They Ty-ed the knot. Then they tore off the heart-shaped tags.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a viral photo of two divorcees sorting through dozens of Beanie Babies littered across a courtroom floor.

In 1999, one Las Vegas couple’s divorce proceedings (and their Beanie Baby collection worth somewhere between $2,500 and $5,000) became a viral sensation almost as iconic as the Beanie Baby craze itself.

Frances and Harold Mountain were ordered to divide their collection one by one under a judge’s supervision because they were “unable to do so by themselves.”

Cars and investment properties are often at the center of these battles, but this split came down to custody – of their kids and the plushes. When he wasn’t awarded primary custody of their kids, a spiteful Mr. Mountain demanded half of their Beanie Babies. Ultimately, he gave up after securing just a few from the pile.

Why were Beanie Babies so popular?

Whether you were around for the Beanie Baby craze or not, you surely know about these stuffed toys. In 1993, a lineup of nine pellet-stuffed plush animals was first introduced as collectibles. It wasn’t long before their resale values turned them into financial investments – at least until counterfeiting ramped up (and the fad lost steam).

It’s easy to laugh at now, but the Beanie Babies craze was real. Yours truly was a proud owner of several, including Goochy, Smoochy, and Tabasco (not to be confused with Snort, whose hooves are white – obviously).

But this ‘90s baby was only just about to turn eight at the time of this infamous photo, so I am unashamed to admit I bought into the hype (and thankful I was too young to consider my investment opportunities).

For some perspective on how popular these things were, consider that eBay auctioned off $500 million worth in May of 1997. The site later went public, and Beanie Babies accounted for 10% of eBay’s total sales in 1998.

Ty Warner is the company’s billionaire founder and sole owner to this day. When he’s not maintaining a low profile, his philanthropic efforts are helping him get off easy on his tax evasion charges.

These days, they’re being compared to NFTs, though many would argue they had (have?) a more tangible function in the real world.

Are Beanie Babies worth anything today?

Decades later, the Beanie Babies price guide is still being updated by Karen, Karen, and Becky (yes), who also run an authentication service for the collectibles.

A number of these Beanies were either retired (discontinued) to create false scarcity or because they really were that in demand.

At the time of publication, you can snag the ultimate prize in the Ty Beanie Baby world – the Princess Diana bear – on eBay for as much as $900,000. As of now, there are only 1,492 others who are watching the auction.

If the nostalgia is hitting, but your bank account isn’t, don’t worry – you can get new Beanie Babies from Ty’s website or the early lines from Amazon resellers for under $10.

And if it feels right, consider putting some plush in your prenup.

The post From Love to Litigation: The Great Beanie Baby Divorce appeared first on America Is Weird.