August 30th is National Slinky Day. This year Just Play will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the iconic toy by giving away 75 limited-edition, gold-plated Slinkys. To help get you in the celebratory mood, here are 10 Slink-tastic facts about the iconic toy.
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1.
The name, Slinky, was derived from a Swedish word that meant “stealthy, sleek, and sinuous”, aptly describing the expanding and collapsing action of a metal spring.
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2.
80-feet of wire goes into each Slinky.
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3.
400 Slinky toys sold out in 90 minutes when they were demonstrated in 1945 at Philadelphia-based Gimbel Brothers department store during the Christmas season.
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4.
With a hit on their hands, James Industries introduced variants of the original novelty toy, including Slinky Soldiers, the Slinky Seal, Slinky Spiral, the Slinky Handcar, and the popular Slinky Dog
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5.
In 1999, the US Postal Service issued a Slinky postage stamp as part of the Celebrate the Century: 1940s series.
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6.
Slinky was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.
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7.
James Industries co-founder, Betty James—the inventor’s wife—was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.
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8.
Pennsylvania designated the Slinky as its official State toy in 2001.
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9.
In 2019, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission officially unveiled a historical marker for the Slinky in Clifton Heights, home of the toy’s manufacturing until 1965.
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10.
Slinky Toys are still produced at the original James Industries factory built in 1964 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
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