Today’s Excerpt:

What are some past consumer crazes that seem odd or funny today?

If nothing immediately comes to mind, watch “The Tickle Me Elmo Craze” (3-min video) to see a news story about the year that many American parents were desperate to get a Tickle Me Elmo doll for their kids.

Discuss:

• How many of the kids who got a Tickle Me Elmo doll do you think still valued it three months later?
• Can you think of any other examples of something that was so trendy it seemed essential and later no longer seemed that way?

Other examples include:

• Pogs
• Cabbage Patch dolls
• American girl dolls
• Beanie babies
• Tamagotchi
• Pokemon cards
• Fidget spinners

One way to avoid getting caught up in a desire to own something that later seems worthless is to live simply.