Hello YoYoExpert community. It’s Q again, with another one of my series. I’m feeling awfully scatter brained today, so I’ve named this post “Pointless” as I feel it won’t be as strong of a message as my others.
As some of you know, I spent a few weeks down at the wonderful Iowa State Fair. While I was there I had a job that allowed me to play with yoyos for three hours a day and get paid for it. Pretty sweet. As I would yoyo, I’d get the occasional sneer in disgust, the adult that was inibriated and thought it looked easy, and the most meaningful- the children who watched in amazement.
Some of you know my opinion on this, but I’ll say it here. I got into yoyoing, and decided that it was my job to spread it. I feel like this doesn’t get done enough.
Some of you are protective with your collection, and thats fine. You don’t have to do anything further than perform in public to spark someone’s interest. But while I was at the state fair, I gave away easily half of my collection. In hopes that one day I would see a person on television yoyoing, and they’d say that a man at the Iowa State Fair gave them their first yoyo. I gave away YoYoJam BiMetals to seven year olds.
I really really encourage you guys to go out, and spread it. Take time, don’t be a jerk, look up and smile at people who give you dirty looks. If a person looks interested, give them a yoyo. It can be a Duncan Butterfly or a SPYY Punchline. But really, the best thing you can do for the sport is to just go out and spread it. I always give out a yoyo when I’m playing somewhere. Whether it’s an Imperial or my main pocket throw. I always try to be generous, and if someone is on the verge of picking up the sport, I give them the push they need. And I know you will to,.
I’ve been thinking amongst myself about trying to take it upon myself to step up on this undertaking of spreading the hobby and I’ve got myself some vague plans waiting to be set into action. Good advice as usual.
I completely agree. In fact I have in the past 3-4 months handed out some of my collection to younger children. I think it is a great idea. It is like doing our part to keep the community alive and fresh. I don’t have too many throws, and few expensive metals. I have been encourage multiple times to try and start up a club but I don’t have the funds to do so, some day though. It is funny though, I literally yoyo EVERYWHERE, any time I am waiting in line, I’m throwing, to the point that people know me because of my yoyoing. Though we recently had out Tri-County Fair and I had crowds of people staring and coming up to me asking questions, of course there were those who would turn up their noses, oh well, they don’t hurt me :D. Anywho, I kind of lost my train of thought here, bottom line, if someone comes up to you and is generally interested in yoyoing, try and teach them a trick, if you can, don’t be afraid to give them a throw you don’t use much, let someone else benefit from your experiences. Who knows, they may return the favor someday, and the cycle continues… Good post Q, I gotta talk to you more often… and get back talking to Mike again
Sorry. I like vibe, so I will elaborate.
I don’t have the money, but if I did I would do the same thing. I desire nothing but the spread of yoyoing. I also don’t think that just handing away half of your collection is the best way to spread it though. Teaching is.
I’ve given away a couple pro yo’s but thats about it(i don’t have that many). I lend my yoyo’s pretty readily though. As for performing, i do perform just about everywere (store, bus stop, bus, school, friends, guitar lessons, mountain bike trail, during toe surgery, ect. ect. ect.) though i must admit that i useally try to find a place out of site… oh well.
Great post Q, and you’re right. The single most effective way to spred yoyoing is to teach people how to yoyo. We at AllYoYo are on the same mission, to teach people and spred the joy of yoyoing.
Check us out on our website at www.allyoyo.com for more info!
I think giving away good yoyos is stupid as in have the people are just going to go home and never use them when there is that few set of people that will get into it.I would just teach them how to do some of the simpler trick,go the extra mile to make someones day easier,mabey hand out a mosqiuto or 2 but not a dark magic or hitman.Im sorry but i see no point in giving free yoyo away to beginers.Now i dont want a bunch of jerk saying im stupid or calling me out becuase of my opinion but i do not mind constructive conversation about this topic.If you feel the need to counter my opinion then feel free.
That’s your perogative. But I know that people who would like to see the spread of yoyoing wouldn’t think twice about giving a dark magic away for free. I’ve also given my number out to children who had yoyos and just needed help… I average about an hour or two a day on the phone explaining tricks to kids. I do what I feel is right to make yoyoing bigger than what it is. I want to leave yoyoing bigger than what it was when I began.
Eh… I think giving yoyos to people is great. It’s not like you use every single gift you’ve gotten… there’ll always be a few you never use. But still, a few people would use it… keep going… and a yoyo BOOM will happen. Then again, I don’t have money to give out yoyos
It may be possible that because its free the person will have a lot less respect for it and a lot less desire to use it. Having spent money on something you will want to get your moneys worth out of it… so buying a yoyo has a better mental effect on the brain than recieving one for free I think.
To: Q
I was with you for a couple hours yoyoing at the fair and youw wanted my frantic or lunatic and some other stuff for the yoyo you least wanted in your case…
Thats nice, and all, but I decided to talk about a detriment that is possible, and there is no reason why I can not. I believe that the only surefire method to get someone interested is to not only give them a yoyo but to hold their hand through their first day or so so they know how to use what you gave them.
Imagine giving a kid some devil sticks. He’d not have a clue what to do.
What if the kid has no internet? He’s screwed. You have to think about these things, because the kids who arnt interested may get something instead of a kid who has wanted to yoyo and is looked passed. You have to make people interested and then give stuff to them. The case of it being random is failed logic.
