The Teenie Beanies once again sold out in record time. Over three quarters of the country has completely sold out of Teenie Beanies. As of a few days ago, I could only find a few remote locations that still had quantity available.
As collectors scrambled to eat McDonalds food, they could not keep up with the variety of Teenie Beanies being offered from store to store. "The mad rush was on". McDonalds was more prepared for round two and many managers started collecting Teenies for the first time.
Many McDonalds stores did not follow the scheduled promotion. It was sheer chaos; freezers across the country were overflowing with hamburgers, cheeseburgers, sausage biscuits and more. Before the promotion was even over, collectors were asking the all too familiar question: "When will this happen again?"
I visited my friends, Wanda and Marie, at their McDonalds location for this final interview.
When did your store promotion end?
Our promotion lasted one week and 4 days.
How many Teenie Beanies did you sell during the promotion?
Each one of our stores sold anywhere from 25 to 30 cases. There are 300 Teenie Beanies per case.
Did you ever run out of food?
Our stores never ran out of food, we were definitely prepared.
Were the Teenie Beanies more popular this year than last year?
I would guess the popularity was just about the same. It's very difficult to judge because they were released on a holiday weekend.
I have read many reports of McDonalds offering a Teenie Beanie swap night for their customers. What can you tell me about this?
Ty has given strict rules, which were to be followed. McDonalds was not allowed to participate in Teenie Beanie swaps. Some stores may have allowed customers to swap in their parking lots, BUT the McDonalds store was not allowed to participate in the swaps.
Many McDonalds across the country stated that they were out of Teenie Beanies and then started the promotion all over again. How do you explain this?
When our store called to order more Teenie Beanies, we were told the supplies were out and we would not receive anymore. When our next McDonalds shipment arrived, we had Teenie Beanies on the truck. We were just as surprised as our customers were.
I asked Wanda and Marie if they had any funny or sad stories to share.
Marie told me about an incident that happened to her at her location.
Customers saw the McDonalds truck at the store, when Marie went out to meet the truck, customers surrounded her, wanting to know which Teenie Beanies were on the truck. Marie said she had to inch her way out of the circle to conduct her business.
Marie also said she had teenagers coming into McDonalds to purchase Happy Meals. The kids would leave the store and then come back in to report they did not receive their Teenie Beanies. She knew the Teenie Beanies were in the bags and that they just wanted to get extras for FREE!
What can be done to make the next promotion even better?
McDonalds has to receive their promotional items sooner. We ordered items, which to this day have never been received.
Promotion should never fall on a holiday weekend. Our crew is limited on holiday weekends; this is NOT a good time to promote Teenie Beanies.
We think that Ty needs to come into a McDonalds location and work during the Teenie Beanie promotion.
I don't think they understand what we go through.
Which Teenie Beanies were more limited?
Bongo and Twigs. Ty limited these items; our store only got 1 box of each. Many customers were upset that they missed out on these Teenie Beanies.
I have read reports of McDonalds Teenie Beanies showing up packaged with McDonalds bucks in them. What can you tell me about this?
McDonalds has different test markets. I'm assuming that certain areas of the county were chosen to test this item.
Why would McDonalds test an item that was so popular? I would think that this just plays into the hands of the secondary market? Everyone is going to want this item. Can you explain this?
We really do not know.
Last year you said that the Teenie Beanies were the hottest selling toy McDonalds has ever offered. Is this still true?
Yes, we have not had a toy that even compares to the Teenie Beanies.
I would like to thank Wanda and Marie for taking the time to grant this interview.
I would also like to make a few suggestions of my own.
The Teenie Beanies have already proven to be popular. McDonalds may want to reintroduce round one by mail order. Many collectors were unable to collect this set and would like to have the opportunity to do so.
I feel that stricter rules need to be introduced. I found many Teenie Beanies on auction boards before they were even released. Once the item is released, it's fair game for collectors and secondary market, but they should NEVER appear on auction sites or secondary markets before their release.
Why not consider a Ronald McDonald Teenie Beanie. Ronald is a national icon; he deserves his own Teenie Beanie.
Wanda and Marie have asked me to work along side of them during the next promotion. They want me to experience first hand what they have to go through. I have agreed to work with them and look forward to the chaos.
