Collectors Fire Volley of Dolls

A South Coast Plaza store says it tried to make the most of a bull market on stuffed bears, but nearly found itself with a riot Wednesday.

When the Rainforest Cafe announced it was selling 500 rare Beanie Baby stuffed animals, 200 people camped out overnight to get first dibs. Up for grabs were the hard-to-find, Kelly green Erin Bear and the purple Princess Bear, named in honor of Princess Diana.

A month ago, the Princess Bear sold there for $12. But when the doors opened Wednesday morning, the price had risen to $75.

“It’s the greediest thing. I can’t even believe it,” said Amanda Williams, who arrived with her husband at 3 a.m. to wait for the store to open at 10.

The mood of the crowd turned sour when store officials announced the higher price just before opening. Irate customers began chanting “$12, $12,” and Costa Mesa police came to prevent a riot when people tried to cut in line, said Mark Cummings, a 25-year-old collector from Costa Mesa who had waited since 3:45 a.m.

Last week, the cafe’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis sent out a memo announcing the price increase for all its locations, said Stacy Templeton, sales supervisor at the South Coast Plaza store.

“It’s still cheaper than they can get anywhere else,” she said.

Internet sites devoted to the toys listed Erin and Princess bears as high as $300 apiece. And many customers were undeterred by the cafe’s price.

The store started with 300 Erin Bears and 200 Princess Bears at 10 a.m. Templeton said nine hours later only a dozen of each remained.

While Nordstrom in South Coast Plaza sells the toys for $4.95, they only stock the more common bears.

“We will never have the Princess Bear. It would just be too hard to have it,” Nordstrom sales associate Michelle Uriarte said.

It’s bad enough selling the other bears, said a Nordstrom saleswoman who declined to give her name. A recent shipment of 6,000 bears was gone within hours.

“They were shoving each other like it was the last piece of meat on Earth,” she said. “It’s a real crazy thing.”

Two weeks ago at a store in Ventura, police had to restrain a woman who cursed the children ahead of her in line when she realized the Princess and Erin bears were about to sell out. About 100 people had waited five hours for 24 bears.

Williams, 27, of Costa Mesa, said that instead of buying the Princess Bear she had been counting on Wednesday, she settled for a $7 tie-dyed Peace Bear.

Cummings said, “I just feel bad for the little kids.”

Ty Inc., the manufacturer of Beanie Babies, “made them for the little kids to collect, but now they can’t afford it,” he said. “It was just brutal today.”

Steve Carney can be reached at (714) 966-7700. His e-mail address: steve.carney@latimes.com