Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm fortunate to be called "Grandma" by three terrific young men, ages 6 1/2, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 months, and it's been such a delight to introduce them (age appropriately) to toys I loved as a child, reacquainting myself with them at the same time! Slinky was one of those toys, and - recalling how I was mesmerized by my Slinky "walking" down our stairs as a child in the 1960's - I'd really looked forward to introducing my oldest grandson to this classic toy when he was 5 years old (I'd purchased a "Slinky Jr." at the retail level, which was a complete waste of money, and having told my grandson I'd purchase a "REAL" Slinky, like Grandma had when she was his age, I purchased a single pack of this "original" Slinky.) Couldn't wait to give it an initial nostalgic "workout" prior to sharing what I remembered as a wonderful toy with him. Well, it does NOT walk down stairs, and only does the initial "flip" when on the floor! I don't believe in throwing money out of the window. What a shame that they - somehow - changed this product so that it no longer performs like the REAL "original"! So disappointed was I in this purchase that I wanted to try to figure out what "happened" to that great old Slinky. Even though, as the box claims, it WAS invented in 1946, the inventor died in 1974, and his wife sold it to "Poof Products", the current manufacturer, in 1998. I don't think the inventor would be too pleased with how they've changed his product over the past few years! I can only imagine that those rating this Slinky highly as a toy had never experienced the original, or didn't actually try it out themselves prior to giving it as a gift and imagining the joy it would bring to a youngster (as I'd thought it would.) A slinky has always been a great squirrel deterrent from bird feeders, and if they were marketed as such, that would be one thing. But they're not... they're still marketed as a toy, and the "original" at that. They changed SOMETHING, and this is NOT the "original" Slinky! Why would the company this was product was sold to tinker with a classic? If I may make a suggestion... I'd given up on my TRUE ORIGINAL Slinky search, but I really wanted my grandsons to be able to experience what I had, so I typed "Vintage Slinky" into a Google search, found several and purchased a "used" vintage Slinky from a reputable vendor. It arrived in perfect condition, I introduced it to my grandson during a sleepover, and he was THRILLED! The vintage Slinky is 3/16" taller with a 1/8" wider diameter, not to mention noticeably heavier! The metal has a dusty, unfinished feel as compared to the shiny metal of the Poof product. The only thing that's the same is the width of the actual coil (2/16"). The combination of slightly taller height and heavier weight worked like a charm, propelling it forward just as I remembered from my childhood!