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Top 10 product hits - and misses

The hype surrounding the iPhone is hardly unique. Splashy product launches are a time-honored tradition in the American marketplace -- and so are the stunning flops that sometimes follow. Here's a look at some of the more noteworthy hits and misses.

Tickle Me Elmo
Tickle Me Elmo
Hit
Tickle Me Elmo continues its juggernaut with the junior set, over 10 years after the chortling red doll first hit store shelves in 1996. Witness the toy store melees that were sparked by shortages of Tickle Me Elmo Extreme last Christmas.

"There's speculation that a lot of these product `shortages' were just to create demand," said Julie Hall, vice president of the Consumer Group at Schneider Associates. "Whether that's true or not, it generated a lot of excitement around the product."

Nintendo Wii

Tickle Me Elmo

MINI Cooper

iRobot Roomba

Ford Mustang

Apple Newton

Toyota Crown

New Coke

Segway

Microsoft Zune
An earlier version of this gallery said Tickle Me Elmo was orange. We regret the error.
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