Duncan Red and Black Wooden Yo-Yo with Original String – c.1950s–1960s

The Duncan Yo-Yo Company was founded by Donald F. Duncan Sr. in Chicago in 1929, after acquiring the rights to the design from Filipino inventor Pedro Flores, who had popularised the modern yo-yo in the United States. By the 1950s and 60s, Duncan had become the world’s leading yo-yo manufacturer, known for nationwide contests, television sponsorships, and its slogan “If it isn’t a Duncan, it isn’t a Yo-Yo.”
Duncan’s wooden yo-yos from this period were produced in a range of colours and promotional editions, often made from maple wood and finished with glossy enamel paint. This example, with its two-tone finish, represents the iconic post-war style before the company transitioned to plastic yo-yos in the late 1960s.