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Furby, Tickle Me Elmo and Hatchimals: The must-have holiday toys of yesteryear

Check out the media player below for archival news coverage of the Tickle-Me-Elmo craze, the furor over Furbies and more.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2022
From Cabbage Patch Kids to Tickle-Me-Elmo, revisiting retro toy crazes
We dig into the Vault, with original coverage of Cabbage Patch Kid mania, the Tickle-Me-Elmo craze, the furor over Furbies and more.

Every few years, lightning strikes and parents find themselves chasing after a holiday toy so hot that even Santa himself might struggle to meet the demand. Fights break out in the aisles of toy stores while resellers rake in hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars for the must-have holiday toys that kids can't live without.

Take a look back at some of the toys that set the standard for the holiday shopping season in years past:

1996: Tickle Me Elmo

Two-year-old Nicholas Barrientos of Culver City and his mother, Kristine, check out large Elmos sitting on toy store counter while the clerk rings up their Tickle Me Elmo.
Two-year-old Nicholas Barrientos of Culver City and his mother, Kristine, check out large Elmos sitting on toy store counter while the clerk rings up their Tickle Me Elmo.
Ken Lubas/The LA Times
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