Really? You want someone else to decide.........

General Yo-Yo
1

how you should spend YOUR money based on THEIR preferences?

I have to ask this question because lately there seems to be a plethora of threads asking “what yoyo should I get? How should I spend my money?”

I totally understand newer players doing this as they have not had the opportunity to try a lot of things and their preferences are pretty much undiscovered. However, what about the rest? I just don’t get it!

I totally understand wanting info on different yoyos so you can make a choice but…then there are the threads that go like this.

Should I get yo “a” or “b”?

I think “a” rocks because it’ll grind 4ever!

Nah get “b” it’s so smooooth!

Well I already ordered “a”. Just wanted to know what everyone thought.

I’m not raging here, just struggling to make some logical sense out of this. Maybe there isn’t any!

Any help out there?

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Too bad I can only hit the thank you button once.

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Or you can make multiple accounts and say you forgot your password…

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It must not make sense to most as there aren’t many posts in this thread. I’m glad it’s not just me.

I did get one pm that suggested it was a means of getting attention. Maybe! Kind of odd though considering most people like to think that they are independant of others and unique. You know, they like to break the norm and be different through their dress, hairstyles and such. Just seems that people that know how to be true to self would be able to select their own yo independantly. I still don’t get!

Any help out there?

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Is it mabye because they don’t post their preferences?

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I’d say its largely due to the fact that the market is overwhelming.

I try to keep somewhat abreast of the news, but I really understand the fact that there are just so many options. People don’t know what’s out there, they don’t know the difference between yoyos. Frankly, dropping this kind of money on something that you can’t try yourself, or even physically feel is a scary concept.

When you buy something, you want to make sure its worthwhile. When you try a new restaurant, you’re more likely to go if your friend suggested it. Its the same thing here. People want to be reassured that their purchase is going to be worthwhile.

As to the reasoning behind having already bought it and seeking out opinions then, that’s probably just because it gets the person excited. Hearing good things about the yoyo that’s coming in the mail is pretty exciting.

I dunno. I just think we sometimes give people a hard time on the forums. Its not a big deal.

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I am kindof annoyed with those posts as well but it does depend on how experienced a person is, because when I first started I didn’t know what I wanted or how to decide. Also I didn’t use the yoyoexpert forum like I do now so I was on my own. Now I now exactly what I like and what I don’t because I have tried alot of yoyos. Some of the beginners that don’t know what they should get do so they jump to the forum to ask it a little too quickly, I think. There are also alot of yoyos to chose from as well and even thought I know what I want, I really like to be assured that I am not buying scrap metal (or plastic). They need to search around and find reviews and use that well placed search bar to find plenty of the same thread. I have seen alot of threads asking to compare dm2, northstar, new breed, protostar and all the fundametals and it does get pretty annoying after a while, I mean I like to help, but don’t ask the same question over and over again.

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I kinda go by the method of “If I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you”.

In some cases, people just want a little bit more information about how the yoyo performs, at least for other people. Of course, there are reviews, but “real world” stuff from “real world” people is generally useful if the asking person know how to translate what other people into how it applies to the person asking the question.

These days, there’s a lot of good stuff on the market. Making the wrong choice is still a real issue but it’s mostly a mismatch between the yoyo and the person using it. Also, I tend to think that the larger yoyo stores, such as YYE, aren’t going to carry stuff they feel is “not up to their standards”. All it takes is one person to make one bad purchase, and that could be enough to just cause them to quit.

I’ve also asked for some help too. It’s led me to some affordable options for starting certain things, as well as maybe added a few items that aren’t terribly expensive that I hadn’t considered. It’s a matter of knowing how to use the information provided.

For me, I’m new. I don’t know what I DON’T LIKE yet, because so far, everything I throw I like. Maybe that will never change. But, I’m spending money, getting yoyos, having fun, learning and sharing. So, I’m happy. I try to share that with others. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

In the end, the person asking the question in the first place makes their own decision. Not my money, not my problem, not my concern and ain’t gonna hurt my feelings if they don’t follow my advice. All that really matters is if the person ends up enjoying their new purchases. It feels good to help someone feel good about a purchase and then enjoy it, even if it’s not the item(s) that you recommended. It’s all part of the game.

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The which yoyo threads are underthought in my opinion… What I think the general idea behind them is to find out why one yoyo would be preferred over another… Thankfully, I have a strong opinion about what I like, so I have no need for underthought threads… But on the other hand I’m still more than happy to give my opinion

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I remember when I made my first “which throw” thread about a 1.5 years ago. I have already narrowed it down to two throws and was leaning one way. I just wanted to hear if there was any reason not to go the way I was planning on going. It is a little scary dipping your toes in the deep end of the Yoyo world.

We must also realize that even though we see multiple of the same threads daily, for those newer users, it has only been posted once. If we don’t want to see all those threads then we eiher have to discourage other from becoming excited about yoyoing or just ignore them. I think the best solution is to be as gentle as possible to our newest members because they have no clue what is good or what they like.

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NAO! It’s MY opinion, and YOU can’t have it!

But seriously, I do feel for the kids deciding on their first big yo-yo purchase. I grew up when the Freehand was first introduced, and there wasn’t really a rival for it. I never had to deal with this problem, and I would probably make the same kind of “Which one?” threads.

There really is a ghastly variety of yo-yos to chose from, and the opinion of “others” will do well to guide them (to just decide what they already decided, and play with the **** yo-yo).

But I find more and more that forums are not the place to find a good, reliable, unbiased “other” person. A friend that you met in person will be able to teach you tricks with a fixed-axle never-heard-of-it model of yo-yo, and it will all be great. But you are not the same person when you are teaching yo-yo as when you are typing on a computer.

-Jacob

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well, between the blogs, reviews and opinions out there, it shouldn’t be that hard to make a choice… Kids are just kids, they’re just not ready to take responsibility for their actions, that’s why they’re kids.

so they ask others to take their decisions for them, this way they’ll have someone else to blame if things turn out not going their way.

1 Like
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One thing that might help and not sure if there is one already, but a beginning yoyo thread for those making the first jump. Just not sure if it would be bias or hurt other companies. For instance YYE already has something similar on the front page. They recommend the Dark Magic II (for obvious reasons as well) but after playing the DMII I’m a huge huge fan of it for a great yoyo to go begin with. Maybe add the protostar to that list and one other and let them know that they are all great yo-yos pick the one you like the best.

Then move up to another post about high level undersized yoyo with the 888, deitz, and couple of others, then maybe an oversized one with Genesis, Code 1, and others. Want to do 2a? Try unleashed? I think it is, or loop 900’s. But that they understand that these are quality yoyo’s and become just a personal preference. (I mentioned YYF because i’m just the most familiar with them and One Drop because I’m really wanting to try one of them and hear great things) haha

But in all seriousness, something along those lines that people could point to as a good standard, and then everything else, you just have to buy to find out. I agree with the other poster, that it is so tough to buy a yoyo that you have never tried out. I know A lot on here are younger, but all I can relate it to, is that I would never buy a new car without test driving it first. I want to know how it handles, how it feels, and make sure it is exactly what I want, unfortunately, you can’t do that in the yoyo industry unless you try something out at a contest or a friend has. I have to wait till next August at worlds’ before I can do that. So your taking a big risk just buying something. But I think it is safe to say that everything you buy on here is going to be quality for its price. (FOR ITS PRICE) is the big key word :slight_smile: But, it is a risk either way. Wish they had some sort of trial period, that you can try it for 14 days, if you don’t like it send it back for one of equal or lesser value. If that was the case i would certainly be more likely to try out new yo-yos and new brands if I knew if I didn’t like the feel of it I could try something else in 14 days. (Sorry for the long ramble)

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I think its because yoyos cost a lot of money. People are spending a fortune on yoyos and they want to make sure they’re going to like the yoyo they’re buying. What people don’t understand is when it comes to high quality yoyos there arn’t really “bad” yoyos. They’re only different yoyos with different sizes shapes colors etc. That alone can be a little overwhelming for some people.

I asked the question “which is better” when i was buying my first “real” yoyo because I only have enough money for 1 yoyo. So I wanted to make sure the 1 yoyo that I bought will be a really good one. Some people don’t have the issue of money and have dozens of yoyos in their collection. I have 5.

15

Well, here’s a great example:

I recently did a deal off BST for a OD 54. The guy who had it for sale said simply for reasons he didn’t know why, but he didn’t like this one. Well, it’s in my hands now and I really like it. Not everyone is a perfect match for every yoyo, or not every yoyo is a perfect match for everyone.

Note, I also have a OD Code 1. I happen to like this one a bit better. I like the larger catch zone and it seems more stable on the string to me.

Both retail new for $100. Both are excellent. But in this case, the 54 wasn’t right for a player. Do you want to take that kind of change, especially when you are a kid where money is hard to come by?

A “trial” program isn’t good because it wastes the stores time and resources and then restocking fees and marking down “used” items. More hassle than it is worth, but a valid idea. If you were a store with a physical storefront, you could have a set of opened trial models that could bet tried in the shop.

If there was a “yoyo starter pack” that maybe contained like a Shinwoo LOOP, a YYF ONE and WHIP and maybe something else that wasn’t too expensive in a different wing shape(a budget H-shape), 25 or 100 count of strings, that would be priced where it won’t break the bank, gives a wide variety of shapes, that might be a good option for new people.

Looking at this from the perspective of a child to parent, and we as parents know how fast kids go through stuff: hot today, trash tomorrow, we as parents are a bit hesitant to jump in big. Of course, no new thrower should start with $100+ metals either. Or, if you know someone like my wife, who is generally ignorant on most things, yet still a supposed expert on it, it can be even more difficult. Like, for example, she is whining how “that show just costs you money” when a computer of mind just died last night. Blaming the show, right. I reminded her of the 1 minute phone call her parents didn’t make to turn off sprinklers that ended up causing me over $80K in damages to my audio equipment when I ran(tried to) an event for them. (turns out that doesn’t count for some reason).

As a parent, I have spent money on yoyos for myself. For my kids, one has a Brain that he’s refusing to master(just doesn’t care), and a ONE waiting for him once he can just do a freakin’ gravity pull on the Brain. However, it’s been 5 months at this point, so it might got on BST. My other kid borrowed my BRAIN, and is now on her own ONE and has a Shinwoo LOOP waiting for her when she says she’s ready to get into looping tricks. At some point she’s going to want to upgrade. Being a girl, I also gotta deal with “oh, that one is ugly… that is ugly…” which ain’t making stuff any easier, but if she’s to the point where she merits an upgrade, then it will be OK to spend up to $50 for a new one.

Ideally, that first jump is the hardest. When I do my educational/exposure of yoyos in schools stuff, I plan to use good stuff for my demonstration portion, but let parents know that while I am using more expensive items, there are plenty of very reasonably priced options out there, many of which I will have with me. Most parents won’t have a problem with a $10 yoyo plus shipping and a 25-pack of strings for $20 or so. That’s your magic “jump in” target, sub-$20.

After that, kids have a hard time convincing their parents they need something better. Unless the parent is ALSO into it or willing to educate themselves on their own or be involved with what their kid is doing, they will be hard pressed to be able to spend even their own money.

In the meantime, people should just keep asking “this one or that one”. Name your choices, see what people thing. Interpret that how it applies to the person asking, make a decision. Short of a hands-on trial, that’s the best that’s going to happen. Especially when people are posting USEFUL information, not sarcastic/acidic garbage that doesn’t help anybody.

I’ve got stuff as cheap as the Duncan keychain Imperial, and the most I’ve spend on a NEW yoyo is the HSpin Corlis Prototype, but I’ve also gotten some CLYW’s at great prices off BST. I can have just as much enjoyment from my ONE or WHIP as I can from my CODE 1 or Gnarwal. Still, I keep going back to my DM2, I’m stubborn that way.

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Chris PM me I would like to take that 54 off your hands :slight_smile: hehe.

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this is just not true

a good premium throw costs about as much as a PS3 or an Xbox game, most (alright that’s a long shot) kids who have internet access at home can afford video games, therefore they can afford tons of throws as well

to some extent, yes, yoyos are expensive, but when compared to the majority of the other toys, they are not.

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I’ve seen the prices of games. Odd thing is parents are more willing to let the money go on a video game than a yoyo.

Now, if the kid is SERIOUSLY into yoyo(which should be obvious if they are or not), a parent shouldn’t have a problem spending that same “money slated for a video game” for a “yoyo of desire”.

But, how expensive is a yoyo? Provided you can get replacement response pads or flowable silicone, if you take reasonable care of it, a yoyo should far outlast a video game.

I mean, let’s look at, well, say, the RecRev Sharp I just got, which is at $55, maybe a bit out of the video game range. let’s drop it down to the the dv888 pricing, which is another throw I am looking at, which is at $45, which seems a bit more realistic. Or the DM2 at around $41, or maybe even a Protostar at $35…

Games come and go. What is the average life of a game? A year? 3 at the most. I’m still fuming my kids lost my Game Boy Donkey Kong cart. That was the first game I solved!!! Anyhow, I digress. Good games do stand the test of time. But, with video games, I was looking at getting a WII. $200 for the base system, plus I need a full set of controllers, so that pushed the price closer to $500 with all the things I needed to get started(and I think an extra game). Screw that. Seriously. I’ll just enjoy my GameCube longer! It’s paid for!

With video games, you buy new systems every 3-5 years, obsoleting your games(not so true anymore!). But the old games become re-invented into new games, for lack of a better term. Game series. You’re constantly buying in.

A yoyo is a cheaper investment and can last a lot longer. All it wants are strings and some lube and some cleaning now and then. So, a $50 game you’ll be bored with or have solved in 3 months, or a $100 yoyo you’ll use for 5 years… Hmmmm…

This completely supports hadoq’s argument. If we look past the purchase price, he’s absolutely right. An up front high cost is offset by the time it can be used

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I should just photo my collection just to tease ya!

(Actually, I’m planning that, in a few weeks)

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thanks chris

I’m a video game player, former “hard core gamer” (still play a lot), to be honest, I’m not rich but money to buy video games and yoyos is not really an issue when you have an income and don’t party all week ends.

you bring up a good point which is longevity, but that’s not it. While video games tend to keep you confined and are able to impact your social life, yoyos do exactly the opposite, take you to new places, meeting new people.

I live in europe, thanks to yoyoing, I finally got around visiting nice european places and met awesome people from there, yoyoing is much more social than any online game I’ve played because it actually encourages you to go out and meet actual people.

where the political europe failed, the yoyoing community succeeded, yoyoing brings people together, video games (while it can bring some people together) tend to keep them apart.