Laughing all the way to the bank: Elmo creators say parents caused ticklish situation
Fisher Price's Tickle Me Elmo is on display in an undated photo. Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images
This story originally appeared in Newsday in 1996.
Adults, not children, are behind a frenzy over Tickle Me Elmo, with the crimson stuffed doll fetching close to $2,000 on the black market, according to toy industry experts.
Elmo has been a favorite of preschoolers since he debuted on Sesame Street in 1987, but few children are asking Santa Claus for the $28 Tickle Me Elmo.
“This wasn't a toy we advertised to kids … Many don't even know it exists,” said Bruce W. Maguire, a spokesman for Tyco Preschool, the Manhattan-based manufacturer of Elmo toys. “This is an adult-driven craze.”
Tyco Preschool promises more Elmos are on the way from its factory in China. Still, there won't be enough to meet estimated holiday demand of 2 million units.
“We are shipping every day and hope to have 1 million Tickle Me Elmos in the hands of children by Christmas,” said Neil Friedman, president of Tyco Preschool. His advice to shoppers: Be persistent and patient; Elmo's coming.
At Toys R Us, customers get rain checks only; the retailer doesn't expect to honor all of them until April.
Fisher Price's Tickle Me Elmo is on display in an undated photo. Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images
Nelson Perez of Huntington is determined to find the elusive Tickle Me Elmo for his 8-year-old niece, Melissa.
“I've been to about fifty stores and still can't find a Tickle Me Elmo,” Perez said. “I'm going crazy, but I'm not going to give up.” He is willing to pay as much as $400 for the toy.
That may not be enough, judging from the classified advertising in yesterday's Newsday, in which asking prices ranged from $275 to $2,000.
A Suffolk County man is asking $2,000 apiece for his seven dolls. He initially purchased the Tickle Me Elmos for his nieces but then decided to sell them to the highest bidder. The nieces will receive the less popular Elmo dolls that recite the ABCs and play music.
He said he has sold three Elmo dolls for $1,725, $1,200 and $800, respectively. He plans to use his profits to pay bills since he recently was discharged from the U.S. Navy due to a bad ankle.
The Elmo craze is a boon for the $20-billion toy industry, according to Frank Reysen, editor of the trade journal Playthings. “Megahit” toys such as Cabbage Patch dolls, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers and now Tickle Me Elmo get customers into the stores and translate into millions of dollars worth of additional toy sales, he said.
Previous megahits, however, were created by children's enthusiasm and Saturday cartoon shows, Reysen said.
The Elmo phenomenon started with public relations that garnered exposure on the “Rosie O'Donnell Show” and “Today.” Press reports followed.
“I know people are saying Tyco created this situation by purposely not making enough toys to meet the demand, but that isn't true. They produced 400,000 Elmos, which was what retailers initially ordered,” said Ron Dubren, who invented Tickle Me Elmo along with Greg Hyman. The duo will share in the $22 million the doll is expected to generate this Christmas.
Dubren said the toy's popularity stems from its ability to capture people's imagination. “The heart of this idea is tickling, a universal human experience, and the soul is Elmo,” he said.
Dubren just wishes adults would calm down. “You will be able to get this toy next year,” he said. “What's the hurry?”
Besides, Tyco Preschool plans to have new tickle dolls of Seasame Street characters Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Ernie in stores in January.
Options Under the Tree
With less than a week before Christmas, shoppers are frantic to find popular toys.
But experts said there are many alternatives to Tickle Me Elmo and other hard-to-find playthings.
“Alternatives do exist, you just have to be creative in finding them,” said Melanie Levy, marketing maven for Pangea Corp., a California-based toy design company. Pangea recently established a site on the World Wide Web where parents can receive advice on toy buying. The Web site is at http://www.pangeatoynet.com.
Levy suggested a friendly stuffed alien from the movie “Toy Story” as a substitute for Tickle Me Elmo. The talking alien doll, which sells for $20, comes with a head that lights up.
Tyco Preschool, the maker of Elmo, is urging frustrated parents to consider other Elmo dolls that play music, recite the ABCs and play in the bathtub.
Substitutes for other hot toys include:
Nintendo 64
This $200 video game system is almost as hard to find as Tickle Me Elmo. Pangea suggests the less-expensive Sony Play Station, which comes with three games; Nintendo games are sold separately for between $40 and $75.
Nintendo spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan said, “Parents may want to tide themselves over by purchasing some games and renting a system from Blockbuster Video.”
Blockbuster rents the Nintendo 64 system plus one game for three evenings at $17. Only regular customers may use the system, and a $150 deposit is required.
Barbie Fashion Designer CD-ROM
If you cannot locate this $45 computer software, which makes clothing for Barbie dolls, consider other titles like Barbie Storymaker and Barbie Paint 'n Play, each about $30.
101 Dalmatians
Toys based on this hit movie from Walt Disney Co. are selling well, said Michael J. Madden, president of U.S. operations for Toys R Us. But he said there are generic Dalmatian playthings that are very attractive and plentiful.
James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.
