Spin Doctor

My fascination with toy spinning tops continues and the latest addition to the fold is this neat plastic Triang model. About 3" in diameter, its a lot smaller than its tin cousin, but spins beautifully. Slots in the side make it hum as it leaves the handle, with a ghostly whistling sound.

The other larger tops are mostly tin and around 4" diameter. Each hums at a different pitch, with a pleasant sound like the wind in telegraph wires.

The other yellow Triang model is much earlier, probably late fifties and is almost spherical in shape. The winding handle is wooden as opposed to tinplate like the other tin tops.

The remainder of the top collection all come from crackers with some minor exceptions and are generally quite small. The pink and yellow globular one is the type which mysteriously inverts itself, mid spin and stands on its handle.

Similar in design to the Triang plastic top is this unbranded (possibly Merit) top. About 3.5" in diameter, all plastic, it has the usual slots in the edge, but is also fitted with plastic 'reeds' in the lower half, so that when it leaves the winder, it sounds like a small high pitched mouth organ. Tops like this would usually be sold with an optional satellite that would fly off using the same winder.

Next up is a traditional cat iron Beigoma from Japan. Beigoma is an ancient top design and takes time and skill to master the throw. https://www.tofugu.com/japan/beigoma-japanese-tops/

Two more plastic varieties, an air powered gyro top, launched by blowing down a straw into a turbine inside the top and a small magnetic space station type top that balances on a metal base.

The above top, shaped a little like a chinese hat, is a plastic top sheathed in thin metal, with a very rounded point beneath. It is well balanced and spins really well.

The Dreidel is a traditional jewish game played at Hannukah and has a letter on each of its four faces, which relate to a saying connected with the great Diaspora. Dreidel come in many sizes and some modern versions contain smaller novelties in four compartments. This is a miniature metal version from Israel. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-origin-of-the-dreidel/

Finally, the 'Precision' spinning top. With the recent fad for stress alleviating gadgets like fidget spinners and other gimmicks, there appeared finely balanced metal tops which can rotate unassisted for 5 minutes at a time. This tiny, but heavy top will spin so well, that it barely appears to be moving when at full acceleration.