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| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 15, 1929 |
| Headquarters | Middlefield, Ohio |
| Products | Toys |
| Parent | The Nordic Group of Companies |
| Website | duncantoys |
Duncan Toys Company is an American toy manufacturer based in Middlefield, Ohio. [1] The company was founded in 1929 by Donald F. Duncan Sr. and purchased the Flores Yo-Yo Company from Pedro Flores, who brought the yo-yo to the United States from the Philippines. [2] [3] [4]
Duncan popularized the yo-yo through competitions; it was promoted in publications by William Randolph Hearst in exchange for a requirement that contestants had to sell subscriptions to Hearst newspapers as a condition of entry. [2] In 1965, a federal court ruled that Duncan did not have exclusive rights to the word "yo-yo" because the word had become a part of common speech. [5]
In 1968, Duncan Toys became a division of Flambeau. In October of 2024, Duncan Toys spun out of Flambeau to become an entirely separate and independent corporate entity. [6] [7]
In 1999, the Duncan yo-yo was inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play's National Toy Hall of Fame. [8]
In 2017, the makers of Rubik's Cube sued Duncan Toys Company over their "Quick Cube", alleging that the toy "mimics the features and overall appearance" of the Rubik's Cube puzzle. [9] [10] [11]