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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-09-09, Page 5Sp•w sMlad+ Mane MO MM. 150dn We. IW$ p*Mer. Our R•4 1411 in NOW 119 on NR/IR THAM 1/I PIKII 'N1/11M• • d ME ttsin Ws. 100%pO0112. Our R,q. 12 le in NOW Nn /ITTII /MM 1/2 PRIM SP.M124et1o4 MUM Mut 1156 .1d 9t,10019 Moab/ Out 8,09/9. IOW].Mn L AIT IO /NAM //I 11912619, Local collectors know beans Stores get calls from Americans looking for Beanie Babies as collectors hunt for rare bears like one named after Diana BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor A transport truck full of them has been stolen from Aurora, Ontario. Courier drivers have been chased down for them. Border guards have seized them from Girl Guides and other young children bringing them from Canada into the United States. Waiting lists grow to unmanageable lengths in stores for customers waiting for them and prices soar for the ones most sought after. They're Beanie Babies and collectors wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm having fun collecting," said Tony Vandendool. In six months, he has amassed about 400 of the Ty Beanie Babies. The company has created a sensation that, through retiring some and issuing new ones in limited supply, have created a frenzy, particularly in the United States where people line up in stores for hours when new shipments arrive. Both Dens and Friends and The Hobby Shop in Seaforth have received calls from people in the states looking for Beanies, particularly Maple, a,bear that's only available in Canada. Any of the beanie bears from Ty are in high demand from Erin, a green bear produced for St. Patrick's Day this year and Princess, a bear with a white rose on its chest produced in, conjunction with the death of Princess Diana. Linda Neeb of Dens and Friends in Seaforth doesn't know how Americans have found her storc but said, "We don't have enough of them to go around for all the c u s t o m e r s demanding. She isn't willing to charge inflated prices or make customers buy 10 or more beanies to get one of a handful of the bears. To get one bear, a store has to order several other regular beanies from Ty. That has prompted some businesses to price Beanies like Maple at more than $250 or insist a person buys a minimum of the regular, common beanies before Maple, Princess or other more rare beanies can be bought. The only fair way Necb and partner Bonnie Schenk could conic up with to handle the beanies everyone wants is to give one away in a raffle each month. They arc also donating them to schools to be used as fund raisers. Vandendool said he isn't willing to pay more than what a beanie is worth. Lindsay Hoegy holds an armload of Beanies at Dens and Friends. Her own collection isn't as big and Lindsay herself is a rare find because she has taken off the tags and plays with' hers. Without the tags, the beanies lose their value. Ty recommends $8.50 as a reasonable Canadian price for the beanies. But Vandendool did buy 25 beanies at once to get his hands on a Maple, something he was willing to do because he wanted to collect as many of the current beanies as he could find at the time. No,w, however, with a collection that includes virtually all 'of the current beanies, he isn't willing to follow that tactic. "I'm not willing to pay big dollars. That takt.ts the fun out of it," he said. • Instead, he continues, for hunt in small, country stores for retired beanies that may still be available at uninflated prices. Vandendool has always been a collector from hockey cards to antiques and when he saw Beanie Babies, he picked one up, at first because ,they were kind of cute. From there, he picked up a couple more and soon found himself immersed in collecting the toy animals. He's looking at them as an investment now, planning to builyi one set to keep and the rest he is willing to sell as the company retires them and their prices rise. "I'll admit, it's also an investment," he said. Ty has issued several new beanies but Vandendool hasn't bccn'able to find a store that's received their shipments yet so he can build on his collection. 4F Erin and are two harder Beanies Princess of the to find Avon trustee resigns The Avon Maitland District School Board lost a trustee with the resignation of'North Perth representative Philip Baumgarten last Wednesday. He said "hc will he pursuing academic studies full-time in Toronto and felt that it would not be possible to do full justice to his academic work and his trustee work," according to the board's press release. The board was consider its options for filling the position at last night's meeting. Friends found on Internet aren't as good as real thing FROM Page 4 arc, it should he of some concern. While the Internet has opened up the whole world to young people, life is passing them by in their own backyards as they surf instead of play. While there's so much to be learned while on-line, there's little use for imagination, a creative force that can help shape and develop young minds. It might actually be nice to hear a child in a street creating a scene of battle for their favourite Power Ranger rather than surfing their Chatting with "friends" on the Internet can he great fun and even educational if a child is communicating with someone from a different culture, but some real communication, conflict and problem solving with friends on the playground can go a long way to building character. I hope this is not a sign of an evolving technological society and that a balance; will soon be found where young kids can make great use of a home computer but still go outside later and make great use of the box it websites. came in. r HILGENDORFF PHOTO Neeb said customers arc getting impatient waiting for the new ones. "They call every day. They come in every day," she said. They want to make sure they're first in line to get some of the new ones before shipments run out. Neeb said if customers didn't ask for' the beanies, they'd never have started carrying them in the store. She said Ty has several other product lines that look nicer than beanies but it's mostly beanies that people arc collecting. 'I thought the Cabbage Patch dolls were had." she said, comparing the hunt for Beanie Babies to the line-ups and fights to get Cabbage Patch dolls in the early 1980s. Stores couldn't keep up with the demands then. But she said the Beanie 000000000000000❑ Huron County's o VEHICLE D � rri RENTAL 11 o Headquarters o 0 ?Small & Mid-sized Cars p 1 13 D .1Passenger & Cargo IID 0 Vans, Pickup Trucks E 0 :"►Daily, Weekly, Monthly i D IID 0 71 Insurance Rentals & o In 9E 11 al More Ili ai o — o v o O CAR & TRUCK RENTALS p O Division of Suncoast Ford ri [ii 500 Huron Rd., Goderteh E CI 0 1-888-344-4486 E lo a 524-8347 0 al oeeeeeeneeeeeee❑ (o,u pare . EMI • • 6.00 %* r APR 5 Year Minimum deposit '5,000 'Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Effective 09/04/98 Coll or stop by today for mon information Joe Welts 79 Ontario Road Mitchell, Ontario NOK 1NO (519) 348.9873 EdwarddJones Seeing Individual L...alere I looMo e441•.,.1•4.e WON COW Babies are much bigger. Cabbage Patch dolls were being bought for children and for doll collectors but beanies are being bought by everyone. Few of them get to he played with because if the Ty tags they come with are damaged, they lose their value. Vandendool has some of his on display but has carefully packaged up the rest in hopes the beanies will hold their value or he worth more in years to come. If they don't he isn't concerned. He likes collecting and if the bottom falls out of the Beanie Bahic market, he'll pass the collection on to other generations of his family. When he hears about people fighting and arguing in stores for them he said. "1 don't ever want to get that excited about them, that's for sure." McMaster Siemon 1.s -S-• INSURANCE Z -X BROKERS INC. 'AUTO *HOME *FARM •TRAVEL *COMMERCIAL •LIFE INSURANCE BROKERS: Bill Siemon Vicki Siemon Anette McTaggart Ilan Proctor Ken Hutchison 68 Ontano Rd. 34B-9150 Mitchell 1-800-561-0183 OM COLM GRAY INSURANCE BROKERS INSURANCE BROKERS Allan Carter, Broker • Home • Auto • Commercial • Farm , 522-0399 Seaforth 1-800-265.0959 Strathroy I THE HURON EXPOSITOR, SEPTEMBER 9, 1990-5 Radiators and bike stolen Radiators were reported stolen from Anderson Salvage in Hullett Township on Aug. 26. Ontario Provincial Police say a pick up truck load of of them was taken sometime that weekend and anyone with any information on the theft is asked to call them. 18 -SPEED STOLEN A bicycle was stolen from the rack in front of Seaforth Design Concrete Systems on Birch Street sometime between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Aug. 24. Police say it is an 18 -speed (model 2430-57) silver Triumph mountain bike, bearing serial number R5822530. til Spie•m#04. t HOME & GARDEN SHOW September 18, 19, 20, 1998 ZURICH COMMUNITY CENTRE ***FREE ADMISSION*** it A spectacular display of perennial home & garden ideas * Bavarian dining featuring full course dinners & musical entertainment ** CASH DRAWS ** Draws (to be made at show) Sunday 4:00 pm FRIDAY 6:00 pm -9:00 pm SATURDAY 12 noon -9:00 pm SUNDAY 12 noon -5:00 pm Sponsored by the Zurich Chamber of Commerce (E4BNICLAND CPAMION PAM MOTOWN Let's Get BACK TO 1, SEWING! MIO Spsdal SMM•al Ikon Ws, 100%palpllet Oe Rt9. 5911 m NII 1.99. *mg $9161169 WAIT MM11OM MIM{ 115,9 dot, ptl/'9Mrtotbn blond O.. Rog 296 41 IN LM. MOM • 2 MOIMMO 110x1 •toe.100% laic Oa Rep 1491m MIN 9.91. Special Ssiclort 11911I aids MOM 111an•409, 100%rryen Our Rig - AN n Its 1/2 PAW SIM 4/10 VE• INS 16061dtq 1-5 91199)169 OwRq lNn MN" AM.' IMMO 1 Entre h-.594•Sicok 4111721/2111 1111/2119 AI aln mods, various pias /•T 1MOU Rao Plb, NT I ME M opal mhos a exp MP', SALE ON NOW!A MAW IN FOR BEST SRE TI NI\ Huge Selections BETTER THAN HALF PRICEY MTh WAY -Meclor =If NNI•/1P. i MIM IAA P,$ 115,96 Ave 1SO. dd, Our 116 1D67.21 n a pixel NN1L99dM.•r. %mid 191/6261 OMNI MI OA peceec b M A Mw b Ida. Our Reg 921 p•nN MM 1.99.•. Sp4dtl Sebetau '11111111111. ouIcros 11 San UMW calm as A r w* prrit OM Ric 9Nn 91015 LM. ION MI 0 •.,�u 1Mec-d11 111121201112011111 14069 We. 100% r.eddw. 0. 10.98n NO LM. THAM 1/2 Petted 1▪ esIselkol 111111111211191111191111T ,40:41d14, NO %9ied An. Da RRqq NNM MI LM. AI/TT>� IMM 1/2 NNW 01221111111212 War 14=a% 100%pa1992, O 1p. 141U NII Aft 911.8/22 KIS PAN MN/ THAM 1/t MK11 MMdl rime IiV2/1II1 an. ri.al„.... 1.111..••• S DAIS 011I9 . 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