Back in the mid-1990s, people were buying up Beanie Babies, not as toys, but as investments. The collectable stuffed animals were supposed to rise in value, especially when a particular model was "retired" from manufacture. A book published in 1998 catalogued the available models and predicted how much they would rise in value in ten years. The speculation in Beanie Babies seems laughable now, as models that were predicted to bring in thousands of dollars are now available on eBay for a few dollars. Link
Nowadays I buy Beanie Babies for a dollar or two at thrift stores to use for Cosplay props.