Episode 25: Christmas Toy Riots

Posted Jen Tierney
Parents waiting in line at a toy store to purchase Cabbage Patch dolls in 1983.

Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like an angry mob of customers fighting over a children’s toy. With the advent of online shopping, crazy store riots may seem like things of the past.  So let’s take a trip down memory lane to the late 80s and mid-90s, when such events did occur around the holiday season.  Specifically when it came to loving parents wanting to get their children the hot new toy of the season.  Enter the Cabbage Patch Kids and the Tickle Me Elmo dolls.  In this week’s episode, Diane tells us what made these toys so popular, and what lengths parents would go to in order to secure one to place under the tree. Buckle up, cause it is a wild ride!

Run Time: 33 minutes, 46 seconds

Two–and–a–half year– old Nicholas Barrientos of Culver City and mother, Kristine, check out large Elmos sitting on toy store counter while clerk rings up their Tickle Me Elmo Friday morning. They were among some 50 folks lucky enough to have their lottery ticket drawn for opportunity to purchase the popular doll. (Photo by Ken Lubas/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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