Slinky Revisited
Slinky revisited from my childhood. I remember as just a small child going to my Aunt's house and playing with my cousin. They had these really steep wooden stairs that went up to the second floor. My cousin would get way up towards the top and start the slinky. It was a wonder to behold, that silver thing coming down all the stairs by itself. We would take turns going up the stairs to start the slinky until we were totally worn out.
Richard James, a naval engineer trying to develop something made of tension springs, dropped one on the floor and noticed it kept moving. As he watched it he decided it would make a great toy. He told his wife Betty about it and she found a name for it from the Swedish word Slinky. The toy made its debut at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia during the 1945 Christmas season and then later at the 1946 American Toy Fair. Richard thought he ought to have a friend buy the first one but found that wasn't necessary as 400 were sold the first 90 minutes of the demonstration.
Richard and Betty founded the James Spring & Wire Company with $500 and began production. They later renamed the company James Industries. Today all the Slinky's are still made in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on the original equipment. Each Slinky is made of 80 feet of wire and over a quarter billion Slinky's have been sold worldwide.
Richard James suffered a mid-life crisis in 1960 and left his wife and kids to join a Bolivian religious order. Betty took over as CEO and saved the company. Richard died in 1974. Betty added other toys to the line: Slinky Jr, Plastic Slinky, Slinky Dog, Slinky Pets, Crazy Eyes and Neon Slinky. In 1998 they sold the line to Poof Toys. Betty was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.
See all the Slinky toys at www.allaboardtoys.com
