u/HarshJShinde

I have a 1950s Slinky dog but I'm trying to figure out which year he's from. He is an older “Type A” design that started in 1952 with the heavy metal rods and visible paws but in the later years the design changed to "type B" with thinner rods and bigger wheels.

The Slinky dog patent was filed on February 28, 1956 but it showed Type B design not the original Type A design we see on the boxes like mine.

What I’m wondering is:

If James Industries patented the Type B design in Feb 1956, does that likely mean they stopped manufacturing Type A sometime during 1956?

The reason I ask:

- I’ve found real household Christmas photos from Dec 1956 and Dec 1957 showing Type B Slinky Dogs

- I have not yet found a confirmed late-1956 or 1957 household photo showing Type A

- This makes me think Type B may have become the dominant production design very quickly after the patent filing

So What u want to find is:-

When do you think James Industries actually stopped producing Type A Slinky Dogs and how does the patents of these toys actually work???

Was there:

- overlap between Type A and Type B production?

- a gradual transition during 1956?

- or did Type A disappear fairly quickly after the patent

I have a 1950s Slinky dog but I'm trying to figure out which year he's from. He is an older “Type A” design that started in 1952 with the heavy metal rods and visible paws but in the later years the design changed to "type B" with thinner rods and bigger wheels.

The Slinky dog patent was filed on February 28, 1956 but it showed Type B design not the original Type A design we see on the boxes like mine.

What I’m wondering is:

If James Industries patented the Type B design in Feb 1956, does that likely mean they stopped manufacturing Type A sometime during 1956?

The reason I ask:

- I’ve found real household Christmas photos from Dec 1956 and Dec 1957 showing Type B Slinky Dogs

- I have not yet found a confirmed late-1956 or 1957 household photo showing Type A

- This makes me think Type B may have become the dominant production design very quickly after the patent filing

So my main question to collectors is:

When do you think James Industries actually stopped producing Type A Slinky Dogs and how does the patents of these toys actually work???

Was there:

- overlap between Type A and Type B production?

- a gradual transition during 1956?

- or did Type A disappear fairly quickly after the patent

I have a 1950s Slinky dog but I'm trying to figure out which exact year he's from. He is an older “Type A” design that started in 1952 with the heavy metal rods and visible paws but in the later years the design changed to "type B" with thinner rods and bigger wheels.

The Slinky dog patent was filed on February 28, 1956 but it showed Type B design not the original Type A design we see on the boxes like mine.

What I’m wondering is:

If James Industries patented the Type B design in Feb 1956, does that likely mean they stopped manufacturing Type A sometime during 1956?

The reason I ask:

- I’ve found real household Christmas photos from Dec 1956 and Dec 1957 showing Type B Slinky Dogs

- I have not yet found a confirmed late-1956 or 1957 household photo showing Type A

- This makes me think Type B may have become the dominant production design very quickly after the patent filing

So my main question to collectors is:

When do you think James Industries actually stopped producing Type A Slinky Dogs and how does the patents of these toys actually work???

Was there:

- overlap between Type A and Type B production?

- a gradual transition during 1956?

- or did Type A disappear fairly quickly after the patent?