This is such a spectacular set. We have outlined the history and rarity behind the #1 rep bear in an earlier post. It turns out Ty gave his very top sales reps in 1998 several of the wildest prototype #1 Rep bears! A set of eight bears – two each in red, white, royal blue, and black were distributed to these highest performing reps. It has taken years to piece together photos of the set, but here they are! All are signed by Ty, and have complete pax hang and tush tags. The black examples have a red and white emblem respectively. The royal blue bears have red and white emblems as well. The white bears have red and blue emblems, and the red bears have blue and white emblems. All pax hang tags were signed by Ty, making them extra special (as if they needed anything else). Pax dates on all tags are dated from June 12th, 1998 – exactly six months prior to the release of the red example to sales reps on 12/12/98 during the sales conference at the Fairmount Hotel in Chicago. 253 of those bears were made. It is possible Ty was still tinkering with the color combination of this bear. With so few set to be made, it is likely late-stage production changes could be accommodated given the limited run.
Rarity Rank: -1. Perhaps the red examples are a bit lower, but as a set, these guys are untouchable. Incredible full departures for one of the most coveted pieces in the entire hobby. Their provenance solidifies just how special these guys are. Again when you think “prototype”, a blue freaking #1 rep bear – COME ON!:).
Rarest Beans 