Each of the provided poems describes an animal. Specifically, they describe a Beanie Baby, as suggested both by the title of the puzzle and the flavor text (suggesting both fads and collecting). Each of these animals was only produced once as a Beanie Baby.
The poems are stylistically similar to the poems on the tags for Beanie Babies, and in fact contain the same number of words in each line as the original poem. In each poem, one word is in the same position as it occurred in the original poem, highlighted here:
Beanie Baby | Puzzle poem | Original poem |
---|---|---|
Patti the Platypus |
Went Spotted a creature with duck’s bill Waddling her way through the lake Wanting to hide to avoid a snake! |
Ran Believe me she wouldn’t stop talking Listened and listened to her speak That would explain her extra large beak! |
Twitterbug the Cicada |
You hear us as nighttime falls You think we’re crickets with their chirpy calls Some years we all make Then we die, it’s our routine! |
Once every dozen years or more It’s time for me to hit the door I make a lot of That is what a cicada does! |
Buzzy the Buzzard |
Moving through a Scouting where I’ll go for a bite Where dead meat lays upon the ground That’s the place where I will be found! |
Up in the I love to soar way up high When I swoop down, don’t run away ’cause all I want to do is play! |
Sledge the Hammerhead Shark |
Sometimes you see me swimming in a school Thinking I’m quite a tool If you look and see my fin glide You’ll want to disappear |
Of all the sharks to swim the sea The most unusual is me My head is flat, my eyes are wide But I am beautiful |
Glow the Lightning Bug |
I’m easily spotted though I don’t make sound Because I flicker to help I’m always flashing so you can see To chase around and try to catch me! |
To find me when you want to play Look for my light to I’ll be the brightest in the park I’m the Beanie that glows in the dark! |
Hornsly the Triceratops |
With three The frill completed an awesome bod To keep my health I didn’t eat meat My species still went down in defeat! |
I have Some people run away in fright But I don’t want to scare you away All I want to do is play! |
Tracker the Basset Hound |
Known for Not too tall from head to toes With sagging skin and drooping ears I get excited as the rabbit nears! |
Sniffing and Tracker the basset always wags his tail It doesn’t matter what you do He’s always happy when he’s with you! |
Reading the first letter of each word in order yields the answer,
INSIGHT
.