I asked myself recently: “Do I spend as much time windowshopping online as actually throwing?” That kinda terrified me. My shop/throw ratio might be 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, whatever, I can only guess. Either way, it feels too big. Music production circles have the concept of “Gear Acquisition Syndrome,” amassing cornucopias of untouched guitar pedals and synthesizers. I worry the same pattern happens in yoyo. I don’t mean the joy of having a great collection, I mean the unfulfillment of never having enough.
This thread isn’t to complain about consumerism - it affects us all. Instead, it’s about actionable responses. For me, it’s learning new tricks. It sparks gratitude for the yoyos I already have, and reminds me that yoyo isn’t about getting stuff, it’s about getting skills.
I haven’t purchased a yoyo since January. I have too many. I enjoy pulling out yoyos I got a year or two ago but have barely thrown. I’m pretty sure I will get the YYE Mystery Box in December though!
I think it’s different for everyone but for me I spent the first few years keeping up with new releases and trying as many different throws as I could. For a while now, I’ve stopped looking and buying because I have enough variety in my collection to keep me busy. I think the last new one I bought was a year or two ago. Window shopping certainly can be a trap though.
I think that yo-yo can be about whatever an individual wants it to be. That can include any combination of looking at yo-yos you don’t own, owning yo-yos you rarely or never use, learning new tricks and enjoying tricks that you already know.
