I posted a thread on this awhile back, but this kid who can barely do Double or Nothing now actually owns an Arctic Circle. He’s shaky on whether or not he wants to continue. It just annoys me that it could’ve gone to someone who knows how to use it properly. To me it just seems like, daddy’s gonna buy me this and I’m going to use it for a few days and forget about it. Am I the only one who’s annoyed at this kind of thing? Tell me your thoughts.
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Why be annoyed, yoyos are supposed to be enjoyed; and more importantly, played with.
I don’t know, maybe I’m overthinking it, but it just seems to me like he just wasted a bunch of money when he could’ve just gotten like a ProtoStar or something. That would better suit his level. And the thing is, he’s already gotten out of yoyoing once, and he’s just a kid so he’s bound to do it again.
Why start out with a peace of junk. Get the best you can and go with it.
Ok, that’s pretty unnecessary to get an AC right when you begin. Especially if you’re not sure if you want to continue. It’s basically a complete waste of money and a yoyo. I’ve heard of people buying $100 yoyos as beginners, but this is even worse. I mean $145? (or $165 depending on the color) It’s pretty ridiculous.
I’m definantly not one to say what to do, but this is what I think you should do. Get a cheap, maybe $10, good beginners yoyo to see if you like it or not. Then move up to something like the Dark Magic 2 or somewhere in that price range. That should last you a while. Once you are commited and you know you like it, then go crazy.
I don’t think a great yoyo like the Arctic Circle should be wasted just because somebody wants “the best,” and they think it will get them way farther then anything else.
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Good. I’m not the only one… haha.
He didn’t even know what he really wanted, he just bought it cause it was well… an AC.
Also the ProtoStar isn’t a piece of junk. He liked it. So I don’t know why he would get an AC instead. 
You shouldn’t bother with what people want to spend their money on.
Its their money, like it or not, they buy what they want. Nothing you can do, thus, you should not be bothered.
/thread
J
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Kinda goes with what I said. $125-165 throw in the hands of someone ready to quit. Marvelous. A Protostar could have been just as functional.
Yoyo is one of those things you do in stages.
Now, in comparison:
I have 2 DUncan Bearing Kings. I keep one set up fixed tip, the other bearing tip. I suck at tops. Yet, I bought a Strummol8 Sophia., which at the moment I’m a bit scared to throw. Why? Well, my basic top throwing skills suck, but that’s the purposes of the Bearing Kings, to get beat up. I will probably upgrade to a Spintastics once I get better, then I will work up to the Sophia.
However, in my case, the Sophia is a goal and objective to achieve. It’s not used but it will be. When a friend of mine comes over, he often uses my Sophia, which is great, it’s there to be used! I’m not selfish like that.
I did in part buy it because it’s not going to be made in the black again and I loved how it looks. But I’m a “big boy” and “can make purchase myself” knowing how I work.
Back to yoyo:
Parents want to spoil their kids. Here, I think they put the cart ahead of the horse. I think the mindset was “buy the most expensive we can get, it should last a good long time”. No, not if a kid isn’t showing a real commitment to it. My boy started with a ONE, upgraded to a Protostar, can bind, has a Magic yoyo T6, a Metal Drifter and a DM2 and is having an amazing time. He also rifles through my cases to play with expensive stuff, and I don’t bat an eye when he grabs for a gnarwal, Dietz, MMN or some other high dollar yoyo(his favorite is an Albatross… he’s almost 6, doesn’t that just kill ya?). But, my kid is hooked, and I want to spoil him a bit for his birthday, so I gotta figure out what I’m gonna get him. ANd yes, he has played my Peaks, Canvas, Chief, and AC, and I’m sure once I buy a Glacier Express, he’ll toss that one a few times too.
My kid is playing 1A as his main style, messes around with 4A, plays with 2A from time to time and likes 5A. His Metal Drifter and Freakhand are set up for 5A and yes, he throws and plays very basic 5A stuff. He can throw and bind his Fiesta XX and barrel roll it. He’s trying to learn looping but he always uses my Unleashed yoyos. The DM2 he has is just to big for his small fingers to do double or nothing. So, I have to choose something undersized, heavy and not too wide to accommodate his hands and fingers.
Back to the point, sorry for drifting.
When I give advice to parents, it’s about progress and loss control. Stages, steps, maximizing bang for the buck based on perceived interest, while a the same time spending wisely and not going overboard. I’m operating on the assumption that the kid will quit at any time, and hence, I try to prevent people from spending too much to avoid this kind of predicament. No question about it, a good quality yoyo will help players progress and appear to do better, but they are just tools. The only way they get better is through dedication, commitment and practice. Handing a $150 throw into the hands of a noob ain’t the way to spoil a kid. A DM2 would be great, or a Protostar, or even a DiBase would be fantastic, or a Facade or a bunch of other mid-range priced killer throws.
I see this at Yolex each time I go. I feel the same way. But, I’m there at YoLex to learn myself, and share my collection with others. But I won’t let these noobs with high-end metals throw my stuff. If they can’t handle their own stuff, I don’t want my stuff destroyed either. I hate saying No, but sometimes I have to.
Be nice to the kid. Maybe his parents will sell it to you for cheap.
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Thank you, Studio42! I agree completely.
I walked into this thread knowing I would get slammed and knowing I would get support, so yeah haha. But I do respect everyone’s opinion and take it under advisement.
my thoughts in a nutshell, really, this kind of thing is one of my biggest pet peeves. no joke.
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Glad to know I’m not the only one that has this Pet Peeve.
Well its unnecessary but whatever, its his choice like everyone has said. In my mind, I’ve spent a lot of money on those intermediary throws, he bought the best he could get and it’ll take him all the way if he sticks with it, heck, if he quits it’ll likely get thrown into a yard sale and some luck guy could get an ac for a few bucks!
Why get mad?
When he quits maybe he’ll sell it to you really cheap. Then you can get the hook up on a really sweet yo, Yo.
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My thoughts exactly. 
I say don’t get ma at it. It’s all about people wants, and not so much their needs. I started out with a dm2 purchased off yye store. I thought that was a lot to spend for a beginner yoyo. Haha, an ac. Yes, quite out of proportion. But it’s none of our business what that kid spends his money on 
before the flame fest starts, i would like to say this is directed at no one in particular.
if we are going on skill level alone. 99.99% (if not all) of us could do with only a Protostar/Northstar. JK won worlds on one. if not that, then a cheap metal that can grind for those into that.
yoyos are not for a specific demographic. they are for whoever wants one for whatever reason they want one. My dad has a 1st run 1 of 1 Sky Walker he wanted for a paper weight. He bought it from me out right even though I offered it to him for free. who are we to tell people what they do and dont deserve? how can we read into the future of a persons hobbies?
i think life is far too short to let such random things bother you. ill try to further explain my logic.
to put it plain and simple, thats just not how people work. sure, we could all wear cheap namebrandless shoes (shoes is an example), but the bulk of us dont. we wear name brands because we like them. we know other people like them. we want to be accepted. the home brew yoyo market is a lot like that. people can start out with a mass produced plastic (and lots do), but if given the choice i could assure you lots would want to start out on something highly sought after.its not a skill thing. its an acceptance thing.
While i can totally see how this could be frustrating from the lower side of the economic spectrum (i remember being pissed at a friend down the street in the 1990s yoyo boom because he had a Cold Fusion GT and NEVER let me play with it), this frustration has very little backing other than jealousy. dont let other peoples nice things bother you. in the end someone will always have more than you for reasons that you dont understand or agree with.
IMO, anyone can start with whatever they want for any reason they want so long as they have the means to do so. if people start to complain about “noobies” getting high end yoyos, whats to stop them from starting to hate on collectors because they dont throw them? i can promise you collectors have snagged WAYYY more ACs from “players” than “noobies” (they may even own more than players entirely), and are just as important as players in the home brew market.
heres another approach (and a story!!!)
when i started yoyoing again in 2009 i was working offshore as an e-line engineer. i had more than enough money to start on a high end metal (which was a black groovy TFL88 fyi 
). When it came in I was THRILLED! I then went on to buying/trading for nearly 20k in yoyos throughout the next year before deciding i wanted to do VsNYYC. you are basically saying i was wrong for starting on a metal and didnt deserve to have one regardless of my financial situation because i “wasnt ready for it”. that just sounds ridiculous to me.
In the end if the parents/buyer wants it, and nothing shady is going on about it, there is really no foul. its not a matter of necessary or deserving. it is a right. you really never know what will become of it.
wow, that was a lot longer than i anticipated.
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In a nut shell. It’s not your money so don’t worry about it.
Would you go out and buy the best laptop you could buy? Sure you would. You wouldn’t want a cheap $200 laptop. You would want the best you could afford.
I understand but do not agree. I started with Duncans back in the eighties, got a whip last year and started again. A month later for my birthday my wife got me a Spyy pistolero and I could not land a clean double or nothing. Like said before and in other equal threads… Enjoy throwing the yoyo you have and keep learning.
It is like a 16 year old getting a Corvette if they wrap it around a tree so be it. It is not the yoyo it is the player, so don’t waste time being jealous.
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it not really so much something to get mad over… but it sort of ruins the whole experience factor of buying yoyos… you start out small, as you get better you purchase better yoyos or more desired yoyos like a reward type of thing. Thats what i liked about it in the beginning, moving up the ladder of yoyos just like moving up in the skill level ladder. but honestly it doesnt matter i would of gotten just as good if i owned the same yoyos now as i did when i started.
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