Well well well. This one is a doozy. This one is unique. A prototype for the original 9 Legs the frog beanie baby in olive green. We had this piece in our hands over a decade ago, and never had it side by side, but the fabric, we believe, matches Ally’s shade. To be sure, finding a surviving prototype for an original 9 piece is an extraordinary task. Finding a full departure prototype for an original 9 – even more insane. What we have here, is now confirmed to be the ORIGINAL beanie baby prototype. This is the Legs prototype Ty Warner shared with his ex fiancé, Faith McGowan (her girls, as well as other vip’s in his life/working with him). This was the very first “beanie baby” Ty produced and shared for feedback with his innermost core. It birthed the global Beanie Baby phenomenon that took the world by storm.
It took some time to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this was in fact THE original beanie prototype, and the particular Legs prototype Mr. Warner spoke of. The piece ended up reaching the collecting community via Faith when she sold her personal collection through 2000-2001. We have photos of this piece when it was first graded by True Blue Beans in 2001 – one of the earliest graded prototypes. This piece, as well as the yellow Nana and the lime green Slither all came from Faith, and were understood to be favorites belonging to her and Mr. Warner – adorning their dresser. They were, at the time, among the most exquisite prototypes to reach the public collecting community. Photos below of original grading + the yellow Nana + lime green slither that Faith also parted with.
There have been numerous, separate sources that have independently confirmed that Legs was the first beanie prototype. One source was Zac Bissonnette’s book, The Great Beanie Baby Bubble” – the piece is discussed, as well as the olive Leg’s original darker shade – which he was advised to make brighter. Photos of this below, as well. Also included are a few original 9 prototype pictures with the Olive Legs included – enjoy!
Rarity Rank: -1+ This is a piece of Ty history, in a league of its own. Priceless, truly. Original 9 prototype. Original 9 full color departure. Proven provenance confirming this was THE first beanie baby prototype.
Rarest Beans 