The flawed world of this so-called Toy Hall of Fame

The ball.

It is the world’s most original toy. Yet, as I have learned, it took 11 years for the ball to make it into the Toy Hall of Fame after it’s inception in 1998.

And yes, there is a Toy Hall of Fame; I am not making that up. I understand your skepticism, I just learned of this Hall of Fame which is apparently in Rochester, New York. I mean, it makes sense, there should be one. There should have been one before 1998.

But what exactly are the voting criteria based on? How does the ball get skipped over until it’s induction in 2009? Did I mention the Hall of Fame opened in 1998?

Apparently, over 40 toys are more
Hall of Fame worthy than the ball.

It would be like, as my boss pointed out, like putting Peyton Manning in the Hall of Fame before Johnny Unitas. Even more basically, it would be like calling hockey more of an impact worthy sport than wrestling. Point is, there has always been a ball. I’m sure Caveman Charlie and his son Cavechild Cameron went out and threw the round rock back and forth. That was a ball.

The inaugural class was strong, without a doubt. Barbie, Crayola Crayons, Legos, Teddy Bear…they all made the cut, among others. But none of them are more original than the ball. And take into mind other toys inducted before 2009, like the View Master (1999), Tonka Trucks (2001), Raggedy Ann (2002), Scrabble (2004), Cardboard Box (2005), Easy-Bake Oven (2007) and Atari (2009). 42 toys went into the Hall of Fame before the ball. It makes me sad, very sad for the “museum committee of curators, educators and historians” who choose finalists and inductees based on “their longevity, innovation, and other attributes.”

To continue to show their negligence, the stick didn’t make it in until 2008 and the blanket was a 2011 inductee.

Their 2013 inductees, which went in just this morning, were two more pretty basic items: chess and the rubber duck. Basic items that didn’t make it in before specific items like the Nintendo Gameboy (2009) and Star Wars action figures (2012). Those who missed out this year as finalists: Bubbles, Clue, Fisher-Price Little People, Army men, Magic 8 Ball, My Little Pony, Nerf toys, Pac-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the scooter.

For a complete listing of toys in the Hall of Fame, check out http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys