The Beanie Bubble

How did it all start?

I mean, my girls inspired the first Beanies.

I was employee number 12.

Three years later, we were the most profitable toy company in the world.

Ty would tell you he did it all, but that's bullshit.

We built that company together.

From nothing.

I mean, that's the whole point of America, right?

Work hard. Build something good.

Get yourself in the right place at the right time, and boom.

We didn't set out to make America lose its mind,

but that's what happened.

Was it crazy to turn stuffed animals into investments?

It was a crazy time.

The Internet was new. The Boomers were taking over.

But we turned Beanie Babies into little plush lotto tickets.

At the peak of the bubble, more than half the country owned one.

Ty was the one with his name on the tag. The one who made billions.

But he couldn't have done it without the three of us.

- He didn't do it without the three of us. - Ty!

So this story's not about him.

It's about us.

I met Ty back in the '80s

when we were living in the same apartment building.

Oh, God, not my husband!

- Ma'am, I need you to just back up, okay? - Oh, my God. Is this Billy?

When his dad died.

Oh, shit.

Billy,

did you take your meds?

Did you take your meds today?

Yeah.

Did you pick up more Tab?

Yeah.

- Hi. - I'm so sorry for your loss.

I baked this.

- Here, I'll just put it down for you. - Yeah. Okay.

Yeah, it's a lasagna. Maybe just here?

I'm not psycho.

I dissect them to see how they're made for work.

Not for fun. But to be honest, it is pretty fun.

Right.

My dad would say, "You gotta make your own luck.

You can't wait for your ship to come in, Son. You gotta build your own ship."

That's what he would say.

- Have you told your mom yet? - Oh, God, no.

She is a violent paranoid schizophrenic who abandoned us years ago.

Where was your dad for all this?

On the road, selling toys.

Oh, man.

It's okay. Was better that way.

Otherwise he would be at home, beating the crap out of me.

Wait. I--

- I thought you two were so close. - No.

The only time my dad was proud of me

is when our girlfriend told him how good I was in bed.

-"Our girlfriend." - Yeah, the same woman.

- You dated the same woman? - No.

- At the same time? - No, not--

- No, not always at the same time, no. - Okay.

We're gonna need another.

I do and do not want to know much, much more.

My story started ten years later,

when I first walked into the offices of Ty Inc.

I was a 17-year-old college freshman just trying to land a temp job.

Not usher in a new era of capitalism.

You'd be expected to brush and tweeze the display cats.

- Oh, wow. You're serious. - Yeah.

But the job's mainly the phones. Four hours a day, plus some Saturdays.

You said you're in school?

- Yeah, I'm in school-- - Roberta, sweetie,

you need to come tell me which one of these looks like marigold.

You pressed "Intercom All" again. And no.

Bye.

Yeah, I'm in school, but the schedule's not a problem.

I just need money.

Tuition's tough these days, huh?

I've got a scholarship. It's for rent.

If I keep living at home, my soul will soon be fully crushed.

We pay minimum wage. Not sure that's a salvation salary.

You don't know how cheap my soul is.

We do what we gotta do, right?

This just pays my bungee bills.

Oh, Robbie, I need you. Robbie?

Rose, which color is better?

- Don't know, don't care. - What about you? What do you think?

I'm not really a cat person.

Are you an amazing things person?

Yeah, I wouldn't go yellow at all. Too mild.

These little punks wanna be tiger-striped.

But wouldn't stripes make them too convict-y?

Well, cats are outlaws. Convict-y is kinda their appeal.

Yes.

Rose, she has a good point. What--

Rose, what are you looking at?

We'll get to that later.

Don't go anywhere.

Does that mean I'm hired?

It did.

But obviously none of this would have happened without Sheila.

Mr. President and Mrs. Clinton,

and Americans everywhere.

A Rock, A River, A Tree Hosts...

It certainly wasn't my dream designing lights for people like Ty.

I did it to pay the bills, to support my girls.

Well, I've been waiting since 9:00. Does he need to reschedule?

Honestly, if I were you, I'd just bail.

I wanted the world to be better for them.

I wanted it to get kinder and happier and more human.

I wanted it to hurry up.

Lights, right? I'll be right with ya.

The UK is a mess, and it's not my fault.

And the last thing I would do is to hire incompetent partners--

Excuse me, what are you doing?

Do you often keep people waiting three hours?

It has been a hectic--

'Cause I told my sick daughters I'd be back as quick as I could,

and then I waited here

- for longer than a human should-- - I run a company

- that's highly unpredictable-- - Okay. I know you're busy.

And I know you're rich.

But I also know that life is too short to waste on assholes,

so please move your car, or I'll move it for you less gently.

I got better places to be.

Wow.

May I come?

I am not joking.

I am so sorry. Let me make it up to you. Let me take you to dinner.

No. I only eat dinner with my daughters.

Well, I'll take all of you. It'll be fun. Kids love me.

Look, this isn't personal. I--

Despite what I said about you being an asshole--

Assholes used to be my type. I just-- I don't date anymore.

Anyone? Ever?

No. Not till my girls grow up.

Goodbye.

Okay.

- Your loss. - Okay.

- Are you sure? - Yeah, I'm sure.

Mommy, when is it gonna warm up?

That is a great question. You know what?

Soon.

And if it doesn't,

we're gonna go to Uncle Jeremy's, stay the night there.

He's not really our uncle.

No, but he really is a Jeremy. I think.

- We got it! - Hang on, girls.

- Are you Sheila Harper's daughters? - Yeah. Who's asking?

This is from Mr. Ty Warner. He hopes that they're feeling better.

- Okay. Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Thanks! - Hang on.

- What is it? - I don't know. Let's find out.

Let's get the door.

All right. Hang on, hang on.

- Okay. - Oh, my gosh!

Oh, my God.

Ty was good at knowing what people wanted.

Wow, look at all of this.

First, I wanted to be a wide receiver in the NFL.

Then I wanted to star in air shows. I stole a crop plane to practice.

Then I wanted to beat up Sam Walton.

The Walmart guy?

Walmart puts family stores out of business.

- Well, I think you could take him. - Duh.

Damn it, I had so many plans back in Arkansas.

Life was gonna be so fun if I just got out into it.

Like, I left--

I left so that I wouldn't get stuck taking care of people.

I wanted to live my life for me.

And here I am. This tub.

Look at this.

- It's like I'm my mother. - Dad was hiding the good stuff.

I like good stuff.

- Scotch. Yeah. - Me. Oh, yeah, yeah.

So graceful.

We should be synchronized swimmers!

- From now on. - Robbie, Robbie.

Listen to me.

You can do anything you want. You're not stuck.

You're tough, and you're strong.

Let's start our own business, you and me.

A synchronized swimming business?

A stuffed Himalayan cat business.

A synchronized stuffed Himalayan swimming business?

- I'm serious. Well-- - Robbie!

- Robbie, is that you? - No!

What?

How are you even walking?

I sold all my dad's antiques so we could start

our own business together.

The swimming thing?

The cats. Yeah, the stuffed cats.

Don't you understand? This is happening.

This is the first day of the rest of your life, young lady.

Could you just take it down a little bit?

This is the first day of the rest of your life.

Here we are.

- Okay. For you. - Wow.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

For you. It's hot. Hot, hot.