The Most Valuable Beanie Babies, According to an Expert

If you're wondering how much your Beanie Baby is worth, here are some of the most valuable ones, according to an expert

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If you've been wondering where the buzz for Beanie Babies has been coming from in the last couple of weeks, look no further than Apple TV+'s The Beanie Bubble.

The film — which stars Elizabeth Banks, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Snook and Geraldine Viswanathan — is a fictionalized chronicling of the journey of the Beanie Baby craze that began in 1993. Directed by Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash, the film tracks toy creator Ty Warner's conception of the famous stuffed animals and the small group of enthusiastic mothers in a Chicago neighborhood who made the plush toys a sensation.

“I applaud the filmmakers for capturing the unprecedented energy and excitement – though not the facts – surrounding the original release of Beanie Babies 30 years ago," Warner said in a rare statement. "The movie is, by its own admission, partly fiction. But, like the filmmakers, I am in the business of dreams, and I admire their creative spirit. To the fans and collectors of Beanie Babies who have been there for the last three decades, thank you for all the love you have shown.”

Though Ty Inc. gave away some new Beanie Babies to those who went to see the film in theaters, if you're in possession of the older Beanies and are wondering how valuable they are, it turns out you can still get a pretty penny ... for some of them.

We reached out to Beanie Baby expert Karen Boeker — an educator, counterfeit expert, researcher, co-editor of Beanie books and analyzer of values — to give us the rundown on the most valuable Beanie Babies below.

It's important to note that "Beanie value isn't as simple as [owning one particular toy]," says Boeker. "The generation, country where it was made, color and condition are what can make it a $5 or $1000 Beanie."

Beanie Babies Price Guide

Introduced on Aug. 9, 2006, the Chef Robuchon Beanie Baby was modeled after the famous chef Joël Robuchon. Warner handed out approximately 200 of these Beanies at the opening of L'Atelier at the New York Four Seasons Hotel, which Warner owns.

The doll goes for anywhere from $8,000 to $12,000 depending on extras such as the invitation or whether or not it's still boxed. One of the most sought-after Beanies, the Chef Robuchon was retired just about a month later, on Sept. 5, 2006, per Boeker.

Beanie Babies Price Guide

Only 253 of these guys were released, signed by Warner and handed out to Ty reps on Dec. 12, 1998. You can get your hands on a #1 Bear Beanie for anywhere from $2,500 to $6,000.

Beanie Babies Price Guide

What makes these Beanie Babies so special is their rare tags. According to Boeker's website, Beanie Babies Price Guide, these were meant to be the first gen Swing Tag Beanies shipped to the U.K. However, they arrived without the Conformite Europeenne (C.E.) mark on them, which was necessary to indicate they met European standards of safety.

Once the new, white, rectangle tags with the CE mark were made, Warner once again showed innovation by reusing the old tags and adding the new, approved white U.K. stickers on top of them.

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Part of the 'Original 9' Beanie Babies, Brownie and (Deep Fuchsia) Patti "were introduced in November 1993 at the Gatlinburg Show, a toy exposition, in Tennessee," Boeker tells PEOPLE. "We have seen [them go for] as low as $400 and as high as $2500."

Ty Warner Inc.

Consisting of Patti the Platypus (Raspberry), Cubbie the Bear, Squealer the Pig, Legs the Frog, Spot with No Spot, Chocolate the Moose, Flash the Dolphin and Splash the Whale (above), the 'Original 9' Beanie Babies were launched in 1993 by Warner at the World Toy Fair in New York City. Depending on the condition, these can be found for anywhere between $500 and $2,000.

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Though there were of tons of these Beanie Babies released — including Allie the Alligator, Mystic the Unicorn, Slither the Snake, Digger the Crab, Inky the Octopus and more — these dolls can be differentiated by their single swing tag with skinny "ty" letters. First gen Beanie Babies can go from $500 to $2,000.

Ty Warner Inc.

Including Bones the Dog, Goldie the Fish, Quacker the Duck, Daisy the Cow and many more, second generation swing tag Beanies can be identified by tags that open like a book with a skinny "ty" logo. They're valued between $80 to $1,500.

Beanie Babies Price Guide

Third generation Beanie Babies, which came out between 1995 and 1996, can be worth between $20 to $3,500 depending on the condition. These Beanies can be distinguished by their double swing tag, whose "ty" letters are fat and thick.

Beanie Babies Price Guide

As a thank you for having sold $1 billion in product, Warner gifted his employees these limited Billionaire Beanies. The Ty Inc. founder signed the Billionaire Bears and added a tag that read, "In recognition of the value and contributions in shipping over a billion dollars since Jan '98, I present to you this exclusive signed bear!" Billionaire Beanies can be anywhere between $400 and $1500.

Beanie Babies Price Guide

Dubbed the "king of the bears," the Royal Blue Peanut Elephant is "one of the top-ranked beanies that serious collectors want," says Boeker. And because they're such a hot commodity, plenty of them have been counterfeited, so she encourages one to do their due diligence before purchasing. Royal Blue Peanut Beanies can be valued between $1,800 and $4,000 depending on the version and condition.