Very Early Slinky Knockoff (Mar, 1947)
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Mar, 1947
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Tags: slinky
This ad appeared a little more than a year after the Slinky made its debut, but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen. I wonder if the slinky people got them shut down.
Mr. Walker
THE FASCINATING ACTION TOY FOR YOUNGSTERS AND ADULTS
WALKS DOWNSTAIRS!
America’s greatest post-war Action Toy. It walks down a flight of stairs! Fascinating and exciting. Nothing to get out of order. No winding, no motor. Just set it on the top step, flip it and plop, plop, plop, it goes down stairs automatically like a giant night-crawler. Be the first to amaze your friends with this toy sensation. Fun galore!SEND NO MONEY. Just write your name and address on a penny postcard and mail it to us TODAY. We will mail “Mr. Walker to you. On arrival simply deposit only $1.00 plus C.O.D. postage with postman.
AGENTS WANTED—Easy to demonstrate, easy to sell. Write for special agents deal.
Travis Products Co.
Dept. 48 C 224 W. Huron St. Chicago 10, Ill.
SLINKY®
The Slinky® debuted at Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1945. Richard James, the inventor, was skeptical about how the Slinky® would sell. All his doubts were put to rest when all 400 Slinkys® for sale were purchased in 90 minutes. Since then, over three hundred million Slinkys® have been sold worldwide.
Invention: Slinky in 1945
Definition: noun / trademark
Function: Not only is the Slinky an excellent toy, its action also demonstrates a variety of physical forces and principles. The Slinky, like all objects, tends to resist change in its motion.
Patent: 2,415,012 (US) issued January 28, 1947
And of course the world’s leading collector of Slinky’s has a website: (he has one of these in its original box)
http://www.t-smirks.com/slinky/
Comment by Stannous — September 5, 2006 @ 11:44 pm