The Strong National Museum of Play in New York has inducted three new honorees into its Toy Hall of Fame, with My Little Pony finally joining the winner’s circle following seven years on the shortlist as a nominee. 

Strong modified its voting process for the Player’s Choice ballot this year, letting the public vote up one of five previously overlooked retro toys. In contention were the Pogo stick, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Pez dispensers, Transformers and My Little Pony. Both Hasbro brands advanced into final voting and won enough support from the final judges to gain entry. 

Hasbro’s colorful ponies, which first hit the market in 1982, have endured in the toy aisle for more than 40 years as the franchise has expanded with new generations of figures, playsets, animated TV shows and feature films. Strong recognizes the franchise for nurturing fantasy, storytelling and hair grooming as essential parts of doll play—not to mention the fact that it managed to outsell Mattel’s leading lady Barbie between 1982 and 1993. 

The Transformers brand celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and Strong chief curator Chris Bensch says the core reason the IP has maintained its popularity for so long is because Hasbro continues to reimagine the toy line by introducing new variations and characters that change the way kids want to play. 

The last Hall of Fame inductee for 2024 is Mattel’s rummy-style card game Phase 10, which has sold four million copies a year worldwide since its debut in 1982. 

Other nominees that vied for top honors but failed to make the cut this year included the Pokémon TCG, Apples to Apples, balloons, RC vehicles, Hess trucks, trampolines, choose-your-own-adventure books and the stick (or hobby) horse.