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It seems that every year, there’s one must-have holiday gift that takes the nation by storm. You probably even know the feeling of going from store to store trying to find that sought-after item and being frustrated only to find out that it’s sold out.
It’s a scenario that was captured, to iconic effect, in the ‘90s-era flick Jingle All the Way, which shows the absurd lengths people were willing to go to—even back then—to snatch those hard-to-get toys. Zealous shoppers clamored to get their hands on assorted Beanie Babies, plus Tickle Me Elmo and other coveted items. Ahead, you’ll find our picks for the most legendary holiday gift fads from the ’90s and the ’00s, from Apple iPods to Bratz dolls and beyond.
Tamagotchi
If you were in middle school during the late ‘90s, then it’s more than likely that you got a Tamagotchi at some point for the holidays. The Japanese-made toy from Bandai took the United States by storm when it first hit shelves in 1997, with many kids even begging their parents for one in lieu of having a real cat or dog at home. Others considered it the "pet rock of the '90s."
The toy, which at first glance looked like a colorful egg-shaped device, featured a small screen and a few action buttons. As it lived on a keychain, Tamagotchi was also a trendy fashion statement on the playground.
The life cycle of a Tamagotchi went from egg and baby stages all the way up to adult and senior age ranges. The objective of the toy was to provide round-the-clock care for this new digital pet. But the Tamagotchi was also so beloved that it sparked a sensation in 1997, with some folks even camping out in the streets to await new product shipments at local stores in order to nab one for themselves and their loved ones. Multiple hopeful kiddos even included the virtual pet toy in their letters to Santa during the 1997 holiday season.
Super Nintendo
After the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) during the ‘80s, the Japanese video game company released its sequel, the Super Nintendo (SNES), during the summer of 1991 in the United States. Much like its predecessor, the SNES was a big smash and one of the most coveted gifts for that holiday season.
One of the reasons why the SNES was so well-received was the gaming console’s pack-in game, Super Mario World, the sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3, one of the best-selling games of the late ‘80s. If you wanted to play Super Mario World, you had to get the SNES to play it. As a result, Super Mario World was the most popular game for the SNES, which went on to sell more than 49 million units worldwide by the end of its life cycle in 2003.
Bratz Dolls
Though they weren’t a big hit when the original dolls—Sasha, Yasmin, Cloe, and Jade—were first released in stores in May 2001, Bratz dolls eventually exploded in popularity by the 2002 Christmas season. Bratz were billed as the “anti-Barbie,” with fashion-forward looks and lots of glitz, glitter, and attitude. The dolls also had more of a teen-friendly look, intended to appeal to tweens.
In fact, in 2006, the dolls took about 40 percent of the fashion-doll market, cutting into Barbie’s market share. The Bratz brand was so popular during the 2000s that it spun off into an animated TV show, a web series, animated straight-to-video movies, CDs, and video games. There was even a live-action film, Bratz: The Movie, in 2007.
Talkboy
The Talkboy from Tiger Electronics started out as a prop in the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Writer John Hughes and 20th Century Fox teamed up with Tiger Electronics to create the gadget, which the film’s main character, Kevin McCallister, used to outsmart adults. Tiger saw the potential in an actual product, so with the movie studio’s permission, they released a working version of it.
The first version of the Talkboy—which came out in 1992—was just a cassette recorder and didn’t have the voice-altering features that appeared in Home Alone 2. Ahead of the next holiday season, Tiger made the Deluxe Talkboy, which did include the variable-speed voice changer feature. And thanks to an aggressive promotion with Home Alone 2’s home video release, the Deluxe Talkboy generated big sales and high consumer demand. It was tough to get your hands on the handheld cassette recorder, though, because it repeatedly sold out at retailers nationwide.
Apple iPods
Though it wasn’t responsible for the first portable MP3 player, Apple catapulted the digital music craze into the stratosphere with the release of the Apple iPod in November 2001. The iPod, with its promise to put “1000 songs in your pockets,” was a sensation during the holiday season, selling more than 125,000 units that year alone.
Apple introduced new models and features for the iPod—including video playback, compatibility with the iTunes Music Store, Mac, and Windows computers, and more—throughout the decade, which boosted sales even more. At its peak in 2008, more than 54 million units of the device were sold. By 2014, Apple had sold nearly 400 million iPods worldwide, and many more would follow before the iPod was discontinued in 2022.
Beanie Babies
Beanie Babies exploded in popularity during the mid-‘90s with children and adults alike. As the “Beanie Mania” bubble took hold for shoppers by the 1996 holiday season, some on-lookers compared it to the Cabbage Patch Doll obsession of the 1980s. (Americans even traveled to Canada during subsequent Christmas seasons to uncover their own slice of “Beanie Baby heaven,” in the form of stores carrying hard-to-find models.) These plush little stuffed toys also became a must-have on the collectors market. It wasn’t because of their cute and cuddly design, though—instead, it was due to the scarcity and rarity of specific Beanies. The company behind the Beanie Babies, Ty Inc., deliberately limited supply and produced new editions of the stuffed animals frequently, which only added to the frenzy.
Kids wanted Beanie Babies because of how fun and adorable they seemed. Adults started to track them down, though—and in some cases, stole them outright—believing the toys could be a good investment in the long run. In fact, at the height of their popularity in 1997, Beanie Babies accounted for 6 percent of total sales on eBay.
The fad started to die down by the end of the 1990s, in part due to online scams involving counterfeit Beanie Babies on the secondary market, which brought down the resale price of real Beanie Babies on sites like eBay. According to a 1998 poll, more than 60 percent of households in the United States had at least one Beanie Baby, so they were no longer as rare as they once seemed.
Razor Scooters
The Razor Scooter was all the rage when it was released in 2000. Not only was it named Toy of the Year for spring and summer by The Toy Association, thanks to its innovative design and the way it encouraged outdoor play, but NPR declared it one of the most sought-after gifts for kids of that Christmas season. By 2001, more than 5 million versions of the foldable scooter were getting pushed around sidewalks and playgrounds by happy kiddos. It was also the reason many, many children had scraped knees and made trips to the emergency room during the 2000s.
Tickle Me Elmo
When it was released in July 1996, Tickle Me Elmo wasn’t expected to make a huge impact on the toy industry. But after it was showcased on The Rosie O’Donnell Show that fall, the toy seemingly captured the public’s attention (and wallets around the country) in a singular way. Stores nationwide sold out by Black Friday.
By the time Christmas came along, the Sesame Street doll was a full-blown pop-culture phenomenon. Tyco Toys, the maker of Tickle Me Elmo, sold through their stock of 1 million units by the end of December 1996.
If shoppers couldn’t find one at their local store, they turned to newspaper classifieds ads and the fledgling internet to get their hands on it. There were reports that the doll, which retailed for $28.99, sold for thousands of dollars this way.
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