INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For an annual list founded on fun, the Finalists for the National Toy Hall of Fame sure do spark some intense debates.
“The BALLOON? The balloon isn’t a TOY!”
That’s the honest, unvarnished, and immediate reaction blurted out by an otherwise level-headed veteran of the WISH-TV newsroom, when she first saw this year’s 12 finalists. It’s the kind of passionate response the Hall has come to inspire.
(Our scribe will remain anonymous to shield her from the scorn of the balloon lobby, but the intensity of her argument still hangs in the newsroom air like, well, a balloon.)
The Toy Hall of Fame is part of the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Hall dates back to 1998, when the inaugural “class” included Barbie, Legos, Play-Doh, marbles and seven other classics that likely led to relatively few disputes.
Since then, the process and the conversations around it have grown – with more steps, more hopefuls, and more modern contenders pitted against old standbys.