How much is a Princess Diana Beanie Baby worth?

Most likely $5-$10. The most common variant sells for $2-$7. Rarest variant (Indonesia/PVC/No-Space/Canadian tag) in mint: $100-$200.

Beanie Baby Princess Diana Bear

Name: Princess Diana Beanie Baby Bear (Ty Inc.)
Brand: Ty Inc.

Collectible Toys & Games

Let's start with the truth: your Princess Diana Beanie Baby is probably worth $5 to $10. Those eBay listings showing $50,000 or $500,000? They're either fake, fraudulent, or money laundering fronts. Millions of Princess bears were produced. It was never a limited edition. But - and this is an important but - specific first-edition variants with the right tag combination can be worth $100 to $200. Here's how to figure out what you actually have.

Quick Value Summary


Item	Ty Princess Diana Beanie Baby Bear
Year	1997
Category	Collectible Toys & Games - Beanie Babies
Manufacturer	Ty Inc.
Original Retail	~$5.00
Condition Range
Common Version (China/PE)	$2 – $10
Better Variants (Indonesia/PVC)	$10 – $50
Best Variant (Indonesia/PVC/No-Space/Canadian Tag)	$100 – $200
Mint with Original Tags	Up to $266 (verified sale)
Most Recent Verified Sale	$175 (Dec 2024, eBay - production errors)
Rarity	Common (millions produced)

The Story

When Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997, the world mourned. Ty Inc., the company behind the Beanie Baby craze, released the Princess bear in October 1997 as a charity item for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The purple bear with a white embroidered rose on its chest and a purple ribbon around its neck was an instant hit.

Here's where the myth took over. Because the bear was released shortly after Diana's death, people assumed it was rare. Newspapers ran stories about collectors paying $200 to $300. The internet amplified the frenzy. By the early 2000s, eBay listings claiming Princess bears were worth thousands or tens of thousands were everywhere.

The reality: Ty produced millions of Princess bears. They weren't limited. They weren't numbered. They were sold at every retailer that carried Beanie Babies. The "rare" mystique was manufactured by speculation, wishful thinking, and - in many eBay cases - outright fraud.

How to Identify Your Variant

Not all Princess bears are created equal. Small production differences create variants - and the variants do affect value, just not by the amounts people hope.

Swing Tag ("Space" vs. "No-Space")

The hang tag has a poem inside. In some versions, there's a space between the lines of text. In others, there's no space. "No-space" swing tags indicate first-edition production and are more valuable.

Tush Tag (PVC vs. PE Pellets)

Check the small fabric tag on the bear's bottom:

PVC pellets = earlier production (more valuable)
PE pellets = later production (more common, less valuable)

Country of Manufacture

Indonesia = earlier, rarer production
China = later, mass production

Canadian Customs Tush Tag

Some bears sold in Canada have an additional customs tag. Bears with this tag are slightly more desirable.

The Most Valuable Combination

Indonesia + PVC + No-Space swing tag + Canadian customs tag = the most collectible variant. Worth $100 to $200 in mint condition with intact tags.

China + PE + Space swing tag = the most common version. Worth $2 to $10.

Value by Variant

Variant	Value
China/PE/Space (most common)	$2 – $7
China/PE/No-Space	$5 – $15
Indonesia/PVC/Space	$10 – $30
Indonesia/PVC/No-Space	$25 – $50
Indonesia/PVC/No-Space/Canadian Tag	$100 – $200
Mint, Best Variant, Perfect Tags	Up to $266

Tag condition matters. Beanie Baby values depend heavily on intact, uncreased swing tags and clean tush tags. A Princess bear with a bent or missing swing tag is worth significantly less.

About Those eBay Listings

You'll see Princess Diana Beanie Babies listed on eBay for $50,000, $100,000, even $500,000. These are not real sales. They're either:

Fraudulent listings hoping to deceive uninformed sellers
Money laundering fronts using eBay as a vehicle
Shill bids with no real buyer
Wishful thinking from sellers who read misinformation

The most recent verified legitimate sale was $175 in December 2024 for a bear with production errors. Check "sold" listings - not active listings - for real market data.

Where to Sell

Let's be honest about expectations:

eBay - The most active market, but price your bear realistically ($5-$50 for most variants). Check "completed/sold" listings to see what actually sells
Facebook Marketplace / Local sales - Quick and easy for common versions
Beanie Baby collector groups - May yield slightly better prices for documented rare variants

If you have the Indonesia/PVC/No-Space/Canadian tag combination in mint condition, it's worth listing at $100-$200 and being patient.

Not sure which variant you have? Upload a photo to Curio Comp for a free AI estimate. Upload a photo →

Common Questions

How much is my Princess Diana Beanie Baby really worth?

Most likely $5 to $10. The most common variant (China/PE) sells for $2 to $7. The rarest documented variant (Indonesia/PVC/No-Space/Canadian tag) in mint condition: $100 to $200. The highest verified sale is $266.

Why do eBay listings show prices of $50,000+?

Those are not real sales. They're fraudulent listings, money laundering attempts, or wishful thinking. Always check "completed/sold" listings for actual market prices. You'll see the real numbers are dramatically lower.

Is my Princess bear a first edition?

Check the swing tag for "no-space" text layout and the tush tag for PVC pellets and Indonesia manufacture. If it has all three, it's from the earliest production run - the closest thing to a "first edition."

Will Princess Diana Beanie Babies ever be worth thousands?

Very unlikely. Millions were produced. Supply vastly exceeds demand. The myth of extreme value has been debunked repeatedly by collectors and appraisers. Enjoy your bear for what it is - a nice piece of '90s nostalgia.