Sammy the Bear

Sammy the Bear is the baseball bear the Chicago Cubs gave away in 1999. The club raffled 100 at its convention on 15 January 1999, then gave out 12,000 at the game against the New York Mets on 25 April 1999. The convention bears are the far smaller group.

Sammy has been counterfeited, which is worth keeping in mind for a bear that a 12,000-piece giveaway put into so many hands. No tells specific to him are documented, so compare a candidate closely with a known genuine example, or buy one that has been authenticated.