5 Toys Someone Got Trampled Over

Nowadays, the natural reaction to a Furby would be to kill it with hammers. But when it launched, it was inexplicably lusted after by all manner of young Americans. And parents who sought to provide their child with one of these horrible, squawking furballs with eyes that look like they can see hell were willing to put their well-being on the line. At a Walmart in Bethlehem, Arkansas, two women were injured, one “extensively,” when prospective Furby-owners stampeded into the location for a new shipment.

By modern toy standards, Cabbage Patch Kids probably would be a consolation prize. They don’t really do anything, and you can’t use them to play shockingly loud games on the subway. In 1983, though, there was nothing more important to a child’s mental peace than owning one, and the mission of obtaining them fell to their parents. 

Lackluster supply did no favors, and the results were “mobs” of parents trying to buy restocks. It’s hard to argue with that characterization, especially when one rush for the Kids in Pennsylvania left four injured and a woman's leg broken.

Arguably no toy is more synonymous with threat to life and limb than the innocent seeming Tickle Me Elmo. As to why so many kids wanted to tickle Elmo? You’d have to ask them. The physical interactions that a shortage of the toys caused, however, were a whole lot more serious. At one Walmart, with the clarion call of “There’s the Elmos!”, a full-on stampede began, and one poor employee was caught underhoof, ending up in the hospital.

It’s safe to assume that when you’re Disney, there’s going to be a toy craze with any movie you release. Regardless, even Disney’s head honchos weren’t prepared for the success of Frozen. The toys, especially dolls of protagonist Elsa, were in short supply with holiday needs on the horizon. A Disney store employee interviewed by the New York Post said that they'd seen multiple physical fights erupt over the toy, which is now likely collecting dust in a shelved Rubbermaid container.

Luckily for the nation’s seasonal workers, the violence that occurred over Pokemon cards wasn’t usually at the point-of-sale. After all, nobody’s cracking skulls for a booster pack that could contain absolutely jack squat. Once de-packed and collected, though, valuable cards kicked off an entire grade-school resale and trade market, one that I was personally privy to — at least until they were summarily banned, as they were in many schools across the country. 

We were devastated, but in hindsight, once people start getting stabbed over Pocket Monsters? Teachers aren’t going to want to deal with possible recess knife fights prompted by foil Charizards.