KenP
June 1, 2001, 11:10am
1
Reading a new book, “Inventing the 20th Century - 100 Inventions that Shaped the World,” I read that the inventor of the Slinky, Richard James, joined a cult in Bolivia to which he donated much of his profits. What cult? Do proceeds from sales of Slinkys still go to the cult?
JeffB
June 1, 2001, 1:28pm
2
I don’t know what group Richard James joined, but his wife Betty took over the company when he left. James Industries, Inc. is the company that makes Slinkies (sold by Betty in 1998 to Poof Products, Inc.). I would guess that when Richard left for Bolivia, he lost any interest in the company, so no money from the sale of Slinkies would be going to him.
OK, so how did it “Shaped the World,”?
Anyway, regarding your OP:
http://www.discovery.com/stories/history/toys/SLINKY/shoulda.html
…Still for all its simple charm, the Slinky was no overnight success. It took Richard a few years to find steel wire that would coil, uncoil and recoil with the grace of Astaire. In the meantime Betty scanned the dictionary for a fitting name. She zeroed in on Slinky because it meant “stealthy, sleek and sinuous.” And so with $500 of borrowed money, the couple started making Slinkys. At first their product, with no name recognition, didn’t exactly roll off the shelves. Desperate to cash in on the Christmas rush in late 1945, the Jameses talked a buyer from the Gimbel’s store in Philadelphia into letting them do a demonstration. Fearing the worst, Richard slipped a buck to a friend to make sure at least one Slinky was sold.
But that snowy night Slinky ruled. All 400 toys sold in 90 minutes.
With a big boost from the following year’s toy fair, Slinky sales soared. Richard designed the machinery that could transform 80 feet of wire into two inches of coiled fun. Slinky rolled on, joined in 1950 by the cuter, compact Junior Slinky. But alas, in 1960 the toy story turned tabloid tale. Concluding that being the Slinky King wasn’t enough, Richard James bailed out for Bolivia, joining what Betty describes as a religious cult. She, meanwhile, was left with the company, six kids and a load of debt, largely the result of her husband’s largesse toward his spiritual suitors.
But Betty saved Slinky, selling the Philadelphia factory and moving the operation to the small, western Pennsylvania town of Hollidaysburg. She steered its comeback with co-op advertising and a simple jingle that remains lodged in the brains of Baby Boomers everywhere. (“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. …”) There have been few other changes. The prototype blue-black Swedish steel was replaced with less expensive, silvery American metal; later a plastic model was added. For safety reasons the Slinky’s ends were crimped in 1973. Clever people have found other uses for James’ toy, most notably soldiers in Vietnam, who found it made a great radio antenna when strung over tree branches. But today’s Slinky is not much different from the original. It’s still made on Richard James’ machines. And at $2, it costs only twice what it did 50 years ago.
Betty James, now in her 80s, still runs the company. And business is as good as ever, thanks in part to a strong supporting role for the Slinky Dog in 1996’s Toy Story. This was not, however, Slinky’s big-screen premiere; the toy claimed a cameo in John Waters’ Hairspray and an even more memorable role in Jim Carey’s Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. It is so deeply engrained in our culture now that not only does Neiman-Marcus sell an $80 gold version but also, according to a recent survey, 90 percent of Americans know what a Slinky is. Which makes you wonder: What gives with the other 10 percent?
Also from CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/02/10/slinky.story/
I just retired two years ago," said James, who sold the company to Detroit, Michigan-based Poof Products Inc. in 1998.
Ray Dallavecchia Jr., president of Poof Products, is proud of Slinky’s legacy.
“We hold Betty James in the highest esteem,” Dallavecchia said. “She is to be commended for building a company through very troubled times in the '60s – and in a very male-dominated industry.” She “was able to build an American icon,” he continued.
Surveys show that the Slinky toy has a 90 percent recognition rate in the United States. With starring roles in Pixar’s “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” and featured appearances in the Jim Carrey film “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” and John Waters’ “Hairspray,” it’s no wonder.
“We’re proud we still manufacture the product in the U.S.,” said Dallavecchia. “That makes us a dinosaur in the toy industry.”
Just like the dinosaur, however, the public fascination with the Slinky endures.
“I think it’s the simplicity. It’s not a sophisticated toy, but it’s fun and has a nice sound,” said James. “There’s nothing to wind up or put chips in or anything else.”
I searched different sites, but all mentioned a “Bolivian cult” w/o giving specifics. Sorry, no luck yet.
XicanoreX