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All of the information in the articles on
these pages is copyrighted by PC Perspectives and Safety Net, Inc. and may not be used in
any form without the written permission of the authors. Keep in mind
that these articles
have been written over time and should be read with the published date in mind..."
Attic Treasures
(appeared in the Oct/Nov 1998 issue of Beaniemania Magazine)
What are Ty Attic Treasures? Is this something new from the brilliant mind of Ty Warner to get people hooked on another collection? In actuality, the Attic Treasures (also referred to within their history as Attic Collectibles) were introduced by Ty, Inc, in 1993, the same year as the first Beanie Babies came off the assembly line. This line of creations differed from Ty's other plush products in that each item was put together with a decidedly old-fashioned flair with hand-stitched details and distinct personalities. Another major difference is that Mr. Warner sought out teddy near artists to design and create patterns for the line. Yu credited these artists by including their names on their designs. Attic Treasures were marketed quietly to small specialty stores and gift shops and are now finally receiving the accolades they deserve.
The initial group of Attic Treasures conisted of eleven bears and hares and are among the most coveted by all Attic collectors. Those pictured in the 1993 catalog include the bnears: Henry Gold, Dexter, Reggie, Woolies Gold and Brown, Gilbert, Fraser, Tiny Tim, Clifford, Tyler, and the rabbits: Sara and Jeremy. Of this initial group, all are now retired with the exception of Fraser. Sara was reintroduced with a new style number in a much larger version in 1998.
This group underwent significant changes during the early years. Woolie Brown who is pictured prominently in the catalog, was never actually put into production for distribution like his golden twin, but wasd, according to Nola Hart, limited to 4 prototypes. There is a Woolie Brown prototype now on display at the new Ty-rrific store run by the W.H. Smith Company at the Chicago O'Hare airport.
The first editions of Clifford and Tyler had the distinctive humpback of an old fashinoed bear. Although these bears changed later to a straight backed version, they maintained other uniquely old fashioned attributes including hand-stitched noses and paw details. Clifford is pictured in the 1993 catalog wearing a maroon neck ribbon, but he has only been confirmed wearing a green teal ribbon. Interviews with Ty designers confirm that the maroon neck ribbon was placed on the prototypes for the catalog picture. Similarly, Reggie, who is pictured in the catalog sporting a red ribbon, as been confirmed as being manufactured only with the navy ribbon. When purchasing these early Attics, it is important to keep in mind how easy it would be for an individual or shop owner to switch a neck ribbon. Beware of seller when all of a sudden, someone is touting a "super rare red ribboned Reggie." The earliest Attic Treasures are hard to find on store shelves, making hunting for Attics truly like hunting for Treasure. Lucky shoppers can still find the oldest of these collectibles lurking in the corners of antique stores and seasonal gift shops, at the bottom of stuffed animal bins, and glued to crafters items. There is a burgeoning secondary market emerging similar to that previously established by the Beanie Babies frenzy. Internet trading and auction sites abound, making it easier to complete your collection, but, as always, caution is warranted when dealing with people over the Internet.
New Treasures in the Attic
(appeared in the Oct/Nov 1998 issue of Beaniemania Magazine)
On May 31st , Ty Inc. introduced us
to four new Attic Treasures. The new additions are more in line with the
"bears and hares" we have come to expect from
the Attic line, although these are a bit more distinctive than their predecessors. Samuel with his “Uncle Sam” suit and top
hat is a very patriotic bear and was introduced just in time to help celebrate the fourth
of July. His old fashioned navy blue
collarless top coat, reminiscent of a bygone era, is worn over a pair of red and white
striped trousers. The outfit has an old fashioned simplicity that offsets his facial
expression beautifully. Samuel's
slightly grumpy expression on his long, shaved snout is wonderfully designed and detailed. Like Samuel, Gloria, the new white shaggy bunny,
is also garbed in patriotic attire. Her 1776
flag patterned overalls provide just the
right contrast to her white fur. At first
glance, she appears to be identical to her recently retired sister, Bloom, but on closer
inspection, it turns out that Gloria is the happier twin as her hand-stitched mouth is
turned upwards in a friendly welcoming smile.
Piccadilly is the only small bear among the new introductees measuring in at 8 inches. As his name suggests, he is dressed as a clown in a color-blocked navy and kelly green velour outfit and ready for the circus. His nose, the piece de resistance of the outfit, is hard and has the appearance of a maroon pompom. Piccadilly has no mouth.
Eve, at 12 inches, is a taupe colored nubby
bear with a beseeching expression on her sweet upturned face. Her head is adorned with a ring of multi-colored
flower buds while an ecru lace cape with a collar gracefully drapes her shoulders and ties
with a satin ribbon at her neck. All four of these new attics are appearing with the sixth
generation hang tags.
Interestingly, the hang tags on Piccadilly and
Samuel say Lg. Bear Sm. Bear instead of their names.
Several Ty reps and retailers have reported that this will change and the correct
names will be released with the new generation of hang tags. It is possible that the bears were sent into
production before they were officially named. Only
time will tell, but we do know this…both bears will be extremely popular with
collectors and are a welcome addition to the Attic Treasure line!
Each of the Attic Treasures maintain their own
character. Over the next few issues, we will
introduce to you, in detail, the TY Attic Treasure line from Woolie, the tiny grandparent
of them all, to Bluebeary, one of the newer issues and
a close relative of Henry Gold.
New Year’s Brings New Attics
(January, 1999)
It was indeed a Happy New Year in the Attic Treasures’ family as Ty, Inc., at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day, released the photos of the new members of the collection. This introduction was extremely welcome news to collectors as rumors had been circulating across the Internet that Ty was doing away with the Attic line altogether due to the intricacies involved in manufacturing them. Remembering that the last group of new Attics consisted only of bears, there was only slight speculation as to what the new crop of collectibles would bring. It was therefore, a surprise to many to wake up and find that there was a whopping 12 new additions, ranging from birds to bunnies to bears in costume to farm animals. Included with the descriptions are some of the New Year’s Day remarks from people on the Internet Attic mailing list. Without further ado, let’s extend a warm welcome to the new 1999 spring attics.
There are three new bunnies to take over the places in the line left void by the recent retirement of Iris, Ivy, and Rose. Azalea is a small plush lavender bunny rabbit with a light purple neck ribbon. She has dark black eyes with and a stern look on her face. Camelia looks to be a very close relative to Strawbunny, sharing a similar pale pink color with a little nappier fur and a pink striped ribbon around her neck. The big difference aside from having a stockier build, is the round eyes versus the “ovoid” eyes we’ve come to know on our little “Strawalien”. Georgia, is the overwhelming favorite of the new group. With her paws clutching a pillowed egg-shaped object, she appears to be smiling over the secret of how she got covered in red and blue “paint” splotches. These three were voted most likely to end up in Easter baskets.
Joining the bunnies are four more non-bear additions. Cawley, the black crow, looks like he just flew in from Old MacDonald’s Farm wearing his light blue farmer overalls and white sun hat. Georgette is a fluffy white goose with a light blue satin ribbon tied around her long slender neck. Ramsey, with his slightly upturned face and quizzical expression, appears to be another early favorite. His horns curve inwards from the top of his head and he appears ready to take off at a moment’s notice. The last non-bear of the new group is Radcliffe the raccoon. He has nappy fur with a white chest and a striped tail. His smiling mischievous face is adorned with blackened eyes and black ears. Marisa Siegel, age 10, declared this one a MUST have.
The five new bears are easily distinguished from each other by their clothing alone. Beezee is a light brown bear dressed in a black and white bumble bee costume with a black hat and antennae. His buddy, Bugsy, a medium brown bear, sports the same headgear with antennae, but instead of stripes, he is wearing a red with black spots ladybug costume adorned with black wings. Gordon, another light brown bear, is one of the two larger Attics in this group. He is dressed for that rainy spring day in his bright yellow rain slicker with matching hat. Heartley, the other large bear, is a medium brown old-fashioned bear sporting a lovely country motif sweater with a red outlined heart. He also wears his hearts on his sleeve waiting patiently for that special person to take him home. The last of the new introductions, but certainly not the least, is Skylar, the most sophisticated member of the group. Skylar is a light brown bear with a black nose and wears a simple blue sweater. He reminds us all of what the Attic Treasures line is meant to be.
So how was this group received by the most important people of all – the Attic Treasures collectors? Amne in Colorado states, “I love the new attics for 1999, TY has added some interesting clothes to these old fashioned styled bears making them as nice as his first in 1993.” While Mary found the new line to be too “cartoonish” for her likes, she will still make them a part of her collection and states for the record that she is “not thrilled still with the new red tags (7th generation) and prefers the old fashioned beige/maroon tags for that ’quaint’ look.” The best quote of all though, came from Annette in Michigan who was responsible for procuring the last group of new attics last time for our pictures states that while she is unsure about the goat and raccoon fitting in, she loves the bunnies and the bears and finishes her note with “Of course I will not rest until I have each and every one of them.” Us too Annette!!!
Maison D'Ours is not associated with nor endorsed by Ty, Inc.
Attic Treasures and Ty Collectibles are registered Trademarks of Ty, Inc.
All information and photographs used on Maison D'Ours are copyrighted by PC Perspectives, Inc. and Safetynet, Inc. and may not be used without the express permission of the authors.
