COUNTERFEIT BEANIES

The popularity of Beanie Babies has led to the inevitable problem of counterfeiting. The more difficult to find, or rarer a beanie is, the more chance there is that there are counterfeit versions of that Beanie.

The best way to be sure of a genuine article is to use one of the authentication services available. They will seal your beanie in a case and provide a certificate of authentication.

If you are going out shopping - make sure you know what you are looking for. The more familiar you are with Beanies, the less likely you are to end up with a fake. Look at pictures on the internet or in books... make sure you know what the Beanie should look like. Make sure you are familiar with the sizes and shapes.

• Fakes are often slightly larger than their genuine counter-parts.
• Beanie's have soft fabric which rubs smoothly in both directions, fakes often feel rougher.
• The eyes should be bright and shiny - not matt.
• The posts behind the eyes shouldn't be too long - if you feel a fake the posts are often much longer.
• The PVC or PE pellets should feel small and round, fakes are often filled with  larger, or more irregular shapes.
• The arms and legs should have some beans in - and not be too floppy.
• The stuffing in other parts of the body should not be too solid, and should not be more prevalent than the beans.
• Check the ribbons. Ty use double sided ribbons that are of equal quality on both sides. Fakes very often do not. Check that the ends have been sealed, and are not unravelling.
• Make sure you are familiar with the tags - and which generation of tag can be found on the Beanie you are buying. Counterfeiters will often use an inappropriate tag generation.
• Check hang and tush tags for bad grammar and spelling errors.