The Beanie Baby expert:

These cute creatures have turned the world of collectibles upside down. At the epicenter: Mary Beth's Beanie World magazine.

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Advice bits
Write to Mary Beth Sobolewski for advice

Like King Solomon, Mary Beth Sobolewski can offer sage advice to those fighting over a baby. Again and again, the founder of Mary Beth's Beanie World magazine has heard about divorcing couples bickering over Beanie Babies. "You don't want to split them in half," counsels Sobolewski, 39. "All you'll be left with is a sack of beans and no value. Go through a price guide and split them up equitably."

At a time when a collection of all 212 Beanies is valued at $95,000 or so - though each retails for $5 to $7 - this is no small issue. Sobolewski, a mother of four and a former IBM engineer, was a passionate collector whose prowess as an Internet Beanie trader led her last year to create her publication. It's now a slick 250-page monthly with a circulation of 1 million, the biggest of several Beanie-themed magazines.

Collecting - whether stamps, coins, baseball cards or Beanies - is all about "the thrill of the hunt," Sobolewski says. But she knows the collector's mentality can be addictive, ruining relationships and tapping into our greediest impulses. Even though her magazine helps stir the frenzy with price guides, ads for "protective cases" and advice on getting $1,500 Beanie Baby riders for homeowner's insurance policies, Sobolewski urges against regarding Beanies as investments.

"Collect because you love to collect, not because you think your collection will be worth a million dollars someday," she says. "Enjoy the process and the product."

Half of the readers of Beanie World began collecting the little critters just in the past year, and 70 percent are adults, leading Sobolewski to believe Beanie mania is far from over. Among new Beanie Babies in stores this holiday season: a Santa Beanie and an angelic bear,

What does this phenomenon say about our society? "It could be that we need an escape from all the bad stuff in our world," says Sobolewski. "Beanies make us feel warm and loved and like a child again."

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BEANIE BITS

Beanie lovers aren't babies: "Giving out Beanies at sporting events has turned a lot of men into collectors. They used to pooh-pooh their wives' collections. Now they're collecting all by themselves." "Don't overindulge" kids: "Require that most purchases be made with their own allowance. If you're getting them a gift, make it for something special, like a good report card. Some people give kids a Beanie Baby every time they make their beds. That doesn't teach them much."

Invest at your own risk: "The Beanie market parallels the stock market. If a price goes up too quickly, it corrects itself. That's why you should collect Beanies you like [rather than focus on price]. You never know which ones will be valuable."

To spot a counterfeit Beanie: "Compare it to any real one. The fabric is usually rougher on the counterfeits, and the tags aren't right."

ASK MARY BETH FOR ADVICE

Mary Beth Sobolewski will write or call a reader who seeks advice. By Dec. 6, write to "Straight Talk," P.O. Box 3455, Chicago, Ill. 60654 (fax: 312-661-0375; e-mail: talk@usaweekend.com).
Photography by KIT WALLING FOR USA WEEKEND