Stretch the Ostrich, a Ty Beanie Baby, was "born" in 1997.

Beanie Babies, widely known as soft, plush, bean-bag-like collectible animals, gained huge popularity in the 1990s, due in large part to the skill of their creator in creating demand and controlling supply. H. Ty Warner, founder of Ty, Inc., first introduced Beanie Babies in 1993 as a toy that would appeal to children. Beanie Babies were designed to be affordable enough that children could purchase them with their own allowance money and small enough that they could be easily carried about. Warner's idea was an immediate success in his home market of Chicago, and by 1995, they were in demand at a national level. Warner's market savvy paid off as he only marketed and distributed the collectibles to small, independent and gift stores, and in limited quantities. A second technique employed by the producer was to "retire" various versions of the toy on a sporadic basis, increasing the level and intensity of demand for each newly "born" Beanie Baby. Warner's strategies paid off, and in 1996, the company made a $250 million profit. While the late 1990s and early 2000s saw a drop-off in the intensity of the market, Beanie Babies continue to be popular, collectible items, including Stretch the Ostrich, who has been in retirement since March of 1999.

EconEdLink
Beanie Baby Prices Soar (3–8) examines the concepts of supply and demand using the popularity of Beanie Babies as an example. Students learn about a news story describing the increase in prices of the toys and investigate the concepts of quantity demanded, quantity supplied and price.

Fad or Fortune? (6–8) focuses on collectibles and how they retain, lose or gain value. In each round of a trading simulation, students learn more about the value of their collectibles and discuss why items gain or lose value.

In Collecting for Fun . . . and Profit? (6–12), students explore how supply and demand influence the price of the things that people collect. They learn about the risks associated with this type of investment and evaluate collectibles as an investment option.

EconEdLink offers a number of lessons about supply and demand, including Lemon Squeeze - The Lemonade Stand (3–8) and Lowell Workers and Producers Respond to Incentives (9–12).

Illuminations
In Supply and Demand - An Application of Linear Equations (9–12), students create and solve a system of linear equations in a simulation of a real-world setting involving the marketing of a cartoon-character doll. By solving the system, students find the equilibrium point for supply and demand.