I don’t mean offense by saying hype, it’s likely a well deserved hype.
I just wanted to see if someone could let me know a little history on them, what niche they are filling with their designs (competition, chill, etc) or if they cover multiple categories.
The colors are pure artwork, the likes of which have me forgetting the G2 Unicorn Swirl even exists. Anyone know whom the annodizer is?
What is the most coveted item of theirs, what is their OG Peak?
Anyone a zoo member? What’s that mean?
I really appreciate the help. I know a lot of the above is on their website, but I’m more interested in hearing it from the community rather than a websites sales pitch.
I believe that Ray does the anodizations himself. They have had so many designs over the years that I don’t know if there is any one that stands out as their most highly valued model.
Also, I think since Ray has been around a while, he appeals to a more mature (age 30+) crowd who tend to have more disposable income (or higher credit limits )
Being a “Zoo Member” basically just means being on the mailing list. But it does come with perks. They do giveaways on their live streams, zoo members get in early to drops, and they get news about upcoming releases and products. But that’s really it.
It’s free to join.
Regarding the yoyos, I know some don’t like the anodizations and colourways, but I really do. And I haven’t thrown an MFD yet that wasn’t really good. Smooth, different styles model-to-model, comfortable, and fun.
That being said, I wouldn’t pay ridiculous moneys on the second hand market. Every MFD I’ve gotten has been from a drop (and I’ve gotten quite a few).
Ray os alao a wicked nice guy. He has a lot of love for his fans, and continually outdoes himself with his designs and anodizations. He has a DEDICATED following much like g2, and is also very helpful to people. It’s not like you’re buying a yoyo, you’re investing in unique playable art by a guy who does this on the side.
Looking at a yoyo case full of MFD throws is dazzling. I am not a big fan of splashes (I prefer solid finishes as a general rule), but even I couldn’t resist grabbing a few MFDs over the years.
I had a single MFD and thought it was both an extremely cool piece of functional art and also a wild and unique yoyo design unlike anything else I had played. I thought it was awesome and truly a stand out in my collection.
That being said even though I picked it up at MSRP I couldn’t find myself wanting to hold onto it with how much they go for on the secondary market. I’d love to try a Backstage Pass but when even that as one of their cheaper and more recent models sells in the 180 range I just can’t justify owning one. I have other yoyos that look cool and play great for a fraction of the price. Monkeys live up to the hype but only if your wallet isn’t swayed by collector money.
Maybe I’ll sell a couple yoyos just to own a Backstage Pass in a great colorway eventually though. The temptation is always there.
I think the hype is primarily because they have the craziest ano of any company. Some stuff is just amazing. I don’t think the hype is necessarily because of how it plays. That’s not a bad thing, not every brand has to be so player focused. They are doing something unique and valuable. The second hand prices on BST are a little too high atm though, but that isn’t the company’s fault.
Yeah, it’s definitely not the company’s fault, especially when Ray did a preorder recently. But imo there’s actually a bit of an issue when I’m actively choosing to not buy their products on a drop because I know the secondary market prices being so much higher than MSRP will just make me not even want to keep them.
I am not sure why MFD gets so much hate. Doesn’t seem like he prices things outrageously. His anno is gorgeous , and he seems to spend a lot of time and labor on it . The designs are pretty cool looking too
I have no hate for MonkeyFingeR. I’m sure Ray is an awesome dude. And the yoyos are not outrageously priced. They also seem to be doing their best to get as many yoyos out as possible, instead of intentionally trying to cultivate hype. I think this is great.
Any bitterness that I have towards the subject comes from bad experiences with their target demographic, and hype culture.
I used to be on team Yoyoworkshop, when they were still in business (originally). When I was brought on board, the Seamonkey was just starting to be designed. YYWS was not very hyped by collectors at the time, and they were struggling. A lot depended on the Seamonkey’s popularity.
So I did my very best to get the word out on the Seamonkey. I made the coolest tricks I could, staying up late, practicing the yo-yo more that I probably should have. And I recorded these tricks with the Seamonkey, doing my best to be a good team member for YYWS. Over the course of weeks and months.
Aaaand, the yo-yo fell flat. Seamonkeys, priced below $100 sat and sat on the YYWS website. Because MFD and YYWS were not that hyped at the time, instead, G2 was where the collectors eyes were.
Consequently, YYWS folded. Which was really hard for me. I felt like I failed them.
So it irks me a little when I see people offering to pay $200 for used seamonkey’s when YYWS couldn’t sell the exact same yoyos for half that. All due to what was hyped among the mature yoyoer group.
Anyway, like I said, I have no hate for MFD. I’m sure they’re a bunch of awesome dudes. Like I said, I hope to get one that I like later on. We’ll see how lucky I get!
Collectability and nostalgia are impossible to predict. The Seamonkey didn’t find its audience when it came out and that’s a shame. But that’s nobody’s fault, really. It was like a movie that just didn’t click with people for whatever reason. Happens all the time to good products. The fact that it subsequently struck a chord with collectors a decade later (or whatever) is also just a product of the inherent whimsy of the collector market.
Collecting is a completely separate activity from yoyoing, and the characteristics that make a yoyo appealing to a collector may not be the same as those that make a yoyo appealing to a player. I’ve seen lots of moaning in other market segments about how collectors (and collecting) is ruining (or has ruined) their beloved hobby. That’s usually a sign that the hobby needs to do a better job of integrating the collectors and normalizing their impact. Honestly, I think yoyoing has done a pretty darn good job of integrating and normalizing the collector segment of its population, largely because most collectors are stalwart players who love all aspects of the hobby, not just collecting.
12 Likes
Grendel
(The Voice of All Grendel’s world wide.)
17
If it wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience, would you mind messaging me next time? I have edited the post, and would have happily done so if you had PMd me as well.
)