ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Fisher-Price Corn Popper has been added to the National Toy Hall of Fame, announced Friday, alongside baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF foam toys.
The push toy was chosen by fans to mark the Toy Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary, in a voting process that invited fans to choose from five toys that had been finalists multiple times but had never been inducted. The other finalists, also known as the “Forgotten Five,” were the pogo stick, My Little Pony, PEZ dispensers and Transformers.
Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, and NERF toys were voted in from a list of 12 finalists, with input from a panel of experts. The list included Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, who ultimately didn’t make the cut despite increased visibility from the recent “Barbie” movie.
Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator, stated, “These four deserving inductees represent a great blend of types of play for people of all ages.”
The inductees are displayed at the National Toy Hall of Fame, located inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Since 1998, the Hall of Fame has welcomed numerous toys, from the cardboard box to chess to the Barbie doll.
Last year’s inductees were the spinning top, Masters of the Universe action figures and the Lite-Brite.
Any individual can propose a toy for induction, but it must have inspired imaginative play and enjoyed enduring popularity to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
Other finalists this year included: Battleship, bingo, Bop It, Choose Your Own Adventure books, Connect 4, the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe, slime and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
