A change on mentality

General Yo-Yo
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Hello everyone,

I wasn’t sure if do this post but at the end I think there is no harm in it and I found this became a weird experiment with myself.

In the past months I basically sold all my collection (I have around 6 yoyos left) and didn’t really bought anything new (said that, I have an Ekta coming for my bday bought second hand at half price, it was impossible say no, yay), I had to do it to pay some medical stuff which I will not bore you about it, so in all this months I play more or less with the same 2 yoyos, 3/4 hours a day or more, every single day.

While I think collectors and people that buy yoyos frequently are a real bless for the market and they really support and help to grow the yoyo world (so thanks guys), in the other side, after a bit of initial “withdrawal” I had at the beginning looking at this whole new cool releases wishing to buy them and play with them, slowly slowly I accepted my destiny and became just a lurker of the market world and concentrate even more on what is left, tricks.

After the first weeks where I was used to follow and (if I can buy) a new release, I let this process slip away from my mind and while I keep following companies on Instagram or here in Yoyoexpert and keep myself informed with everything, I slowly slowly stopped to visit shops daily or wait for the new yoyos release, instead I started to concentrate even more on the tricks (I never been a collectionist but I do love a new release).

I started to be content of what I already have and do not even think about “which yoyo I am using” or “I would like a new yoyo”, I just grab the same one on the table and instead I just concentrate hardly on work on my tricks, even in the maintenance side I never been a king but now even less, I just changed pads when they were so worn down to do not bind anymore and same for the strings.

The results seems to arrive promptly, I got “clean” about the purchase side and I had a creativity boost and feel like my flow got much better and also my combo making, I stop to think “maybe with this yoyo I can play better horizontal”, instead I started to play better horizontal with the yoyo I already have, I gave myself a sort of “no excuses” and just give the fault to myself if I weren’t able to do something, I started to study the tricks in different ways and my learning process quite speed up.

I found this very interesting, I do love to do experiments on myself and this one came from a bad situation which turn itself in a nice discovery.

Said that, is stupid to do not buy any new yoyo at all. If you can, you should enjoy and prize yourself for hard work or even if you had a bad day, mail day is still one of the best days I think and the joy of discovery a new project or a new shape is good as nail some crazy horizontal behind the back tricks, also let’s be honest some yoyos just looks cool and is nice to play them.

I am not sure if in your yoyoing career you had such a discovery or a change of mentality but will be nice to hear and to inspire each other, I still can’t afford any yoyo at the moment but, if one day I will be able to buy them again, I will keep this time of my life I am living as a lesson and be maybe a bit more mindful with what I really want!

Curious to hear your opinion or your story!

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I do not think that you need more yoyos than you need.
If you do 5 a, you need one or two for 5a. If you do 1a, you need one or two for that style, etc.

A good rule of thumb is 1-2 yoyos per purpose.
1 or 2 beater or edc yoyos if you like, 1-2 for “learning” tricks, 1-2 per material type. (Sometimes you just want a plastic yoyo).

I think anything more than that is just a collectors habit which I respect but it goes beyond what one man “needs”.

You can also have one yoyo (and not 2) per purpose but that leaves you with no backup.

Surely, a collection of 170 yoyos is not based on need basis. If you yoyo for one hour per day with one yoyo, you will end up playing with it twice a year. Right?

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Buying yoyos is good for the hobby and fun like I love and respect all the ppl grabbing a ton of new yoyos and shuffling them around on bst. But I understand your sentiment but I don’t think there is any right way to enjoy yoyos like focusing on tricks or amassing a collection of hundreds or thousands of yoyos. Like what does it matter if it makes ppl happy? I’m glad you found it easier to focus on what you love about yoyos, making tricks, without the distraction of following all the new releases. I just don’t think we need to judge or chastise ppl for buying a lot of yoyos, like so what if those yoyos don’t all see play? That’s fine. It doesn’t affect me or you at all.

I personally kinda just stopped buying yoyos after realizing I found my spirit Yoyo. The one that speak to me the most and I always find in my hand.

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Not problems at all with collectors as you can see I send them some bless as they really help the market grow and I think is an important thing in our small world, also I love to see the collection pictures!
What I wrote is about myself not about the whole yoyo world. I find cool that there are so many ways to enjoy the hobby and all of them are perfectly fine for me (I even find amazing to see people in their late 60,70s still able to enjoy it, it gives me hope), I just found what for me is best, sometimes many releases used to “drain” my brain, trying to see what I can get or which one I prefer, with tricks do not happen and give me much satisfaction to create a nice combo or learn some trick, still as I wrote I think that buy a yoyo every now and then is refreshing and fun, I will keep to do that in the future but maybe minding a bit more what I buy.

Also as a sponsored player, people buying yoyos help me to stay sponsored and in my case ZGRT keep going, I am aware that without buyers there is no market at all and the hobby can die, this is why I am also thankful that there is the collectionist side or just people that enjoy to try a lot, never seen a negative note on that, better spend money in yoyo than other bs!

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I like your thoughts Alberto and your health is way more important. If someday you can purchase more and that’s what you would like to do then that is fine also. I purchase way more than I would ever need and that’s fun but it’s fleeting for me. I also play a lot during most days but it’s usually me rotating through the same ones for the most part. And I look forward to your thoughts on the Ekta.

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Nobody is being aggressive or judgemental here. I just try to develop the whole "need"aspect of Albertino’s position.

Saying that having 30,40,50 yoyos is not crucial/ essential / mandatory to enjoy yoyo or simple claim that you “have enough” to play around does not mean that we are taking a piss on collectors.

So yeah,you do not need 1k yoyos and if for some reason you cannot have them or you have to give them away, you should not feel bad about it.

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Yeah but it reads kind of anti collector so I wanted to share my thoughts.

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It’s hard to be content when it feels like all you see is people giving you reasons why you shouldn’t be content.

It’s a big thing I feel when interacting with online yoyo spaces. It sometimes feels like consumerism is celebrated and hyped up, far more than video edits or comp routines or even just people learning or figuring stuff related to tricks are hyped up. Instead of an emphasis on subjects relating to the play of yoyo, it feels like the emphasis is more just on acquiring and wanting more yoyos.

And with that mindset being so prevalent, it’s hard to not let it bleed a bit into your own feelings too. Because getting new yoyos is sick, I love getting a little bit of variety. New yo-yos can help get me weird inspiration especially from wanting to play like and learn tricks from the player the yoyo is an sig for. How different yo-yos play can also just really drive the direction your current trickset heads in. I feel like there’s a reason so many amazing players do own a lot of yoyos. It’s just a fun burst of variety and can inspire creativity.

I think the problem, if there even is one though is debatable, is just that consumption and consumerism feel like discourse around them heavily outweighs discourse about actually playing yoyo. It definitely feels like a big bummer to me to be having a conversation about playing yoyo on discord or something, and having somebody interject just to talk about buying/wanting yoyos/gear.

This is a really weird topic honestly. I don’t even know if consumers are really as much to blame as companies for keeping these hype cycles going constantly in unhealthy ways and promoting things in ways that feel kinda predatory at times. It’s nuanced. New yoyos are cool and I do want new yoyos, but I don’t just want discussion to constantly be about wanting yoyos, because a constant desire for more consumption just isn’t healthy. I’m kind of rambling, it’s really hard to accurately verbalize my feelings on this subject.

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I kind of went the opposite way, I started with “I will just have what I need,” then got more into that collector mindset. I find it fun to be able to see and play physically those evolutionary changes in companies’ designs and just the hobby in general, playing unique throws, seeing the splashes of different colorways, etc. Do I want to sometimes still be more in the “I don’t need this” way of thinking, heck yes, haha, and that’s something I’ve recognized and tried getting better about myself as well. More “I have something like this already” or a healthy mix now more realizing what I do like to play vs. what might get a little less time on the string, and which companies I tend to enjoy designs of more often, etc. I applaud you as well for making that change because I know that it couldn’t have been easy either, and if it’s working for you, that’s a positive for certain!

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Guess you can start buying some yo-yo tees instead! (j/k)

I love this mentality. Sometimes it feels like we need to keep up with all the latest releases, but I’ve been trying to focus on throws that give me a different experience.

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I recently got to a point where I was happy with all the yoyos I have. I dont really check BST anymore. I do like seeing all the new releases and getting new yoyos always is fun. The only yoyo I really have my eye on is the Sonic Wave and it’s been out a good while now.

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@Albertino Good experiment my friend. I’ve mostly just found myself slow down.

In the beginning it’s all about learning that there actually is a difference between throws for me. Then experiencing those throws to a large degree. I recently find myself becoming less willing to buy new. I’ve offloaded a whole bunch that simply didn’t click with me. And I’ve become more critical in my buying.

I’m just a naturally curious person and love to experience variety. Also…I spend long days behind the computer for work…and windowshopping yoyos is an easy and quick distraction. I don’t always have the luxury to actually play when I’m at the office.

I have a (for my personal opinion) LOT of yoyos. And I’ll probably buy some more. Trying different yoyos is just another part of the hobby for me. But you’re right…it’s not a need. Just something I enjoy.

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Great insight and great post. As a collector, I’ve pondered the idea of downsizing or figuring out how I would do it if I had to. I think about what I would keep and why I need to keep it. Which throws will I always keep, and what’s expendable? Turns out it’s not easy.

I’m glad you found your flow. It takes a lot of discipline to accomplish what you did.

Thanks again for sharing, and I hope you are well!

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I’m glad you made the most of your situation and tried to work with what you have @Albertino! In different parts of life I think our approach to the hobby may change. I’ve had times when I didn’t buy very much or when I went years without getting new yoyos, and lately I’ve bought way more yoyos than I thought I would. I’d say honestly do what you enjoy in relation to the hobby and if you don’t enjoy how you’re approaching the hobby try a different direction! I’m not a huge collector type but I know a lot of people enjoy that a lot more than other aspects of the hobby or enjoy the organization of events and things like that. At the end of the day, I agree it’s important to be grateful for what you have, and you’ll be a lot happier in life in general as you do that. Does that mean you should or shouldn’t buy yoyos for fun or to collect or because they are nostalgic or unique? That’s up to you, but do what you enjoy about the hobby and what makes sense for you and your situation, but I do think taking time to do an experiment like this would be great for a lot of people, myself included! I’m trying to slow down on my purchasing lately but haven’t been very successful with that haha. Some ramblings but just some of my thoughts on the topic.

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I am currently struggling to balance collector syndrome and what I need for my commitments. Like I have a bunch of stuff that’s specifically for the local YoYo club that I’ve sunk a fair bit of money into. They aren’t mine technically I’m just the one responsible for it all.

Then I have my collection and it’s not small anymore and letting go of stuff is hard for me. I don’t like selling yo-yos or trading and I enjoy my trophies and art pieces. There are yo-yos I play with and beat up and yo-yos I play carefully often but there’s some stuff that’s just meant to sit on a shelf in my collection and it’s been really hard to look it over and decide do I “need”this

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I’m in my exploration phase so I’ve been buying and trying whatever looks interesting.
I figure I’ll end up selling or gifting ones I really don’t jive with but that’s an issue for future me.

I think I’m at a good place with throws once my next haul arrives.

Now I’m starting to test out strings. :grimacing:

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Well said. I came to a similar conclusion with playing music and making music. I had around a dozen instruments for a few years and wasn’t practicing as much as I should. I even was acquiring more practice material (DVDs, lessons, books) but not actually sitting down and using it. About a year ago I started paying attention to the bare essentials. I scaled back to one electric guitar, one lapsteel guitar, and one ukulele. Now that I’m not hopping around on different scale lengths and styles of instruments as much I notice my fingers are more comfortable and my body is creating rhythm and melody I didn’t before. The same can be said for yoyo. My practicing has accelerated. Now, I’m learning a few things really well, instead of tidbits everywhere.

Suffice to say, this is a good and healthy approach some of us need to take. It reminds me of the options paralysis regarding streaming shows and movies. Many of us will spend as much time seeking the perfect show, when it doesn’t exist and we lost out on the time we could have spent enjoying any show.

I have a compulsive collecting and consumer habit. If I wasn’t careful I would be making orders of dozens of things every month and that’s money and space I don’t have and less time getting better with tricks and techniques because I’m switching shapes, weights, styles, etc. too much. It makes me think of the kids who only had fixed axle wooden yoyos. They did amazing things with so little.

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Not getting physically or emotionally attached to yoyos has helped me greatly. I’ve bought and sold my entire collection multiple times when in need of cash or during those down times where I lost interest. This came after years of being addicted to the BST and realizing what kind of grip it had on my life.

With that said, no, my Hatrick and Overture are not for sale lol

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Thanks everyone for your insight and discovers, @mable send out a good point I never tought about the capitalistic side of this, is a new point of view for me, I consider it always as people buying what they want to enjoy, at the end of the day there are so many worse things you can spend your money on but is a good thinking and I agree that sometimes is a bit “boring” to talk about want yoyos instead of play yoyos, it happen quite frequently and I seen it in other stuff as well, in the world of classical guitar it was a run to have the “new guitar” instead of play what you already have (which usually was already something high level), it always put me off thinking also how much great music there is around to learn.

I do agree that is nice to have “a mix” of yoyos for different genres, sadly I am a boring 1a guy and also I like bimetals and couple of mono, so my yoyos ended up being all very similar lol

For people that begin I think it can of make sense to try a lot and experiment, I did it with time but just because I didn’t had the money for it but I found my favourite shape and specs with time and trying yoyos this is I think the only way, pretty sure also the type of yoyo you use help to shape your own style and preferences.

For all the collectors out there I think is cool what you do, first that come to my mind are @KorinaMcCarty and @Tobiyo89 their collection is insane and I love to look at what they purchase as sometimes is stuff I do not even know it exist.

@RichRod as a musician myself I can understand what you talking about, GAS is real and is insane, I seen people collecting scores and books with scores without learn not even a piece in there which was crazy, I remember when I got my first luthier guitar after like 12 years of playing a factory 300$ one, it was a day and night difference but I get it after finish an important diploma so I kind of “deserved” that, I never liked to have lot of instruments, doesn’t make sense to me but also because I become sort of affectionated to my guitar so I didn’t like to change it for another one, also good classical guitar are usually around £1000 so not even affordable like a yoyo lmao also scores I never liked to have many or it became overwhelming, I usually bought the ones I really wanted to learn.

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My mentality and approach to yoyoing has always come from a place of artistry. The reason it appealed to me in the first place was because I saw it as another form of self-expression and mastery, like a musical instrument or a paint brush.

I think, especially in the learning stages, it’s very helpful to try different types of yo-yos and experiment with different styles to develop your own personal style and preferences. Personally, it took a few years of collecting and experimenting before I settled down with the dozen or so yo-yos I have today.

There are really only a few that I pick up regularly because they meet my needs and preferences (Top Deck, Dang 2, and Legendary Terrarian being the top 3). All of the others are basically there to change things up when I feel stagnant or want to switch things up a bit.

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