The Duncan Yo-Yo Tourney Spinner Expert award pinback was given to players at tournaments who successfully performed the spinner, or sleeper, trick in front of a Duncan demonstrator. The pin shows Duncan’s Mr. Yo-Yo character appearing to throw a sleeper.
The pin measures 22.23 millimeters in diameter and is estimated to date from the 1950s.
The spinner, more commonly known as the sleeper, is one of the oldest yo-yo tricks. Developed in the late 1920s by Pedro Flores, it became one of the most fundamental tricks for players to learn. The sleeper serves as the basis for so many string tricks that came later.