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The little green plastic soldiers first produced in the 1930s by the Bergen Toy & Novelty Co. have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

(National Toy Hall of Fame)

My Little Pony and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were no match for Little Green Army Men. The tiny molded plastic soldiers, first manufactured in 1938 by Carlstadt's Bergen Toy and Novelty Co., will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame along with blowing bubbles and the Rubik's Cube, the Rochester museum announced today.

They may not have the Q rating of previous inductees Barbie or Mr. Potato Head, but little green army men, available cheap and in bulk, were hugely popular in the 1950s, particularly in the wake of a lead poisoning scare that made the metal versions, which date to the 18th century, less appealing.

The earlier versions were made in the images of mid-20th century U.S. Army infantrymen, in different poses with various weapons. Iironically, the Carlstadt toy company stopped manufacturing and closed its doors in 1958 after a flood of cheaper, foreign-made versions flooded the market.

The soldiers, which had a small but vital role in the "Toy Story" movies, also edged out another toy with a New Jersey pedigree — the Hess toy trucks, released in 1964 by Leon Hess, who had taken over his father's Asbury Park oil delivery service and expanded to gas stations, with his first in Oakhurst. Other also-rans this year: American Girl dolls, Fisher-Price Little People, Operation Skill Game, paper airplanes, pots and pans, and Slip'N Slide.

Previous inductees include Etch A Sketch, Slinky, Lincoln Logs, Easy-Bake Oven, LEGO and the cardboard box.

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.