Chicago, Jan 3: The ayes have it - or should it be the Tys?.US toy company Ty Inc., maker of the wildly popular Beanie Babies plush toys, said an overwhelming 91 percent of those who cast ballots on its Internet poll wanted the company to continue making the stuffed animals."Newsflash: Beanies win!," Ty said on its Web site athttp://www.ty.com.The company shocked collectors around the world when it announced in September that it would cease production of all Beanie Babies on December 31, 1999, a move that sparked feverish trading in the stuffed animals on the Internet and sharply elevated their prices. Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ty said on December 24 it would let fans vote on the Internet on whether the company should stop making Beanie Babies.
Ty charged 50 cents per ballot in hopes of preventing repeat voting. Proceeds would be donated to a pediatric AIDS foundation, Ty said.When he announced the Internet vote plan on Christmas Eve, company founder Ty Warner said he would "re-launch production" if collectors voted for continuation of the Beanie Babies.
In its Web site statement, Ty did not disclose specific plans for resuming production, providing only the cryptic message "expect the unexpected". The company did not say how many votes were cast.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.