Hello fellow collector. I have a very good knowledge of Skansen Beanie Kids and related accessories after starting my collection in 2002. If you have any questions on how to go about collecting bk's, where do you start?, Should I collect by theme, Girl /Boy bk's, Hooded, animals only, PE(premier Exclusive button) bk's or just want to know more about this fascinating hobby, please don't hesitate to contact me via my ebay ID# or at my email address at beaniegirl181@internode.on.net. I will be glad to help you in anyway I can. Here is a brief history on Beanie Kids. Skansen released their first Beanie Kids in September 1997 with new Beanie kids being releases monthly. Cuddly Kids were released in February 1999 and Great Big Kids from October 2001. These BK's started at the price of $5.95 and came with a yellow cardboard ear tag known as a swing tag and a cloth tag (called a tushtag)that was found near the top of one of the legs/lower body of the BK which has the manufacturing details. There are now more than 710 different Bk's, 121 Ck's,19 GBks and 3 Giant kids made since 1997. The newest release is the Giant Great Big Kid-Lollipop standing at 1.2 metres tall. You can buy a collectors guide which gives you the history details of each BK made and a full colour picture of the Bk for easy identification. A Swing Tag history can also be found in the guide. When collecting Beanie Kids, make sure you buy a Bk with a crease free Swing Tag which you can find attached to the ear of the BK. This means you have to look for a swing tag that has no marks, bends, creases, indentations from the plastic tab that connects the swing tag etc. This is when you have a MINT tagged BK. The more MINT the swing tag, the more the BK will be worth in the future. There are swing tag protectors available from Skansen and I Dream of Beanies(You can purchase them off Ebay in the BK auction section or from myself.) Collecting can be expensive but there are simple ways to save by buying bulk or small collections off ebay. I can show you how ebay has helped make my collection grow fast and yet save me heaps at the same time. Any questions please contact me on beaniegirl181@internode.on.net Regards Erika