- 1). Check for two tags, one known as the swing tag--typically shaped like a heart and hanging in visible location, such as the toy's ear--and a tush tag, found on the bottom of the toy. Fake Beanie Babies may be missing one of these tags or have more than two tags.
- 2). Compare the tags with the tags of genuine Beanie Babies. Complete descriptions of the varying shapes, sizes and wording of official Beanie Baby tags can be found on the AboutBeanies collectors website (see Resources). Incomplete or inaccurate wording may be a sign of a counterfeit Beanie Baby.
- 3). Inspect the workmanship of the Beanie Baby--specifically its sewed seams. Fake Beanie Babies often show poor craftsmanship, such as mismatched thread or gaps in the fabric.
- 4). Review the shape, size and color of the Beanie Baby compared to genuine Beanie Babies, as listed in collector catalogs such as "Warman's Bean Plush Field Guide: Values and Identification" and the "Ty Beanies Tracker." Fake plush toys often come in unrecognized forms or colors that were never released as an official toy model.
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