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claireviolet's review against another edition
3.0
in hindsight i really should have assumed that beanie babies was freaks all the way down. i was hoping this would have grabbed me a little more than it did, but still interesting even if i wasn’t super entertained the entire time.
erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
I have been dying to read this book since I first read the reviews in Library Journal and Kirkus. I am soo glad that the hype didn't let me down, I found this book endlessly fascinating. The amount of research that went into this book is staggering and I have mad respect for author, Zac Bissonnette, who made an old obscure topic, relevant, funny, and intriguing again. He talks about the founder, Ty Warner, the history of the company, the start of the craze, the madness ensuing, and the inevitable burst that left thousands in debt. It was a strange, wild, ride and learning all about the way the market and speculation drove beanie sales was fascinating. An interesting pop culture and financial read, full of random tid bits, factoids, and ridiculousness that you should not live without.
bunrab's review against another edition
5.0
I found myself thinking, "NFTs are the Beanie Babies of the 2020s." The psychology of the people involved is particularly interesting. Some who lost money, one can feel sorry for; others, I found myself going "That's what's wrong with capitalism, all right."
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
I lived through the Beanie Baby bubble and did a (very) little collecting myself, so this was great just as a trip down memory lane. But it’s also a fascinating look at the nature of bubbles, capitalism, and corporate culture.
lspargo's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating look at this crazy 90s phenomenon. I remember Beanie Babies, but only vaguely knew about the craze, and knew nothing about the company or the guy behind it.
adambongobooks's review against another edition
5.0
I think this book deserves 5-stars alone for the sole fact that Zac Bissonnette did an exponential amount of research on a man you have to DIG to find out about. Not much can be found about Ty Warner, Zac did everything in his power to understand the ins and outs of the biggest name in plush toys in American history, and the man behind the operation.
brinysea's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating exploration of a craze that swept the nation and the man behind it all. I was in middle school and high school at the time and didn’t realize just how many people were involved in collecting and hoping to make money off the beanies. I definitely do remember the thrill of the hunt for a new or rare beanie.
popcorndiva's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
I really, really enjoyed this book! I randomly found this while browsing my local library. I was immediately lured in for the pure nostalgia and cute cover. I had a lot of beanies babies as a child, and I still have a few of them tucked away in my stuffed animal box. Luckily, my parents weren't interested in keeping the beanies in mint condition; they were cute, affordable toys to play with. I remember loving my beanie babies and playing with them all the time. I even remember having a beanie baby cookbook which had cute recipes for pancakes and other foods. Needless to say, I was super excited to read this. Admittedly, I didn't know much about the history of beanie babies. Like I said, my parents bought them for me as a toy, there was never any beanie baby craze in my house. I didn't really know that they were such a huge craze.
The Great Beanie Baby Bubble tells the story of Ty Warner, creater of Beanie Babies, and the unbelievable collector's craze of the mid to late 90s. Although Ty was contacted by the author, he declined to give any interviews for the book. The story is pieced together through interviews with Ty's two ex-girlfriends, his sister, and various employees who worked for him. Most of the book focuses on Ty and the history of Beanie Babies, from humble beginnings selling plush cats to being the creator of one of the most successful toys of all time. The book also features some side stories about the Chicago women who spurred the craze, retailers who stocked the toys, and various other collectors and their personal experiences collecting beanie babies.
I don't want to go into much more detail about the book. I went in pretty blind; I didn't know much about the craze and I knew nothing about Ty Warner. It was interesting to see how the beanie baby craze actually happened and it was even more interesting to see why it collapsed. I feel a little pity for Ty Warner. They say money can't buy happiness and that certainly seems to be the case for this man. Still, I think the author does a great job of painting Ty Warner as a deeply flawed, but still likable person.
Overall, I am so happy I gave this book a shot. I learned a little bit about economics and how crazes actually work. Plus, I gained a really good bit of history about Beanie Babies and the man who created them. If you like non fiction or if you remember having beanie babies as a kid, I think you will really like this book! It's a quick and easy read with a really captivating story.
I really, really enjoyed this book! I randomly found this while browsing my local library. I was immediately lured in for the pure nostalgia and cute cover. I had a lot of beanies babies as a child, and I still have a few of them tucked away in my stuffed animal box. Luckily, my parents weren't interested in keeping the beanies in mint condition; they were cute, affordable toys to play with. I remember loving my beanie babies and playing with them all the time. I even remember having a beanie baby cookbook which had cute recipes for pancakes and other foods. Needless to say, I was super excited to read this. Admittedly, I didn't know much about the history of beanie babies. Like I said, my parents bought them for me as a toy, there was never any beanie baby craze in my house. I didn't really know that they were such a huge craze.
The Great Beanie Baby Bubble tells the story of Ty Warner, creater of Beanie Babies, and the unbelievable collector's craze of the mid to late 90s. Although Ty was contacted by the author, he declined to give any interviews for the book. The story is pieced together through interviews with Ty's two ex-girlfriends, his sister, and various employees who worked for him. Most of the book focuses on Ty and the history of Beanie Babies, from humble beginnings selling plush cats to being the creator of one of the most successful toys of all time. The book also features some side stories about the Chicago women who spurred the craze, retailers who stocked the toys, and various other collectors and their personal experiences collecting beanie babies.
I don't want to go into much more detail about the book. I went in pretty blind; I didn't know much about the craze and I knew nothing about Ty Warner. It was interesting to see how the beanie baby craze actually happened and it was even more interesting to see why it collapsed. I feel a little pity for Ty Warner. They say money can't buy happiness and that certainly seems to be the case for this man. Still, I think the author does a great job of painting Ty Warner as a deeply flawed, but still likable person.
Overall, I am so happy I gave this book a shot. I learned a little bit about economics and how crazes actually work. Plus, I gained a really good bit of history about Beanie Babies and the man who created them. If you like non fiction or if you remember having beanie babies as a kid, I think you will really like this book! It's a quick and easy read with a really captivating story.
readwithtabi's review against another edition
3.0
While I didn't think it was super great writing, I enjoyed reading the inside story about the toy I played with the most growing up.
ltsakmann's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. You were able to see the business side and personal side of Ty Warner. It also brought back nostalgia. I was blessed because I didn't look at beanies as an investment I saw them as my toys because I was a little kid during the height of beanie mania.
If you remember the craze like I do and want to revisit a fun part of your childhood then I highly recommend this book.
If you remember the craze like I do and want to revisit a fun part of your childhood then I highly recommend this book.