I know this is an odd question, but on E-Bay I often see plastic Idaho® potato pins offered as historical collectible items for as much as $9.99. Same thing with a Spuddy Buddy plush toy often listed with or without a red sweater. Are these really collectibles? How many were produced?

I am tempted to write the seller and explain that many have been produced over the years and that they may have sentimental value or be an important part of Idaho memorabilia, but as of yet they are still available for purchase every day at our online store. Just go to this link and you can have a brand new version.

As far as production numbers, the potato pins are typically ordered in quantities of a quarter of a million at a time… so much for rarity. The first versions of the Spuddy Buddy character were part of a promotion and 150,000 were produced. If you have one, enjoy it for the fun but don’t expect to be able to retire by saving it and selling it later.