What toy craze caused widespread panic buying and even fights during the 1996 holiday season?

During the 1996 holiday season, a particular interactive plush toy featuring a beloved red Muppet character from a children's television show sparked an unprecedented consumer frenzy, leading to widespread panic buying and even physical altercations. This toy, which laughed and vibrated when squeezed, became the must-have item for countless children and, consequently, their desperate parents. Its simple yet engaging design, combined with the immense popularity of the character, set the stage for one of the most memorable toy crazes in history.

Released in July 1996 by Tyco Preschool, the toy initially sold well but truly rocketed to stardom after being featured on popular television shows, most notably "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" in October. This exposure, coupled with limited initial production numbers, created a perfect storm as the Christmas shopping season approached. Stores quickly sold out of their stock, and the demand far outstripped supply. Retailers found themselves besieged by frantic shoppers, leading to chaotic scenes in aisles and parking lots.

The scarcity of the toy drove its retail price of around $28.99 to astronomical figures on the secondary market, with some instances of the doll reselling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. More alarmingly, the intense desire to secure one of these plush figures led to numerous reports of pushing, shoving, and even outright fights among shoppers. A notable incident involved a Walmart employee in Canada who was trampled by a crowd of 300 people rushing for a limited supply of the toys, sustaining a broken rib, pulled hamstring, and concussion. This phenomenon underscored the extraordinary lengths parents would go to fulfill their children's holiday wishes, transforming a simple toy into a symbol of holiday desperation.