One thing I’ve noticed is that many people are judged by what they are throwing. More money spent therefore = must be a better player.
In that case, I must be one of the best players in the world, carrying around my TI-5 and Anglam.
NOT! I’m horrible. I just like these high-end (and expensive) models. I appreciate the engineering, the construction, the design and of course how they play.
Kicking back to what Steve Brown said, and actually, more important, Steve Brown in general, has anyone played the new Roll Model? He and YYF have designed a wonderful and very cost-effective yoyo that plays really great. Again, more proof that “amazing” doesn’t have to go over $100, and I think this sells for like $76 or something like that.
RecRev makes fantastic stuff, and I don’t think they really sell anything for more than $75.
The odd trend since maybe November of last year was kick-started by the Adegle PSG and Asteroid, kicking serious butt and taking names, reminding us great performance can be had for under $20. Of course, people buying such throws at the YYJ Kickside, Speeed Maker, Lyn Fury and even the YYF ONE, WHIP, Stackless Grind Machine and Starbrite would easily agree and already know this. Now YYJ comes out with the Classic and well, wow, $10 power-house of a throw, but it does need a touch of work to go unresponsive with mods anyone can do(change bearing, change response if desired). YYJ also offers the Legacy II and Chaser as great mdoels under $30. Of course, we can’t ignore YYF either, with the DieNasty, and Grind Machine. Let’s also do not forget the $35 Protostar and Northstar, and recall that in 2010, Worlds was won on a Northstar.
I’d like to also say that at BAC and Calstates, I saw many people competing on the stage with affordable plastics and doing great AND making Finals. Yes, stuff under $40 is in fact competition grade gear, perfectly capable of enabling a great player get to where they need to be.
Plastic can be fantastic. Cheap, affordable, durable and loads of fun. Companies are coming out with more reasonably priced metals, dropping prices and keeping performance.
Yes, I like the expensive stuff. I still buy the cheap stuff too. At Nationals, I was budget limited due to all sorts of things(life happens, so did a $700 car repair that won’t be done until tomorrow). My top purchase was a RecRev Freq for $60(show specia). Wave. What else? Duncan Raptor with 2012 Nationals caps for $40. Got a $20 Flipside for myself and my son, which turned out to be my go-to throw for the day, replacing my planned throw being my YYR Diffusion. My most recent YYE order included a Token and the new Ann Connolly Whip.
For some people there’s some “snobbery” and “elitism”, and some people simply can’t be satisfied with anything that’s not $100+. Granted, some people are more serious or maybe competitive(in the circuit) and actually DO need those yoyos. Not me though. I’ll gladly play anything at any price range, provided I like it. I won’t deny my favorites though either, which happen to at the moment be an Anglam and a Code 2 with disc side effects. But, when I’m out at my kid’s school, I’m playing affordable plastics and having just as much fun as I would with something way more expensive. One thing I like about Josh Yee was that he was consistently proving that you can do amazing things with very affordable yoyos. At BAC 2012, he did 5A with a PSG. I think he did 3A with a pair of PSG’s, and I think he did 4A with a Shinwoo Griffin Wing, and 2A with a pair of Raider EX’s. This was prior to him being sponsored by Madhouse.
It’s about “yoyo”, not “the yoyo”. It’s about the people, the players and the enjoyment. Price shouldn’t be a distractor. We do need prices for the purposes of commerce, not for “classification”.
Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’m gonna wear out the strings on my new pair of Loop 808’s and probably go test out this Speeder(not 2) and a 2012 DM2, and then probably play a Classic until the string breaks! Gotta get my kwijibo clean!
