Mary Ellroy, a Norwalk resident and inventor, was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Doll and Toy Museum of New York City.
The museum is dedicated to the history and cultural significance of dolls and toys.
Ellroy began making toys and board games in 1990 but the process was not always easy or successful.
“I could wallpaper my entire basement with rejection letters,” said Ellroy. “I’ve saved them all. It’s a business where you have to get used to being rejected.”
Ellroy, who has a background in marketing, serves on the board of the Yankee Invention Expo, an international forum for inventors and is president of the Inventors Association of Connecticut.
Her first creation was called “American Rhythms,” an interactive quiz game that was bought by Mattel, but never manufactured.
Ellroy has invented more than 100 toys and board games. One of her most successful creations was “Great States,” a geography game, which has been on the market for 10 years and is still used in schools today.
Ellroy spoke of the value of the Inventors Association of Connecticut and of the importance of having a collective of like-minded people.
“We’re all kind of oddballs,” said Ellroy. “We’re creative types, and it’s just a great place for people to meet if you’re an inventor.”
One of her most recent creations was a Hannah Montana card game. And she is in the midst of working on another game for the Disney entertainment giant.
When testing her final products, Ellroy uses Norwalk neighborhood children as her audience.
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