Sports & Leisure

Tennis Racket

The nation's passion for sports is obvious every day—at NASCAR races, kiddie soccer matches, and countless other contests. From a handball used by Abraham Lincoln to Chris Evert's tennis racket to a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, the roughly 6.000 objects in the Museum's sports collections bear witness to the vital place of sports in the nation's history. Paper sports objects in the collections, such as souvenir programs and baseball cards, number in the hundreds of thousands.

Leisure collections encompass a different range of objects, including camping vehicles and gear, video games, playing cards, sportswear, exercise equipment, and Currier and Ives prints of fishing, hunting, and horseracing. Some 4,000 toys dating from the colonial period to the present are a special strength of the collections.

Name: Playmaxx

Playmaxx Smothers Brothers Yo-Yo

This plastic "Smothers Brothers" yo-yo was made by Playmaxx, Inc. in the 1990s. It has indented flat sides and a blue plastic design. Clear removable plastic disc seals on both sides. One side features a line portrait and the other a silhouette of the two performers.
Description (Brief)
This plastic "Smothers Brothers" yo-yo was made by Playmaxx, Inc. in the 1990s. It has indented flat sides and a blue plastic design. Clear removable plastic disc seals on both sides. One side features a line portrait and the other a silhouette of the two performers. The Smothers Brothers were a comedy variety act who parlayed their song “Yo-yo Man” into a successful instructional video and yo-yo line.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990s
maker
Playmaxx
ID Number
2002.0246.27
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.27

Playmaxx ProYo Yo-Yo

This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx Inc. in the 1990s. It was named the "ProYo" and has indented flat sides. It has a removable seal featuring a red and black graphic of Duncan Toys Company mascot "Mr. Yo-Yo" doing a “Texas Cowboy” trick.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx Inc. in the 1990s. It was named the "ProYo" and has indented flat sides. It has a removable seal featuring a red and black graphic of Duncan Toys Company mascot "Mr. Yo-Yo" doing a “Texas Cowboy” trick. The "ProYo" line was started in 1976 by Donald Duncan, Jr., son of Duncan Toys founder Donald F. Duncan.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990s
maker
Playmaxx
ID Number
2002.0246.41
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.41

Playmaxx Pro Yo II Yo-Yo

This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx Inc. in the 1990s. It is unopened upon its display card, which reads "ProYo II, the world’s longest spinning fixed axle yo-yo, with tricks inside." The yo-yo has a wooden axle, holographic silver insert seal and a red body.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx Inc. in the 1990s. It is unopened upon its display card, which reads "ProYo II, the world’s longest spinning fixed axle yo-yo, with tricks inside." The yo-yo has a wooden axle, holographic silver insert seal and a red body. There is a cartoon graphic of a boy spinning a yo-yo on one side.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990s
maker
Playmaxx
ID Number
2002.0246.56
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.56

Playmaxx 1993 World Championship Yo-Yo

This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx, Inc. in 1993. It has a black body with indented flat sides. There is a graphic of a red, white and blue shield on both halves.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx, Inc. in 1993. It has a black body with indented flat sides. There is a graphic of a red, white and blue shield on both halves. The yo-yo reads “The Nations Top Yo-Yo Players Meet in Chico California, The 1993 National Yo-Yo Championship.” The yo-yo commemorates the first modern national yo-yo championship in the United States.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1993
maker
Playmaxx
ID Number
2002.0246.39
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.39

1991 California Championships Yo-Yo

This white plastic yo-yo was made for the 1991 California State Yo-Yo Championships. It reads “California YoYo Championships 1991” on the front and “The Largest YoYo Contest in the United States October 19, 1991 Chico, California" on the back.
Description (Brief)
This white plastic yo-yo was made for the 1991 California State Yo-Yo Championships. It reads “California YoYo Championships 1991” on the front and “The Largest YoYo Contest in the United States October 19, 1991 Chico, California" on the back. Back also features a list of sponsors.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Playmaxx
ID Number
2007.0158.27
accession number
2007.0158
catalog number
2007.0158.27

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