Duncan
Established 1929Founded in the 1920s by Filipino Pedro Flores as the Flores Yo-Yo Company, Duncan is the manufacturer of the world’s most iconic yo-yo. In 1929, entrepreneur Donald F. Duncan bought the company from Flores, acquiring a toy and the name ‘yo-yo’ (‘come-come’ in an old Filipino language). In 1962 sales peaked, but a costly lawsuit to protect the yo-yo trademark from competitors forced Duncan out of business. The Flambeau Plastic Company, who made Duncan’s plastic models, bought the company and still owns it today.
Duncan’s most iconic yo-yo is the Imperial. First released in 1954 and based on the wooden Tournament 77 model, the Imperial is still in production to this day.
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