Remember Beanie Babies? They were basically adorable, teeny stuffed animals that everyone went nuts over during the '90s. Well, one couple's beanie love is paying off—royally. They forked over peanuts for a small purple teddy bear and just discovered it belongs to a first edition set created to honor Princess Diana after her 1997 death. What does that mean for them? Lots and lots of money.
Leah Rogers and Ryan Flanaghan, who are from England, paid £10, or about $15, for the Beanie Baby, which they found at a garage sale in Cornwall. Flanaghan, 22, is apparently something of a Beanie devotee who knows his stuff. As soon as he saw the bear, he realized it could be worth money, even though, to the untrained eye, the bear is cute, but doesn't look like anything spectacular.
Well, he was right. It turns out the Beanie Baby is one of only 100 plush bears of its kind that were created to commemorate Princess Diana. Its tag even features a poem about the late Princess: "Like an angel she came from heaven above; she shared her compassion, her pain, her love; she only stayed with us long enough to teach the world to share, to give, to reach."
Now, hold on to your hat because here's how much a similar Beanie sold for on eBay: £62,500, or about $93,000! Just to put things into perspective, a second edition version of the same Beanie sells for a measly £25. Talk about luck!
More from The Stir: Princess Di Dresses & Surprising Kate Middleton Item to Be Auctioned Off
The couple say they struggled in the past to save enough money to put down a deposit on a house, but hot damn, those days are over. They've put the Beanie up for auction and are hoping to receive enough money to cover their down payment.
Did you collect Beanie Babies? Are you shocked to learn how much this one is worth?
Image via ebay.com