No one saw Tickle Me Elmo coming. Retailers were blindsided by the plush, vibrating Sesame Street character鈥檚 popularity, which with low inventory numbers created a furor not seen since the Cabbage Patch Kids鈥� heyday. Shoppers plagued with 鈥淓lmo-mania鈥� fought their way through the 1996 Christmas season, which resulted in a concussion for at least one Wal-Mart store clerk. Demand for the $28.99 battery-operated laughing Elmo was so frantic that some were listed in classified ads for up to $1,500.
The Tickle Me Elmo craze further cemented Elmo鈥檚 emerging status as the most popular character of the 鈥淪esame Street鈥� gang. He went on to star in two feature films, 鈥�The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland鈥� and 鈥淓lmo Saves Christmas,鈥� and guest star on 鈥淭he West Wing.鈥� He currently hosts the final 15 minutes of every 鈥淪esame Street鈥� episode in a segment entitled 鈥淓lmo鈥檚 World.鈥�
