Beanie Babies took the world by storm in the 90s. You couldn't go to any store without finding a Beanie Baby display. Even gas stations and corner stores were selling Beanie Babies. You know it's a big fad when stores like that sell your merchandise. Hell, look at fidget spinners. You could go to a health food store and they'd be selling fidget spinners. It made no sense. Sure, the gas stations and corner stores usually sold the bootleg versions of Beanie Babies, like Sack Friends or Soft Animal Buddies, but it still goes to show how popular they were.
Now I think there are some Beanie Babies that are worth a lot of money, but most of them are worthless, unless you value cuddles and hugs. Don't expect to make it rich when you inherit grandma's collection, but do make sure you do your research on them. You just might get lucky.