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Library/Product/Furby
Grade B20 sourcesHIS-01250

Furby

Product · 1998 · Notable

53Editable slideCertificate

Hasbro says Furby sold over 40 million units in its first three years.

Clip · Version History on YouTube
An original 1998 Furby
Computer History Museum
Close-up of a Furby's eyes
Version History on YouTube

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth70VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet53

Numbers

Peak proxy date
Week of Nov 27, 1998
Oct 2 ’98 to Week of Nov 27, 1998
Platforms
5
Started on Retail
Leverage
25×
$247M on $10M media spend

Mechanics

  • Scarcity dropPrimary
  • Resale market
  • Press loop
  • Platform jump
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Tiger launched Furby at FAO Schwarz, then holiday queues and sell-outs drove resale coverage. A false recording claim reached the NSA and online forums. Hasbro later claimed over 40 million sales in three years; collectors and customizers sustained an afterlife.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Feb ’97NovAug ’98NovFeb ’99OctMay ’02Nov ’06May ’11Nov ’15May ’20Sep ’23RetailPressTVOpen webInstagram
RetailPressTVOpen webInstagram

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. February 1998

    Tiger Electronics precursor · Feb 1998

    Tiger showed a tethered Furby prototype at the New York Toy Fair before the finished toy went on sale.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. September 1998

    WIRED precursor · Sep 1 ’98

    WIRED profiled Furby's development and the television campaign planned for its launch.[1][2]

  3. October 1998

    Tiger Electronics / FAO Schwarz seed · Oct 2 ’98

    Furby went on sale at FAO Schwarz in New York before wider distribution.[3][4]

  1. press · Oct 5 ’98

  2. peak proxy · Week of Nov 27, 1998

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Toys & collectibles
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.