Most people think of Beanie Babies as that weird fever dream from the 90s where everyone’s mom thought they were buying a future Ferrari with a plush toy filled with plastic pellets. Honestly, looking back, the hysteria was pretty wild. But if you dig into the actual birthdays assigned to these things, specifically the April 7th Beanie Baby known as Hippity the Bunny, you find a weirdly specific slice of toy history that still moves the needle for collectors today.
Hippity isn't just a rabbit. He’s a minted piece of Ty Warner's massive cultural takeover.
Born on April 7, 1996, this mint-green rabbit hit the shelves during the absolute peak of the Beanie craze. If you were around then, you remember the "Beanie Original Buddy" tags and the protective plastic cases that people treated like high-security vaults. Hippity was part of a trio of spring bunnies, alongside Hoppity and Floppity, but there's something about that emerald-green fabric that kept people hooked.
The Reality of the April 7th Beanie Baby Value
Let's get real for a second. If you have a Hippity in your attic, you probably aren't retiring tomorrow.
There is a massive gap between "asking price" and "sold price." You’ll see listings on eBay for $5,000 or even $10,000. Don't fall for it. Those are usually just hopeful sellers or, in some darker corners of the internet, money laundering schemes. A standard, mass-produced April 7th Beanie Baby usually sells for somewhere between $5 and $15.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for anyone who spent 1998 hunting through Hallmark stores.
However, the "rarity" comes down to the tags. If you have a Hippity with a 4th Generation heart tag (the "swing tag") and a 3rd Generation tush tag, you’re looking at the more desirable early runs. Collectors look for specific typos, too. Some tags have a space before the exclamation point in the poem, or they might mention "Gosport" instead of "Hampshire" on the internal label. These tiny, arguably boring manufacturing errors are what actually drive the price up for a hardcore collector.
Why Hippity Stands Out from the Pack
Ty Warner was a marketing genius. He didn't just sell toys; he sold the idea of scarcity. By assigning every toy a birthday, like the April 7th Beanie Baby date, he created an instant personal connection. People started buying Beanies because they shared a birthday with the toy. It was the original "personalized" gift before algorithms did it for us.
Hippity’s poem is classic Ty:
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I hopper here, I hopper there
I hopper almost everywhere
But when I finally go to sleep
I won't even make a peep!
Is it Shakespeare? No. But for a kid in the mid-90s, it was everything.
The color was also a big deal. Most bunnies back then were white, pink, or brown. Making a mint-green rabbit was a weirdly bold choice that paid off. It made the toy stand out in those massive bins at the mall. Even now, if you see a pile of old plush, that specific shade of green jumps out at you. It’s nostalgic. It’s a very specific vibe.
Identifying an Authentic Hippity
If you're digging through a bin at a garage sale, you need to know what you’re looking at. The April 7th Beanie Baby has been faked, believe it or not. During the height of the craze, counterfeit Beanies were a massive problem.
First, check the fabric. It should be the "PVC" or "PE" pellet era. Real Hippity bunnies have a very specific soft, slightly matted feel to the fur.
- Check the Tush Tag: Look for the red heart logo. If the date on the tush tag says 1996 but the swing tag looks brand new, something might be off.
- The Eyes: They should be firmly attached and perfectly black.
- The Ribbon: Hippity wears an emerald green silk ribbon. If it’s frayed or a different color, the value drops to basically zero.
The most valuable versions are the ones with "PVC" pellets listed on the tush tag. Later on, Ty switched to "PE" pellets because they were considered more environmentally friendly or cheaper to produce, depending on who you ask. Serious collectors always want the PVC versions. They're the "OG" runs.
The Cultural Impact of the 1996 Release
1996 was a pivotal year for Ty Inc. This was when the company really started to understand that adults were the ones driving the market, not kids. By releasing the April 7th Beanie Baby as part of a seasonal set, they forced collectors to buy all three to "complete the collection."
It was brilliant. And kind of evil.
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You couldn't just have Hippity. You needed Hoppity (the pink one) and Floppity (the purple one). If you missed one, your set was incomplete. Your "investment" was ruined. This psychological trick is exactly why people were trampling each other in McDonald's for Teenie Beanies a few years later.
The April 7th birthday also made Hippity a staple of Easter baskets for about five years straight. If you grew up in a suburban household in the late 90s, there is a 90% chance you had this rabbit sitting next to a chocolate egg at some point.
What to Do If You Own One Now
So, you’ve found your old Hippity. He’s been in a box for twenty years. What now?
First, check the condition. If the heart tag is creased, torn, or—heaven forbid—missing, it’s just a toy. That’s fine! It’s actually kind of nice to just have a toy. But for the "business" of Beanies, the tag is 90% of the value.
If the tag is mint, get a "tag protector." These are little plastic shells that keep the cardboard from bending.
Don't bother with professional grading (like PSA for cards) unless you are 100% sure you have a rare transition tag. The cost of grading usually exceeds the value of the rabbit itself. Instead, look at "Sold" listings on eBay to see what people are actually paying. Ignore the "Buy It Now" prices of $10,000. Look for the auctions that ended at $12.50. That’s your market reality.
The Future of Beanie Collecting
Will the April 7th Beanie Baby ever be worth a fortune?
Probably not.
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But there is a growing market for "nostalgia pieces." As the generation that grew up with these toys hits their 30s and 40s, they’re starting to buy back their childhood. We’re seeing it with Pokemon cards and vintage Lego. Beanies are slowly following suit, but the supply is just too high for most of them to become truly "elite" collectibles.
There were millions of Hippitys made. Millions.
The ones that will hold value are the ones with genuine manufacturing errors. For example, if your Hippity has a "surface wash" sticker or a misspelled name on the tag, keep it safe. Those are the weird outliers that collectors hunt for.
Actionable Steps for Beanie Owners
If you're looking to sell or preserve your April 7th collection, follow these steps:
- Check the Pellets: Look at the tush tag. PVC pellets are generally more desirable than PE pellets for 1996 releases.
- Inspect the Poem: Look for the extra space before the exclamation point in "make a peep !" This is a known variation.
- Evaluate the Tag: Check the "swing tag" generation. A 4th gen tag (the one that opens like a book) is standard, but some rare 3rd gen versions (flat tag) exist for early 1996 runs.
- Storage is Key: Keep the toy out of direct sunlight. The mint-green fabric on Hippity fades incredibly fast, turning a sickly yellowish-white if left on a windowsill.
- Be Realistic: Use the toy as a nostalgia piece. If you’re trying to sell, bundle it with other 1996-1997 era Beanies. Collectors are more likely to buy a "lot" of spring bunnies than a single Hippity.
Hippity represents a time when the world went a little bit crazy over small bags of beads. Whether he's a $10 relic or a sentimental treasure, the April 7th Beanie Baby remains one of the most recognizable faces of the 90s toy boom. Keep him clean, keep his tag straight, and appreciate him for the weird piece of history he actually is.
How to Authenticate Your Hippity the Bunny
- Check the birthday: Ensure the tag says April 7, 1996.
- Verify the color: Genuine Hippity is a specific "mint green," not a dark forest green.
- Check the Tush Tag: The year on the tush tag should be 1996.
- Look for the "R" or "TM": Check for the registered trademark symbols on the tags; their presence or absence helps determine which "generation" or production run the toy belongs to.
The market for these items fluctuates based on the economy and general nostalgia cycles. Right now, we are seeing a slight uptick in interest for "Birth Year" Beanies, where people buy them as gifts for friends turning 30. This is likely the most consistent way to sell a Hippity in today's market. Instead of looking for a high-end collector, look for someone born on April 7th. They’ll find way more value in it than a speculator would.
Ultimately, the story of the April 7th Beanie Baby is a lesson in supply and demand. Ty Warner created the demand through clever marketing and birthdays, but the supply eventually caught up. Today, these toys serve as a reminder of a unique cultural moment where everyone, for just a few years, believed that a plush bunny could be a gold mine.
Next Steps for Collectors:
Go to your storage and find your Hippity. Open the tush tag and look for the "PVC" or "PE" marking. If it says "PVC," you have one of the earlier versions. Next, check the "swing tag" for any spelling errors in the poem or the address (like "Origiinal" or missing periods). These small details are the only things that separate a common toy from a genuine collector's item. If your bunny is in "mint" condition with a tag protector, consider listing it on a specialized Beanie forum rather than a general site like eBay to find buyers who actually understand the nuances of tag generations.