A YO-YO DOES NOT sell itself. That understanding was the genius of the Duncans’ dad, Donald Sr. To popularize the ancient toy in the U.S. during THE DEPRESSION, Duncan dispatched yo-yo experts to tour the country giving demonstrations. Thirty years later, his sons’ focus on TV ADS created such a yo-yo boom that they couldn’t keep up with demand and lost control of the company (as well as the Yo-Yo trademark). But like the toy he loved, Don Jr. returned, and when he did–with a pioneering high-performance model called the ProYo in the mid-’70s–he also brought back the demonstrators.
The only toy in the world that is older than yo-yos, according to Duncan Yo-Yo: DOLLS.
Longest “sleeper” on record for a fixed-axle yo-yo: 2 MINUTES, 53.61 SECONDS.
U.S. president who played with a yo-yo on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1974: RICHARD NIXON.
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“It is a noble toy, which dispels the fatigue of thinking.”
–FIGARO IN BEAUMARCHAIS’ 1784 “THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO,” PLAYING WITH HIS YO-YO
Sources: Tribune archives, American Yo-Yo Association, Yo-yos.net
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nwatkins@tribune.com
