ELMO STILL TICKLES.

Byline: Pam Slater Scripps-McClatchy Western Service

Tickle Me Elmo still tickles a lot of people's fancy.

The popularity of America's top-selling toy this past holiday season has not waned a bit.

``Oh, God,'' lamented a clerk at Target in Elk Grove, Calif., where the pursuit of the red, furry giggling ``Sesame Street'' character has not diminished since desperate parents swarmed the store last November and December. ``The wounds haven't healed.''

As soon as a scarce shipment of six to 12 Elmos arrives, it's history.

A Toys R Us ad in a Sunday newspaper sent hundreds of hopeful buyers scurrying to area stores where the $29.99 dolls were scooped up faster than they could say, ``Ooh, that tickles.''

``It was like Christmas all over again,'' said one Toys R Us employee.

Tickle Me Elmo's popularity soared beyond all expectations last year. And this year, Tyco Toys Inc. in Mount Laurel, N.J., still is trying doggedly to keep up with the unprecedented demand.

``We have made as many in the last three months as we made all last year,'' said Ellie Bagli, Tyco spokeswoman. ``What we have been hearing is that they hit the shelf and they are gone.''

Since January, Tyco, America's third-largest toy manufacturer, has sold 1 million Elmo dolls - as many as it sold in 1996 - to increase sales in its preschool division by 25 percent.

The acute shortage over the holidays turned some of those lucky enough to own one into self-styled entrepreneurs. Hundreds of classified ads and Internet messages offered Tickle Me Elmos for sale - for hundreds of dollars. Those ads have since slowed to a trickle.

``It was a bit disturbing to see people do that,'' said Bagli.

But charities began using the dolls as fund-raising objects. One radio station in Los Angeles auctioned one off for $10,001 - with the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House.

Tyco officials knew the doll would be popular, but they said early indications failed to tell them how popular.

The company made an initial 250,000 of the plush dolls, then pushed the number to 400,000 based on promising reaction at the annual American International Toy Fair in New York. By Thanksgiving, the company was scrambling to make 800,000 shaking, chuckling dolls.

But it was not nearly enough. Tickle Me Elmo had become a media darling.

On the traditional first shopping day of the season, it seemed that every parent in America had to buy one for their children.

``The day after Thanksgiving - when all hell broke loose - we upped (production) again by another 200,000,'' said Bagli.

Requests were coming in from all over the world, and by Christmas Day, production hit 1 million.

While Tickle Me Elmos are hard to find, there are three new little tickles that can be had by the die-hard shopper: Tickle Me Ernie, Tickle Me Big Bird and Tickle Me Cookie Monster. They sell for about $15. They have just one cycle of shaking/laughing rather than the three of Elmo.

For those who have missed out on Tickle Me Elmo, there's a successor waiting in the wings: Sing and Snore Ernie will be in the stores in July.