I guess I’m not at the skill level to be able to pick up on the subtle or major differences between yo-yos. The only thing I have really noticed is that finger grinds are way easier for me on a metal yo-yo compared to my plastic yo-yo. Other than that, spin time and stability seem to be good on all my throws and I guess if I were to describe each of my yo-yos I would just say, “good.” I can’t comment on horizontal play.
Basically I just feel like I’m buying yo-yos because I like the color or the pattern on them. Maybe after a few years of throwing, my thoughts will change?
Visual aesthetics of yoyos make them very collectible. People, particularly guys, like metal, plastic and wood stuff with sculpted lines…think cars, knives, etc. On one level, yoyos are just pretty objects to have laying around the house. It’s also addictive satisfying to shop, buy, anticipate arrival, and unbox a new yoyo. I think both of those things affect a different part of your brain than playing yoyo does.
Yep, there is a good yoyo for you and a good color for you. The same color on the wrong yoyo misses the mark, the right throw but wrong color will also degrade your overall experience. But when you find that yoyo in that colorway, the heat is on, they hype is real, anticipation is killer, and satisfaction runs as high as could be.
they all play, but there are some that just fills a bigger package than how it plays, but how it looks and how it makes you feel when its sitting on the table next to you. Good, indifferent, or something else?
There is so much more going on that the yoyo itself. Its a real mental game to balance.
Your thoughts will certainly change as your skills develop. I have way more yo-yos than anyone could possibly need to enjoy the pastime, but I look at it as hobby/entertainment money that I spend. It’s a little crazy when I add up the throws, travel, etc. The thing you have to consider is what you would be spending your time, efforts, and cash on if not the yo-yos.
As hobbies go, the travels I’ve made and great people I have met in the (yo-yo world?) are more valuable to me than other hobbies I have persued, so I try not to worry too much about the over all cost. As long as you are being responsible and you aren’t over spending, I’d say that buying a new yo-yo makes as much sense as going to dinner and a movie or something like that.
I feel like there’s 2 aspects to yoyo (as with many hobbies)
Playing
Collecting
Like with Knives, guitars, or any other hobby that has a collector and user aspect, most quality yoyos will do the job and if you keep them maintained, you probably won’t need more than that one for a very long time.
Collecting helps keep you interested in the hobby. It keeps a steady stream of income to the manufacturers who then support a team and support contests. In that sense, collecting yoyo isn’t just fun, but it helps keep the yoyo community going and growing.
TL:DR
Collecting is good and it supports the community in lots of ways.
I personally believe that sentimental attachment makes a difference, I love yoyos with video game references in the name or colorways. I use to not have much of an opinion between throws besides outright stability, leading me to denser throws, and my preferences changed over time (Now I prefer floatier stuff). Thats why you want variety, so you have room to experiement with your preferences, becuase they will most likely change with time. which is why yoyo meets are cool cuz you can try your buddies yoyo without buying it. But i too once was at a point where shape meant very little and even then i found no shame in fawning over kickass yoyos that I have no way of justifying spending that much money on it. No shame at all.
I recently spent about 2 weeks researching for, shopping for, bidding on and finally getting a yo-yo that I liked. I certainly didn’t need it nor am I at the level to actually play it at it’s full capability. However, for $10.00 it was cheap entertainment that kept me excited for past 2 weeks and for the future.
I was going through a yoyo-buying frenzy and had it to where just about every month I was getting a new throw. I was also at the time exploring different shapes/types/materials. As of lately I reached that point in the hobby where I feel satisfied with what I have as nothing has really caught my eye, and new throws come far and few between…mainly supporting a friend’s local company and really been enjoying his work. I did bite the bullet and pick up a couple new throws over the weekend (came in today) and it feels great. Hoping the new throws that are clicking nicely with me inspire me to pick up some new tricks
I’m glad I got my frenzy under control but it’s still nice to get a new throw every once in a while.
Like Tom and many others have said, there is a fun aspect to collecting. I have a modest collection, I try to use all of them, but, there are some I seem to reach for far less often than others. Now, I can’t use any of my yoyos to their fullest performance potential (have you seen the stuff the talented can do, even with the humble Duncan Butterfly?), but, I think I get very close to using them to the fullest of their fun potential, and that is what playing yoyo is about for me.
Buying yoyos helps support the community, it allows the established companies to continue to support the community, it allows the new guy (or girl) to take an idea, turn it into a physical item, and start their own company. Like YYFBen2 said, a new shiny trinket may inspire you to pick it up and learn or create a new trick. It also may inspire you to pick it up and do the same tricks you like doing. It may also inspire you to hold it, look at it lovingly and say “My preciousssss” and never throw it. Hopefully, it will lead you to some fun.
Ditto, Schnayke. I like supporting the community. I also like the little differences, and sometimes I’m just blown away with an unexpected design and weight distribution - like I was with the Kuntosh and the Top Deck.
I was buying a yo-yo a month and I tried adding variety to my collection: different shapes, (O,V,H,W), different weights (64-70g), semi-responsive (Parlay), a bi-metal (The Edge), and specialty yo-yo (Skyva, for finger grinds- both metal and plastic). Most of my throws are One Drop- Top Deck, Vanguard, Benchmarks, Dang2, and I have one CLYW (Fool’s Gold Cliff). I’m still going to buy yo-yos but probably only for my birthday and Christmas… unless I can get a good deal on a NQP One Drop :-). I was considering the Canary to see what a D bearing is like but I was too cheap to pull the trigger.
I feel like we must link @Tvelto’s most excellent video on this topic.
Because if everyone (and by “everyone” I mean the traditional yo-yo audience, not a worldwide boom) bought 5 yo-yos and then played with those exact same 5 yo-yos forever… and it’s not like metal yo-yos ever really “wear out”, do they …
That’d be kind of for the whole industry, wouldn’t it?
I was asking myself this the other day. Why do I keep shopping around and looking at other yoyos when I already have 2 coming in the mail? The two I have coming are a different shape than what I already have so I’m looking forward to that. One I am looking at is pretty much based on looks and it’s cheap so I’m having a hard time resisting it. There are probably at least 2-3 more I could easily order if I have a moment of weakness. I’ve been trying to exercise restraint at least until I get the 2 in the mail and get a chance to throw them for a while and see where I want to go to from there. It’s hard to resist!
I don’t like the “keeping the industry alive” POV when it comes to collecting. It’s almost like guilting people into buying yo-yos to ensure they can keep buying yo-yos
Seriously though, a beautifully designed, well made yoyo is a work of art.
Another reason why one might continually buy yoyos one doesn’t really need is because if you see a new one you really like and suspect that it could become a favorite throw, you had better grab it now before it sells out. It is this buying-as-insurance-policy-against-missing-out aspect that a lot of players/collectors may not be consciously aware of, but it must surely drive a lot of sales.
for the whole industry, wouldn’t it?