1950s · toys
Silly Putty
Egg-shaped putty that bounced, stretched, and lifted newsprint off the paper. Newspapers are rare now, but the snap sound in your hands is not.
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Image: Glitch010101 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · License
◆ Did you have this?
👍 I had this💔 I wanted this- Era
- 50s
- Released
- 1950
- Category
- toys
Before you buy
- For an original edition, compare the model name, packaging, and release details with the seller’s photos.
- Check the condition, included accessories, delivery cost, and return terms on the listing before ordering.
From the archive
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The pitch
Silly Putty bounces like a ball, stretches like taffy, and lifts comics right off the newspaper! Packaged in the classic red egg, it lives in every kid's pocket and every parent's couch cushion.
Why people remember it
- The egg container made it feel like a serious science tool.
- Copying comics off the Sunday paper was a magic trick.
- It could stretch to a thread and snap back, which never got old.
Did you know?
- General Electric chemist James Wright created it by accident while searching for synthetic rubber during WWII.
- It was marketed as a novelty at $1 a lump before becoming a toy aisle staple.
- Apollo 8 astronauts used it to secure tools in zero gravity.
- A single batch can stretch to 500 times its original length without breaking.
How people search for it
“egg container putty”, “stretchy bouncing putty”, “newspaper transfer putty”
Questions people ask
- Can you still buy Silly Putty?
- Yes, still in the plastic egg. Color variants exist, but classic pink is the one people remember.
- Why did it pick up ink?
- The silicone pulled pigment off porous newsprint. Less fun now that everyone reads on screens.
