YO-YO - Classic Toys Series Traditional Cache

This cache is part of a series on classic toys that originated no later than the 1970's. Most will have originated earlier, much earlier. I wanted to bring a little history behind these toys in the cache page and a little fun in the cache.

The earliest surviving yo-yo dates to 500 BC and was made using terra cotta (clay) disks. A Greek vase painting from this date shows a boy playing yo-yo(see below). Greek records from this time describe toys made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta.

In 1928, Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant to the United States, opened the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California. The business started with a dozen handmade toys; by November 1929, Flores was operating two additional factories in Los Angeles and Hollywood, which altogether employed 600 workers and produced 300,000 units daily.

Shortly thereafter (c. 1929), an entrepreneur named Donald F. Duncan recognized the potential of this new fad and purchased the Flores yo-yo Corporation and all its assets, including the Flores name, which was transferred to the new company in 1932. The name "Yo-yo" was first registered in 1932 as a trademark by Sam Dubiner in Vancouver, Canada[6] and Harvey Lowe won the first World Yo-Yo Contest in London, England. In 1932, Swedish Kalmartrissan yo-yos started to be manufactured as well. In 1946, the Duncan Toys Company opened a yo-yo factory in Luck, Wisconsin. The Duncan yo-yo was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York, in 1999.

Yo-yo bodies come in a number of form factors or "silhouettes," each designed with specific advantages in mind. However, there are three popular configurations.

Modified

The modified shape is a very popular design for looping style tricks. This shape is also known as a flywheel or modern shape. It usually has a hollowed face (sometimes covered with paper or plastic) with extra material left in the rim. The modified shape yo-yo is also used for string tricks because of the long spin times due to its shape.

Butterfly

Duncan released its first wooden butterfly yo-yo. Wayne Lundberg, the inventor, was one of the demonstrators. The butterfly looks a bit like the separated halves of a standard yo-yo that have been reconnected back-to-back. The wider string gap to make it easier to catch the yo-yo body on the string. Although the butterfly shape is good for 'string tricks,' it is not good for 'looping' tricks, because the winged shape of the body does not allow it to easily flip while looping. This shape is similar to a small Diabolo, sometimes called a Chinese yo-yo.

Modern shapes

Almost all new modern yo-yos have a shape that is shallow near the bearing and then widens out towards the edges (similar to the original butterfly design). The area between the rims of the yo-yo which leads down the bearing is known as the 'catch zone'.

The cache location has been approved by Brian Russart of the Milwaukee County Department of Parks. Permit # 501

This cache placed by a member of: (click to visit our website)