Hey there, fans of Sesame Street! Here's everything we know about the soon-to-be-released Tickle Me Elmo, your kid's future bestie. But first, some fun facts.
#1 The original Tickle Me Elmo debuted in 1996 from TYCO and retails for around $100 on eBay. In case you were wondering, that one shakes, giggles and says "That tickles!"
#2 A prototype critter called Tickles the Chimp was the first step in creating Tickle Me Elmo. The technology for Tickles the Chimp was going to be used in a toy called Tickle Me Tasmanian Devil (back when TYCO had rights to Looney Tunes and not Sesame Street), but clearly Elmo ended up being the best fit.
#3 In 2001, there was a "Surprise Edition" of Tickle Me Elmo, where five of the Tickle Me Elmo products sold stopped laughing on Jan 9, 2002, signaling that the purchaser had won a prize. The grand prize of the five Elmos won $200,000! #whatttt
Okay, okay, back to the news. Fall 2017's Tickle Me Elmo will be released online Aug 16, will be geared towards children ages 18 mos–4 years and will retail for approximately $29.99. Along with his usual funny sayings, this Elmo is slightly smaller than the previous version (sized more appropriately for preschool hands) and has two touch points (his tummy or feet) that make him laugh, move and shake.
Looking for even more great kids' gear? Explore our favorite outdoor toys for kids, fun local toy stores and the best toy stores in the world, ranked!