Spring-Snakes – [FolkToy]

Description

Spring-Snakes – [FolkToy|Foodlore] – Also Known As: “Snake Nut Can”, “Snake-In-A-Jar”, “Snake-Surprise-Can”, “Jumping-snake”, “Peanut-snake”, “The old snake in a can trick” – “Fancy Salted Mixed Nuts”, “Delicious potato chips” …etc*

 • About this Folk Toy: What at first is perceived to be an innocent snack is actually a trap-spring-loaded Can, Tin, Jar, (among other Containers, most often made to mimic a snack food or something tasty.) Filled with a vinyl or cloth coated, usually faceless ‘spring-snake!’ (often Cameo textured or Neon-coloured) Used to prank or startle a hungry, unwitting victim! 

• History/Origin: One of the oldest manufactured pranks & earliest novelty products, Supposedly first invented by Samuel Sorensen Adams of (S.S. Adams novelty Company [1906-1990’s]) – (It dates as far back as 1910, so there are a few who claim to be the originator.) – According to Adams co, Supposedly the prank originated as a ‘Jam-Jar of snakes.’  – The story goes that it was inspired by Adams wife (Soon to be ex.) who was supposedly nagging-nonstop about a particularly sticky jar of strawberry jam! – (Supposedly Adams kept leaving it leaving it loose/unscrewed!) – So, One day, Adams switched out the usual jar for an empty jar which he had rigged and loaded with a 3 ‘ft spring-coiled-snake! (He had even mixed red paint & crushed birdseed and coated the jars inside (which apparently mimicked the appearance of jam perfectly.) – Finally, he handed the jar back to her, she opened it, and to her surprise (abject horror) a snake erupted from the can! and so began what became one of the most popular and iconic tools in any pranksters arsenal!

Mr Adams was quoted in “It takes all kinds” [Maurice Zolotow, 1952]; proudly claiming the following:

“No one has ever touched my improved jam formula, It’s a funny thing, but if you took my jar of jam and put it alongside a real jar of jam it looked better than the real jam. Strive as they will, the Japs or Germans or nobody in this country could touch it.”

The ‘snake in a jam-jar’ concept was soon followed by a menagerie of other ‘Snakes hideouts’, a few vintage items include but are not limited to: “Flashlights”, “Cold-cream medicine jars”, & “Boxes of Perfume.” The prank evolved further to be mainly popular snack items: everything from “Old fashioned Peanut-brittle cans”, “Adams fine marshmallows“, “Delicious After Dinner Mints”, “Yogurt cups“, “Ice cream sundaes“,  “Jellybeans” to “Condiments” if it came in a container, nothing was safe. The best all-time seller was of course ‘Adam’s Salted Mixed Nuts‘ (which has been produced consistently for about 100 years now!) The official mixed nut cans even rattled when shook, as a ‘convincer.’ Later, In the 1990s, Adam’s Son further evolved it to be tubes of ‘delicious stacked chips‘ (Taking inspiration from Pringles.) Among other popular snack items from the time. – The ‘Snake Nut Can’ has since become iconic as one of the best known practical jokes of all time, it has been featured in dozens of toy catalogues, along side other novelty products quite often advertised at the back of comic books throughout the 70s-90s. – I’m certain that other variations on this prank have popped up over the years & that more variants will continue to appear in future!

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[The gag has also famously appeared on television shows & cartoons, including the simpsons. Today there are far too many pop culture appearances for me to list here, A number of other early tv appearances have been collected here]

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[Art sticker by samkalensky part of my “american oddities and folktoys collection” follow and support for many more!]