Welcome to the Museum of Yo-Yo History

You have found the most comprehensive archive of yo-yo images, historical memorabilia, and information in the world. Whether you’re a long-time yo-yo collector, or just looking for that long lost treasure from your childhood, this is the place. In our searchable database, you will find images and information on both vintage and modern yo-yos, clothing and patches, art, and articles about famous people in yo-yo history. Like all museums, we focus here upon the relics and artifacts which tell the story of the world’s most treasured and enduring toy.

Enjoy your visit to our Museum. We currently have 3926 exhibits and are adding new ones all the time, so be sure to stop back often!

Collectors, please join our team and become a curator, using the handy form on the left.
Help us fill in the missing gaps in the history of the Yo-Yo.

Need information about your vintage collectibles, or looking for buyers? Please send questions and comments to [email protected].

Patents & Resources

  • Yo-Yo Collecting as a Hobby FAQ
  • Glossary of terms (Transition, prototype, Mod, transaxle, etc.)
  • List of Yo-Yo Patents (PDF, updated 08/15) by Rick Brough
  • References & Articles
    • Articles in PDF Format
    • PDFs of Books (out of print)
    • Resources – List of Articles and Books, in print and out.

History

  • Yo-Yo History
    • History of the Yo-Yo – Tom Van Dan Elzen
    • History of the Yo-Yo – Valerie Oliver
    • The Tom Kuhn Turbo-Yo

    Spin Top History
    • History of the Spin Top – Valerie Oliver

    Yo-Yo/Top Hybrid History
    • History of the Yo-Yo/Spin Top Hybrid – Tom Van Dan Elzen

About Us

This web site was created with one purpose in mind… to archive and preserve as much yo-yo history as possible. While other “related” skill toys are also included, our focus here is the history of the world’s favorite and most enduring toy, the Yo-Yo.

The brainchild of David W. Hall, and a custom application written by Grahame Wright, The Museum of Yo-Yo History hopes to become the #1 resource for yo-yo collectors across the globe.

In 1994, David W. Hall, “The Yo-Yo Collector”, hand-coded his first web site, Dave’s Wonderful World of Yo-Yos, to create the first web site on the internet for collectors, and first online museum. Those original museum pages still reside on Dave’s personal web site, yoyodave.com, as a nostalgic look back to the beginnings. This very primitive attempt at an online museum, eventually led to the popular online community at Skilltoys.net. The store, web board, trick sites, hosted sites, the entire Skill Toys Network of web sites, began with that first online museum.

Dave always planned to update his original museum, but time and programming expertise prevented it. Ironic, because the “Museum” started it all. Now, with the programming magic of Grahame Wright, we have come full circle. Dave’s original vision of a permanent online Yo-Yo Museum is a reality.

With our curator program, and Dave’s extensive yo-yo collection to draw upon, we hope to document as many yo-yos and collectibles as possible. Pure history, stories, patents, and articles will be archived here as well. It will take time and your help to make this museum “comprehensive”, but month by month, year by year, more and more will be added, and archived on the Skill Toys Network. Eventually, this site can become the Encyclopedia of Yo-Yo History, with your help and support.