When yo-yoing in public, you are more than likely to be asked some questions. What I’m wondering is what is the hardest thing about yo-yoing to explain to a non-yoyoer? For me its how to explain that its not a trick yo-yo, but how i can still do tricks 
For me, it’s definitely explaining that the yoyo is NOT broken, but just unresponsive.
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Yeah. I agree with you on that. Plus, I get, “why are they so expensive?” when they find out how much a quality metal or delrin can cost.
Its hard. Yoyos are seen as a toy and haven’t become more mainstream. People don’t understand it has moved beyond the old “throw-and-tug” limited style of play. So in the end innocent ignorance of the evolution of the sport creates a lack of understanding of the how and why of what we all do.
But hey, we still have our fun and if we can teach one person about it then we made a mark.
Yeah, I usually use a guitar as something similar. You can get OK ones for $100, but to have a quality one, you usually need to spend at least 7 times that.
Cost is probably the hardest to explain… Afterall we are playing with 2 pieces of metal and an axle. Same though can be said about buying a skateboard deck, throwing down $60 for just a plank of wood.
A lot of times my friends will ask why does it spin so long? Then I have to explain to them the whole ball bearing system. But they think it’s very cool and hopefully eventually they will get into it.
It’s after that I run into problems.
“why’s it still spining?”
Explain ball bearing…
“oh it’s not a normal(real) yoyo.”
Or
“oh it’s got a motor in it! Thats cheating, you suck!”
And for the record, has anyone ever seen a freaking yoyo with a motor in it, I haven’t!
Actually, I have seen jensen kimmit on youtube with one ;D
It’s how to explain you do have a life
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“Oh, there are competitions? How do they judge that??”
Yeah…
“Why do you have so many yoyos?”
It sounds easy to explain but I always have a hard time explaning why after I tell them I have about 12 yoyos.
The quantum mechanics of the universe
When I do offstring:
Why does it come back?
You’re cheating!
people even think I’m weird for having five, I just say “I’m collecting because they are pretty!!!” I love my yoyos!
You know, I never have to deal with that one.
Reason #715 for playing a “normal/real/not-cheating” yoyo. 
Totally agree! Just the other day I was explaining it to someone and I used my camera as an example. I was like “You can use a point and shoot and get ok pictures or you can use a pro DSLR and get amazing control of how you shoot and get breathtaking pictures.”
But some people are ok with mediocrity so they still don’t get it.
Definitely the price… I was volunteering at a Jr. High summer camp and during some free time was showing off my DM2… To Jr Highers 40 dollars is practically a fortune, none of them could fathom why I would spend so much on a YoYo… they decided it must be because it did the tricks on its own… I gave up trying to explain the price after that… 
yup 
Why they aren’t allowed to walk the dog, why it doesn’t come back, why they are throwing wrong,how to do tricks, how to bind, how offstring works, how it spins so long, why yoyos are expensive, I tell them that all hobbies are expensive, and it is high quality,why I have so many, where did I get it, why the cheap one they bought doesn’t work like mine. I could make a bigger list.