This is a real treat to see. From a distance, this may look like a Velvet beanie baby, but upon closer inspection, we see the piece has solid black eyes, nose, and whiskers. It also has a black and orange striped patch – a patch of fabric used on the original. This is in fact the original prototype for the earliest version of Stripes the tiger! This piece has a mint pax tush tag and hang tag – dated 9.12.1994 – making it extremely old. The original Stripes was released with the mid-year introductions of 1995 on June 3rd. Many prototype collectors strive to locate an original design departure with patch fabric. These make for some of the most distinctive and quintessential prototype pieces.
Rarity Rank: 1.75-2.00. This is an incredible and distinctive departure for a much older Ty piece! A 3rd generation style, with a rarer discontinued original design (dark stripes).
Rarest Beans 