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| Duncan 1937 Tournament Winner |
| Exhibit #1628 |
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| Type | Award |
| Condition | 9 |
| Owner | Rick Brough |
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As a yo-yo memorabilia collector, I always try to find out if there's a history or provenance associated with an old or unique item, especially if it was an award: Who owned the item? How old were they? Where did they win it? What are their recollections of the contest and the demonstrator? What model yo-yo did they use? What tricks did they perform? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions and many others are lost to time and fading memories. Occasionally, however, you come across a collectable where you can piece together a few details from Internet searches and email inquiries to give the item more interest and meaning. This exhibit is one of those cases.
This Duncan felt patch was purchased October 2013 from an estate sale. I was curious about the patch because it was more than 75 years old and still in great condition. I thought whomever won this patch took very good care of it all these years; it meant a lot to them. I contacted the seller and asked if they could find out any more information or details about the patch owner. Apparently, Robert G. Nickels, who died at the age of 87 in Park Ridge, Illinois, on March 12, 2013, owned the patch. Mr. Nickels was born May 29, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 12, he entered his first yo-yo contest in Chicago and won the white patch you see above. The seller told me that there was also a yo-yo that had been stored with the patch but he didn't think anyone would be interested in it because of its condition. Of course, the yo-yo had to be kept with the patch for obvious reasons so that was purchased as well; it is pictured in this exhibit. The yo-yo is what Robert used to win the patch. Note his initials R N that were handcarved into the opposite side of the yo-yo by a Duncan demonstrator. The seller told me that Robert won a second Duncan yo-yo contest in 1939 but someone else purchased that patch. It would have been wonderful to keep all the pieces together for continuity.
From his youth Robert went on to attend Edward G. Forman High School in Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted in the Navy on May 19, 1943, and eventually became a Supply Corps Disbursing Officer for Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Military stations where he served and schools he attended include the following:
• V-12 Unit, Notre Dame
• Navy Special Operations Training Center, Advance Base Aviation Training Unit, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY and Bayonne, NJ
• NCSC, Harvard;
• Submarine Bases at Midway, Pearl Harbor and Guam.
He was commissioned June 27, 1945, at the Navy Supply Corps School, Harvard, Boston, MA. His memorable experiences include surviving a typhoon and tidal wave on Guam; losing power in one engine of an RSD Skymaster on flight from Hawaii to the U.S. and returning before half-way point to Honolulu for repairs. He was honorably discharged on July 17, 1946, his decorations include the American Theater Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign, and the WWII Victory Medal. After 38 years with AT&T, Nickels retired as accounting supervisor in May, 1984. Following retirement, he was a travel consultant with Sun Travel Service, Park Ridge, Ill. and a part-time income tax consultant for John Panagakis, CPA, Chicago. He married Mary Louise Earll on August 13, 1953 and they had two children: Leslie Lynn (Martin Phillippi) and Scott Earll. He is buried in the Memory Garden Cemetery in Arlington Heights, Illinois. His picture is also included with this exhibit.
Well done Robert. Not bad for a two-time yo-yo champ.
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1937 was a very interesting year for Duncan Winner patches. They made a red-background version of the same patch you see above. They also made the traditional 1937 Winner patch that was the standard format and colors used by Duncan into the late 1950s. There is yet another 1937 "Gold Seal" variation but in an older Winner format. Pictures of the traditional version from my collection, the "Gold Seal" version from the collection of Dale Myrberg, and the red background version are included in this exhibit. I theorize that this white patch was perhaps a special version for the yo-yo contests held in Chicago and surrounding areas because the Donald F. Duncan, Inc headquarters were also located in Chicago. Perhaps locals in that area were treated to specially designed awards from Duncan? At any rate, yo-yos were in their first boom in 1937. With the coming of World War II, however, that boom would end around 1943. It was not until 1948 that Duncan resumed production of the popular toy along with colorful patches to go with contests.
Compare this patch with the artwork found on the 1937 red Duncan string pack also found in this museum.
See also the following:
• Red Genuine (with large "G") Duncan Tournament yo-yo with black stripe and red-filled lettering.
• Orange Genuine (with large "G") Duncan Tournament yo-yo with black stripe and red-filled lettering.
• 1937 Gold Seal Yo Yo Winner patch
• 1937 Winner patch
• 1937 Tournament Winner patch | |
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