Oh, tops – how shall we describe thee?  Simple, pleasant, spinning swiftly across floors, tables and sidewalks?  Sure, it’s pretty easy to forget plain ol’ tops, but they’ve been around longer than just about any toy on the market as one of the earliest toys in recorded history.  Its mesmerizing qualities have helped it to become a part of many world cultures, keeping it on store shelves day in and day out.

No one really knows who came up with the top and when, but we know it was a part of the Greek and Roman civilizations.  Early tops were made of wood, and later versions have been found in Asia.  In China, they became known as “tsa lin” and in Japan they were called “koma asobi.”  They were found made of nuts and bamboo; whatever was easily found.  In Israel, they’re called dreidels and are used in a popular Hanukkah game.  The Maori of New Zealand even use special tops that make a humming sound as a part of their mourning rituals.  The sound was popular enough for the Japanese to create their own whistling version, “Thunder Tops.” 

Though they may look a little different from one another, each variation is essentially the same.  A nice, circular shape that smoothed out into a pointed tip or in some cases a peg.  Tops are spun on these tips after twirling it with fingers or spinning it out from a string that’s wrapped around a peg on the top.  Other versions are spun off with a plunger in the top that makes it spin once it’s pressed. 

Tops made their way back to Europe, from Asia, in the 1700s through a Chinese game called “ko-en-gen.”  In this game, the top would be spun up into the air and caught on a cord when it fell.  The game was rechristened “diavolo” and became a favorite pastime of Napoleon Bonaparte.  Giant-sized tops became a familiar sight in English villages, meant for exercise (and keeping warm!).  Whipping tops were also popular, and like the name suggests, the top was spun by a whip. 

Finally, around the same time America sought its independence, the top made its way across the Atlantic.  It was one of the first toys to receive a patent in the States and it was popular with both kids and adults.  The plunger top proved to be the biggest hit in the U.S., as well as tops that flipped over once they were spun.  As the years would go by newfangled versions of the top would emerge, including some that had lights and bits-n-pieces that made music.  The Wizzer, a top with a polyurethane tip that made a whizzing sound and did trips, became one of the most popular of the glitzy top genre. 

Sure, today you won’t find a Black Friday line for tops… no Tickle Me Elmo Mania, no Cabbage Patch Kids line out-the-door.  However, after all that’s said and done, tops remain popular today.  There’s the Musical Choral top with its color patterns and musical chords, the Spinning Plane Top with little planes spinning around inside and many others that have been a favorite in many a toy box.  Sure, tops are simple – but maybe that’s why they’re still as popular as ever.