The Slinky



The Slinky

In 1945, Richard James and Betty James invented the slinky. Richard James was a naval engineer trying to develop a meter designed to monitor horsepower on naval battleships. He was working with tension springs (1943) when one of the springs fell to the ground. He saw how the spring kept moving after it hit the ground and an idea for a toy was born.

Richard remarked to his wife Betty, "I think I can make a toy out of this." Richard then spent the next two years figuring out the best steel gauge and coil to use in making the toy and Betty James found a name for the new toy after discovering in the dictionary that the word "Slinky" is a Swedish word meaning traespiral - sleek or sinuous.

The Slinky was successfully demonstrated at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the 1945 Christmas season and then at the 1946 American Toy Fair. Richard nervous at the first demonstration of his toy convinced a friend to attend and buy the first Slinky. However, this turned out to be unnecessary as 400 Slinkys were sold during the 90 minute Gimbel demonstration.

Richard and Betty James founded James Spring & Wire Company with $500 dollars to mass produce their creation; and later founded James Industries in 1956. Today, all Slinkys are made in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania using the original equipment designed and engineered by Richard James. Each Slinky is made from 80 feet of wire. Over a quarter of a billion Slinkys ® have been sold worldwide.

“What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, And makes a slinkity sound?"

"A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, Everyone knows it’s Slinky…”

"It's Slinky, it's Slinky, for fun it's a wonderful toy"

"It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun for a girl and a boy"

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