Chronological Butterfly Releases

The Wooden Era (1958–1966)

1958–1966: 1st Wooden 1-piece Butterfly. Invented by Duncan demonstrator Wayne Lundberg, who had the idea to reverse the traditional Imperial halves to create a wider gap for string tricks. Typically featured sparkle paint and solid colors.
1962: Special Edition 1-piece wooden Butterfly. Included a comic booklet and stickers to customize and personalize.
1962: Mardi Gras Butterfly. The 1st plastic Butterfly, released as part of the Disney World of Color series featuring inlaid glitter stars.

1967: Flambeau buys the Duncan Brand after Duncan’s bankruptcy.
1968: 1st Flambeau Plastic Butterfly. Transitioned fully to plastic for mass production, featuring a small engraved Butterfly in the center.
1970: Large engraved Butterfly on the face.
1972: First Screened Butterfly on the face, affectionately referred to as the “Psychedelic Butterfly.”
1976: Return to the Engraved face with the “Lace Wing Butterfly.”
1980: Lace Wing Butterfly updated with a Reslon-coated axle to increase spin times.
1982: Introduction of the “Thick Wing” Butterfly, available in solid colors.
1983: European molds are created, and “Rainbow Butterflys” become available internationally.
1984: The 1st Translucents released in the “Thick Wing” style.
1986: The Mariposas. These feature a slimmer “Thick Wing” with “Butterfly” on top and “Duncan” on the bottom. Stamped Made in Mexico, though the packaging cards were still printed in the USA.
1989: The “Triangle Butterfly” appears, continuing the translucent colorways.

1992–1994: 1st Glow Flys. Offered with two proofs of purchase from Cocoa Puffs cereal; features a Cuckoo Bird graphic.
1994: The 1st Circular Font edition reading “The Original Made in the USA.”
1997: Bandai License Release. Licensed in Japan for Bandai’s highly successful Hyper Yo-Yo line, released as the Hyper Papillon.
1998: Mexico production runs concurrently with USA production. “Made in the USA” is dropped from the stamp and replaced with “The Original.”
2003: Production begins in China alongside Mexico; USA production is phased out.
2003–2004: 75th Duncan Anniversary. The 1st of the 1958 wooden 3-piece reproductions are released in retro packaging to commemorate the milestone.
2008–2010: Holiday “Sparkle Flys.” Sold exclusively at Toys “R” Us, featuring glitter translucent versions made in Mexico.

2012: Butterfly XT released. The first ball-bearing version of the Butterfly, available in translucent colors.
2012–2017: The “Contemporary Flys.” Made in China, these feature a smaller circular print with the AGJRK stamps at the bottom (seen on most modern Duncan models). Molded from a harder plastic compared to earlier series.
2016: A second run of wooden Butterfly reproductions. A 3-piece version based on the 1958 model, but slightly smaller and rounder.
2019 (August): The Butterfly AL is released at the World Yo-Yo Contest. An aluminum translation aimed at modern responsive play, maintaining the original classic feel.
2019 (September): Second version of the Butterfly XT released. Updated to solid colors, switched to a starburst response, and added 4 grams of weight.
2021: New mold for the Contemporary Butterfly. Special editions from a Japanese store feature a new version of a Triangle Butterfly graphic in translucent yellow and black.
2022 (January): Butterfly AL released in new colorways, featuring a small bearing, CBC slim pads, and high-contrast engravings.
2022 (October): New mold Butterflies drop, including new Psychedelics, a Pink Target edition, and Purple Amazon editions.
2022 (December): Pre-release for 2023 of the updated AL Butterfly featuring new Delrin caps.
2023 (Spring): New Pastel solids released around Easter.

2024 (Fall): Glow in the Dark 95-Year Edition and the limited UNKNOWN drop.
2024 (November): Target Holiday and Sparkle Flys branded with the 95th Anniversary.
2025 (Spring): 2nd edition of the Easter Pastels, featuring slight variations in colorways compared to the 2023 release.
2025 (Summer): Charlie Brown Peanuts series released in four variants featuring Snoopy and Woodstock (including a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive).
2026 (May): UN x Duncan Butterfly Restock. A special collaboration release with UNKNOWN, reimagining the classic Butterfly with custom packaging and new color drops.