Slinky Historical Marker Unveiled In Delaware County

CLIFTON HEIGHTS, PA — The Slinky and its Delco roots got a historical marker unveiled Friday, Ag. 30.

Alex Brands, Inc., in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, Friday unveiled a historical marker commemorating the birthplace of Slinky.

Invented nearly 75 years ago by Richard and Betty James, the quintessential toy has been an icon of classic fun for decades.

To commemorate the moment, and appropriately timed to National Slinky Day, the James’ children, Rebekah James Morris, Elysabethe James and Christopher James, were on-hand to join the celebration.

Other local dignitaries and historians were also in attendance including Robyn Young who was instrumental in the dedication coming to fruition, having completed the research, fundraising and nomination for the marker.

For nearly seven decades, kids, parents and grandparents alike have enjoyed the mesmerizing and magical toy full of motion, invoked by the original walking spring toy.

An ordinary spring turned marvelous plaything, Slinky, has transcended generations, cementing its place in pop culture with appearances in movies and TV shows including "Friends," "Inspector Gadget," and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls," in addition to the popular Slinky Dog starring in all four "Toy Story" movies.

In 2000, Slinky was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame and TIME Magazine named it as one of the All-Time 100 Greatest Toys. To this day, the famous Slinky jingle – originally introduced as a TV commercial in 1963 - brings a smile to faces young and old.

Following its acquisition of the brand in 2012, Alex Brands has introduced several new products to the line and is committed to the brands’ USA roots, manufacturing the classic Slinky toy in Pennsylvania to this day.

This fall, Slinky will head to the classroom as an official sponsor of the 2019-2020 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest in which thousands of students on hundreds of teams across the country will use Slinky in their entries. The winning team will be announced in April 2020.