TORONTO and LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ - Mighty Beanz, the new whacky, plastic 'bean' shaped collectables, have officially become the latest 'craze' to hit the toy industry with online re-sales being recorded daily throughout the web at hundreds of dollars more than retail value.

"It is rare for a collectable to be valued so highly, by so many people, so early in its lifecycle that such large volumes would re-sell at such high prices," said toy industry expert Chris Byrne content director for TimetoPlayMag.com, a.k.a. "THE TOY GUY(R)". "That Mighty Beanz just re-launched one month ago and is already performing so well is very exciting to see, and a great sign for the industry. With New York Toy Fair beginning this weekend, a product with a known track record, a great price point and demonstrated collectability is right on trend for what both consumers and retailers are looking for out of the show."

Mighty Beanz are plastic 'bean' shaped characters that roll with an unpredictable movement. Each bean belongs to a specific "Bean Team", that kids collect, trade and play with due to their zany and eccentric look and feel. Each Mighty Beanz Bean Team has a rarity level - common, rare and ultra rare - that signifies its collectable value. More than 100 new Beanz are being introduced throughout Early 2010 and some Beanz will be incredibly rare and difficult to find. Mighty Beanz are one of the most popular collectables ever having sold more than 100 million units during its original launch between 2003 and 2006. As the toy industry has shown time and again, history repeats itself and this is the second time that Mighty Beanz have been re-sold online. After its initial launch the rarest Mighty Beanz were often found re-selling online for hundreds of dollars more than their retail sale price.

"Only a few brands in history experience such rapid retail success that demand for the product results in online re-sales at mark-ups far higher than retail prices just weeks after it launches", said Mark Sullivan, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Spin Master Ltd. "That Mighty Beanz has experienced this phenomenon twice in its short lifetime is a very exciting experience and something we are very proud of."

The new 2010 line of Mighty Beanz was launched in January and are available widely across the U.S. and Canada, and are selling fast. The new 2010 Mighty Beanz feature all new graphics, new Bean Teams, and even new bean shapes such as Mega Beanz that stand up and have their own distinct movement.

Stock due to hit Australian shelves late February

SOURCE Spin Master Ltd.