Don't believe the rumors about these little bears being worth gobs and gobs of money
How Much Is the Princess Diana Beanie Baby Worth?
Updated on May 19, 2025
Decluttering your attic? If you stumble across a stuffed animal, it might be worth having a closer look. After all, it could be one of the most precious toys in history—at least if you’re a fan of the British royal family (or a dedicated collector or seller). The Princess Diana Beanie Baby by Ty created quite a frenzy when it came out shortly after Diana died in a car crash on Aug. 31, 1997, with fans from around the world trying to get their hands on it. And while it’s no doubt a cute bear, its value is likely more due to the fact that Diana was adored by millions around the world.
Emotions aside, there were other reasons everyone tried to bag a bear, with many hoping to make thousands (or more) by selling them to dedicated royalists. So, what if you’re lucky to actually own a Princess Diana Beanie Baby? Should you keep it, gift it to a Diana fan—or will it fund your mortgage? Before you start making big plans, read on. We asked British royal memorabilia expert Tracy Martin and American Ty toy collectors Leon and Sondra Schlossberg why the Princess Diana Beanie Baby is and has been such a big deal—and what it’s worth these days. Read on to find out.
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What is the Princess Diana Beanie Baby, exactly?
The Princess Diana Beanie Baby, officially called “Princess the Bear,” is a plush toy produced by US manufacturer Ty and released in October 1997 in memory of the late Lady Di, who had died in Paris two months prior (her famous last words still haunt many royal fans). At the time, Beanie Babies were in their heyday, as people didn’t only buy the bears to cuddle them (or gift them to their kids)—but also to boost their bank accounts.
“The Princess Diana Beanie Baby, a purple bear with a white embroidered rose on the chest and purple ribbon around the neck, was produced as a charity bear in a special, but not limited edition to raise money for the Princess of Wales Memorial fund,” explains Martin. “Originally, the retail price was around $5 to $7.” However, some Diana fans were desperate to get one of the first ones, even if it meant paying a much higher price, turning the Diana bear right after its release into one of the most sought-after pieces of royal memorabilia at the time.
“The reason this particular Beanie Baby was so popular is that Princess Diana was admired and often revered worldwide. Her untimely death was somewhat traumatic for a lot of people. In the USA, she mirrored the ‘Rags to Riches’ fairy tale that has always been a popular theme in storybooks and movies,” say Leon and Sondra Schlossberg.
How many Princess Diana Beanie Babies were produced?
The simple answer is, nobody really knows. When the bear came out, each retailer could order only 12 for a December 1997 delivery. “This is where the confusion began, as collectors and retailers thought it was a limited edition run, which wasn’t the case. And even when informed that many more Princess bears would follow in 1998, no one listened, and there was a frantic buying frenzy,” says Martin, explaining that Ty “only sold to dedicated toy shops and never to big department or chain stores.” Fans would then rush to their local retailer or phone them up to get one of the bears. “Such was the hype around this initial drop of bears that some retailers even held back some of their 12 in the hope the price would increase, and others auctioned them off to buyers,” the experts add.
In hindsight, all this really wouldn’t have been necessary, as, according to the Schlossbergs, “Ty sold millions of Princess Beanie Babies, so there was virtually no chance they would become rare.” The simple reason stores initially only got 12 each was a logistical one, as Martin points out: “Ty had only been given approval by the charitable Princess Diana fund in October, so it didn’t have enough time to produce more than 12 per retailer before Christmas.”
Today, Princess Diana Beanies are no longer sold in stores, but they can be found on all the usual auction websites.
How much is the Princess Diana Beanie Baby worth?
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Case in point: On eBay, you can find Princess Diana Beanies listed for up to $1 million at the time of this writing. But let’s face it, realistically, nobody, not even the most die-hard Diana fan, would pay that amount. When checking for us, Martin found “over 7,000 bears listed on eBay, and all those on ‘buy it now’ into the tens/hundreds of thousands bracket were listed in the USA.” However, she says those eager to jump on the wagon should manage their expectations. “Realistically, your Princess Beanie Bear, if in mint condition for both the bear and the tag, is worth £200 ($266) at most.”
According to Martin, “the value is in the tags, both Tush and Swing—the condition of the bear and the tags [see ‘How can you tell which type of Princess Diana Beanie Baby you have?’ below], and where it is made, together with what pellets fill the bear.” The most precious, she says, is an Indonesian-made one, as it “rarely comes up for sale,” but even that one won’t realistically get you “a great deal more than £200 ($266).” Other collector favorites are “bears that have the additional Canadian customs Tush tags—but again, they won’t get you thousands.” The most common Princess Diana Beanie Baby these days, a Chinese-made toy, goes for as little as $5 to $7.
The Schlossbergs believe that “all Beanie Baby values now are based on supply and demand. There are no longer ‘fixed’ values for Beanie Babies.” So at the end of the day, you could be lucky and find a wealthy (or desperate) Diana fan willing to pay you a small fortune, but that’s probably about as likely as winning the lottery.
How can you tell which type of Princess Diana Beanie Baby you have?
If you’re unsure what Princess Diana Beanie Baby you own (and how much it might be worth), check the tags. “Look for ‘space’ or ‘no space’ swing tags. This is referring to the text ‘All profits of TY from this collectible will be donated to the DIANA , PRINCESS OF WALES MEMORIAL FUND.’ If there is an empty line space after ‘donated to’ that is the ‘space’ swing tag, and if the text is close together with no space, that is the no-space tag,” explains Martin. “A first-edition Princess is said to have the no-space swing tag, which was produced in China during the first production period.” However, surprisingly, this version isn’t the most sought after: “It is actually the Indonesia no-space bear that collectors prefer.” The reason? It’s said to be of especially high quality, and it’s rarer than the other versions.
This leaves one question: What happens if your Princess Diana Beanie Baby doesn’t have a swing tag, and you’re not even sure what version it is? Martin has bad news in that case: “Then it is literally worth a few dollars. The tag is an important part of its value.”
What should you do if you have one?
If you own a Princess Diana Beanie Baby and no longer want to keep it, you might be able to make some cash, even if probably not as much as you’d expect after a quick look on eBay. “If you have the Indonesian, no-space, PVC bear, then you can sell it online via auction sites or re-selling sites,” says Martin. However, she warns that you shouldn’t expect it to earn you the deposit for your next home. “Be realistic about the price. Most Princess Beanies are worth hardly anything, so just do your research.”
What other Princess Diana commemorative items are sought after by collectors?
Of course, Beanie Babies aren’t the only sought-after Princess Diana memorabilia. According to Martin, the most popular (and most valuable) items among collectors are the ones “that have been owned or touched by a member of the royal family or have a direct association with an event. This is where the money is.” Here are a few to look out for:
- A piece of Diana and Charles’s wedding cake. Princess Diana and now–King Charles tied the knot in July 1981. If you’re lucky enough to come across a piece of their wedding cake that’s not eaten (or has not gone off), you could make “from £150 ($200) upwards, depending on condition and if the box has been unopened or not. You can make £600 ($798) if never opened.” Fun fact, she adds: “They actually had 23 cakes in total.” So we assume it’s not totally impossible to come across one even more than four decades later.
- Diana’s handwritten letters. Original letters by Diana are “hot,” says Martin, “selling at auctions for thousands.” As an example, she names an auction in 2023 in Cornwall, where a signed letter by the Princess of Wales, dated Dec. 17, 1996, hand-written in ink on her personal cream and burgundy Kensington Palace notepaper, sold for £26,000 ($34,600).” The letter was addressed to Diana’s friend Susie Kassem, and in it the princess thanked her for flowers and a gift. In another one from the same year, Diana explained (also to Susie) her frustration that she couldn’t discuss personal matters with her as she thought the Kensington Palace phone was bugged, and she didn’t own a mobile phone—this letter sold for £23,000 ($30,600).
- Signed Christmas cards. Annual Christmas cards from the royal family, mostly sent to family members, friends and head of states, often come up for auction, says Martin, and can make “from £200 ($266) to £500 ($665), depending on condition, the photograph and who has signed.”
- Princess Diana’s clothing. Equally in demand (but a lot more expensive) is Diana’s fashion collection. A Bruce Oldfield purple crushed-velvet evening gown, which Diana wore on Feb. 11, 1987, when attending a dinner by Portuguese president Mario Soares in Lisbon, made £45,000 ($60,000) at Kerry Taylor Auctions in 2016, according to Martin. One of the most famous items of Diana’s clothing that has ever been auctioned off is her revenge dress, which went to Scottish collector Graeme Mackenzie for $74,000 in New York on June 25, 1997, just two months before the Princess of Wales died.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Tracy Martin, collectables and royal memorabilia expert: email interview, May 2025
- Leon and Sondra Schlossberg, Beanie Baby collectors; email interview, May 2025
- eBay: “Ty Beanie Baby: Princess the Diana Bear”
- Independent: “The Princess Diana Beanie Baby led to the strangest toy craze of the Nineties: ‘It was like the crown jewels!'”
- Today: “Inside the myth of the Princess Diana Beanie Baby — and why we still buy it”
- Kerry Taylor Auctions: “Passion for Fashion: Princess Diana’s Bruce Oldfield evening gown”
- ITV: “Collection of personal Princess Diana letters sell for £145k at auction”
- Country Living: “10 things you didn’t know about Beanie Babies”
