History's Best Selling Toys of 1945

Extra! Extra! Step right up to inspect the definitive collection of first-rate toys releases from 1945. Discover the genuine articles of American ingenuity that captured the public's fancy and won nationwide acclaim during this historic era.

1. Slinky

   Released in 1945 by Richard T. James

   On November 27, 1945, in the bustling post-war holiday shopping season, a simple coil of wire made its public debut at the Gimbels department store in Philadelphia. Inventor Richard T. James had arranged a modest display featuring an inclined plane to demonstrate his creation's unique ability to 'walk.' Shoppers were initially skeptical of the unassuming metal spring. However, once James set the first Slinky in motion and it gracefully tumbled end-over-end down the ramp, a crowd gathered, mesmerized. In a stunning display of immediate success, the entire initial stock of 400 Slinkys, priced at $1 each, sold out in just ninety minutes. This date marks the precise moment the Slinky transformed from an accidental discovery into an iconic toy phenomenon.