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[ta0]

The description as "the ball bearing top with the cushion tip" was too tempting to pass:



I opened the bag and the ball bearing was just a single ball at the tip. But it is spring loaded, thus the "cushion tip" description.
It still works, but the spring is a little stiff so I don't know if it would be safe for floors as the card says.

This is not the first peg top I have with a spring loaded tip. But it was of further interest that the top was manufactured in Dayton, Ohio, or close to Miamisburg.
The company (Wendling Patterns) was established in 1957 (my first guess had been that the top was a decade older) but it is still in business. Perhaps there could be a future visit by the Earl? 

[Jack]

spiffy aquasition indeed sir 

[the Earl of Whirl]

Pretty wild.  We had a bunch of Wendling tops at our first festival in 2000 (the same year as the first world top championships in Florida at Universal Studios).  Some of the family showed up and they had a bunch of tops for people to try.  None of them were packaged and none of them were ball bearing.  It is cool to see the printing and the name (which I knew nothing about).

I did get a few stories out of the family.  They decided to get into the top making business in the 50's and drove to Chicago to learn more about it.  They came back and made hundreds (thousands?).  They marketed them and did what they could to sell the spinners.  The bottom line, though, was that they lost a bunch of money on the whole endeavor.  So sad!!!

[ta0]

That is a very interesting story Mike! I am very glad that I got the top and made the post.
I'll be on the look out to see if I can get a second one for the HOF.

PS: I am working on the story of the Rascal tops   

[Renee]

Just picked up one of these, still in the package, from ebay.  Same label and bag, and same wooden button.  Not ready to open it just yet.