Not like this…
…rather, is there any way to identify the production date of this Duncan Imperial for my personal records?
I don’t believe the yo-yo to be incredibly old. If I had to guess I’d say mid-nineties. The internet has failed me. Any date range would be appreciated!
No idea they are still in production so hard to say.
Let’s go back to the first picture, I have some questions
Real answer there should be a batch/date code on the YoYo somewhere
That should help identify when it was made.
Firstly, you’re awesome! Thank you so much.
I kept seeing these date codes as I was researching. This one just doesn’t appear to have, or even had a date code.
Sadly not sure we can date it easily. It’s probably 1990s to early 2000s just as a guess cause it doesn’t look like the 1960s to 80s plastic.
I could be off base but that’s my guess
Duncan is very consistent and these haven’t changed much in the last 50 years lol
Hah, they truly haven’t changed much. But I guess it ain’t broke.
I think you nailed it. That is my guess as well. A definitive answer was always a long shot.
Maybe I can ask more about its background, if we have a second date… 
This is probably the best we will get in answers unless we can ask someone at Duncan that’s been there for a long time or a big time Duncan collector.
These subtle differences lead me to believe we may pinpoint this afterall!
the printing on the new one looks like a thinner font and the gold looks a slightly different shade although that could be age. obviously the major difference being the date code
Incredibly old - 90’s 
Haha. How many of us have imperials that we bought in the 80’s making us beyond incredibly old 
Ps. I realize op said “not incredibly old” but reading that made me chuckle
Not incredibly old, yes. Otherwise I’m probably ancient. 
I have 50s era Duncan’s on a shelf I would be concerned if we are calling 90s super old now.
Admittedly I wasn’t the original owner of the super old yo-yos I own I wasn’t Ali r yet lol
I’m pretty sure you’re into the 2000s with that Imperial. It looks like Flambeau (Duncan) switched from “Made in USA” to “USA Made • World’s #1” in ‘97.
Then, best I can tell is that they shifted mfg of these mass plastics to China in the early 2000s. That’s when they changed the stamp to “The Original • World’s #1”. From there on, I can’t say.
Fantastic. Thank you kindly!
We’re chipping away at this mystery!
Ahh neat my vague guess was mostly right.
What book is that from?
