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Subject: Where did the Yo-Yo come from?
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Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:08:02 GMT
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Where did the Yo-Yo come from?
Some inventions begin as one thing, and wind up as another.
In ancient Greece, the toy was made of wood, metal, and terra cotta
with the two halves of the yo-yo decorated with pictures of gods. As a
rite of passage into adulthood, Greek children often gave up their
toys and placed them on an altar to pay homage to their gods. Around
1800, the yo-yo made its way to Europe from the Orient. In Britain it
was called the "bandalore," " quiz," or the "Prince of Wales' toy."
The French used the names "incroyable" and "l'emigrette."
In the Philippines around 1500, the Yo-Yo was a weapon. It consisted
of a four pound stone attached to a rope about 20 feet long. Tribesmen
used it in two ways. When hunting, they stood off to one side, held
one end of the rope and threw the rock towards the legs of an animal.
The rope became tangled around the animals legs, and with a tug, the
hunter brought the animal down. Against enemies, the stones would be
dropped on their heads. The tribesmen would quickly recover the
stones, ready for a second blow if necessary.
The modern story of the yo-yo starts with a young gentleman from the
Philippines named Pedro Flores. In the 1920s, he moved to the USA, and
worked as a bellhop at a Santa Monica hotel. Carving and playing with
wooden yo-yos was a traditional pastime in the Philippines, but Pedro
found that his lunch break yo-yo playing drew a crowd at the hotel. He
started a company to make the toys, calling it the Flores Yo-Yo
Company. This was the first appearance of the name "yo-yo," which
means "come-come" in the native Filipino language of Tagalog.
Donald F. Duncan, an entrepreneur who had already introduced the
Eskimo Pie, Good Humor Ice Cream, was co-patent holder of a four-wheel
hydraulic automobile brake, and would later popularize the parking
meter, first encountered the yo-yo during a business trip to
California. A year later, in 1929, he returned and bought the company
from Flores, acquiring not only a unique toy, but also the magic name
"yo-yo." About this time, Duncan introduced the looped slip-string,
which allows the yo-yo to sleep - a necessity for advanced tricks.
Throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Duncan promoted yo-yos with
innovative programs of demonstrations and contests. All of the classic
tricks were developed during this period, as legendary players toured
the country teaching kids and carving thousands of yo-yos with
pictures of palm trees and birds. During the 1950s, Duncan introduced
much easier to land on the string for complex tricks. Duncan also
began marketing spin tops during this period.
The biggest yo-yo boom in history (until 1995) hit in 1962, following
Duncan's innovative use of TV advertising. Financial losses at the end
of the boom and a costly lawsuit to protect the yo-yo trademark from
competitors forced the Duncan family out of business in the late 60s.
Flambeau Products, who made Duncan's plastic models, bought the
company and still owns it today.
The genuine Duncan yo-yo is a classic toy that has endured for 70
years. With more than 600 million sold, it is probably the most
popular toy in history, and was recently inducted into the National
Toy Hall of Fame.
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