Toy collectors and cultural anthropologists, take note. The Beanie Babies 2.0 Collection has arrived in stores, with a Web-ready scratch-off code on every heart-shaped tag. The original Beanie Babies were a low-tech phenomenon that made the toy magnate Ty Warner $6 billion. But that was pre-Internet. Today, Web-connected collectibles like Webkinz and Neopets have taken the spotlight, and the secretive team at Ty Inc. has struck back. “My intention was to take the original concept of Beanie Babies and reintroduce it to a new generation of children,” Mr. Warner said via e-mail. Once you register a pet at www.beaniebabies20.com, you see an on-screen version amid Flash-based beanstalks and jelly beans. Unlike Webkinz, this pet has a house that is already decorated and there is no expiration date. But there is less to do for your $6, with games unlocked only with the purchase of a second, third or fourth pet. Considering the effect this might have on a persistent child, a more accurate name for the site might be Catalog 2.0. WARREN BUCKLEITNER of NY Times
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