Orlando Doctor Has Collection of More than 10,000 and an Entry in the Guinness Book of World Records
There's something just a little different about Orlando's Dr. John Meisenheimer. The Orlando physician is recognized by both the American Academy of Dermatology and the Guinness Book of World Records, as CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports.
Meisenheimer knows his patients know about his obsession.
"It's pretty hard to walk in my waiting room and not," he said pointing out posters and displays of yo-yos. "I think everybody knows my love for yo-yos."
Meisenheimer has more of them than anyone else in the world. Part of his house has been turned into a museum-quality display of roughly 3,000 yo-yos. One dates back to 1790 in Britain. Another can be dipped in kerosene and lit on fire. Another has an internal compartment with teeth - it's meant for medical marijuana users to shred up their pot.
There are more in boxes in the attic. The total may be 10,000. He's lost count.
"It's such a piece of Americana," Meisenheimer said. "And it's the Nintendo of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and even in the 60s. That was the toy."
Even today Meisenheimer toys with his acquisitions; he shows Schlesinger a trick.
In the process of collecting all these yo-yos Meisenheimer has made a serious study of them as well. He's now the chairman of the history and collecting committee of the American Yo-Yo Association. (Yes, there is one.) And he wrote the book on Yo-yos that's on display at the Smithsonian.
Dr. Meisenheimer has made his place in yo-yo history with not only the largest known yo-yo collection - but also the largest known yo-yo. It's about the height of a man and stands in his yard. He founded it on EBay; it had to be delivered by forklift.
Schlesinger gives Meisenheimer a one more for his collection: a yo-yo bearing the CBS logo.
So now the number of the Meisenheimer collection is about 10,001.
