In "The Great Beanie Baby Bubble," Zac Bissonnette masterfully chronicles the extraordinary rise and precipitous fall of one of the 1990s' most unbelievable phenomena. With a narrative as plush and colorful as the Beanie Babies themselves, Bissonnette weaves together the tales of dreamers, schemers, and believers who turned a simple children's toy into a cultural and economic juggernaut. At the heart of this frenzy was Ty Warner, an enigmatic college dropout, who, without traditional advertising or the help of major retailers, transformed his quirky line of stuffed animals into a billion-dollar empire, captivating the imaginations and wallets of adults and children alike. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Bissonnette reveals how Beanie Babies became not just toys but talismans of a speculative mania, drawing parallels to the historical tulip fever of the Dutch Golden Age. As the bubble expanded, so did the madness, with Beanie Babies accounting for an astonishing ten percent of eBay's early sales, their prices soaring to several times their retail value. Yet, as swiftly as fortunes were made, they were lost, leaving in their wake a trail of financial ruin and shattered dreams. Bissonnette doesn't just recount the financial implications but delves deep into the human side of the Beanie Baby craze, from a man whose life is consumed by his 40,000 Ty products to the tragic tale of a murder over Beanie Baby debt. "The Great Beanie Baby Bubble" is a compelling account of greed, obsession, and the dark side of the American dream, a definitive exploration of a speculative bubble that became a cultural touchstone for a generation.