You probably remember the Beanie Baby craze of the nineties. It was pure chaos. People were raiding Hallmark stores like their retirement funds depended on a stuffed bear with a PVC pellet heart. But for a specific generation of collectors, the real obsession isn't the OG beans. It's the big-eyed, glittery-stared plushies known as Beanie Boos. Specifically, the Ty Shake It Up collection.
It's weird.
Usually, when a TV show ends, the merch hits the clearance bin at Five Below and disappears into the void of nostalgic garage sales. That didn't happen here. The Ty Shake It Up line, based on the hit Disney Channel show starring Bella Thorne and Zendaya, has become this strange, high-value pocket of the secondary toy market. If you have a "Rocky" or a "CeCe" sitting in a bin in your attic, you aren't just holding a piece of 2011 television history. You're holding a collectible that has managed to maintain a weirdly high price point on sites like eBay and Mercari long after the "CeCe Jones" dance moves stopped trending.
What Made the Ty Shake It Up Collection Different?
Most people don't realize that Ty Inc. was actually taking a bit of a gamble here. Beanie Boos were still relatively new in the early 2010s. They launched around 2009, and by 2012, they were the undisputed kings of the toy aisle. Linking them to a Disney property was a power move.
The line was simple. You had CeCe (the large-eyed cat) and Rocky (the dog). They didn't look like the actual actresses, obviously. That would be creepy. Instead, Ty used the "inspired by" approach. They took the signature styles of the characters—the sequins, the bold colors, the "D-Sign" clothing aesthetic—and slapped them onto the Beanie Boo template.
The CeCe cat, for example, featured bright pink fur and a very specific outfit that mirrored Bella Thorne’s wardrobe on the show. Rocky, the dog, was a bit more "street" with a blue vest. They even had these little fabric tags that featured the show's logo, which is a major deal-breaker for serious collectors today. If that tag is frayed or missing, the value drops faster than a lead balloon.
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Why the Secondary Market Is Actually Insane
It’s about supply. Honestly, Ty didn’t overproduce these like they did with the Beanie Babies of 1996. They had a limited production run tied to the show’s peak popularity. Once Shake It Up wrapped its final season in 2013, the license expired. Ty stopped making them.
Then Zendaya happened.
You can’t talk about the Ty Shake It Up line without talking about the "Zendaya Effect." When the show was on, she was just a Disney star. Now? She’s an icon. A fashion mogul. She’s the face of Dune and Euphoria. Collectors who didn’t care about a stuffed dog in 2012 suddenly wanted the "Rocky" plush because it represents the origin story of one of the biggest stars on the planet.
I’ve seen "New With Tag" (NWT) versions of these plushies go for anywhere from $40 to $150 depending on the month. Compare that to a standard Beanie Boo you can grab at CVS for six bucks. It’s a massive markup.
The "Tush Tag" Secret
If you're looking at one of these at a flea market, look at the tush tag. That’s the little white ribbon on the bottom. Collectors look for the "Heart Tag" (the swing tag on the ear) first, but the tush tag tells the real story. The Shake It Up line had specific dates. If the copyright says 2012, you're looking at the prime release window.
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There are also "Keyring" versions. These are tiny. They have a plastic clip. Surprisingly, these sometimes sell for more than the regular 6-inch plush because kids actually used them. They clipped them to backpacks. They got dirty. They got lost. Finding a pristine CeCe keyring is like finding a needle in a haystack made of sequins.
Spotting the Fakes and the "Frankensteined" Plushies
Believe it or not, there are "bootleg" Beanie Boos. They usually have wonky eyes. The glitter in the eyes is the giveaway. Real Ty Shake It Up Boos have a very smooth, consistent glitter texture in the iris. The fakes look like someone used cheap craft glue and glitter.
Also, watch out for "restored" items. Some sellers will take a beat-up CeCe and try to sew on a new outfit from a different doll. It never looks right. The stitching on an original Ty plush is industrial and tight. If you see messy hand-stitching around the neck or the vest, walk away.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
Why do we still care?
Maybe it’s the "Frutiger Aero" or "McBling" aesthetic coming back into style. Gen Z is currently obsessed with the early 2010s. The neon colors, the chaotic layering, the obsession with "swag"—it’s all there in these toys. The Ty Shake It Up line is a time capsule of an era where we all thought wearing skirts over leggings was a good idea.
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It’s also about the show’s legacy. Shake It Up was one of the first Disney shows to really lean into the "meta" world of dance competitions and teen fame in the social media age. These plushies are the only physical artifacts left of that specific moment in pop culture.
Collecting Advice for the Modern Hunter
- Check the Seams: Beanie Boos are notorious for "neck flop." If the stuffing has shifted, it’s been played with heavily.
- The "Heart Tag" Protector: If you find one with a plastic protector on the heart tag, the seller knows what they have. You won't get a "steal," but you'll get quality.
- Smell Matters: It sounds gross, but old plushies soak up smells. Smoke, mothballs, or "attic musk" will never come out of that polyester fur. Always ask a seller about the environment the toy was stored in.
Where to Look Now
Don't just check eBay. Everyone checks eBay.
Try local "Buy Nothing" groups or Facebook Marketplace. Often, parents are clearing out their kids' old rooms and have no idea that the "pink cat" in the box is actually a CeCe Jones collectible that a Zendaya superfan would pay triple digits for. Look for listings that just say "lot of stuffed animals." That’s where the gold is buried.
The Ty Shake It Up craze isn't just about toys. It’s about how we value the things that reminded us of a simpler time, before we had to worry about things like "the economy" or "adulting." It was just about the music, the moves, and the glitter.
Next Steps for Your Collection
If you're serious about hunting down the Ty Shake It Up set, your first move should be verifying what you already have. Go to your storage bins. Look for the "Ty" heart, but specifically look for the Shake It Up logo on the back of the tag. If the tag is missing, check the eyes; if they are a deep, saturated pink (CeCe) or a vibrant blue (Rocky), you might have a winner.
Once verified, do not wash them in a washing machine. The heat will ruin the "silk" texture of the fur and can crack the plastic eyes. Instead, use a damp microfiber cloth for spot cleaning. If you're looking to sell, take photos in natural light—collectors want to see the "sparkle" in the eyes to confirm authenticity. Check the "Sold" listings on major marketplaces to get a real-time pulse on the value, as these prices fluctuate wildly based on whenever a Shake It Up clip goes viral on TikTok.