As I walked down the isle at target today I had a realization. All of the Duncan Imperials and Butterflies had been replaced with Yomega Fireballs and Brains. This phenomena has been occurring for a while. If you look at the World Yoyo Contest of 2007, the biggest logo that you can see is Duncan. This is pretty understandable given that Duncan is the oldest yoyo brand. If you look at the 2013 World Yoyo Contest, you will see Duncan and Yomega are about the same size with Yomega slightly bigger. The point is that Duncan’s golden age is finally over and Yomega is beginning to take charge. Whether it is beneficial for yoyoers or not is a completely different topic. So what does this mean for the future? Personally, I think that this will make budget metal yoyos a bit more common than they currently are, and that some more advanced players than in the past will begin to arise. Additionally, players may begin to become a little less prevalent due to the fact that Yomega does not manufacture many “Beginner Beginner” yoyos. Ideally, I think that stores having Fireballs in stock may also make looping a bit more popular. Although Yomega is a step up from Duncan, it is still a step down from the advanced companies like Yoyofactory and Yoyojam. Understandably, store-bought Yomega won’t be able to sustain players all the way through some of the more advanced and difficult tricks, but the first impression of yoyoing counts! So sit back and watch a new generation of advanced players arise. Duncan is long dead; we are living in the age of Yomega.
Great take on this
I wouldn’t say that Duncan is dead I mean with the Strix and Echo 2 out they’re still up to date with budget metals. But I see your point Yomega has been uping their game up with the glide and prodigy and now the yoyojam collab.
It’s not that Duncan is fading out. It’s more that Yomega has been changing the way they look at yoyos and marketing, in general. Daniel Dietz has been working with them for a while now and I’d like to think he is guiding them in the right direction when it comes to quality/quantity… at least to some extent…
i still see duncan imperials and butterflies everywhere.
May be true but gawd what I wouldn’t do for all 5 of the Star Wars Glides.
Should have seen yomega’s presence in the late 90’s.
You could get them at any store that sold anything at all.
They came with happy meals, and in cereal box’s. Couldn’t turn around without a yomega being flipped in your face or someone attempting to sell you one.
I think Duncan is trying to grow more out of just the fixed axel plastics that you can find anywhere and make more serious competition and unresponsive throws. Just think about the metals they have come out with recently… I have only heard good things about the strix echo2 and barracuda. And they also made a serious looping yoyo. I think the future is looking bright for Duncan. They are actually making throws that the yoyo community wants not just throws that make them money in big box retailers!
Dude I totally hear that! The imperial art on the Glide makes it the amazingest paint job EVER!
My favorite would have to be the Boba Fett one in all honesty.
I don’t agree with this statement, I’m pretty sure a maverick can handle basically everything 1a.
I’d say that Duncan is just taking yoyoing to a more professional grade level, while Yomega is staying at the beginner level with their yoyos.
Haha, man, I sure remember that. Yomega was kinda the brand of throw to have back then. And your right, I remember seeing them anywhere and everywhere! Basically, if you didn’t have at least 3-5 Yomega’s back then, then you probably never yoyoed.
The logos changed sizes because how much money they paid for sponsorship changed… that’s all there is to it. Higher level sponsor = bigger sign and better placement.
Yomega didn’t sponsor worlds for several years after the whole debacle with their CEO at the time (who has since been replaced)… now they sponsor again and have reinvested in trying to make decent yo-yos for the first time since the 90s.
Duncan has been making great yo-yos since the 2000s or so when they hired Steve Brown to help redesign their lineup… the freehand zero has been a massive success for something like 9 years now. They also make decent budget priced metals, and a few nicer ones too.
Duncan is well known for their dirt cheap butterfly and imperial models simply because that’s all they could convince stores like walmart, toys r us, etc. to buy… now the economy has shifted and those companies are willing to stock nicer products.
Kyle