Curators at the National Toy Hall of Fame learned last fall that the Fisher-Price Corn Popper had been voted in. That meant they had work to do.
They needed to figure out how to showcase the beloved toddler push toy.
It wasn’t as simple as going to Walmart and pulling one off the shelf. The hall is part of The Strong National Museum of Play in upstate New York. It aims to show how toys have stuck around or changed over the years.
Staff members scour the internet in search of older toy models. They dig through archives, auctions, and garage sales.
For example, the jigsaw puzzle was inducted in 2002. The museum added one of the world’s first versions—made in 1766. It’s a map of Europe on a thin wooden board. It sits alongside a Donald Duck board puzzle from 1990.
Some toys are easier to find. A 2021 winner was just sand.
Many hall of fame toys on display come from the museum’s vast archives. “We want to be the repository for [toys], for the nation or the world,” Mr. Bensch says. “That’s why we have 1,500 yo-yos.”
Toy makers donate some of the stored board games, stuffed animals, and doll houses. Others come from collectors. One person recently donated a collection of 1,600 American Girl dolls and accessories.
The Strong landed one of its most prized possessions from an auction. Staff bought the original Monopoly set from 1933. Inventor Charles Darrow hand-painted it on oil cloth.
So what about the Corn Popper? It went on the market in 1957. Fisher-Price has sold more than 36 million. But finding a “historic” one in museum-display condition was challenging.
“Those are toys that get used pretty hard,” Mr. Bensch says. “Especially early versions with that plastic dome and the wooden balls hitting against it. Those did not survive in great condition.”
Two versions eventually went on display. One is a 1980 model purchased on eBay. It has a dinged-up dome. The other is a shiny new version. It’s still available in stores for about $12. It has a sleeker blue handle and beefier red wheels.
What makes a toy a hall of famer? Read Balloons in a Museum? to learn about the latest winners.
