Paper airplane, sand among 12 finalists for Toy Hall of Fame

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- No-frills toys including the paper airplane, sand and play food are among 12 finalists vying for a place in the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Contenders for the Class of 2017 were announced Tuesday. Two or three toys will be inducted Nov. 9 into The Strong museum in Rochester. The winners will join 63 inductees, including the dollhouse, dominoes, bubbles and Big Wheels.

About this year's finalists:

• Clue: The game that challenges players to solve a murder was introduced in 1947 and remains one of the top 10 best-selling board games of all time.
• Magic 8 Ball: Over the past 70 years, millions of people have posed questions and waited for a floating "ask again later," "signs point to yes" or other answer.
• Matchbox Cars: The miniature cars debuted in 1952 and by 1960 were selling at a rate of 100 million a year. They remain a top seller for Mattel.
• My Little Pony: The miniature pastel ponies were introduced in the 1980s. They outsold Barbie for several years at their peak.
• Paper airplane: Leonardo DaVinci may be the most famous to make flying machines out of paper, writing about it in the 15th century.
• PEZ: What began as a mint in 1927 was transformed into a brick of candy dispensed by a collectible mechanical box featuring pop-culture characters.
• Play food made of various materials has been filling plates at pretend tea parties and picnics for generations.
• Risk: The war and strategy board game was published in the United States in 1959. Its mechanics ignited renewed interest in strategy games in the 1970s.
• Sand: Historians believe the earliest humans played in the sand, and records from the 1800s document the building of sandcastles and other sculptures.
• Transformers: The mid-1980s line was marketed with an elaborate back story supported by a Marvel comic book, cartoon series, animated movies, electronic games and goods including its own cereal.
• Uno: Easy to learn and quick to play, the card game has players dispose of the cards in their hands.
• Wiffle Ball: The perforated plastic ball has been batted and thrown since 1953. Inventors determined that eight oblong slots provided the best performance.