Leah Rogers and Ryan Flanagan hit the international news when word spread that the English couple had nabbed one of the world’s most valuable Beanie Babies for a bargain price at a flea market.
The two had set up as sellers at a market in Bude, Cornwall when they recognized a limited edition Princess Diana commemorative bear for sale at another seller’s stall. They purchased the toy for £10 ( about $15 U.S.), but were elated to find out that the same type of bear had been listed on eBay for around $93,000. The two put their own bear up for auction starting at around $30,000, with plans to use the money for a down payment on a house.
Now it looks like the couple won’t be moving into that dream house any time soon. They failed to realize that the prices sellers ask on eBay often don’t match with what buyers are willing to pay. Rogers and Flanagan’s Princess Bear auction failed to sell, and the item has now been re-listed with a minimum bid of a paltry £0.99 (about $1.50 U.S.) The bear will likely sell for a fairly good price based on the media attention surrounding it alone, but obviously nowhere near what the owners were expecting.
In related fallout from the initial story, Tycollector.com has issued a fraud alert on its website in response to an influx of collector inquires about the bears. The statement reads in part:
“We are truly sad so many peoples’ hopes were mistakenly raised by reading a fraudulent article that suggested they might own a rare and valuable Princess Beanie Baby.”
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