Bizarre Beanie tales. Numerous online auctions somewhat mimic the exchanges, offering current and ''retired'' Beanies to the highest bidder. Registered sellers take out electronic classified ads to auction off parts of their collection, along with available Beanie accessories. All include a description of what's being sold. Some provide a photo.
Many sellers place a ''reserve'', or minimum amount acceptable, on the item for sale.
To the highest bidder, the spoils go, assuming the minimum is met. While the online auction companies offer no guarantees for the merchandise being sold, auction participants often can view ''feedback'' on the seller - a forum for participant comments on how past exchanges were conducted. Likewise, sellers can access feedback on the registered buyers. But the recently retired Twigs the Giraffe Beanie went unsold with no bids after three days. On that same day, however, no one had yet bothered to bid on a set of 12 Princess Beanies being sold by London a toy dealer.