In the winter of 1996, parents across America trampled each other on Black Friday and scoured stores in vain for the hottest Christmas toy of the year – and perhaps of all time.
It was “Tickle Me Elmo” from Tyco, a Sesame Street spinoff that launched a must-have craze not seen since the Cabbage Patch Kids a decade prior.
The furry red doll – which exchanged giggles for tickles and hugs – retailed for $30, but went for as much as $1,000 on the secondary market at the height of the craze.
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