"Stretch" the ostrich Beanie Buddy has a soft long-haired brown and white body, nubby light tan neck, face, and legs, light tan under the wings, felt beak with black embroidered nostrils, and black and brown plastic eyes. Stretch was introduced on September 30, 1998 and retired on December 12, 1999. Stretch rests on its bottom, is filled with polyester fiber and P.E. pellets, and measures 11" long, 10" wide across the extended wings, and is 10 3/4" tall when sitting (with an additional 7" when including the legs). The swing tag is attached and is in very good condition. The cloth tush tag is in good condition and the ostrich is in pristine condition, with no flaws.
The Poem Inside the Swing Tag
Stretch the BEANIE BABY
is one of the most difficult to produce
due to her long neck and numerous parts!
About Beanie Babies and Buddies
Beanie Babies are a line of PVC pellet-filled toys created by Ty Warner in 1991, reached their peak in popularity in mid-1990s, and ceased operations in December 1999. Due to popular demand, Ty Inc. restarted in 2000 with a Beanie Baby named "The Beginning." The nine original Beanie Babies released in 1994:
- Legs the Frog
- Squealer the Pig
- Spot the Dog
- Flash the Orca
- Splash the Whale
- Chocolate the Moose
- Patti the Platypus
- Brownie the Bear
- Pinchers the Lobster
Beanie Babies have two identification tags: the heart-shaped swing tag, and the fabric tush tag attached to the bottom. Over time, the tags were redesigned to include poems inside the heart tag, date of birth, font changes, and the addition of yellow stars. These changes are referred to as Tush and Heart tag "Generations," and there are currently 15 swing tag generations and 13 tush tag generations. Some tags contain spelling and date errors which can lend greater value to the Beanie Baby.
In 1998, Ty Inc. introduced a new line of toys called Beanie Buddies made of a soft nylon cloth. The original nine Beanie Buddies were: Beak the Kiwi Bird, Humphrey the Camel, Jake the Mallard Duck, Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant, Quackers the Duck, Rover the Red Dog, Stretch the Ostrich, Teddy the Cranberry Bear, and Twigs the Giraffe.
