Always a soft spot for Ty’s first beanie baby skunk, Stinky! This guy was released in mid 1995 with a 3rg generation hang tag in a very dapper tuxedo black and white fabric pattern. This prototype example has replaced the entire top white strip of fabric with tie-dyed red! The piece is complete with pax tags, including a pax hang tag dated from December 1994 – 6 months ahead of this piece’s eventual release. Was Ty ever seriously considering this wacky version? It set us on a research project, and it turns out red skunks DO exist! While not an official variation like a red fox, skunk variations are known as color morphs. Think of black squirrels, or cinnamon black bears. Perhaps Ty planned to make this a rare variation along the regular black and white example we all know so well.
Rarity Rank: 1.75. We would call this a strong/vivid departure from the production version of Stinky. A true 3rd generation prototype for a favorite, but not coveted 3rd generation style. Complete with all pax tags. Beautiful and striking.
Rarest Beans 