Christmas might be the season of goodwill and cheer, but it the biggest trend each year can lead to some seriously frightful moments. While it may not involve running around physical stores to see if the must-have gift is on the shelves, instead hunting online, the latest trend can be hard to secure.
And if you don’t want to leave your little ones disappointed, it might just get a little manic. We decided to dive back into the history books to dig out some of the best Christmas gifts that were crazy popular.
You might have even had some of them on your list to Santa Claus back in the day. Do you have any horror stories when Christmas gift hunting, you can email me: [email protected].
You might have even had some of them on your list to Santa Claus back in the day. Do you have any horror stories when Christmas gift hunting, you can email me: [email protected].
5. Tickle Me Elmo - 1996
One of the most famous Christmas toy crazes, the Tickle Me Elmo plush took the world by storm after being released in 1996. Originally hitting the shelves in July of that year, by Christmas it had provoked what has been described as a “shopping frenzy”. | JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
6. Furby - 1998
It was certainly not a silent night in many homes on Christmas 1998 because Furby was the ‘must have’ gift that year - and as the kids say these days, it wouldn’t stop yapping. Demand was so high that 1.8 million were reportedly sold in the first year of its release. A report from Arlington, Texas that year described how the frenzy for the toy was ‘fuelling fast-offs’ in shops. | YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images Photo: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images
7. Nintendo Wii - 2006
Nintendo released its highly anticipated - and soon to be massively popular - new console the Wii in the run up to Christmas 2006. Demand was so high that not only was it a struggle to get one at launch, it was still hard to get one a year later for Christmas 2007. | YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images Photo: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images
8. Frozen dolls - 2014
Not a specific toy per-say, but the Frozen frenzy was well and truly in full flow over Christmas 2014. The demand for toys like Snow Glow Elsa and Frozen Sparkle Doll were huge and NY Post reported there were ‘physical fights’ over dolls in a Disney store. Guess, they couldn’t ‘Let It Go’. | JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images