Caring for Your Beanie Babies: A Deal Guide to Protecting Your Investment

Beanie Babies aren't just our soft, silent children — they're an investment! Gentle care and cleaning is part of protecting that investment. You wouldn't throw $10,000 worth of stock certificates in the washer, would you? Of course not! Beanie Babies require special equipment to preserve their mint condition, so we've rounded up the week's best Beanie Baby care deals to keep you on track. Save $3 on a pack of Ty tag protectors, get $6 off a display case, and grab a 24-pack of cotton gloves for just $20.

1. Ty Beanie Baby Tag Protectors 10-Pack
   Store: Ty Store
   Price: $4.99 with $1.79 s&h
   Lowest By: $3

   Is It Worth It?: The minute a Beanie Baby comes into your home, you've got to protect its tag. A Beanie without its heart-shaped Ty tag is basically just a toy, since most lose 50% (or more) of their value once the tag is removed. Preserve your tags with this 10-pack of official Ty Beanie Baby tag protectors for $5. With shipping, that's $0.70 per protector and an Editors' Choice savings of $3. These protective cases are made of acid-free acrylic for years of use.

2. Containables Lidded Plastic Container
   Store: ToysNGamesEtc via Amazon
   Price: $5.99 with free shipping via Prime
   Lowest By: $6

   Is It Worth It?: Your Beanie Babies may look adorable in a pile on a shelf, but you're actually subjecting them to the worst kind of torture. Animal hair, household odors, and dust mites can easily penetrate your Babies' fur, decreasing their value over time. Display your Beanies the humane way by setting them up in cases like the Containables Lidded plastic container, available for just $6. This clear plastic case, which measures 4"x4"x7", is ideal for storing smaller Beanie Babies. An Editors' Choice pick, you'll save $6 on it.

   Note: This case is part of Amazon's "Add-on program" and can only be purchased with an Amazon Prime order of $25 or more, or a regular order of $35 or more.

3. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda 16-oz. Box
   Store: Bay 15 via Amazon
   Price: $4.75 with free shipping via Prime
   Lowest By: $2

   Is It Worth It?: As much as we love our Beanies, we have to resist the urge to handle them too often, or oils from our dirty human paws will collect on their beautiful fur. If your Cubby is looking a bit grubby, don't panic! You can dry clean your Babies using some of this Arm & Hammer baking soda, which is a $2 price low. Put your dingy Beanies into a pillow case and sprinkle in about a tablespoon of this Editors' Choice baking soda. Give them a gentle shake, and let them sit in the bag for 20 to 30 minutes. Then, follow the instructions here to remove the baking soda. Voila, clean Beanies!

   Note: This baking soda is part of Amazon's "Add-on program" and can only be purchased with an Amazon Prime order of $25 or more, or a regular order of $35 or more.

4. Oral-B Complete Action Anti-Microbial Power Toothbrush
   Store: Amazon
   Price: $3.49 with free shipping via Prime
   Lowest By: $6

   Is It Worth It?: Although we don't recommend directly handling your Beanie Babies very often, many stuffed animal care sites suggest daily grooming with a toothbrush to protect their fur. However, we've found that manual toothbrushes can lead to brushing too hard. We prefer the Oral-B Complete Action Anti-Microbial Power toothbrush, available for $3.49 when you clip the $3 off coupon on the product page. This battery-powered toothbrush features rotating and criss-crossing bristles that thoroughly remove microscopic dust mites from fur, while an antimicrobial bristle shield inhibits the growth of fur-harming microbes. While we saw this toothbrush for $3 less in February, it's still a $6 savings now.

   Note: This toothbrush is part of Amazon's "Add-on program" and can only be purchased with an Amazon Prime order of $25 or more, or a regular order of $35 or more.

5. CARA Cotton Cloves 24-Pack
   Store: Amazon
   Price: $19.99 with free shipping via Prime
   Lowest By: $6

   Is It Worth It?: When it comes to reselling your Beanie Babies, an eagle-eyed potential buyer can tell if a Beanie has been well-loved. It's not enough to keep these plushes in mint condition with regular maintenance; we recommend that you spend about 15 seconds gently cuddling each Beanie in your collection every day. But rather than doing this bare-handed, you should invest in this 24-pack of CARA cotton gloves. At $0.83 per glove, you can save your Beanies' fur at an Editors' Choice $6 savings. Available in size S, these soft cotton gloves fit either hand.