1996: Tickle Me, Elmo
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The Tyco company was unprepared for how much success these Elmo toys would have. In fact, they sold out almost immediately, sparking scalpers to resell the toys for hundreds of dollars.
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This created a black market industry of projecting what the hot toy would be for each holiday season and then buying up all available stock only to resell on the internet to desperate parents. This black market continues today, just wait until the holiday season starts.
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