{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/63829b027823850011449d40/69de8fc32cab0d3ec8a885ef?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Beanie Babies (1996-1999) (Part One)","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/63829b027823850011449d40/1776192669184-c269cd1d-ec24-488f-ba5e-98e4795b1740.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>In the back half of the 1990s, polyethylene pellets&nbsp;could be more valuable than gold if you knew who to sell them to. Beanie Babies were not only a crash course on the perils of speculative assets, but one of the foundations of early e-commerce and online community building. In the first of three parts, we look at the history of the teddy bear and Ty Warner's early stabs at the plush market as well as the early years of Beanie Babies and the inception of their website.</p><p><br></p><p>Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpod</p><p><br></p><p>You can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodBeanieBabiesDoc</p><p><br></p><p>Submit episode concepts at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodIdeas, or contact the show directly at IFTIpod@gmail.com</p><p><br></p><p>Created and Hosted by</p><p>Winslow Dumaine - www.winslowdumaine.com/</p><p>Jay Brandstetter - linktr.ee/jaybrandstetter</p><p><br></p><p>Produced and Edited by:</p><p>Steve Brown - linktr.ee/killhamster</p><p><br></p><p>Intro and Outro music is \"in failure\" by steveisbroke off of their album \"steve and his week of wonders\", used with permission. https://steveisbroke.bandcamp.com/album/steve-and-his-week-of-wonders</p>","author_name":"Jay Brandstetter & Winslow Dumaine"}