TheHistoryoftheYo-Yo

　　D.F.DuncanSr.wastheco-patentholderofafour-wheelhydraulicautomobilebrakeandthemarketerofthefirstsuccessfulparkingmeter.Hewasalsothegeniusbehindthefirstpremiumincentivewhereyousentintwocerealboxtopsandreceivedatoyrocketship.However,Duncanisbestknownforbeingresponsibleforpromotingthefirstgreatyo-yofadintheUnitedStates.

　　Duncanwasnottheinventoroftheyo-yo;theyhavebeenaroundforovertwenty-fivehundredyears.Infacttheyo-yoisconsideredthesecondoldesttoyinhistory,theoldestbeingthedoll.InancientGreece,thetoywasmadeofwood,metalandterracotta.TheGreeksdecoratedthetwohalvesoftheyo-ywithpicturesoftheirgods.AsarightofpassageintoadulthoodGreekchildrenoftengaveuptheirtoysandplacedthemonthefamilyaltertopayhomage.

　　Around1800,theyo-yomovedintoEuropefromtheOrient.TheBritishcalledtheyo-yothebandalore,quizorthePrinceofWalestoy.TheFrenchusedthenameincroyableorl'emigrette.Thewordyo-yoisaTagalogword,thenativelanguageofthePhilippines,andmeans'comeback.'InthePhilippines,theyo-yowasaweaponforover400hundredyears.Theirversionwaslargewithsharpedgesandstudsandattachedtothicktwenty-footropesforflingingatenemiesorprey.PeopleintheUnitedStatesstartedplayingwiththeBritishbandaloreoryo-yointhe1860s.Itwasnotuntilthe1920sthatAmericansfirstheardthewordyo-yo.PedroFlores,aPhilippineimmigrant,beganmanufacturingatoylabeledwiththatname.Floresbecamethefirstpersontomass-produceyo-yos,athissmalltoyfactorylocatedinCalifornia.

　　Duncansawthetoy,likedit,boughttherightsfromFloresin1929andthentrademarkedthenameYo-Yo®.Duncan'scontributiontoyo-yotechnologywastheslipstring,consistingofaslidinglooparoundtheaxleinsteadofaknot.Withthisrevolutionaryimprovement,theyo-yo'slept'forthefirsttime.Theoriginalyo-yoshape,firstintroducedtotheUnitedStateswastheimperialorstandardshape.TheDuncanYo-Yointroducedthebutterflyshape,adesignthatreversesthehalvesofatraditionalimperialyo-yo.Thebutterflyallowstheplayertocatchtheyo-yoonthestringeasily,goodforcertaintricks.Boththeimperialandthebutterflydesignsco-existtoday.

　　DuncanalsoworkedoutadealwithnewspapertycoonWilliamRandolphHearsttogetfreeadvertisinginHeart'snewspapers.Inexchange,Duncanheldcompetitionsandtheentrantswererequiredtobringaquantityofnewsubscriptionsforthenewspaperastheirentryfee.ThefirstDuncanYo-YowastheO-BoyYo-YoTop,thetoywithabigkickforallages.Duncan'smassivefactoryproduced3,600ofthetoyseveryhourmakingthefactory'shometownofLuck,Wisconsinthe'Yo-YoCapitaloftheWorld.'Duncan'searlymediablitzesweresosuccessfulthatinPhiladelphiaalone,threemillionunitssoldduringamonth-longcampaignin1931.Ingeneral,yo-yosaleswentupanddownasoftenasthetoy.Onestorytellshowafteramarketdipinthe1930'stheLegocompanywasstuckwithahugeinventory,theysalvagedtheunsoldtoysbysawingeachyo-yoinhalf,usingthemaswheelsontoytrucksandcars.

　　Yo-yosalesreacheditshighestpeakin1962,whenDuncanYo-Yosold45millionunits.Unfortunately,this1962hikeinsalesledtotheendofDonaldDuncan'sCompany.Advertisingandproductioncostsfaroutstrippedeventhesudde