Duncan Toys Spins into 90th Anniversary

Ohio-based Duncan Toys Co. celebrates its 90th Anniversary this year. It was 1929 when Donald Duncan witnessed his first yo-yo return, kicking off the start of the company with a team of Filipino demonstrators carving wooden yo-yos in California. Today, Duncan has a team elite competitors who constantly promote the brand, pushing the boundaries of their tricks at events worldwide. In celebrating the 90th anniversary, monthly launches of limited edition Duncan yo-yo models will be available, and the World Yo-Yo Contest will be held in Cleveland this August.

Prior to introducing its famous plastic models, Duncan moved to Luck, Wisconsin in 1946, producing 3,600 wooden yo-yos per hour. Although the company would be acquired by current owner, Flambeau Inc. in 1968 and eventually move out of Luck, the town remains known as “The Yo-Yo Capital of the World.”

These days, Duncan offers more than just yo-yos, with a full range of skill and activity-based toys.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.