I bought a Yeti today and also had the chance to play a Rally. And an all honesty. There incomparable. They are both SOOO good. It all depends on preferences. Here’s my recommendation. Get both.
While it may be true that there are some altruistic bones in your company-body; you could not do what you say you love if it was a money losing proposition. Or; are you losing money; and just making yo-yo’s for the sheer love of it?
We all have a mortgage to pay,
What I’m saying, is some of us didn’t one day just say hey…
Let’s make money making Yoyos.
It was something they did well, and it ended up being the job they enjoyed doing.
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Hspin 
This is an excerpt from a paper I wrote for school. I needed to get some information about yoyo design and other things related to making yoyos. So, I emailed One Drop, and like the awesome people they are, they responded to my questions! Quotes below are from David’s answers:
So, if making yoyos is such a difficult task, and so expensive and labor intensive( David wasn’t able to tell me how much it costs on average to make a yoyo because there are so many variables such as labor costs and overhead costs that it’s incalculable), why would someone make yoyos as their job? I mean, c’mon, yoyos aren’t exactly big business these days; the yoyo community is pretty small. In response to this question, David answered, “We get inspiration from the players. Seeing the joy of yo-yoing inspires to keep on making the best yoyos that we can.”(The “we” refers to him and Shawn, the other owner of One Drop.) “(making yoyos is) very enjoyable. We do this for a living and we get to come here every day and make a toy that brings joy. I can’t think of a better job.”
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Hype or no hype the price on a yeti is too high
I’ve tried both and I loved both. I found the yeti I played was a touch smoother than the rally. Both are really good. The. Cost of the yetis plastic can’t be enough to make it cost that much. The rally is much better value for the money. I generally consider all clyw yoyos to be overpriced. It’s crazy how OD and YYF and many others can make a good yoyo for a little more than half of what CLYW does.
Higher production numbers=Lower manufacturing cost. The yeti had a relatively small run, and the molds don’t pay for themselves.
You gotta think of this though, OD can machine there own throw’s so it’s really no problem to find someone to machine all there throw’s. YYF makes huge amount of throw’s at once and ship to lot’s of different stores so they can price there throw’s cheaper. Not to say CLYW “has” to price the products really expensive. I believe CLYW’s are overpriced since I can get YYR for basically the same price.
I find it counter productive to complain about the prices in the first place. A business will price thier products according to many factors… including labor. Keep in mind that CLYW is currently a ONE MAN operation. Since he is the one testing and assembling everything by hand in his house and it is taking away time from his wife and kid I am betting that is factored into the price. I know I would factor it in if I was in his shoes. Other factors are the shipping back and forth to get produced. CLYW uses Gruntbull for their blasting and anodizing. It costs money to ship unfinished yo-yo halves from Canada to the US and back PLUS the cost of the actual anodizing prices. I am betting there are some customs fees as well… CLYW does not have the luxury of claiming $20 for a single toy on the declaration forms. They use machine shops in the US and Canada for their products so some of the same costs involved with anodizing also come into play with manufacturing.
Bottom line, vote with your wallet: if you don’t like a price, don’t buy the product. I do it all the time. As for the YYR vs. CLYW, that is a completely subjective call on which is “worth” more. Personally I prefer the designs CLYW puts out over YYR. There is nothing wrong with YYR, I just find CLYW to be more fitting for my tastes.
I think that Iamperfectoo’s point wasn’t to compare their relative worth in terms of play. i think he was noting that he is paying the same price for a Japanese yoyo, manufactured, anodized and shipped from Japan; made from more expensive materials; going through the same customs process.
I think he was saying that with a higher cost-basis, the YYR should be priced more than CLYW.
I would note that the Yen is relatively weak vs. the Canadian Dollar at the moment. This brings the YYR costs way down vs. CLYW. This allows YYR to price themselves lower than they have historically been.
I think I have a pretty good handle on what he was saying.
This perception that just because it is from Japan it is worth more is rubbish. There are many more factors than the country of origin. Design, complication of machining, shipping between shops for various stages of completion all come into play on this. Take a YYR Mr. Butcher and compare it to a CLYW Arctic Circle. The AC has a much more complex design from a machining standpoint. It will take longer to cut therefore it will cost more to make. And it is one of the yo-yos CLYW contracts out to One Drop to machine. Assuming the parts go directly from One Drop to Gruntbull that is an added cost of travel from Oregon to Ohio for anodizing… not cheap for the weight of a typical run of parts. Then it has to ship from Ohio back to Calgary Canada for final assembly. Now if CLYW has the raw halves shipped to Canada first for inspection and THEN sent to anodizing that ups the cost even more. This is all on top of the costs for the machine time and the anodizing time.
You would probably know more about it than I do but I am betting YYR keeps everything local, reducing the costs of manufacturing. Major shipping fees are only incurred when the the yo-yos travel overseas ONCE to the stores. They also do not use splash anodizing as much which reduces the costs on the YYR side and works well for them… I do not like the looks of splash on their products, it messes with the clean lines of their products.
lol it’s been a while since a yoyogeezer/saintrobyn argument.
Actually I don’t see a debate ensuing. I have not said anything inflammatory and I don’t really intend to at this point. There is nothing to refute, YYR designs are simple and elegant with very few cuts that would require extra work from a machine which does reduce the cost of machining. I am not 100% sure but I would bet that difference in the increased design complexity between the Chief and the Z-On would negate the cost of YYR’s use of 7075 aluminum vs. CLYW’s use of 6061. The cost of machining can be just as expensive as the materials used.
I was not starting any arguments. I was noting that what was once a higher basis for YYR; has come down due to exchange-rate changes. this makes CLYW relatively more expensive and helps explain the come-down in the YYR price.
But, if you guys want an argument, I am sure me an Saintrobyn can come up with something…
I am in no way bashing on any of these company’s. I have played only one YYR, it was a Dreadnaught I did not enjoy probably because I don’t enjoy oversized throw’s, but I’m looking to pick up the full sized YYR like the Mr.Butcher, Gleipnir and the Sleipnir. I have played with a Gnarwhal, Chief, 7075 Chief, 2 Arctic Circles, 2 Canvases and I just got a Summit today. I don’t have a favorite company but CLYW does have some NICE playing yoyo’s.
I will agree with YoyoGeezer, the Yen is weak so they can price there throw’s at the same price as CLYW. But that doesn’t bother me at all.
Also I’ll agree with saintrobyn, CLYW does have to keep shipping there stuff to and back for ano and stuff like that so that will add to there prices.
And this is coming from a 15 year old kid who pays for all my throw’s and I pay for my own shipping if I’m doing a trade 
The yen being weaker is definitely a factor… but that should have people more up in arms over YYR prices. They make classy looking yo-yos that I would not mind playing but they do not do as much to their product as CLYW during the manufacturing process so in theory the prices should be lower.
This is by no means a slam against YYR, let me break down what I mean:
YYR does not do the following:
- Blast the surface (except for special editions)
No splash or acid wash (Good, the designs look great in solid colors)
Not as many cuts in the design while machining (Think CLYW double rim and steps in the catch zone, things like that add up)
Probably keeps the machining and anodizing local (As mentioned above this add considerably to the cost
Now they do use a more expensive material, 7075 aluminum, and they do ship their yo-yos here to YoYoExpert which is pretty much literally on the other side of the planet from where they are made. The question is, do these two things increase the retail to the $165 price tag when compared to similar 7075 yo-yos made here in the US that run $45 less at retail? Honestly, I do not know.
At the end of the day, I am going to fall back on my previous statement; vote with your wallet. If you don’t like the price don’t buy the product.
On a side note, don’t think I am hating on YYR. While I can’t afford to purchase one new I would LOVE to pick up a Mr.Butcher from the BST. It looks like an incredible yo-yo and the specs are right up my alley. I would gladly give it a review for HSYY.
The weak Yen IS the factor.
Your observations are generally correct about the physical differences. You do leave out one important point: manufacturing tolerance. YYR machines their throws to the finest tolerances. Their yo-yo’s are not polished or buffed. The tolerances maintained by YYR are much higher than that of most other manufacturers. This is a quality that makes a fake YYR easier to spot. They are actually made up of tiny grooves; each increasingly larger than the one previous. Most manufacturers polish, or place their yo-yo’s in a vibrating polisher full of little ceramic pyramids. This hides any manufacturing flaws that may have occurred during a less precise machining process. YYR does not this; this which adds to their manufacturing time and costs.
I do have a blasted Draupnir, but it definitely not their normal finish. Splash and washes are just colors. I pay for performance, not pretty paint. I doubt, however, that the “extra cuts” you refer to (which serve no purpose that anyone can determine …); affect the price at all. Again, the labor, materials, tools and “time on machine” are the key factors. Cutting an extra groove is not going to add appreciably to the price. Adding tons of hype and getting all of your manufacturer fanboys and reviewers to post positive things about your newest throw - now that can surely add up in both good-will and free product.
BTW: I just sold a Mr. Butcher on BST. This was the comment I received:
“Just got my Mr.Butcher! Holy smokes I love this thing! Not gonna be putting it down for a while!”
so I think you will be pleased with one. Seems a bit heavy for your tastes though.
The cuts I refer to are not the minor cuts that add visual flair. I will use a Chief as reference. One cut would be the step from the rim to the catch zone proper. That removes mass from the center, shifting to the rims. Another cut would be the channel between the first and second rims in the cup, shifting weight towards the axle while keeping it out on the rims. Those are the cuts that add to the cost of machining especially the channel cut, I am thinking that one would require a tool change.
I would love to see a video of a YYR getting machined. From what you are describing it sounds interesting. As for the tolerances, there are many manufacturers that use high tolerances when machining. From the conversations I have had with several manufacturers, it is the strict, tight tolerances that make or break a yo-yo.
As for the weight of the Mr.Butcher, 66.7 grams fits perfectly within my range. I am a big fan of yo-yos that have a weight between 64-68 grams.
Chris just to let you know 7075 adds less than $4 per yoyo. And this was one prototypes so I’m assuming production is even lower. (at least quote I was given)
Also CLYW is a three man company Chris, Chuck is now employed by Chris and there is also Nick but I’m not sure if he does as much as the other two.
I own a 1st run black yeti and a 2nd run red rally
Rally beats yeti , rally is just smoother on the string with NO VIBE. Although to be far my yetis vibe is very small and doesn’t really detract from play .