#1 Bear was given to Ty sales representatives in 1998. The red bear has a silver “#1” embroidered on its chest, and each of the 253 examples carries an individually numbered hang tag signed by Ty Warner.
The name of the release and the number of an individual bear are two different things. Every bear in the edition is a #1 Bear, but only one is numbered 1 of 253. The reference photograph shows that first-numbered example.
The original signed, numbered tag is central to identifying the release. Record the individual number alongside the bear’s condition and any provenance. Low numbers can attract particular collector interest, but they are examples within the same edition.
