Donald F. Duncan Sr.

For the U.S. Navy admiral, see Donald B. Duncan.

Donald F. Duncan, Sr. (June 6, 1892 – May 15, 1971) was an American entrepreneur and inventor and founder of the Duncan Toys Company.

Donald Duncan is most commonly associated with the Yo-Yo, the commercial success they enjoyed during the 20th century in the United States and the world being largely the result of his marketing efforts.

Duncan is often miscredited with invention of the Yo-Yo, when in fact he never even held a patent on the toy, although the name Yo-Yo was a trademark of his company from 1930 until 1965, when the landmark trademark case Donald F. Duncan, Inc. v. Royal Tops Mfg. Co., 343 F.2d 655 (7th Cir. 1965) resulted in a federal court of appeals ruling in favor of the Royal Tops Company, asserting that the trademark had become generic (a part of common speech). This ruling was widely seen as a miscarriage of justice, and the federal courts slowed down and refused to use it as a precedent for similarly successful trademarks such as Frisbee, Slinky, Q-Tips, Kleenex, Band-Aid, and Rollerblade, without explicitly overturning the ruling, although Ralph Anspach, maker of Anti-Monopoly won in 1982 against Monopoly, requiring the U.S. Congress to intervene and allow the trademark to be re-registered by its owner Parker Brothers. Despite sales peaking at 33 million in 1963, Duncan declared bankruptcy after the verdict, and sold out to Flambeau Products Corp. in 1968, after which sales rebounded.

Among the other companies he founded are the Good Humor mobile frozen treats franchise and a parking meter. Most notable among the innovations credited to Duncan is the concept of the premium incentive—a marketing tactic wherein the consumer is encouraged to collect proofs of purchase and redeem them for rewards, such as small toys or discount coupons.

He died in an automobile accident.

External links

• Duncan history page at the Official Duncan Yo-Yo Website
• Duncan Toys co. History at Funding Universe.com
• Duncan Solutions parking technologies
• Good Humor, now a subsidiary of Unilever