CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: JUMP ABOARD: INTERNET PROVIDES EASY ACCESS TO BEANIE BABY CRAZE (COLUMN 63)

Cybertip: Registration is under way for the Dec. 8 and 11 beginning Internet training classes. The Monday class will be held from 7-9 p.m., and the Thursday class will be from 1-3 p.m. in Dempster Hall on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Cost is $10. To register, call Joni or Peggy at 335-6611.

It's quite the craze: Beanie Babies. There are plenty of imitations, but the real McCoys are hard to find.

When shipments arrive at local retailers, the small, furry creatures are usually gone in a matter of days (hours).

The Southeast Missourian Web site is going to jump into the Beanie Baby craze. We will give away 10 of these hard-to-find creatures via an online Beanie Baby contest. It all begins Monday, and two Beanie Babies will be awarded each Thursday -- Thanksgiving through Christmas. Names of winners will be posted on the site.

What's all the fuss?

Joni: I think it's an issue of supply and demand. People want what they can't find. You remember that Cabbage Patch Doll craze. I'm in exile because I bought two Beanie Babies for my children and unknowingly took the tags off. One man looked at me like I was insane.

Peggy: If you are, you're not alone. There are plenty of Beanie Baby sites on the Internet. Let's start with the official home of the Beanie Babies.

www.ty.com

Joni: I think Ty makes other products, but who would know? Here's a good indicator of the success of these toys: The counter on the page is over 1 billion. Yes, BILLION.

Peggy: Look, a little pink flamingo is dancing for joy on Ty's home page. No wonder. Ty must be making a fortune, even at $5 a shot. There's all kinds of stuff here to do, including a way to communicate with collectors around the world.

Joni: Let's check out the official list of the Ty Beanie Babies, including the retirees. There's a new purple bear named Princess, and a 1997 Christmas Teddy Bear. Do you think Santa has an "in" with Beanie Baby supplies?

Peggy: All these babies have birth dates. I didn't know that. You can print out a complete Beanie Baby checklist and list of birth dates.

Joni: We liked the little ditty from Quakers, who went to Canada to meet with a friend named Maple. Ty gave Quakers a laptop to keep up with e-mail. We like the photo of this tiny duck dragging the laptop across the floor.

Peggy: Little Quakers is quite the reporter, and you can find his interview with Maple the bear online. It's funny. Beanie Babies apparently overuse the word "cool," like everyone else on the Internet. Cool.

Joni: There are games, arts and crafts, scrapbooks and a Beanie Baby honor roll, which they call an educational resource for students and teachers.

Peggy: If you're really into buying and selling Beanie Babies and finding out what yours is worth, I know a better site. This Beanie Baby Exchange is devoted to buying and selling the critters. They boast of more than 13,000 babies traded.

www.beaniex.com

Joni: The current market prices of all official Beanies are online. Prices are updated daily. Did you have a Brownie the Brown Bear at home? It was retired in 1993, and they will buy it for $877. They will sell you one for $1,140. Did you know there were Beanie Babies in 1993?

Peggy: I didn't know there were Beanie Babies in September. You must have the heart tag, however, Joni. Here's one that was retired in July -- Doodle the Rooster -- and it's only worth $42. Lucky the Ladybug with 21 small dots is $300, and it's not even retired.

Joni: Don't look up my three that will remain tagless. I don't want to know.

Peggy: There are 116 Beanie Babies, and that doesn't include different versions of the same animal. For example, there are three different versions of Zip, the Black Cat. The Zip with pink ears and no white is worth $1,200 as opposed to Zip with white paws that is worth $10. Next stop...

www.beaniemom.com

Joni: This netletter is dedicated to Beanie lovers. For example, there is a news flash about Princess, the new Beanie bear. The Beanie Mom says she will do everything in her power to make sure proceeds from sale of this bear go to Diana Princess of Wales charities.

Peggy: You can read Beanie poetry, stories from adult collectors, the Beanie hunter's survival kit, and dozens of people have started Beanie Babies fan clubs, some online and others in real life.

Joni: For those of you who don't want to enter the collecting fray, you can send a virtual Teenie Beanie Baby postcard from

dmapub.dma.org/(tilde)nielsodc/beanie

You can send any of the 10 Teenie Beanies given by McDonalds.

Peggy: This was just one of the links we found. Beanies and the collectors are everywhere.

www.raynorshyn.com/kids/index.html

Joni: OK, you've got your Beanie Baby collection. Now you need accessories. You can find tutus, vests, hats, scarves, quilts, nightgowns, leases, beach wear -- you name it, right here.

Peggy: You can also buy bean bag chairs, picnic tables, tents, teeter totters, benches, etc. for your Beanie Babies. I like this bumper sticker: Will Trade Husband for Beanie. Or if you're tired of picking up Beanies off the floor, you can buy a Beanie Ark. It holds up to 40. What will they think of next?

Joni: What's your favorite Beanie site on the Internet? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams and Peggy Scott are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.