Babies were the season's hottest gift when you bought your faux tree, take some precautions. advertisement. (MSNBC -- Business)
Kids helping kids: Columbus Jct. twins corral stuffed animals to help bring a smile to hospitalized children Nov 30, 2007
Elliff, who also works at Allsteel, said one employee there has promised 200 Beanie Babies to the cause. Reporter contact information. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Webkinz: For real, virtual worlds Nov 20, 2007
LOADING Nov 19, 2007 - 09:18:45 CST By KEITH DARNAY, Tribune columnist What do you get when you combine 20th-century Beanie Babies with 21st-century Internet access. You get Webkinz, real-world plush toy pets that come with secret codes to unlock virtual versions of the pets online in a place called Webkinz World (). (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Black Friday losing its lure Nov 19, 2007
(No Beanie Babies or Tickle Me Elmos, for example. . (Florida Times-Union)
Safe Christmas Gifts for Kids Nov 16, 2007
Webkinz are small stuffed animals (reminiscent of Beanie Babies) that have an accompanying world online. There s a huge variety of animals, and kids can go online and play, creating a room, decorations, clothes, etc. (Suite101.com)
Parents on alert for toy hazards Nov 15, 2007
"I even worry about Beanie Babies. If it tears somehow ... it's a choking hazard.". Still, avoiding any products made in China is probably not realistic. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Christmas gifts for a place where it almost never snows ... Health board may do sewer inspections ... McCoy marking his first year ... Two wrecks snarl Highway 28 ... Sewer manager explains transfer reasons ... Veterans’ Day Parade coming to St. Robert ... St. James man to chair planning group ... H.E.A.R.T.s Astride joins Chamber ... ';var marqueewidth="350px";var marqueeheight="25px";var marqueebgcolor="#FFFFFF";////NO NEED TO EDIT BELOW THIS LINE////////////var pauseit=1;var marqueespeed=1 //slow speed down by 1 for NSvar copyspeed=marqueespeedvar pausespeed=(pauseit==0)? copyspeed: 0var iedom=document.all||document.getElementByIdif (iedom)document.write(''+marqueecontent+'')var actualwidth=''var cross_marquee, ns_marqueefunction populate(){if (iedom){cross_marquee=document.getElementById? document.getElementById("iemarquee") : document.all.iemarqueecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"cross_marquee.innerHTML=marqueecontentactualwidth=document.all? temp.offsetWidth : document.getElementById("temp").offsetWidth}else if (document.layers){ns_marquee=document.ns_marquee.document.ns_marquee2ns_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8ns_marquee.document.write(marqueecontent)ns_marquee.document.close()actualwidth=ns_marquee.document.width}lefttime=setInterval("scrollmarquee()",20)}window.onload=populate;function scrollmarquee(){if (iedom){if (parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))cross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)-copyspeed+"px"elsecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"}else if (document.layers){if (ns_marquee.left>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))ns_marquee.left-=copyspeedelsens_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8}}if (iedom||document.layers){with (document){document.write('')if (iedom){write('')write('')write('')write('')}else if (document.layers){write('')write('')write('')}document.write('')}} TOP: Kim Pierce (left) and Sherri Hanks of Rolla stuff Christmas stockings for troops of the 35th Engineer Battalion.BELOW: The daughter of a Rolla soldier joins Cathy Passini, wife of Col. Mike Passini, the deputy commander of the 35th Engineers, in packing Beanie Babies for shipment to Iraqi children. The Beanie Babies were donated by a St. Louis woman who heard that stuffed toys given by American soldiers to Iraqi children help build goodwill for the troops.Photo by Darrell Todd Maurina Christmas gifts for a place where it almost never snows Nov 7, 2007
BELOW: The daughter of a Rolla soldier joins Cathy Passini, wife of Col. Mike Passini, the deputy commander of the 35th Engineers, in packing Beanie Babies for shipment to Iraqi children. The Beanie Babies were donated by a St. Louis woman who heard that stuffed toys given by American soldiers to Iraqi children help build goodwill for the troops ... When he was over on the first trip, they would collect Beanie Babies and hand them out to the kids so they would warm up to the soldiers, Passini... (Waynesille Daily Guide, MO)
Want Webkinz? Get in Line Oct 31, 2007
Webkinz are small stuffed animals if you recall Beanie Babies, you'll have a good idea of what they're like that seemingly come to life when the secret code attached to their label is plugged into a Web site. "It's so fun," says Nell, a 9-year-old New Yorker. (Fox News)
Fiddlesticks' move will coincide with new concept Oct 28, 2007
Those were the days of the Beanie Babies craze, as Rifkin discovered when he began carrying the small plush beanbag animals. The store held a Beanie Babies days sale once a month, Rifkin said ... Successful sales of Beanie Babies led the Rifkins to another conclusion and metamorphosis No. 2. (Coos Bay-North Bend The World, OR)
A Soldiers Christmas Oct 18, 2007
The Standard Democrat. Serving Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi And Stoddard Counties. (Skieston Standard Democrat, MO)
Geppetto's Celebrates 20th Year With 20 Days of Special Events Oct 10, 2007
Asked about challenges she's faced over the years, Sharon recalled the hoopla surrounding Beanie Babies, those small stuffed animals that captured the world's attention a few years back. "Between the telephone calls and the customers lining up on the sidewalk, that was a nightmare," she said. (Voices, CT)
2007 holiday bazaars Sep 28, 2007
Check out the stocking stuffers for all ages, including Webkins, Beanie Babies and Hello Kitty for the kids. (1-907-746-4438). (Anchorage Daily News)
Remember Squirtle and Jigglypuff? Suddenly, they're back and in high demand Aug 27, 2007
Playground fads come and go, as those who have found themselves with neglected collections of Beanie Babies can attest. But the Pok. (International Herald Tribune)
JAMES DERK: Computer questions and answers Aug 8, 2007
WEEKLY WEB WONDER: More than 1 million Beanie Babies and other small toys have been distributed to children in Iraq by our soldiers. Please help this amazing program at www. (Herald Online, SC -- Technology)
Stand for a cause: Lemonade sale held in memory of crash victims Jul 21, 2007
Besides lemonade, they have been selling cookies and Beanie Babies, as well as making friendship bracelets to give away to donors. In just two days, the girls have raised $1,000 through their lemonade sales and a donation box at Chubby's Hardware Store in Pound Ridge, N.Y.. (Stamford Advocate)
Preteens take up social space online Jul 13, 2007
"It's kind of like what happened in the real world with Cabbage Patch dolls and Beanie Babies," said Monique Nelson, executive vice president of , a non-profit focused on Internet safety for children ... Think Beanie Babies with an online component. (USA Today -- Tech)
Webkinz toys the must-have toy of the summer Jun 30, 2007
Chantel Boeschen, manager of Coach House Gifts in Waterloo, likens Webkinz to the Ty Beanie Babies phenomenon of the '90s ... "It's Beanie Babies meets a computer learning game. It's so neat and creative.". (Waterloo Courier, IO)
The latest mania in plush toys is menageries that come with online alter egos; kids coddle the cyberlives with the diligence of mother hens. Jun 16, 2007
" Not fast enough for gift shop owners, who wait for months on their orders only to sell out within hours. "I just can't get them anymore," laments Donna Barrett, owner of Sabrina's in Decatur. "This is bigger than Beanie Babies. " So much to do "I haven't had them in months," concurs David Roe of nearby Houseworks, who has a $14,000 order unfilled and a legal pad filled with hundreds of names on a waiting list. "The kids are calling every second or third day," Roe claims. "Sometimes I know who... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
Save or toss childhood things? Jun 15, 2007
I kept all the Beanie Babies (and other momentos). The hours we spent looking for them, the fun we had together looking for them. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Kids snap up hard-to-find Webkinz Jun 2, 2007
A cross between Beanie Babies and Tamagotchi, Webkinz are tiny stuffed animals that link to an Internet site where kids care for their new pets in a virtual world. There are dogs and cats, but also monkeys and bears and frogs. (AZCentral)
Letters published May 16, 2007 May 17, 2007
Also among the items was a box of Beanie Babies. There were probably 15 to 20 Beanies in the box; one of the Beanies had the letters BFCL and a rainbow on it. (Catoosa County News, GA)
Webkinz virtually difficult to find May 10, 2007
Like TY s Beanie Babies, Ganz, the manufacturer of Webkinz, will retire certain animals after a time. After retirement, prices climb on the secondary market. (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Webkinz sparks a craze, and a shortage Apr 30, 2007
Launched less than two years ago, Webkinz have quietly grown into a phenomenon similar to Cabbage Patch Kids and Beanie Babies in years past the type of toy that a parent will drive across the state to snag, or pay four times the selling price for on a Web site such as eBay. Popular with 7- to 12-year-olds, Webkinz is a sort of amalgamation of tween favorites: a cute plush toy, a virtual pet, a social networking Web site and a place to play online games. (MSNBC -- Business)
Local family makes charitable donation Apr 21, 2007
West Frankfort residents Walter and Irene Hehner, along with their granddaughter Katherine Henebry, were presented with a Community Builders Award yesterday by Masonic Lodge 567 Secretary Mike Rennie for having recently donated a collection of over 1,200 Ty Beanie Babies to Shriner s Children s Hospital in St. Louis. Irene Hehner, who has enjoyed collecting Beanie Babies along with her granddaughter Katherine since the product first hit the market in the late 90 s, found great comfort in the... (West Frankfort Daily American, IL)
Webkinz: Stuffed animals take on virtual lives of their own Apr 18, 2007
Not since Beanie Babies have parents and retailers seen a craze like this. Ganz reports sales of more than 2 million Webkinz since April 2005. (Herald Online, SC -- Technology)
Beanie Babies for Guard babies Apr 17, 2007
Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. Kenneth Heywood and his daughter, Baylee, hold some of the 108 Beanie Babies dressed in military fatigues that the manufacturer sent to Heywood ... And the proud father couldn't be happier that they were Beanie Babies dubbed "Salute" dressed in desert camouflage sent at no charge by TY Industries based in Bolingbrook, Ill ... The deployment of Beanie Babies, a company of tiny Teddy bears dressed in light-colored camouflage, was the result of an e-mail that Heywood... (Mail Tribune, OR)
Webkinz: Secret codes give these hot new toys alter egos online Apr 17, 2007
It s a social experience like Beanie Babies, but a global experience with the Internet ... In a dilemma reminiscent of 1990s Beanie Babies madness, some schools are battling to keep Webkinz out of the classroom. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Webkinz running loose Apr 16, 2007
It s a social experience like Beanie Babies, but a global experience with the Internet. It allows the child to have very distinct play experiences that use different parts of the brain. (Montana Standard, MT)
Toy challenge Apr 6, 2007
The councilman came up with the idea after he and his wife, Lisa, decided to donate 106 Beanie Babies to the Toys for Tots campaign, the Rockwood Fire Department, St. Mary Catholic Church and radio station 106 FM, which had a drop- off site at Southland Center in Taylor last year. Lisa Scafidi was captivated by the Beanie Baby craze several years ago. (The News-Herald)
Toy maker strikes gold with Beanie Babies of the online era Apr 6, 2007
Co-owner Jon Levy thought nothing would ever top Beanie Babies what he calls the Big Kahuna of the toy business ... (Much like Beanie Babies creator Ty Warner, he doesn't speak to the media. (Globe and Mail)
Webkinz run loose in schools, on computers Apr 4, 2007
"It's a social experience like Beanie Babies, but a global experience with the Internet. It allows the child to have very distinct play experiences that use different parts of the brain." ... In a dilemma reminiscent of 1990s Beanie Babies madness, some schools are battling to keep Webkinz out of the classroom. (Globe and Mail)
Colchester school bans ``Webkinz'' toys Mar 19, 2007
In recent years, schools throughout Connecticut and nationwide have tried to minimize distractions by prohibiting everything from Pokemon cards to Beanie Babies, Tamagotchi cyberpets and "Captain Underpants" books. The 44 different Webkinz stuffed toys reflect characters in an online game of the same name. (Newsday -- State)
The world's billionaires, according to Forbes magazine Mar 9, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007. CURRENT CONDITIONS:SUNNY 27. (The Standard-Times, MA)
'Forbes' rankings of the world's billionaires Mar 9, 2007
Forbes' list of the world's richest billionaires - USATODAY.com. Real solutions for your real estate needs. (USA Today -- Money)
Record number of world billionaires Mar 9, 2007
Winona Daily News - 6. Coulee Region's Fastest Growing Institution. (Winona Daily News, MN)
A kid who worries about kids in a war Feb 20, 2007
Back in 2004, she read about a program to send the little stuffed animals called Beanie Babies to American troops in Iraq so that they could hand them out to Iraqi children ... During the past couple of years, with the help of her family and assistance from the organizations like Glendale's Packages from Home, Alison has shipped more than 50,000 Beanie Babies overseas ... Her last batch of Beanie Babies was sent to a National Guardsman serving in Afghanistan, from whom Alison receives e-mail... (AZCentral -- News)
WP: It's Teddy Bear, Version 2.0 Feb 7, 2007
Byrne said Webkinz have yet to achieve the mass-market success of their Beanie Babies predecessors or brands such as Dora the Explorer. But the children who have become hooked are wildly loyal. (MSNBC -- Technology)
A good year for Toys for Tots Jan 23, 2007
Over 175,000 books received from Scholastic Books have been delivered to Montana small schools; some of the 33,772 Beanie Babies have found their way into the local DARE program to assist both the sheriff s office and the Helena Police Department. Some of the ou-of-state shipments to Helena of poker games, videos and books from eastern corporations, as well as west coast corporations were redirected to other Toys for Tots coordinators who were in need of the goods at Christmas. (Helena Independent Record)
Online creatures, great and small Jan 20, 2007
"They're the next Beanie Babies," says Henry Bear's manager Jean Oliveira. When the Block sisters log onto Webkinz or Club Penguin, they often put a friend on speaker phone for a virtual playdate that's part online arcade and part online paper dolls. (Boston Globe)
Grandparents take on role of parents as twins lose mom in fire Jan 3, 2007
The couple looked at each other and laughed a little when they talked about Francesca and Joelle's "goal for the day" playing outside in the sun with their beloved Beanie Babies, many of which were lost in the fire. Fire and police are still unsure what caused the fire and their investigation continues. (Lodi News Sentinel, CA)
