Source: findArticles.com

Issue: June 23, 2000

Teenie Legends Will Take Center Stage on June 27

OAK BROOK, Ill., June 23 /PRNewswire/ --

The 2000 Teenie Beanie Babies(TM) collection, available now at McDonald's restaurants, features teenie versions of some of the most rare, hard-to-find original Beanie Babies(R). On June 27, McDonald's will premiere teenie versions of Beanie Baby Legends: Peanut(TM) the Royal Blue Elephant, Humphrey(TM) the Camel and Chilly(TM) the Polar Bear.

"Our customers have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collect teenie versions of some extremely rare full-sized Beanie Babies," said R.J. Milano, vice president of U.S. Marketing for McDonald's.

"While McDonald's is only half way through the Teenie Beanie program, I have noticed that the most popular Teenies this year are ones that are more difficult to find as full-sized Beanie Babies," said Becky Estenssoro, renown Beanie Babies expert. "Because the Legends are teenie versions of the most rare Beanies, I predict that they will be immensely popular when they become available on June 27."

Collectors have clamored for the full-sized versions of these three "legendary" designs, and with good reason. Following are some fast facts on what makes these Beanie Babies(R) so exclusive:

-- Peanut(TM)-The Dark Blue version was only available for five months in mid-1995. A very limited number were produced in dark blue before the color was changed to light blue. Because of this, it continues to be a highly-sought-after and extremely rare Beanie Baby(R).

-- Humphrey(TM)-The Camel was one of the very first Beanie Babies(R) to retire in 1995.

-- All three Teenie Beanie Babies(TM) in the Legends series were previously introduced as original Beanie Babies in the month of June.

Peanut in June of 1995 and Chilly(TM) and Humphrey in June of 1994.

-- All three of these original Beanie Babies(R) were issued without a birthdate or a poem.

-- Chilly(TM) the Beanie Baby continues to be one of the highly-sought- after mid-year 1994 introductions.

All three Legends designs rank in the "top 10" category of the most sought after and hard to find of all original Beanie Babies that were available to the general public to purchase.

The Legends, part of the Superstar Teenie Beanie Babies collection representing some of the most exclusive and difficult to find full-sized Beanie Babies, are specially packaged and available for $2.49 with the purchase of a regularly priced menu item. The McDonald's Happy Meal Teenie Beanie Babies are included free with the purchase of a Happy Meal, or sold separately with the purchase of another regular menu item.

Ty Inc. ( www.ty.com ) is the largest manufacturer and marketer of plush toys worldwide. Ty products include Ty Classic(TM) plush, Attic Treasures(TM), Beanie Kids(TM), Beanie Buddies(TM), as well as the collectible Beanie Babies(R), which were reintroduced in February 2000. Ty products are sold in finer retail stores and are easily recognizable by the world-famous red Ty heart logo.

McDonald's is the world's largest foodservice retailer, with more than 27,000 restaurants serving over 43 million people each day in 119 countries. Approximately 85 percent of McDonald's U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.

COPYRIGHT 2000 PR Newswire Association, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group