Remember when people were convinced their Beanie Baby collections would pay for their kids' college education? I know people who spent thousands on 'rare' Beanies. How are those investments looking now?

Asking because I found a box of about 40 Beanie Babies in my closet and I'm curious if they're worth anything or just stuffed animals.

The bubble has absolutely burst. Most Beanies are worth a few dollars at best. The 'retired' ones that were supposed to be worth hundreds are going for $5-10 on eBay.

It was absolutely a speculative bubble, just like the dot-com crash. Supply was artificially limited, hype drove prices up, and now reality has set in.

A few genuinely rare ones (first generation Princess Diana, original 9 with errors) still command decent prices. But the vast majority? Worth less than retail.