Tyco Toys was launched in 1957 as a toy manufacturer. In the late 1980s, Tyco produced several Muppet toys. In 1992, Tyco purchased the Illco Toy Company, acquiring the Sesame Street license. Tyco continued and expanded its line of Sesame Street toys, leading up to its greatest success, the Tickle Me Elmo plush doll, which dominated sales in Christmas 1996. In 1997, Tyco was sold to toy giant Mattel. Soon after the sale, the current Tyco products were rebranded as Fisher-Price, another Mattel acquisition.