You’ve probably seen the headlines. Some dusty plush in an attic is supposedly worth a down payment on a house. It's usually a purple bear or a tie-dyed something-or-other, and the numbers are always eye-watering. But if you’re looking at a March 12 Beanie Baby, specifically the one everyone talks about—Rocket the Blue Jay—you need the cold, hard truth.
The "March 12" date is a birthday. In the world of Ty Inc., birthdays are printed on the inside of the swing tag, and for Rocket, that date is March 12, 1997. If you have a different bird or a bear with that date, things get a little more niche. But Rocket is the main event here.
Is he worth ten grand? No.
Is he worth anything? Well, that’s where it gets interesting.
The Reality of Rocket the Blue Jay
Rocket was released on May 3, 1998, and retired pretty quickly on December 31, 1999. Because he had a relatively short run compared to some of the "forever" beanies, people often assume he’s a gold mine. Honestly, he’s a great-looking bird. The blue is vibrant, the crest is sharp, and he’s got that classic 90s heft.
But here’s the thing. Most Rocket the Blue Jay plushes you find on eBay for $5,000 are just... optimistic. Sellers list them at those prices to catch people who don't know any better. If you look at "Sold" listings—the only metric that actually matters—you’ll see a very different story.
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A standard, mint-condition Rocket with his tags attached usually goes for about $10 to $20.
I know. It’s not the lottery ticket you were hoping for. But wait.
Why Some March 12 Beanie Babies Actually Sell for More
Value in this hobby is all about the "Gen." No, not generations of people, but tag generations. Rocket almost exclusively comes with a 5th generation heart tag. If you find a March 12 Beanie Baby with an earlier tag, or a specific factory error, that’s when collectors start opening their wallets.
Take the tush tag. That’s the little white ribbon on the bird’s butt. Most Rockets were made in China. However, if yours was made in Indonesia and has a "PVC" pellet designation rather than "PE" pellets, you might have something worth $50 or $100 to the right person.
Why? Because PVC pellets were phased out for environmental and safety reasons. Collectors love the "old way" of doing things.
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The "Hero" Factor
There is another notable March 12 birthday in the Ty universe: Hero the Bear. Born March 12, 2003, Hero is a patriotic, camouflage-patterned bear. Because he was released later—well after the "Beanie Bubble" burst—he wasn't hoarded in the same way the 90s bears were.
Ironically, this makes him slightly harder to find in pristine condition today. He isn't a million-dollar bear, but a mint-condition Hero from 2003 can sometimes fetch more than a common 90s bear just because he’s less "common" in the secondary market.
Spotting the Errors That Actually Matter
Don't get distracted by "extra spaces" or "misspelled cities." Most of those are so common they don't add a cent of value. If you want to know if your March 12 Beanie Baby is special, look for these specific, high-value indicators:
- Tush Tag Stamps: Look for a red stamp inside the tush tag. Numbers like 400, 401, or 472 indicate the factory. Some collectors specialize in specific factory runs.
- The "No-Star" Tag: If your Beanie has a heart tag that doesn't have a yellow star on the front, stop everything. That means it’s a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation Beanie. These are the "Holy Grails." (Though, since Rocket was born in '97 and released in '98, he will almost always have a star).
- Canadian Tush Tags: These often have extra black-and-white text to comply with Canadian toy laws. They are slightly rarer and can bump the price up by $5 or $10.
The 2026 Market: Is Collecting Still a Thing?
We are currently seeing a weird resurgence in 90s nostalgia. With Ty Warner's company celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, people are looking back at their childhood collections. But the market has matured. People aren't buying Beanies as "investments" anymore; they're buying them as pieces of history.
If you have a March 12 Beanie Baby, the value is likely sentimental. Maybe it’s your birthday. Maybe it was a gift from a grandparent. That "priceless" tag is real, even if the cash value is the price of a fancy burrito.
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The biggest mistake people make is cleaning them. If you think you have a rare Rocket, do not wash him. Even a gentle cycle can ruin the "nap" of the fabric and instantly drop the value to zero. Keep the tags in a plastic protector. Keep the bird out of the sun.
Your Next Steps
If you’re sitting on a collection and want to see if you have a winner, don't just look at the birthday. Start by categorizing your tags. Separate the ones with the yellow star from the ones without. Check the tush tags for "PVC" versus "PE."
Once you’ve identified your "weirdest" birds, go to eBay and filter by Sold Items. This will give you the reality of what people are actually paying in 2026, not just what crazy sellers are asking for.
If you’ve got a Rocket the Blue Jay, enjoy him for what he is: a cool little bird from a time when the world went a little bit crazy over pellet-filled plush.
Check your tags for the "Made in Indonesia" text. If you find it, you've got a slightly rarer variant that’s worth setting aside. If it says "Made in China" and the tag is creased, give it to a kid. They'll appreciate it way more than a shelf will.