In reading through the various threads and seeing some of the listings in buy/sell/trade there are a lot of people here who have a LOT of yoyos. I was wondering if there are many people here who go more towards the minimalist route and only throw 5 or less. I’m just getting back into yoyos and I’ve sold/am selling all but one of my old yoyos (5) and bought a couple new so I’m currently at 3 and holding back from buying more for now. (Which has been tough!) If I had to guess, I’d bet that people who only have a few yoyos are in the minority.
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I like to keep my numbers around 10-15 or so. Rarely more.
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As a beginner, I am trying to stick to just one responsive and one unresponsive yoyo to learn on (both plastic).
Of course, I have a number of higher end (i.e., metal) unresponsives waiting for me in my small collection for when I get good enough not to be hitting myself constantly. Like Dust, I am trying to limit my collection to 10-15.
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Kind of like asking how many live on bread and butter. I only had one, when I got my first one. Thank goodness those days are behind me. I had five when I got my fifth. I’ve never looked back! Why limit myself?
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Everyone’s only going to have a few when they start out. I was just wondering how many people out there have 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and say, “I’m good with these, I don’t want any more.”
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I can see if some peeps only want to have a few. But I don’t think many will say “I don’t want any more”. Think about your cell phone, it’s probably good right now but you think that means you won’t want another eventually? Technology changes and (usually) advances and with that newer and sometimes better yoyos.
I personally have lots. Actually more than lots lol.
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I’m trying to balance the lure of “shiny new things” with my general dislike of having money tied up in things I don’t (or will never) use. For me, the best way to do that is to keep my collections modest in size. I’ve failed to do that with a number of other things, and so I’m trying to be more disciplined about it with yoyos.
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I can relate to this. I’ve gone way overboard with CDs (I have 1000+) Just the other day I was thinking that there is a very good chance that there are a LOT I probably will never listen to again. I used to have 4 ukuleles which was too many for me. I got myself down to 2 then saw one I had to have so I’m up to 3 now which is working for me and is where I want to stay. I’m into traditional shaving (double-edge razor, brush, shave soap etc.) and soon found myself with too many razors, soap that will last me 4-5 years and blades that will last about 10 years. I’ve banned myself from buying any shave related products until some of it gets used up. With yoyos I’m down to one throw but I have 2 coming in the mail. Even though I have 2 yoyos I haven’t even thrown yet I’m still very tempted to buy 1or 2 more. I’ve been able to exercise restraint so far but I’ve come close to losing it a couple of times already
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The way I justify having a lot of yoyos is I get the vast majority of them through the BST so if I ever want to get rid of them I can sell them for close to, the same, or sometimes even more than the amount I paid for them.
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Ok but more seriously I think the “minumum” number of yo-yos has to do with
- shape (strong H, strong O, strong V, strong W)
- material (POM, titanium, alu, bimetal)
- size (undersized, radically undersized steel, oversized)
There is some variety that’s legitimately useful in play, depending on what kind of feel you like… that said I think once you have about 12 yo-yos that’s pretty much all anyone would need to sample the variety that’s out there. Beyond that it’s collecting – but that’s OK to me because I view them as playable art, even if I’m not playing each one, it makes me feel good when I look at them. Gotta display them, though, not stick them in closed cases 
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Wow u guys have a lot of yoyos!! But for me, I only have 8 yoyos and I am a competitive yoyoer. I’m getting by just fine. And judging by most of the reply’s I gues that’s just about the average amount. Soooooo… ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
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I always think I have too many to really ever play with them all. I don’t even really know how many. I tell myself, I’m not a collector… Do I count the ones that are in junk boxes and drawers? Even with the more modern ones, I have more than I get around to on a consistent basis.
I’l think, “Man, just get rid of this one. Trade it or sell it.” Then I throw it and sometimes think, “This is pretty cool actually!”, or maybe even more often I won’t think it’s cool, but I won’t get around to doing anything to get rid of it.
Honestly, I’ll consider myself perfectly happy, and think that I really can be satisfied with what I have, only to be tempted by something that looks really cool, or especially something new and different.
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Having the right yoyo for the right moment is what it’s about. The yoyo has to match the situation, the wardrobe, the surroundings, the surrounding activities, it must set you apart from the crowd but welcome the crowd to join you, it’s part of your persona and mystique. You need a bunch, way more than you think you do for this. I believe the proper attitude is when you believe you have enough you still need one more. Besides, all those yoyos that are laying around make great gifts and party favors.
Another thing is it would be terrible to walk across the room to pick up a yoyo or string. You need one on your person and another in reaching distance at all times.
Most importantly, consider how inhumane it is to leave so many yoyos unloved, alone in boxes on warehouse shelves, when there is room right there on your computer desk for another. It’s good to care! Give another yoyo a home, you’ll be glad you did.
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I feel the like button alone is insufficient on the above post and I instead nominate it for a Nobel Prize in Yoyology.
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Maybe we should have an award called the “Expy” 
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Oh yeah…yoyology sounds cool!
I’m so beyond all that …should I buy or not? Hell …it should be can I afford that?
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The most I have had at one time is about 35 to 40, now I only have 5 (two smaller 37mm stainless steel throws, 1 titanium, 2 plastic), it’s funny that you mentioned minimalism because as a Minimalist I don’t like to have a lot of things.
When you first start out you go through that faze where you are trying to figure everything out, what shapes you like, materials, how big in diameter, width etc. after throwing since 1999 my preferences are chiseled in stone, I know what I like (smaller 35-40mm in dia. to 53-57mm in dia for full sized.)
The plastics that I just bought was out of curiosity and the fact that it has been a long time since I threw a plastic yo-yo, so I got a Speedaholic and Replay Pro to check em out.
Boy has plastic gotten really good lol.
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I really have… too many yoyos. I think there is a real benefit to just playing primarily one or two throws though. I often hit a critical mass and try to pair down, but that almost always spirals into me buying more yoyos… It’s a viscous cycle. There are a few throws that I gravitate towards on a regular basis – my desert island throws if you will.
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I only have one plastic responsive and one metal unresponsive and both are pretty cheap yoyos because once I discovered spin tops I haven’t invested as much into yoyos, lol.
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