Ty Inc. (Illinois, USA) 1996 Mel the Koala Bear Beanie Baby

"Mel" the Koala Bear Beanie Baby has a gray body, white belly and inner ears, black glossy eyes and nose, and black embroidered smile.  Mel was born on January 15, 1996, introduced on January 1, 1997, and retired on March 31, 1999.  Mel rests on its belly, is filled with polyester fiber and P.V.C. pellets, and measures 5" across the arms and is 8" long.  The 4th generation swing tag is attached and is in good condition, with some light wear along the crease noted.  The 4th generation tush tag is in good condition and the koala is in pristine condition, with no flaws.   The Poem Inside the Swing Tag How do you name a Koala bear? It's rather tough, I do declare! It confuses me, I get into a funk I'll name him Mel after my favorite hunk ! About Beanie Babies Beanie Babies are a line of PVC pellet-filled toys created by Ty Warner in 1991, reached their peak in popularity in mid-1990s, and ceased operations in December 1999.  Due to popular demand, Ty Inc. restarted in 2000 with a Beanie Ba