Long before Tickle Me Elmo cleared store shelves in a blink and prompted parents to offer hundreds of dollars to lucky buyers, he was just a red plush toy living with a former child genius who clai… ...

During the months leading up to Christmas 1996, the hottest toy across the land was Tyco’s Tickle Me Elmo, a doll that needed hugs, which in turn made him chuckle and vibrate.