Toy Hall Of Fame Finalists Announced, One From East Aurora

The National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, NY has announced their 12 finalists for this year’s induction for 2021, and one of those finalists stems from East Aurora.

Inducted toys are selected based on the following criteria: icon-status, meaning the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered; longevity, which refers to the way a toy has remained popular over several generations; discovery, and that can mean that the toy fosters a learning, creativity, or discovery through play. 

This year’s finalists for the National Toy Hall of Fame inductions include American Girl Dolls, Cabbage Patch Kids, the board game Battleship, Mahjong, Masters of the Universe, the pinata, Risk, sand, The Settlers of Catan, a toy fire engine, and last but not least -- the Fisher-Price Corn Popper. 

The Fisher-Price Corn Popper is a toy that you can hear just by reading its name, but what you may not know is that those pop, pop, pops actually originate from Western New York. 

The headquarters for the Fisher-Price Toy Store is located in East Aurora at 636 Girard Avenue. The retailer has always carried well-known toys, but this year, there is a chance for one of their toys to be named an official member of the National Toy Hall of Fame, and that toy is the memorable Fisher-Price Corn Popper. 

The official inductees will be announced on Nov. 4, but votes for each nominated toy will only be accepted until September 22. 

If you want to get a piece of East Aurora inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, vote for the Fisher-Price Corn Popper on the Hall’s official website.