You probably remember the frenzy. It was 1997, and people were literally losing their minds over small, pellet-filled plush toys. If you look at the tush tag of a specific bear, you’ll see it: Nov 24 Beanie Baby. Specifically, the 1997 Holiday Teddy.
People thought these things were retirement plans. They weren't.
Most of the confusion around this specific date stems from how Ty Warner handled birthdays and poem dates. The 1997 Holiday Teddy—a festive red bear with a white sprig on its chest and a green and red scarf—is the one everyone searches for when they see that late November date. But here is the kicker: having a "rare" date doesn't always mean you're sitting on a gold mine. In fact, you're probably not.
What the Nov 24 Beanie Baby Actually Is
To understand why this date keeps popping up in Google searches decades later, we have to look at the 1997 Holiday Teddy. This bear was part of the massive Beanie Baby expansion during the peak of the craze. Ty Inc. was pumping these out by the millions. The "Nov 24" date refers to the birthday listed inside the heart-shaped swing tag.
It’s a holiday bear. It makes sense.
It was released right before the Christmas rush, capitalizing on the "limited edition" fear that Ty managed so well. The bear itself is made of red "Tylon" fabric. It’s soft. It’s cute. It’s also everywhere. If you dig through a bin at a thrift store in Ohio or a garage sale in Sussex, you will almost certainly find a 1997 Holiday Teddy with that Nov 24 birthday.
The market is saturated.
When we talk about the Nov 24 Beanie Baby, we have to address the "tag errors" myth. You’ve seen the eBay listings. Someone is asking $10,000 for a bear because the tag says "1997" but the tush tag says "1998." Or maybe there’s a space missing in the poem. Or "Gasport" is misspelled as "Gaspot."
Here is the truth: those aren't rare "printing errors" in the way coin collectors think of double-dies. Ty produced so many of these in different factories across China and Indonesia that variations were constant. Most "errors" were actually just standard production runs. A "Gaspot" tag doesn't make your bear worth a Tesla. It just means the printer had a bad day in 1997.
The Pricing Illusion
Why do people think this bear is worth thousands? Because of "sold" listings that never actually cleared.
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On sites like eBay, anyone can list a Nov 24 Beanie Baby for $5,000. That doesn't mean it sells. Sometimes, money laundering or shill bidding happens, where a seller "buys" their own item to artificially inflate the "Sold" history. It tricks the algorithm. It tricks you.
Real experts, like those at Beckett Authentication Services or True Blue Beans, will tell you that a standard 1997 Holiday Teddy is worth about $5 to $15. If it’s museum-quality with a mint tag and a plastic protector, maybe you get $25 from a very specific collector.
How to Tell if Your Nov 24 Beanie Baby is Actually Special
Not all bears are created equal, even if they share the same birthday. If you are looking at your bear right now, check the tush tag—the little white loop near its tail.
Is there a red stamp inside the loop?
That’s a factory stamp. Some collectors hunt for specific numbers (like 400 or 450), which indicate which Chinese plant produced the toy. But even then, we are talking about a difference of a few dollars, not a life-changing sum.
Another thing to check: the material. The 1997 Holiday Teddy was the first to use the "Tylon" material, which was a step up from the original polyester. It’s shinier. If your bear looks dull or matted, it’s been played with. In the Beanie world, "played with" equals "worthless."
The Generation Gap
Beanie Babies are categorized by "generations" of tags. The 1997 Holiday Teddy primarily features 4th or 5th generation heart tags.
- 4th Gen: The "Ty" logo is small and has a star.
- 5th Gen: The "Ty" logo is larger and the font is slightly different.
By the time the Nov 24 Beanie Baby hit the shelves, the "secret" was out. Everyone was buying them. Everyone was keeping them in plastic cases. This created a paradox: because everyone thought they would be rare, everyone saved them. Now, there is an oversupply of "mint condition" 1997 Holiday Teddies.
Economics 101: High supply plus low demand equals a $10 toy.
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The Psychological Hook of the 90s
We need to talk about why we still care. Why are you reading this?
It’s nostalgia. The Nov 24 Beanie Baby represents a specific moment in American consumerism. It was a pre-internet-bubble fever dream. We were told these things were "collectibles," a word that has since become a red flag in the toy industry.
When a company tells you something is a collectible, it usually isn't.
Real collectibles are things people threw away—like 1950s baseball cards or original 1977 Star Wars figures. Nobody threw away their 1997 Holiday Teddy. They put it in a Tupperware bin in the attic.
Identifying the "True" Rare Beans
If you’re disappointed that your Nov 24 bear isn't worth a fortune, don't give up on the hobby entirely. There are Beanies that sell for real money. But they aren't the ones you think.
Look for Chef Robuchon. Look for the Employee Bear with the violet ribbon. Look for Old Face Teddy.
These were produced in much smaller quantities. The Nov 24 Holiday Teddy, by comparison, was a mass-market behemoth.
Why the Date "Nov 24" Stuck in Our Heads
Ty Warner was a marketing genius. By giving every toy a birthday, he created a personal connection. If your birthday is November 24th, you had to have that bear. It made the toy feel like a person.
It was the original social engineering.
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The date also coincides with the start of the Christmas season. November 24th is often right around Thanksgiving. It’s the peak of the "buying" mindset. Ty knew exactly what he was doing by anchoring the holiday bear to that specific late-November slot.
Stop Falling for the "Error" Scams
If you go on TikTok or Instagram today, you'll see "side hustle" influencers claiming you can flip a Nov 24 Beanie Baby for big bucks. They point to "PVC pellets" versus "PE pellets."
Here is the deal with pellets:
Early Beanies used PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Later, they switched to PE (polyethylene) because it was considered more eco-friendly. While some collectors prefer PVC, it rarely adds significant value to a common bear like the 1997 Holiday Teddy.
Don't let a "PE pellet" tag convince you that you've found a diamond in the rough.
Honestly, the best thing you can do with a Nov 24 Beanie Baby is enjoy it. Give it to a kid. Put it on a shelf. It’s a piece of history, sure, but it’s not a financial asset.
What to do if you want to sell
If you’re determined to clear out your collection, don't list them individually. You’ll spend more on shipping and eBay fees than you’ll make in profit.
Sell them in "lots."
A "Holiday Lot" featuring the 1997, 1998, and 1999 bears might fetch $30. It’s better than nothing, and it gets them out of your house. Just be honest about the condition. If the heart tag is creased, collectors will pass. If the white part of the scarf has turned yellow, it’s a "donor" bear.
Actionable Steps for Owners
If you have a Nov 24 Beanie Baby and want to be 100% sure of its status, follow these steps:
- Check the Swing Tag: Is it attached? Is it mint? Use a "tag protector" if it is, but don't buy expensive ones—the cheap ones are fine.
- Inspect the Tush Tag: Look for the year. If it’s 1997, it’s the standard holiday bear. Look for the "handmade in China" or "handmade in Indonesia" text. Indonesia bears are slightly rarer but still not "expensive."
- Ignore "Ask" Prices: Never look at what people are asking for on eBay. Filter by "Sold Items" only. This will give you the cold, hard truth of what people are actually paying.
- Verify the Pellets: Feel the bottom of the bear. PVC pellets are a bit flatter and harder. PE pellets are rounder. Again, this is for your own knowledge; it won't likely change the price for this specific bear.
- Look for the Stamp: A numbered stamp inside the tush tag is a good sign of authenticity, but it’s standard for this era.
The Beanie Baby bubble burst a long time ago. What’s left is a weird, fascinating subculture of people who appreciate the design and the history. The Nov 24 1997 Holiday Teddy is a icon of that era—a red, fuzzy reminder of a time when we all thought we were going to get rich off of plush toys.
Enjoy the bear for what it is: a five-dollar piece of 90s nostalgia. That’s plenty.