The Yo-yo
When Roscoe Bartlett was a year old, a bellboy in Santa Barbara named Pedro Flores founded the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company. Within a year, he was making 300,000 toys a day! In 1930, Pedro sold his company to the always enterprising Donald Duncan for the astronomical sum of $250,000. Duncan proceeded to move the entire operation to Luck, Wisconsin, now known as the "Yo-yo Capital of the World".
Duncan trademarked the name "Yo-Yo" and invented the butterfly design. Eventually, he lost an expensive fight over the trademark, with a federal court of appeals deciding that the term "yo-yo" had become a part of common speech and that Duncan could no longer claim exclusive control over the trademark. It was an awful decision, but to pay for his legal expenses, Duncan had to sell his company to Flambeau Plastics who still manufacture the Duncan Yo-Yo today.
The Yo-Yo was not, however, Donald Duncan's only interest. He also started the Good Humor ice cream truck and a parking meter firm that still dominates the market. He also invented the concept of the premium incentive, a marketing ploy where the consumer is rewarded for collecting proofs of purchase. Duncan died 37 years ago.
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