If you were around in the late nineties, you remember the fever. People weren't just buying toys; they were speculating on plush beans like they were gold bars. Among the hundreds of releases, one specific date sticks in the craw of collectors: October 16. That is the birthday of Paws the Bear.
Paws isn't a flashy Beanie Baby. He doesn't have the royal purple of Princess the Bear or the chaotic multi-colored fabric of Garcia. He’s a simple, dark brown bear with a white muzzle. But for those who hunt for the October 16 Beanie Baby, Paws represents a specific era of Ty Inc. where the "birthday" on the swing tag was the primary way kids connected with their collections. You bought the bear that shared your birthday. It was personal.
What Really Happened With Paws the Bear?
Ty Warner was a marketing genius. He knew that by giving every animal a name, a poem, and a birthdate, he wasn't just selling polyester pellets. He was selling an identity. Paws was introduced on January 1, 1999. It’s kind of funny because, despite being a "1999" release, his heart tag says his birthday is October 16, 1998.
People get confused by this all the time.
They see a 1998 date and think they’ve found a rare vintage prototype. Nope. That’s just the lore. In the world of Beanie Baby collecting, the "birth date" is almost never the year the toy was manufactured or released to the public. It's just a flavor text detail. Paws was actually retired relatively quickly, on December 23, 1999. He had a short run. Less than a year on the shelves. That’s why you don’t see him in every thrift store bin like you do with Beanie Babies like Halo or Fuzz.
The Swing Tag Variations
Check your tags. Honestly, this is where the money is (or isn't). Paws was released during the 5th generation of swing tags. If you have a Paws with a 5th gen tag, it’s the standard version. But collectors look for "oddities."
Did you know some Paws bears have a tush tag that says 1998 while the swing tag says 1999? Or vice versa? In the early 2000s, people thought these "errors" were worth thousands. They aren't. Most were just factory inconsistencies. Ty was pumping these out of Chinese and Korean factories so fast that quality control was basically a suggestion. If your October 16 Beanie Baby has a localized typo, it might add five bucks to the price, but it’s not paying for a mortgage.
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The Mystery of the "October 16" Value
Let's talk cold hard cash. If you go on eBay right now, you’ll see Paws the Bear listed for $2,500. Then you'll see him listed for $4.
Why the massive gap?
It’s called "money laundering" or "hopeful dreaming." There is a persistent myth that Beanie Babies are a secret fortune. It’s mostly nonsense. A mint condition Paws with a "near mint" tag (meaning no creases, no fading, and a plastic protector) generally sells for between $5 and $15.
The exceptions?
- Authentication: If a professional like Peggy Gallagher or Becky’s True Blue Beans has tagged and encased it.
- The Canadian Tush Tag: Some Canadian releases had extra-long tags to accommodate French translation. These are slightly more niche.
- The Black Thread Nose: Most Paws bears have a brown or black plastic nose, but some very early versions of Beanie bears had stitched noses. Paws isn't typically one of them, but "transitional" pieces exist in the Ty warehouse history.
Why We Still Care About Birthdays in 2026
It's about nostalgia. We're living in a digital-heavy world, and there’s something tactile and grounding about holding a toy that "shares" your day. For someone born on October 16, Paws isn't an investment. He's a mascot.
Leonhard Helmreich, a notable toy historian, once noted that the Beanie Baby craze was the first time children were taught to treat toys as financial assets. It changed how we look at "stuff." Paws is a relic of that shift. He’s a reminder of a time when we thought a pellet-filled bear was a better bet than a 401k.
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Common Misconceptions About the October 16 Beanie Baby
People often confuse Paws with other bears. There are dozens of brown bears in the Ty lineup. You’ve got Teddy (in various colors), Brownie (the original), and Fuzz. What sets the October 16 Beanie Baby apart is that white snout. Without the white muzzle, it’s not Paws.
Another big one: the PVC vs. PE pellets.
Look at the tush tag. If it says "PVC Pellets," it was made earlier in the production run. "PE Pellets" came later as Ty moved toward more environmentally friendly materials. Collectors generally prefer PVC because it’s "original," but for Paws, it doesn't change the value much because he was late to the game anyway.
Understanding the Poem
The poem inside the tag is quintessential Ty:
“He’s very furry as you can see
He’s as cute as he can be
With his big paws and his snout
He’s the one you’ll want to take out!”
It’s not Shakespeare. It’s barely a limerick. But it’s the DNA of the brand. If those words are missing or the font looks "off," you’re looking at a counterfeit. Yes, they counterfeited $5 bears. It was a wild time.
How to Verify Your Paws the Bear
If you found a Paws in your attic and want to know if he’s special, follow these steps. Don't skip them.
- Check the "i" on the Ty tag. On authentic 5th gen tags, the dot over the "i" should be a circle, and the star on the back of the tag should have four points, not five.
- Feel the weight. A real Beanie Baby has a very specific "slump." If it’s overstuffed and stiff, it’s probably a knock-off from the "Lucky" or "Beanie Buddy" look-alike lines.
- Inspect the birthday. It must say October 16. If it says October 15, you’re looking at a different animal entirely.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you own the October 16 Beanie Baby, or you're looking to buy one, here is the reality of the 2026 market.
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Don't buy the hype. Ignore any listing over $50 unless it comes with a physical certificate of authenticity from a recognized expert. High-price listings are often "shill bidding" scams meant to drive up perceived value.
Check the "Ghost" Factor. Look for a red stamp inside the tush tag. This is a factory mark. Some collectors hunt for specific factory numbers (like 451 or 400), which can indicate which plant in China produced the toy. It's a deep rabbit hole.
Storage matters. If you're keeping Paws for sentimental reasons, keep him out of the sun. The dark brown fabric of Paws is notorious for "sun-bleaching," turning a weird orange-red color over time. Use a UV-protective "tag team" protector for the heart tag; a creased tag instantly drops the value by 50%.
Know your "Class of." Paws is often associated with the 1999 "Class of" bears. If you’re building a birthday set, he is the anchor for mid-October. He pairs well with other autumn-themed releases like Pumkin or any of the Halloween-specific Beanies.
The market for Beanie Babies has stabilized into a niche hobby rather than a get-rich-quick scheme. Paws the Bear remains a staple for anyone born on October 16, serving as a fuzzy, brown time capsule of the late nineties. He isn't going to buy you a private island, but he’s a solid piece of toy history that still looks pretty good on a bookshelf.