Judging from the fact that only 15 models of looping yoyos show up in the YYE webstore, and that all of them are plastic and are the same exact shape, one might easily get the impression that the 2A looping yoyo has reached its evolutionary peak. That manufacturers aren’t pushing the envelope of looping yoyo design in innovative new directions because there are none to push into. The form has become fully optimized for the function.
Would that be an accurate assessment?
If not, then why do non-looping yoyo models outnumber looping models by a couple of orders of magnitude? Is it because the market for them is so much smaller (i.e., relatively fewer 2A players buying them)? Or is it because the looping yoyo has been perfected and there’s virtually no way to meaningfully differentiate one $15 model from another, and so very few companies bother to delve into that space?
One potential reason could be that most looping yoyos require an injection mold for the plastic (at least, I’m not aware of any turned plastic yoyos), so there’s a big up-front investment to prototyping & manufacturing them. With aluminum, you can order a really small batch of prototypes and iterate on it much easier.
2a yoyos have “pretty much” been perfected I would say so I think that assessment is accurate.
As for numbers, I think it’s cuz 2a is probably the most niche out of all 5 major styles as well as 2a being much more dependent on you having everything as consistent as possible.
It’s a lot easier to flip flop what 1a, 3a, 5a, even 4a yoyo you use than it is with 2a. With 2a you really want the exact same setup every time. In addition to those 2 points, many people who do other styles outside of 1a do it more casually so many only have one designated yoyo for each style outside of 1a and maybe 5a.