That Went Well...

I wanted to thank everyone who participated in the Photo Flash Fiction last month. It was awesome and I was blown away by the stories. That was a lot of fun. I may have to do it again.

In case you were wondering, everyone who participated got an ebook. I just couldn't bring myself to exclude anyone since all of the stories were so great. Thanks so much.

Oh, and it looks like they've started to clean up the mess.

Shooting Captain Miller

Yo-Yo: An Old Dog With A Lot Of New Tricks

There are times in life when you can only find the solution to a problem by playing with a yo-yo. I’ve been a writer for a long time and early in my career worked at a fairly progressive ad agency. I was thrilled that when faced with a creative problem I was able to step outside of my office and do a few yo-yo tricks to get my brain working in the right direction. Some say that Napoleon, too, was a yo-yo enthusiast and would often relieve stress by throwing a yo-yo. Setting aside speculation, the yo-yo was first uncovered in history in 500 B.C. Greece.

The ancient form of yo-yos were produced using wood, metal or painted terra cotta discs simply referred to as discs. An example is on display in the National Museum of Athens in Greece along with a vase depicting a young boy playing with a yo-yo. The toy’s history moves through Egypt, China, Britain and France among other nations. The toy was very popular in the early twentieth century in the Philippines and helped the yo-yo gain ground in the U.S.

An image from a French fashion journal in 1791 shows a woman playing with what was then known as a Bandalore.

In 1866, James L. Haven and Charles Hittrick of Cincinnati, Ohio were given the first patent for a yo-yo in the U.S. It was for a yo-yo ‘coupled together at their centres by means of a clutch’. This was the first but many more followed using great names for the toy such as Wheel Toy, Bandalore and Whirligig. A very popular yo-yo was manufactured in San Francisco in 1920s by a man named Flores. Yo-yo in Filipino means spring.

D.F. Duncan Sr. worked for Flores, marketing the yo-yo and eventually bought out Flores. In 1930, he started the Genuine Duncan Yo-Yo Company and trademarked the name ‘yo-yo’. There have been many companies in the yo-yo business over the years and they all benefited us as consumers because, lets face it, we get a better selection of yo-yos to play with and collect. It is an endearing, unflappable, stalwart in the toy world and has become collectible as well.

Popularity in Yo-yo collecting caused a spike in prices between ‘97 and ‘01

Where does one start collecting yo-yos and what should one collect? Like any collection, it comes down to finding what you enjoy. Collect what you love and you’ll never go wrong. There are a lot of variations to consider when tracking down yo-yos: manufacturers, old or new (pre and post 1970), material (plastic, wood, metal), design (butterfly, traditional, adjustable), colours, sizes…

The Grind Machine by YoYoFactory
A sleeping yo-yo that is designed to do long lasting tricks.

The Velocity by YoYoFactory

An adjustable yo-yo that allows you to adjust the width of the gap which allows a full range of tricks.

Toy collectors are well versed in the art of toy hunting so, finding older yo-yos isn’t really that tough but paying for them can be. Prices for pre-seventies yo-yos can run anywhere from under ten dollars to over five hundred. Always remember to keep a budget in mind for any collection. To help you manage those funds efficiently you’re going to want to keep an eye out for condition when picking up a yo-yo, especially older ones. The graphics on the yo-yo should be sharp and clean and the move vibrant the colours are the better the piece. Flaws hurt value so keep your eye out for chips and dents. Clean paint on wooden yo-yos is almost impossible and repaints are tough to spot but you can see the chip paint under most repaints. Make sure that the two halves are even and aren’t loose. If the yo-yo is stillpackaged, unopened, clean and bright are the best.

There are many brands of yo-yos still sought after by collectors today. Here are just a few:

Duncan

American Spinners

BC/What’s Next

Medalist

Royal

Tom Kuhn

Oxygene

Visit the Museum of Yo-yo History for a yo-yo directory (with photos). It’s a great resource.

Basic Yo-yo Styles

To collect and play!

I took a look at a few yo-yos from an online dealer here in Canada (YoYo-Canada), and as a long time yo-yo enthusiast jumped in and purchased a new, modern yo-yo. I really didn’t know what to expect and when my Grind Machine yo-yo arrived in two days I was ecstatic. It was unlike any yo-yo I’d owned or even played with and it proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

The Grind Machine in action

The newer yo-yos come in two categories; imperial with a more traditional shape and a butterfly or wing design. The imperial shape is good for looping tricks since it has a smaller gap which allows the string to catch more easily. A butterfly design is great for sleeping tricks. Yo-yos have advanced to a high state of play when you consider you can now buy string of differing materials depending on your preference. Add to that counterweights, off-string tricks and hub stacks and you have a world of possibilities to collect and to show off.

Basic Types of Yo-yo

The F.A.S.T. 201 Yo-yo put through its paces

One of the catches to the butterfly or sleeping yo-yo is that it is only designed to sleep so, that makes the traditional gravity pull impossible (palm up, throw yo-yo over the top down toward floor, turn hand over, pull, yo-yo returns). Like my Grind Machine, you must learn the bind return. It’s a way of getting a sleeping yo-yo to return and believe me, it takes practice.

The Gravity Pull

Binding Return

The yo-yo may not be as popular as it once was but it definitely has evolved into an amazing toy. Whether you reach back into your youth and search out some older yo-yo versions or look for the newest yo-yos, you just can’t lose with a toy that’s this much fun.

A Fun Yo-yo Fact:

The Primo:

Check out some great tutorial videos at Yo-Yo Crazy.com

Yo-yo photos courtesy of YoYo-Canada; fantastic online retailer who really know their stuff.

Special Edition Elite 1966 TV Series Batmobile

I received this model as a gift and it took my breath away. I’ll give away my age and admit that I watched the original 1966 Batman series as a kid but that does not make me an expert. I focused this review on comparing this model’s exterior for accuracy rather than looking for every minute difference between it and the TV show car.

The car’s exterior is as good a match to the original as I’ve ever seen. It’s an impressive size measuring in at just under one foot or 30 centimeters long. The gloss black paint has been applied flawlessly showing no blemishes of any kind. The red pin-striping shows beautifully against the black.

Both doors, hood and trunk open fully and glide easily, though it is slightly difficult to get your finger under the hood to lift it. Even though the interior is all moulded plastic, which one would have to look at closely to discover, it looks excellent. It houses some awesome details like a dashboard compass, the Batphone and a fire extinguisher. My personal favourite is the definitive bubble windshields front and back. Mattel did an amazing job of getting those right. They show clear and the grey trim has been applied nicely so as to not take away from the design. The spinning antenna positioned just outside of the windshield is a wonderful touch, though it is extremely fragile and if not careful, it could easily break.

Considering the price of this model (I’m sure you could find one for under $100 USD) the level of engine detail is good; it definitely has visual impact when you lift the hood. However, the silver engine’s highly-polished, shiny finish, brings out the look of the plastic detracting from the quality.

The decaling and detailing on this model are excellent with a great looking steering wheel, dash and labelling of important devices like Bat Turn and Bat Chutes. The all-important and familiar Batman logo is perfect in colour, size and position. Though the sticker that is the Bat Computer in the trunk of the car is slightly off. The car has a nice open (see-through) grill and rear engine nozzle.

For me there are very few negatives to speak of about this midlevel model. The all plastic base does knock it down in quality from the far more expensive Super Elite version. The tires are made from a harder rubber that make them look and feel plastic. As mentioned earlier, the small, brass antenna is fragile and must be handled with care. I’d like to have seen headlights on this car instead of the painted-over grill patterns and small plastic buttons they used. Also, the engine and Bat Computer really are the low points of this model.

Hardcore fans of the original ’66 Batman television series will take issues with the differences between this model and the show’s car. By that comparison it is not 100% accurate. This diecast was modeled after George Barris’ current Batmobile. It was always Mr. Barris’ car and after the series ended the car was returned to him. Since then he has made several changes, not the least of which was updating the stereo system which doesn’t match the original. There are other differences such as seats and seatbelts, the size of the phone and extinguisher and I’m sure many others. As I mentioned, I’m not hardcore enough to recognize the difference.

If you want an accurate representation down to the finest of details then you’ll have to spend three times what this version costs. This is the perfect version for those of us who don’t need the minutia to be perfect, but want to have the absolute best looking and affordable Batmobile available.

The verdict: Go out and buy this model right now (and remember to keep the bonnet and boot closed).

Toy Collector Feature Blog

My report for Toy Collector at Fan Expo 2010 is the feature blog this week. I hope you check it out.

The Hunt

Written By Danielle La Paglia
Photo by Ian O'Neill

He steps carefully afraid to slip, his boots squishing into the moist earth. Easing forward he slowly pulls his rear foot from the mud suctioning it to the jungle floor. Humidity presses in on him, filling his lungs with more moisture than air. His fatigues stick to his skin, soaked through at his belt and the strap of his rifle. Shifting thick leaves aside with the tip of his weapon, he searches for the enemy. His progress is slow, but steady. He pushes on knowing they are close by. He can feel their presence, taste victory on his tongue.

Then he hears it, a twig snaps to his left. Muscles tense, he shifts only his eyes at first, then twists at the waist. One step closer and he catches a glimpse of them through the trees. His pulse races, he holds his breath, and inches forward. Blinking sweat from his eyes, he leans into the scope and takes aim. Finger ready, he steadies his arm, releases his breath, and pulls the trigger. He shifts to the second man before the first has fallen and hears the unmistakable sound of a pistol cock behind him.

A small jerk and he crumples to the jungle floor.

Toy Collector Reviews

All of my toy reviews, thus far, on Toy Collector.

Say it with me..."I Love Toys."

AT-AT DAY AFTERNOON

Another great work from Patrick Boivin.

The Making of AT-AT DAY AFTERNOON

Mercury Joe

Review of Did's Captain 'Millers'

I recently reviewed the 1:6 figure of Captain Miller from the film Saving Private Ryan. Not only was the film fantastic, this figure is, too.