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May 17, 2003 The Steppin' Out for Hospice of Santa Barbara invited celebrities, local personalities, and members of the community to utilize "flip flops" as a canvas as works of art. The "flip flops" were on display and then auctioned off as a fundraiser to support Hospice of Santa Barbara programs.

You can visit the Santa Barbara Hospice website here!

The week after the official charity auctions the Ty FlipFlops were put on EBay by the Santa Barbara Hospice where they sold for over $400. I spoke to lady who won them and asked her a little about her new Ty signed item and how she planned to display it and why she choose this piece of Ty history to buy! This is what she had to say:

I plan on putting them in some type of shadow box so that I can display them on the wall above my collection. Outside of my immediate family, no one really knows I own them. Like I said, I am a private individual. Growing up, my family owned a toy store (before the TY craze), so I grew up around toys in more ways than one. I got into collecting not so much for the value as for the thrill of the hunt. Each and every piece is special!

The main reason I bid on the flip flops was because I wanted a one of a kind piece for my collection. The fact that I own a hand designed item by someone that creates collectibles that I love so much makes it even more special. Another benefit is that the money went for a good cause.