I was thinking of calling you just that. Hahahaha
I'd guess that Mr. Potato Head made it because it's been around so long and it's kind of goofy looking. Or perhaps, Idaho has a strong lobby implanted at the THOF.
Thanks for your interesting insight.
In the interest of full disclosure, I know (again, from my daughter's research and paper) that Mr. Potato Head was a nationwide craze for a couple of years.
There were a Mrs. Potato Head (had one), a couple of potato kids (one, I remember, was "Spud"), and a couple of potato pets that followed him as a result of his success. There was even a Mr. Potato Head toy travel trailer (the vacation-y kind to pull behind a toy car) -- I vaguely remember that from commercials or from a friend's house.
According to several toy history sources, the first TV commercial for a toy was for Mr. Potato Head -- although while earning her degree at Silly Putty University (www.sillyputty.com), my daughter watched a REALLY old commercial for Silly Putty that I'd bet gives Mr. Potato Head a run for his money.
Also, Mr. Potato Head was, according to the THOF, the only licensed toy in the movie, Toy Story.
I guess it is iconic and has lasted for several generations, two of the criteria. I just don't see that it changed the way toys were made, or that children learn (at least not in any significant way) from playing with it.
When I match Mr. Potato Head against marbles, bicycles, Monopoly, Tinkertoys, rollerskates, etc., I don't see him being one of 34 toys of ALL TIME deserving of the special recognition. Obviously, I've spent too much time thinking about this over the last three months -- but we have a tendency to get fully immersed in the kids' annual Social Sciences project at the Scoutmaster household.
Again, I'm proud to be a tuberphobe. Mr. Potato Head has no business in the Toy Hall of Fame. It's time somebody took a stand against underserving tubers.