Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011
Furby
To compete in the emerging tech-toy market, toy giant Hasbro in 1997 acquired Tiger Electronics, the creators of the popular Giga Pets. In 1998, the newest electronic plaything to hit the market was Furby — a furry, animatronic creature that spoke "Furbish" but could eventually learn English, only to shower you with terms of endearment. Furby sold 1.8 million units in 1998 and a staggering 14 million in 1999. Combined, Furby had a vocabulary of nearly 200 Furbish and English words — but he really needed only one phrase — "I love you" — to tackle the hearts of kids and adults all over the U.S.