If you grew up in the nineties, you probably remember the plastic tags. Those heart-shaped "Ty" swing tags were basically gold. People treated them like fine art, encasing them in plastic protectors as if a single crease would bankrupt their future children's college fund. Among the sea of bears, cats, and weirdly colored lobsters, collectors often hunt for specific dates. Specifically, the September 28th Beanie Baby remains a point of high interest because it connects back to a very specific set of toys that define the Ty Warner era.
It's actually kinda funny how obsessed we became.
We weren't just buying stuffed animals; we were playing a high-stakes game of numerical bingo. When you flip over the tag of a Beanie Baby, the birthday is usually the first thing you check. For September 28th, you aren't looking for one single creature. You're looking for a handful of specific releases that share this late-September slot. Most notably, this date belongs to Pumkin, the bright orange pumpkin-shaped bear, and Mistletoe, a holiday-themed bear.
Why the September 28th Beanie Baby Birthday Is a Thing
Why does this specific date keep popping up in forums? Honestly, it’s mostly about the seasonal transition. Ty Warner was a marketing genius. He knew that by late September, the world was pivoting from the heat of summer into the "ber" months.
September 28th became a prime real estate date for autumn and winter releases.
Take Pumkin for example. Released in 1998, this bear basically screams Halloween. If you find a Pumkin bear, look at the tush tag. It’s almost certainly going to show that September 28th birth date. It was a strategic move. Kids were getting ready for trick-or-treating, and parents were looking for cheap, non-candy gifts.
But here is where things get messy.
There’s a lot of misinformation online about "rare" birthdays. You’ve probably seen eBay listings claiming a September 28th birthday makes a bear worth $5,000. It doesn't. Not by itself. A birthday is just a piece of the puzzle. The value of a September 28th Beanie Baby depends entirely on the generation of the tag, the condition of the fabric, and whether there are production errors that actually matter to the hardcore hobbyists.
The Pumkin Bear Breakdown
Pumkin is the most famous September 28th representative. This bear is bright orange with a green stem-like ribbon. It was introduced on September 30, 1998, just two days after its "birthday."
- The Swing Tag: It’s a 5th generation heart tag.
- The Tush Tag: Most are 6th generation.
- The Rarity: It’s not rare. They made millions of them.
If you have a Pumkin bear, you have a piece of 1998 nostalgia. You don't have a down payment for a house. People get frustrated when I tell them that, but it’s the truth. The market for these toys crashed in the early 2000s for a reason. There was too much supply. However, if your Pumkin has a weird tag error—like a misspelling of "Oakbrook" as "Oak Brook" (with the space) or "Gasport" instead of "Gosport"—then collectors might pay a slight premium. We’re talking $20 instead of $5.
Mistletoe and the Holiday Rush
Then there’s Mistletoe.
Mistletoe is another September 28th Beanie Baby, but this one is green with a sprig of holly on its chest. It was released in 2000. By that time, the Beanie Baby craze was already cooling off significantly. Collectors were starting to realize that "limited edition" didn't mean much when the "limit" was several million units.
Mistletoe is a "common."
It’s a beautiful bear, sure. The deep green fabric is high quality. But because it was released right as the bubble was bursting, there are thousands of these sitting in pristine condition in people's attics. They never got played with. They were bought by adults who thought they were "investing." Because so many were preserved, the supply of "Mint Condition" Mistletoe bears is massive. This keeps the price low.
The Myth of the "Million Dollar" Tag
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the "rare" errors.
If you search for a September 28th Beanie Baby on any auction site, you will see astronomical prices. You’ll see a bear listed for $10,000. You might even see a "Sold" listing for that much.
Don't believe everything you see.
Money laundering and shill bidding are real problems in the collectible world. A seller will "buy" their own item from a different account to create a fake price history. This tricks unsuspecting people into thinking their common toy is a gold mine. In reality, most September 28th bears sell for between $3 and $10.
Wait.
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There is one exception. If you have a Beanie Baby with a September 28th birthday that was part of a very small regional release or a "prototype" run, you might have something. But those are almost never found in a box in your garage. They are usually tracked by professional archivists like those at BBToyStore or documented by experts like Dr. Lori Verderame.
Dr. Lori often points out that the real value isn't in the date; it's in the provenance. Did the bear come from a specific event? Does it have a rare Canadian tush tag? Does it have a "black stamp" inside the tush tag indicating it was made in a specific factory (like Factory 401)? These are the details that actually move the needle for collectors.
How to Verify Your September 28th Find
If you just dug out a bin of toys and found one of these, you need a checklist. Don't get excited yet.
First, check the Swing Tag.
If it’s a 4th or 5th generation tag (the most common ones from the late 90s), the value is likely low. If the tag is missing? The value is basically zero. A Beanie Baby without a tag is just a stuffed animal. It’s for cuddling, not for selling.
Second, look at the Tush Tag.
Look for the red heart logo. Check the year. If the year on the tush tag (production year) doesn't match the year the bear was supposedly released, it might be a later "mass market" version. For the September 28th Beanie Baby crowd, the 1998 and 1999 production years are the most sought after.
Third, feel the Pellets.
Older Beanies used PVC pellets. Later ones used PE pellets. Some collectors claim the PVC versions are "original" and worth more. While there is some truth to this, it’s a marginal difference for common bears like Pumkin or Mistletoe.
Common Misconceptions About These Dates
- Misconception: Every bear born on September 28th is rare.
- Reality: No. It’s just a date. Ty assigned birthdays to help people connect with the toys personally.
- Misconception: The "Oakbrook" vs. "Oak Brook" error is worth thousands.
- Reality: This was a very common transition in Ty’s labeling. Millions of bears have this "error." It’s not a mistake; it’s a variation.
- Misconception: If the tag says "Original," it's from the first batch.
- Reality: Almost every Beanie Baby tag says "The Original Beanie Baby." It’s part of the brand name, not a statement of its place in the production line.
The Cultural Impact of the September 28th Birthday
There is something nostalgic about that date. It represents the peak of the Beanie Baby era. In 1998, Ty was the king of the world. The company was reportedly doing over $1 billion in sales.
Think about that. $1 billion in bean-filled animals.
When you hold a September 28th Beanie Baby, you’re holding a piece of economic history. It was a time when the internet was new, and people were using early message boards to track down "retirements." The date September 28th falls right in the sweet spot of the "Great Beanie Craze."
It was a fever dream.
I remember people standing in line at Hallmark stores at 5:00 AM. They weren't there for cards. They were there for the new shipment. Often, those shipments included the seasonal bears like Pumkin. Finding a bear with a birthday that matched your own was a huge deal. It felt personal. That emotional connection is what Ty Warner banked on, and it worked flawlessly for about five years.
What Should You Do With Your Collection?
If you have a September 28th Beanie Baby, you have a few options.
You can try to sell it on platforms like Mercari or eBay, but be realistic. You’ll probably clear enough for a cup of coffee. Or, you can lean into the "nostalgia" factor. Many people are now using these toys as decor for specific seasons. A Pumkin bear on a mantle in October looks great. It’s a conversation starter.
Another option is to look into "Oddity" collectors.
These are people who only buy Beanies with massive factory defects—like a bear with two heads or the wrong color fabric. These are incredibly rare. If your September 28th bear is missing an eye or has a completely different name on the tag than the animal it actually is, you might have hit the jackpot.
But for 99% of us, these are just cute mementos of a weirder time.
Actionable Steps for Beanie Owners
If you're serious about figuring out if your September 28th bear is worth anything, do these three things right now:
- Stop touching the tag. Every time you bend the cardboard, the value drops. If it doesn't have a plastic protector, put one on—carefully.
- Search "Sold" listings, not "Live" listings. On eBay, filter by "Sold Items." This shows you what people actually paid, not what delusional sellers are asking for.
- Check the "Stamp" inside the tush tag. Open the loop of the tush tag and look for a small number stamped in black or red. This indicates the factory. Collectors often look for "Indo" (Indonesia) or "Korea" tags over the more common "China" tags.
The September 28th Beanie Baby isn't a ticket to early retirement. It’s a reminder of a time when the world went a little bit crazy over colorful fabric and plastic beans. Whether it's Pumkin, Mistletoe, or a random bear you found at a thrift store, the real value is usually the memory of the hunt rather than the number in your bank account.
Keep your expectations low and your nostalgia high. That’s the only way to enjoy collecting in the post-bubble world. If you find a rare variation, great. If not, you’ve still got a pretty cool orange bear to put out when the leaves start to turn.
To truly verify a specific bear's history, check the Ty Collector website. It is the most comprehensive database available and stays updated on which "errors" are actually legitimate and which are just marketing myths. Stick to the data and avoid the hype.
There are no shortcuts in the toy market. You have to do the research. Look at the tag generations, compare the fabric types, and ignore the $50,000 listings that have zero bids. Most of the time, the simplest explanation—that it's just a common toy—is the right one.
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The market for the September 28th Beanie Baby is stable, but it's small. It’s driven by birth-date collectors and seasonal enthusiasts. Unless you have a verified, authenticated prototype, treat your collection as a hobby, not a hedge fund. That’s how you keep the hobby fun without getting burned by the "get rich quick" stories that still circulate decades later.