slinky

Richard and Betty James invents the Slinky

Apr 8, 1945

Richard was working with tension springs when he dropped a set of them and they kept moving after they fell

Slinky gets marketed

May 31, 1945

Slinky debuted at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the 1945 Christmas season and then at the 1946 American Toy Fair

Slinky gets its own company

Aug 28, 1952

Richard James and Betty James founded James Spring & Wire Company (renamed James Industries) with $500 dollars and began production. Today, all Slinkys are made in Hollidaysburg

Betty James takes over the company

Mar 15, 1960

Richard James left to go join a cult and Betty James took control and pulled the company out of debt

Slinky gets advertisements

Jul 6, 1974

Betty James moved the company to its current Hollidaysburg location from Philadelphia and began an active advertising campaign complete with the famous Slinky jingle.

Richard James dies

Jul 7, 1974

Richard James died in 1974

Slinky branches off

Dec 11, 1998

Betty James also replaced the original material of blue-black Swedish steel with silver colored American metal. She added other toys to the line: Slinky Jr., Plastic Slinky, Slinky Dog, Slinky Pets, Crazy Eyes (glasses with Slinky-extended fake eyeballs) and Neon Slinky. The line was sold in 1998 to Poof Toys.