Which of these 'forgotten' retro toys should be inducted to the Toy Hall of Fame?

As It Happens6:14Which of these 'forgotten' retro toys should be inducted to the Toy Hall of Fame?

Every year, a few carefully selected toys get added to the Toy Hall of Fame. But this year, one extra, very special toy, will be included among the inductees. 

The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., has selected five previously overlooked toys, called the "Forgotten 5," and one of them will finally get a chance to sit in its rightful place with the other toys in the Hall of Fame.

They include the pogo stick, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, My Little Pony, Pez dispensers, and Transformers action figures. 

"These are the 'always a bridesmaid, never a bride' toys," Chris Bensch, vice-president for collections at the Strong Museum, told As It Happens Host Nil Köksal. 

These toys have come close to winning, but never actually made the cut. So the museum has decided to open an online vote to the public to ensure one of them will finally get into the Toy Hall of Fame on its 25th anniversary. 

"It's an opportunity to let them shine," Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, curator of dolls at the Strong Museum, told CBC. 

Why didn't they make the cut before?

In 1998, the Strong Museum inducted its first toys into the Toy Hall of Fame, including a Teddy bear, Barbie, and Crayola crayons.

Bensch says hundreds of toys are submitted for consideration each year, and through a team of experts, 12 are chosen for nomination. 

An internal team and an external national selection advisory committee come together and determine which toys best fit the criteria necessary to enter the Hall of Fame. The teams consist of approximately 24 people whose knowledge extends to child development, toy history and creative processes. 

The criteria is narrowed down to the longevity, the recognition factor and the play value of the toy.

Tim Walsh, founder of toy design company The Playmakers, is a member of the external selection committee responsible for choosing the toys to be inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. He says re-playability, originality and cultural impact are all factors.

"The toy industry is a fashion industry," Walsh told CBC.  "If we knew what kids loved to play with, we would be making toys all the time." 

But since toys fade out depending on what's popular, the museum says some toys get left behind — like the Forgotten 5.

"This is the chance for the public to say loud and clear what they want to get into the national Toy Hall of Fame," Bensch said. 

Each has its charm

Each selection has its pros and cons.

The Pez dispenser started out as a smoking toy in Austria, which then got rebranded to shoot out candy after its arrival to the U.S. Some toy experts debate whether or not it is actually a toy, the museum says, but people enjoy it nonetheless.

"I love that they have different characters," Parnett-Dwyer said. "They evolve with time."

The Fisher-Price Corn Popper — which makes a popping sound when pushed — may be a nuisance to parents with young children, but it remains nostalgic for many people. 

"You can close your eyes and plug your ears and hear the sound," Walsh said. 

Bensch, meanwhile, says he hopes My Little Pony is in favour of winning because it is "the Barbie of the toy horse world."

Out of the regular 12 nominees, three will be chosen through the normal selection process. It's between, Battleship, Bop It, Choose Your Own Adventure books, Bingo, Cabbage Patch Kids, Connect 4, Nerf, Little Tykes Cozy Coupe, Slime, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Barbie's boyfriend Ken.

The winners will be announced in the induction ceremony — along with one of the Forgotten 5 — on Nov. 9.

According to Bensch, whether a person is eight years old, or 88, the Strong Museum will bring back memories.

"It's such a powerful emotion to see toys that were important to you and bring you back to a moment of recall," he said.