Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s

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They were soft, cute, and cuddly, with names like Legs the Frog, Patty the Pilatopus,

and Brownie the Bear. These stuffed toys soon became an obsession.

Not just for kids, but for adult collectors who realized there was money to be made,

buying and selling, these furry creatures, on this new thing called the Internet.

But like always, where there's money, there's bound to be crime and deception.

Even in the world of plush toys.

I'm Kathy Kanzora, and this is the history of the 90s, a podcast about a decade that changed the world.

On this episode, we'll look at how a toy that captured our hearts

became a worldwide phenomenon, caused a wave of theft, fraud, and deception, and along the way,

changed the way we shopped forever. This is the story of how Beanie Babies went from boom to bust.

Ty Warner, the Willy Wonka of Beanie Babies, first introduced them to the world at a trade show in 1993.

They were cute, colorful, and most importantly, at only $5 each, they were very affordable.

But what made them really stand out was what they were stuffed with.

They were filled with plastic pellets, like what you would find in a beanbag. They were slightly

understuffed too, making them floppy and poseable.

Other beambag animals had been made before, but none would become a nationwide phenomenon.

But before we get too far into Beanie Babies, I got to tell you about the mind and the man behind it all.

Before he launched his empire, Ty Warner worked for a company called Dakin.

They were the market leader in the world of plush toys,

and Ty Warner was their number one salesman.

...