History of the Green Yo-Yo Patent

The yo-yo is a simple two-wheeled toy that has been around for thousands of years. The first known yo-yo dates back to ancient Greece, where they were made out of wood, metal, and terra cotta. The yo-yo was also popular in China, where they called it the “Eyes of the Moon”. 

In the early 1900s, the yo-yo made its way to the United States. In 1928, a Filipino immigrant named Pedro Flores opened the first yo-yo manufacturing company in California. His business was very successful and he quickly became known as the “father of the modern yo-yo”. 

In 1930, Donald F. Duncan, Sr. acquired the rights to the yo-yo from Flores and created the Duncan Toy Company. He popularized the yo-yo and made it a national phenomenon. By 1932, the Duncan Yo-Yo was a household name and was featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

By 1946, the Duncan Company was making 3,600 yo-yos per hour and in 1962, had sold a record 45 million yo-yos in the US. Impressive as the US only had 40 million kids at the time. Due to dwindling demand and the expiration of the yo-yo trademark, the Duncan Toy Company fell into financial despair and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1965. 

Previously, in the 1950s, the yo-yo experienced a resurgence in popularity, with the introduction of the plastic yo-yo and the introduction of new tricks. In the late 1980s, the yo-yo became a competitive sport, with the first World Yo-Yo Contest being held in 1992. 

In 1866, far before the yo-yo became popularized in the US by Pedro Flores, James Haven and Charles Hettrick of Cincinnati, Ohio filed a patent for a “whirlgig.” Their design covered a standard yo-yo with string. 

Check out the patent