At first glance, Devin Silva described the brown plushie toy they spotted at CVS as “ugly.” With its big blue eyes and embroidered frosting details, Silva said it looked “weirdly shaped” and “kind of like a dog.”
But Silva, 18, decided to get the Ty toy anyway, and posted a picture to X about the purchase.
“saw this guy and said Ew ew ew ew ew ew ugly and then felt so bad i cried and bought him,” Silva wrote on X on Dec. 13.
Then the responses began flooding in — by Wednesday, over 27 million people had viewed the original post on X. Within days, the Ty toy has gained a cult following similar to its predecessor: the classic Beanie Baby. It has been flying off the shelves, with more people joining Silva in posting pictures of it online after they purchased it.
“just so you know i woke up from a bad dream and immediately looked up this post so he can cheer me up and it’s working,” wrote one X user.
“despite the adversity, he still manages to put on a genuine smile his willpower brings me to tears,” wrote another.
Cookie has sold out online and been restocked twice since Silva posted about it, according to posts on Ty’s X account. Ty even gave Silva a shout-out, thanking them “for showing the internet the cuteness of Cookie.”
Many people have posted artistic renditions of the plushie, including a crochet version of him. Some have made fan edits. On Reddit, one user posted to ask where they can find Cookie in stores. Cookie has even been described by some fans online as a “celebrity.”
Silva, who did not expect such an overwhelming response, has continued to post photos of Cookie joining them for various meals. The teenager said they think people online gravitated toward Cookie’s redemption arc, from being called “ugly” to becoming so beloved.
“Especially nowadays, we really needed something just to laugh about,” Silva said.
Cookie is technically a Beanie Belly, not a Beanie Baby. The latest version of Beanies, which were unveiled in 2021, “are made from the softest material ever used in Ty’s company history,” the company said in a news release at the time.
Ty’s website markets Cookie as “sweet as can be, with frosting details and a warm, gingerbread smile.” He “loves holiday carols and cozy evenings by the fire,” the description states.
Inside Cookie’s tag, a poem reads: “Put milk out for Santa
And some sweet treats, too
Let’s wait for the presents
That he’ll bring for you”
Some X users noted under Silva’s post that the plush appeared misshapen and disproportionate — which is precisely why others have said they like it.
“People like me who are neurodivergent or have ADHD or anything like that, we feel such strong emotions,” Silva added. “And sometimes we feel things like that towards inanimate objects, which is why a lot of us collect trinkets and stuff. I think a lot of people just really resonated with that.”
Silva said they’ve gotten in contact with Ty about potentially getting swag from the company, although they have not received anything yet. Representatives for Ty did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Next on Silva’s list of holiday purchases: Cookie’s “big brother,” Nutmeg, who is a slightly bigger gingerbread from Ty’s Beanie Boo collection. They plan on making a visit to their local CVS stores and other Beanie Bellies retailers to see if Cookie is sold out.
“That’d be really cool to see how far it reached,” Silva said.
