Yahoo Finance Princess Diana Beanie Baby up for grabs on eBay...for $500,000
She may have been dead for almost 20 years but Diana, Princess of Wales still captures the imagination of millions.
And it seems many are prepared to try to exploit her memory for frankly astonishing amounts of money.
A number of “rare” Diana Beanie Baby Bears, made by toy giant Ty, are on offer on auction site eBay for eye-watering sums.
One seller is advertising an “authenticated Indo ghost version” of the toy for $500,000. It’s being watched by 130 potential buyers.
Another, monitored by 170 watchers, is on offer for just shy of $85,000, while another US-based seller is offering a “very rare” and “mint condition” first edition Diana Beanie Bear for $100,000.
Ty unveiled the Diana baby bears in October 1997 using PVC pellets inside them. Within a few months, the company had replaced the PVC pellets with more environmentally acceptable polyethylene pellets – pushing up the value of the first shipments of the bears.
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While the US market for Diana memorabilia appears to hugely optimistic, the UK eBay site offers a more reasonable market.
An “ultra rare” 1997 bear featuring the PVC pellets is on sale here for £3,000. And, available until April 12, is a similar bear but with PE pellets for £4,300.
In 2015, a couple from Cornwall made headlines after a Ty Diana bear they bought for £10 at a car boot sale was estimated to be worth £62,500.
“Princess is one of the most hotly debated Beanies that Ty has ever produced,” says the website Beanie Babies Price Guide. “This all stems from some enterprising individuals who attempted to change the facts to suit their needs. Many other sellers over the years have unknowingly followed suit.”
