It’s fun for a girl and a boy. Ninety-eight coils of high-grade, blue-black Swedish steel. Yes, the Slinky. In its first 60 years, 300 million were sold. That’s a lot of steel. And a lot of fun.

The Slinky was invented by naval engineer Richard James in 1943 during an experiment with tension coils. He accidentally dropped a spring on the floor and watched as it began to “walk.” Richard and his wife, Betty, formed James Industries and began manufacturing Slinkys and selling them for $1 each. The toy remained modestly priced throughout its history as Betty wanted it to be affordable for all. In fact, a version of the original can be purchased online today for as little as $3.99.

The Slinky was not an immediate hit, though. It wasn’t until 1945 when it was introduced in Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia during the Christmas shopping season that it took off. Richard and Betty were granted permission to set up an inclined plane in the toy section of the store to demonstrate it, and the entire inventory of 400 units sold in 90 minutes.

All this slinkiness apparently didn’t bode well for the James marriage, though. In 1960, Betty filed for divorce. Richard left the company and became an evangelical missionary. Betty died of congestive heart failure in 2008 at age 90 after serving as James Industries' president from 1960-1998. The Slinky was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000 and named to the Toy Industry Association's Century of Toys List in 2003. After some consolidations and acquisitions, the Slinky brand was sold to Just Play in 2020, and kids continue to enjoy it today.

The Slinky can perform a number of tricks, most notably traveling down a flight of steps end-over-end while stretching and re-forming itself — or at least that is what it did in the TV commercials. I was never able to get quite the same experience. You may also remember the Slinky Dog and the Slinky Train. The dog version experienced a comeback in 1995 thanks to the “Toy Story” movies. How about the Plastic Slinky? This apparently came about as kids were inserting the metal Slinkys into electrical sockets. I never tried that. Thankfully.

I do remember the distinct “laser gun” sound I could make with my Slinky. I also used it to try to get better reception from my transistor radio. I had to find some use for the toy after my brother and I stretched it out so much that it wouldn’t compress properly again. Still have a Slinky around somewhere? Not sure what to do with it? I am told that, when mounted on bird feeder poles, a Slinky can deter squirrels. Give that a try.

That catchy jingle for the television commercial that reminds us of the Slinky being “fun for a girl and a boy” was created in 1962 and became the longest-running jingle in advertising history. More than likely, you are singing it right now. “Everyone knows it’s Slinky.”

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See Shane Goodman's previous columns here.

POLITICAL MERCURY
Farmers fear Koch takeover of Iowa fertilizer plant would boost nitrogen prices

By Douglas Burns

State Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, a vocal opponent of consolidation in agriculture, talks with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan in Nevada.

Harold Beach, a northeast Missouri farmer who runs a row-crop operation and raises hogs and cattle, traveled to central Iowa recently to urge one of the nation’s top regulators to stop a multi-billion-dollar takeover of a Lee County fertilizer plant he and other rural advocates say will further erode competition in agriculture and increase costs for one of modern farming’s essential inputs, nitrogen.

“I would like you to be fearless and courageous and be a Teddy Roosevelt,” Beach told Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.

[...]

“IF” (in theaters)
It is difficult to guess what this movie is about if you see the trailer or TV commercials. It’s even more difficult to explain what it is about after you’ve seen it. The movie portrays a young girl going through major life issues. She is also able to see other people’s imaginary friends. That’s all I’m going to tell you, because I really want you to see this movie without too much knowledge about the story. What I can tell you is that it is so well done. So well done. Two words sum up this theatrical experience: charming and wonderful. I saw this movie with my 34-year-old son, and we both used the word wonderful to describe it. I can’t wait to see it again. Grade: A

By Michael C. Woody. Woody has been reviewing movies on radio and television since 1986 and can be heard talking movies every Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. on KXn0 106.3 with Keith Murphy and Andy Fales. You can also follow him on Twitter @MrMovieDSM. 

Meet Katie Van Dyke
Enjoys seeing her students’ personalities and skills grow

By T.K. West

Katie Van Dyke lived most of her adult life in the Urbandale, Grimes and Johnston area where she worked in healthcare. However, due to unexpected life events, she decided to relocate with her children to the Winterset community. She began working as a teacher’s associate for the Winterset Community School District in 2019.

“When I started, I had no idea what to expect, as the education field is quite different compared to healthcare. But as I started to learn new skills and began to gain confidence, Winterset and the school district started becoming more and more my new sense of home,” Van Dyke says.

[...]

These celebrities were born on this date:Adrienne Barbeau · Diana Taurasi · Graham Russell · Hugh Laurie · Jackie Stewart · Joe Montana · Joshua Jackson • Frank Beard • Claire Holt • Peter Dinklage • Shia LaBeouf

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

What do you call a robot that doesn’t use deodorant? C3-BO! - Gail Tomlinson, Lori Bluml. Or R2-STINK2! - Carolyn Rogers. Other answers from William Snyder, Rex Post.

Today's riddle

What makes Al Gore so robotic?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

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Kristine McDonald
Account Executive
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kristine@iowalivingmagazines.com

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