Remembering That Must-Have Toy From Past Christmases

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It is Christmas, and few things make kids scream and shout like Santa Claus and the promise of gifts. But children are not the only ones who get worked up. We all know that. Every year there are certain toys that whip the entire country into a frenzy.

NOEL KING, HOST:

And so this Christmas Day we thought we'd look back at some of the most memorable gift crazes of years past.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As Elmo, laughter) I'm getting tickled.

GREENE: Oh, no.

KING: You know that laugh. That's Tickle Me Elmo, the giggling, red fuzzball that took the country by storm in '96. Elmo impressively managed to frustrate both parents who couldn't get one for their kid and also parents who did and then had to hear that laugh for hours on end.

GREENE: Well, if you remember that laugh, here is another iconic talker.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As Furby) I'm very happy.

GREENE: Furby - remember Furby, the Christmas craze from 1998? Talked, winked, purred. Well, Furby has actually grown up in nearly 20 years since its release. Now there is even a Bluetooth version.

KING: And this next toy has never had any blue teeth, but a few people did get black eyes trying to get their hands on one.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When the doors opened at this Wilkes-Barre, Pa., store, the pushing and shoving began. One woman was knocked to the floor and suffered a broken leg.

KING: What was that all about? Cabbage Patch Kids.

GREENE: What is wrong with us?

(LAUGHTER)

GREENE: So depending on your kid's taste in movies, you might be waking up to this sound this morning.

(SOUNDBITE OF PORG CHIRPING)

GREENE: That is a porg. It is one of those cuddly aliens from the new "Star Wars" movie. They are among the best-selling stuffed animals on Amazon this Christmas, and they are adorable. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.