Ah, but you see, that’s where you’re misunderstanding. I’m probably to blame by being overly flippant, so I can see how you drew that conclusion. So let me elaborate a bit more:
I have a great deal of affection for most of my yoyos! I don’t think of them as disposable utilitarian pieces. I would argue that it’s the opposite: the very fact that I feel sentimental and even emotionally invested in certain yoyos is what brings me to the affectionate conclusion: “they’re just pieces of metal on a string!” I get to have more joy out of them, I get to bring them places they’ve never been… since as pieces of metal on a string I know they can take a bit of scuffs and dings and still keep trucking on.
And in the unlikely event that in the middle of using them for fun I accidentally damage them “too much” (that would take some work; I don’t smash them into stuff on purpose!), despite my affection they aren’t typically irreplaceable.
In the literature for the El Ranchero, SPYY Steve mentions how despite the lovely scrollwork on the rims, the yoyo is meant to look more “beautiful” as a few scuffs and scrapes inevitably end up on this yoyo that is meant as a “player first”. That’s the mentality I take. I like to think of the occasional scratches and marks as what lol calls them: love marks!
Got nothing to do with wealth. I was richer at 17 than I am now, in terms of disposable income. I have an “allowance” (people who have a budget sometimes call it “funny money” so that they’re not reminded of their childhood, but it’s an allowance) that is FAR less than the money I made slinging hot dogs at the local fast food joint.
It has more to do with understanding the real value of things. The real value of a yoyo is that it is a fun toy. The real joy of a top-tier yoyo is that it performs at a high level, which is just what the doctor ordered for “fun” on some days (other days, “fun” is hucking around an Imperial). Why on earth would I want to limit my “fun” to my living room when it’s portable and I can have that fun wherever I happen to be!
The value of something is almost never discovered by its price tag.
I am the one to blame for bringing “cost” into it, so I have to eat that up. Or at least acknowledge it: there IS a difference between reducing the value of a $120 yoyo down to $80 compared to unrealistically expensive repairs to superficial damage on a car. But none of it really matters if you’re not in the reseller’s market or if you don’t want to chalk that $40 as a justifiable expense for fun.
I mean, I buy a $150 yoyo. I play the heck out of it and love it … ding it… whatever… and some day I’m bored of it and want to move on. I sell it for $90. In the year and a half that I owned it, I’m absolutely SURE I got $60 of value out of it. I paid $60 to lease a yoyo and enjoy it in my own way for a year and a half! That’s not bad.
Or, I keep it. Instead of being “out” $60, I’m actually still out $150. But I have the yoyo to show for it. I didn’t “lose” $60 because I never sold it.
Sure i enjoy a nice minty throw… like the FHZ i just acquired yesterday. I’ll try to keep it as minty as a tube of toothpaste. But, I know that one day soon i’ll be in the moment trying to do a trick and look cool and forget about the risk that concrete poses to my precious … or a bird will fly by and distrace me… i’ll miss a mount, have a sloppy bind, etc etc… and SMACK … and I’ll say “Crap I just dinged this yoyo!!!.. Hey son you want to throw this one now?”
I prefer my yoyos beat up, when I first started yoyoing with metals I would get mad and act like a baby when it got dinged but after awhile I started not caring and now I don’t care what yoyo I’m holding if someone asks me to walk the dog I’ll do it on pavement unless it’s not a yoyo I own.
Colorways are a pretty big deal for me, so dinging my throws is pretty disappointing. I’m not going to throw a temper tantrum and cry about it, but I prefer my yoyos to maintain the integrity of their colorway. I do most of my throwing at home, where there is carpet in almost every room, and when I leave the house I take a plastic with me.
“Whats the point of buying something if I’m not going to use it?” Well, I do use it. I use all of my throws for hours on end. I think a better question is why would I risk damaging a 100+ dollar yoyo when my plastics are just as capable of performing and significantly less expensive? Sure, I guess it’d be nice to take my Puffin out with me because it’s beautiful and I’d like to show it off, but the average person generally wouldn’t appreciate it anyway.
Another thing is that I keep all my yoyos. I’m not into the whole buying, selling, and trading business (at least not yet), so I’m not trying to keep them mint for resale value… That is just how I like them to be. I don’t feel like I’m limiting my “potential” either. When I’m inside I throw carefree because I’ve got plenty of space and lovely carpet. When I’m outside I throw carefree because I’m throwing plastic. Problem solved.
Also, I’m not only worried about damaging my yoyos when I leave the house, but having them stolen or loosing them. If I ding my 100+ dollar throw I can still play with it. Disappointing, but still awesome, and still a lot of fun. If it gets lost of stolen however, then I’m just out 100+ dollars. In the grand scheme of things $100 bucks is not a lot of money, but what can I say… I’m cheap.
I used to care about dings but I realized that I don’t use the Yoyo to its full potential if I don’t ding it or If I spend time worried about dinging it so I have 2-3 metals I don’t care if I don’t. For example I have a solid colored summit, FG chief, and cascade I don’t care if I don’t or drop the same day my FG chief came in I dropped it and it rolled a bit on cement and it just made it that much better the dings unleashed its power
I used to get really frustrated when i dinged my yoyos, they would always hapoen the first few weeks from when i got them, now i dont care really. But my nickel summit comes tomorrow i dont wanna ding that but its my only metal and ill tell ya, ive missed metal a lot hahaha.
a yoyo and car is not the same thing. You don’t ding your yoyo for fun. A ding suddenly happen. Its only a toy. Why would you trash my car o.O? I wouldnt trash yours. We dont do it with intentional. A car is more expensive than a yoyo and is more important. What are the apporpirate of toys? Its to have fun! Thats why toys are made! You can only compare toys and other toys. Its like you compare a yoyo and a human. its like: how it is if i hit you? Common its only a toy ^^! And is a car defective, it can cost your live o.O.
i understand that point of view, but buying a yoyo at price i buy them at this point of my life is like you buying a car ^^
it all depends who we are and what we do, some of us here are kidos that get allowance, some are young adults that struggle more or less…and some are adults that struggle in their own financial scales… haha
i won’t smash your car nor hit anybody, it’s just…humm… yoyo’s precious to me XD, i just can’t solely see it as a toy ;D
My yoyo is precious to me, but dings aren’t that big of a deal. First off, they rarely affect the performance, which is what’s important to me. Second, if I’m going to play with my yoyo and enjoy it, dings are inevitable. Getting worked up about them is just going to take away from my fun, and constantly trying to avoid getting dings will do the same.
But its straight coz i haz friends and family who wub me! I also do things i enjoy everyday, like yoyo! Jam out to some tunes! Talk to women ayyee ride my board, the creek aint far trouts my favorite meal. I go on rides at 2am just to own the roads in my small town. THEY ARE MINE AT NIGHT!! I wear bright clothes tho.
Dings hahaha, such an insignificant problem that we blow outta proportion.
I only throw a few of my metal yoyos over concrete. I just got a DiBase 2 that I am using as my pocket throw. It is cheap, small, and a great performer.
since as pieces of metal on a string I know they can take a bit of scuffs and dings and still keep trucking on.
the dings unleashed its power
ayyee ride my board, the creek aint far trouts my favorite meal. I go on rides at 2am just to own the roads in my small town. THEY ARE MINE AT NIGHT!! I wear bright clothes tho.