I made this thread for the other forum and I wanted to share this here in YYE, as well. I understand that the age demographic is very different here in YYE than it is in the other site, but if you’re going to reply about this subject matter, please no speculations allowed and I look forward to a well-mannered and great discussion
Lately I’ve been noticing a rise of great, well-known, sponsored players leaving the company they’ve been promoting for years and take on an independent route. It was officially announced last night that Hiroyuki Suzuki (Mickey) left Team YoYoJam after 10 years being with them to focus more on his own line of yoyos, which led me to creating this thread. Mickey is not the only one; Yuuki Spencer [but still working with YYF with Yuuksta/future projects] and Shinji Saito followed suit before that, just to name a few.
I just wonder why these great players are now going independent and pursue their own stuff, inside or outside yoyoing. But then, I think I just answered my question.
But at the same time, I know it’s not the sponsor that makes these players excellent, it’s the player themselves and their skill.
I want a civil and well-mannered discussion about this.
What are your thoughts about them going Indie?
If you ask me, I support their decision and I’m all for their future projects. Them leaving a sponsor they’ve been so faithful for years doesn’t faze me because I know they’ll still do great with whatever they’re doing. Mickey is one of my favorite players, and I wish him the best.
If you’re asking for sources of where I got this news from, go check YoYoJam’s FB page. That way no one can accuse me for spouting bologna.
Yeah it’s been happening a lot lately. Jensen did the same with CLYW.
I respect the players by going independent. It just makes me wonder sometimes why it happened when it did, I mean it seems like it happens so randomly.
I saw the title and expected to see MIckey’s name( I also knew) and I did. I have no idea why he did, nor why he would want to. I know everyone wants money and so he is making yoyos now( overpriced like yyr IMO) and all that. But I think after so much success with yoyojam and such a long time of winning, losing and everything in between, he wouldn’t just leave?
Well here are my thoughts that have nothing based on anything except just that, my thoughts.
I would say there are several reasons one would want to go out on their own. First of all you can only make a name so big when you have another company also taking the spot light. With Mickey he is sharing that with YoYoJam. Not a bad thing, but he is a sponsored player who is very very well known and making YoYoJam all the better and higher sales based on that. At this point he wants to make himself money instead of just YoYoJam. That is what I took from that, which is fine in my opinion.
I do the same thing in my industry. While I own a Production company, I also DJ full time for Disney, Universal, Sea World, and Planet Hollywood. So, I am constantly producing event or DJ’ing. When I first got into Disney it was through a booking agent. It helped me get my foot in the door and what I needed. After working for the agent for 2 years, I decided I wanted to pursue Disney on my own. I made sure that I stuck with the person who got me the start for 2 years to make sure they made a descent amount of money for their time and effort off me, but it was time for me to be making the money and being in control of my future. So I left the booking agent and signed with Disney directly. I make more money, have more control, and have direct contact to make what I want happen. I am no longer in a pool of Djs that this agent then chooses who he wants where. That is my decision now.
So, I think with yoyo companies the same thing applies. Being sponsored is an amazing way get rolling, get recognized, and it usually is beneficial to both. The player gets exposure and yo-yos and contests, and a following, the yoyo company gets more press to sell more yo-yos. At some point (10 years is a long time too) it is time to push to the next level. That I see is what Mickey is doing. Jensen on the other hand? I have no clue haha, I’m not sure he has a clue with what he is doing. But I do not know him personally and have stopped following him on Facebook and other mediums so I don’t know what is going on, but it does seem different reasons than what it seems like for Mickey.
Some may have a fallen out with a company, some may have different views or directions, some may move companies because of location as well. (As in Clint moving to YoYoFactory as he is going to college in Arizona) There are many reasons and many ideas, however the future of the industry is going to be people stepping up and replacing or growing what is already here.
At some point there is going to need to be a new wave of companies continue to come in that will probably be started by players themselves and the evolution of the industry will continue from generation to generation. So, I see this as a natural progression of the industry. Just again, my thoughts.
Dingo 54 makes a good point, but the statement is a two edged sword. Success can will an individual to keep moving forward until they hit a wall that stops them entirely, or they can go out in their prime. Like Michael Jordan tried to do with the NBA.
My thoughts about this is that people change and grow and evolve over time. What were once mutually agreeable goals and objectives may not remain the same. It also doesn’t mean all these changes are necessarily for negative things either.
I can’t speak with any sort of authority about anyone who isn’t me.
What I heard about Jensen Kimmitt was that he chose to leave CLYW because he felt he wanted to “state his mind” and not have it reflect poorly on CLYW, even though what he has to say about CLYW is not negative or mean in the least. He just wants to have the freedom to say and do his own thing without an backlash. It appears his friendship with the owner of CLYW was too important and rather than bring negative attention upon his friends, it would be best to split and at least put some distance between them though the act of severing sponsorship ties. I’ve yet to read Jensen saying anything that can be really considered negative about CLYW.
Regarding Mickey, well, I can’t fathom why he’d leave. He has made quite a name for himself and he does have YYJ to thank for that. He even recently helped design 2 new yoyos for YYJ, the Speeder 2 and the Chaser. If I recall correctly, I think Mickey just won Central Japan 2012 with a Chaser. Not bad for an expensive plastic. However, there’s been stuff brewing for a while apparently and he wants to open his own business. Maybe it’s like a YYE kind of thing: selling multiple brands of yoyos. Maybe he just wants to carry a signature line, which I think for anyone, would be foolish. That’s not saying signature yoyos aren’t great, I like the Mickey ones, I like the DM2 and Lecacy II and I’m anxious to try JD’s yoyos. I also like the Fiesta XX, which is the signature model of yet another player. Sometimes it’s just time to move on. 10 years may not seem a long time, but we’re talking yoyo, which 10 years is pretty much an eternity. I have no idea.
Now, going to YYJ’s facebook page, it appears both sides had probably been in discussions over this for quite some time. It seems like whatever the issue was, they just couldn’t reach an agreement where both parties were able to come to terms that both sides were happy with. It also sounds like that rather than burn bridges and things getting ugly and nasty, it appears both parties chose to thank each other for 10 good years together and then go their separate ways, at least in regards to “company & sponsored player” are concerned. I’m not reading this as necessarily a bad thing.
I think Ann Connolly moved from YYJ over to YYF. Not sure why, but hey, whatever. It sounded like it was tied to school.
Other players are moving from sponsor sponsor. This is probably an effort to find a company they fit best within.
I am very surprised to see such great responses without someone killing it for everybody. Thank you very much!
As for Jensen, I didn’t include his name on purpose because he basically lost his drive to yoyo. Also, he deleted his Facebook so the only remnants of him are in his youtube channel. But I don’t want to get more deeper than that so I’ll leave the Jensen topic alone.
As I said earlier, it is sure and both YYJ and Mickey have agreed upon that it’s best for him to go indie and focus his own projects and line of yoyos. If making his own company is his next step, then awesome! More yoyo choice to the market.
But there are also quite a handful of sponsored players who have their own yoyo companies/manufactuers as well. Simpson Wong from Duncan Crew has C3yoyodesign, Kentaro Kimura from YYF has Turning Point, and I can’t think of more so just include if you may. Also correct me if I’m wrong. So Mickey could have still stuck with the YYJ sponsor and also make his company grow, and I know C3 and TP are quite successful. I don’t mean to compare nor saying that he should, but that was my take on that.
And Studio42, the Chaser Mickey used in Central Japan was its full-metal brother (but a prototype, as it said)
YYJ has said also that if Mickey wants to come back to team YYJ, he is more than welcome to do so. So it’s still a very healthy relationship between the company and the player.
I would keep yapping but I don’t want to cross the line between what was laid out there and pure speculation.
Thanks for your reponses, once again.
[I don’t know if I can say his store’s name in here, given that YYE and his store had a collaboration colorway YYF yoyo (Supernova) and Mickey’s new yoyos are sold here - and the store’s name was mentioned at the description too].
I think it’s equally important to show how many of the people leaving sponsorships, based on my casual observation, appear to go out gracefully, respectfully and on good terms with the company they are leaving. It says a lot about the players.
As people grow, their needs and wants and desires change, as well as their interests. I feel that some people are fine being sponsored, while others see sponsorship as part of a greater long term plan that will perhaps take them to where they need to be. Players with the desire to form their own companies can use their past sponsorships to help secure funding for operational and start-up costs from investors. Having a conversation with those that are sponsoring you can help determine which way to go. Who knows, maybe the sponsoring company may want to keep them on board and help with product development rather than just slap a name on a yoyo. For some, this may be the step they want to take. However, for others, they may simply want the freedom that comes with complete independence. It’s risky, but then again what isn’t?
That’s why it’s important to look at how people leave companies. There is always the ability to “screw job” to move forward. I don’t see that happening so much in the yoyo community. I don’t hear a whole lot about that type of mentality. It always sounds like the termination of such sponsorship agreements happens largely on friendly terms.
Then we have people such as Andre, who doesn’t really appear to be having any sort of conflicts of interest between himself and YYE and his alliance with YoYoJam,. It’s nice that a company such as YYJ will allow such activities. But the full details of this business relationship are none of my business unless he so chooses to share it with me. All I can say is whatever he is doing, it’s working, and as such, I wish him continued success at doing what he’s doing. Proof of that is that I will be making a hefty purchase soon right here.
As for me, it would be great if I got a sponsorship, but it’s not something I’m seeing. I like my freedom of being independent and not having to plug a particular product line. If I were to be sponsored, it would have to be from a place like YYE. This would give me access to resources and information, while at the same time providing me an authorized sales channel to direct people to. I wouldn’t have to align myself to a product brand, but to rather a company that works like I prefer to work: Have a decent selection of decent products to cater to a wide range of customers, allowing me to talk about a wide range of products over a large price range, letting people make qualified decisions. Plus, I may just have a day where I might say “Ugh, YYJ… I wanna throw CLYW today… or One Drop… or YYF”. I don’t like restrictions for this kind of product. Now, for data comm, I can be more rigid. With microphones, I like my options.
As long as the relationships between the sponsored and the companies sponsoring them, and the now independents and the community stays amicable, then it shouldn’t be a big deal and nothing to be worried about.
Well said. I also agree with that. Again, I’m all for what Mickey and other indie players out there do. The yoyo ‘world’ will still keep on going. I will keep supporting one of my influences in yoyoing all the way.
Now, Mickey needs to work on the price of his yoyos…but that’s another story and thread to make.
I’ve been really pleased with Mickey’s signature yoyos and currently have 4 models: Phenom, Phenomizm, Speeder2 and Chaser. I’d like to get a Meteor for sure. Debating a used Speeder and maybe a Speedmaker. But, yes, I like how they feel and perform. Based on past results, I’d be tempted to try a new signature of his under a different brand.
I also can’t speak authoritatively for any company or sponsored player. I do get the idea that YYJ seems to like to get their hands “dirty” and go work with their players to help design new and innovative designs. In many cases, we can see the heritage. If we look at the DM2, we can see a common lineage in the original DM, the Legacy, Legacy II and the Trilogy. Mickey seems to be a bit all over the place, breaking from the more angular designs like the Phenom and then going with a softer rounded V provide with the Speeder 2. The Chaser reminds me of a Protostar a bit, so I think he was going for a popular profile in addition to low cost as a secondary objective. I’m not sure what to make of the JD signatures, but I’m going to order an XCon Pro soon. Clearly, YYJ has hit it well with the mid-placed weight rings. I am also left with the impression that most of the signature yoyos have some amount of input from the players that has their name on it. I would want some say if my name is being printed on it.
It appears to me that YYF(and please correct me if I’m wrong) is making their own designs, and then I think trying to match them up to the player before adding their name on it. I mean, that’s another way to go. If both parties are happy, the it’s all good. It’s not like YYF is making bad products either. I mean, looking at such “cheap” yoyos as the ONE and WHIP, well lots of fun in a little price tag.
Clearly, sponsored players are taken care of. I saw many US players at EYCC2012(via video). International travel and accommodations as a package aren’t cheap. Even domestic travel ain’t cheap, but it’s not as expensive as international. A company has to shell out big dollars and expects a return on their investment, and likewise, the sponsored players do want to show their company a reminder as to why they are sponsored in the first place.
Another issue is, well, we grow up, sometimes. We’ve established that this isn’t just a child’s toy. The yoyo is a skill toy, that while mainly used by children, is a fun toy for any age. Yet, some people outgrow things. It’s not cool, it’s not “hip” or trendy or whatever. Peer pressure can suck for some players! It’s like “I’m 24, I’m playing with a yoyo. What the heck am I doing?” This can happen to any player, sponsored or not. When one starts to really not stay as “in love” with the yoyo as they used it, then it’s time to get out, at least get out as far as being sponsored. Being sponsored has “requirements” and “demands”. Why go through this if you’re not going to be absolutely happy?
Let’s look at Ian Johnson, who thoroughly had his time wasted on America’s Got Talent, where year after year, they pick people who don’t have talent. He, as a sponsored player, tried to take yoyo “mainstream” for a bit. The talent was there, but with his multi-style play, it was over-load for the audience at large. The “world” knows 0A, 1A and 2A although they don’t know them as styles. 3A,4A,5A? Whoah! Too much!! But my point here is that really, yoyo is so niche, that sponsored players are unknown outside the yoyo community. Putting a name like Steve Brown on something really doesn’t mean squat to someone new to yoyo or not familiar with the yoyo community. No offense towards Steve Brown. One of the first groups of yoyo videos I saw, I saw this punk looking dude all inked out and figured “well this is gonna be stupid, but hey, might as well watch it”. Absolutely amazing stuff! 5A, which I had never seen before. Graceful, flowing, controlled, FLAWLESS(well, so I thought but it was still amazing).
Markus Koh, Ben Conde, Bryan Figueroa, Joseph Harris, Ann Connoly, Augie Fash, Zammy, heck, the rest of the YYE trading cars for that matter and then some and more. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jayyo got up into those ranks in a few short years. Do these names mean anything to anyone outside the yoyo world? If they were to move to a different company or go solo, do you think the “world” in general would even know or even care?
Then again, I’m 40 and just picked this up not too long ago. Some of us don’t grow up. But seriously, who is gonna want to sponsor a 40 year old dude playing with a yoyo, having a great time but isn’t even good?
Also, we should look at sponsored players like professional athletes. There’s a lot of business that goes both ways. Everyone is looking to get ahead in one way or another. The companies are more restricted in what they can and cannot do. Players, unless they have a contract with time obligation terms, are pretty much free agents.
Regarding Mickey and his pricing, well, you’re right, that could be another thread. Just keep in mind he’s being nailed with import duties and taxes before he even gets stuff in his hands. Japan import laws are a bit annoying. Not as annoying as some places and certainly not as abusive either, but he’s got issues forcing him to price stuff where it is.
I completely respect the players’ decisions to start going independent. I do not believe that it’s a matter of fame or profit. Players are going independent with hopes of starting their own legacy in the community. Whenever players leave, I too cringe but I’m satisfied to see that they left the team on good terms and the team will have that seat warm for them.
Regarding Mickey, he’s had quite a bit of ideas on what he wants to do with his life. The guy is in his 20s and needs to find something besides throwing around. Starting his own company was a great choice for him and I will remain a true fan despite his decision. It’s the player, not the company.
It seems like that “sweet spot” when it comes to age is between 16 and 21 from a championship caliber performance. After 21 it seems that people start losing interest or need to start moving on and it becomes more of a hobby than an actual sport. I’m 31 and entering in my first contest one month from today. My only goal is to come in next to last place instead of last place. But, last place will still be fine haha. I’m not sure how old Andre is but I would be he is in his mid to late twenties? I know JD is 25 I believe. Which would have put him about 16 when he won Worlds. Marcus I believe is still in high school as well.
So at some point you have to decide where the next step will be. Do you get out of YoYo’ing? Do you stay with it and just pop in from here and there? Kinda of like Augie Fash? Or do you take that next step, like Andre and JD did with opening YoYo Stores. I think Mickey will do the whole store yoyo creator thing. But, we will wait and see. The point is, that after you are done pushing for the championship and the contests and the awards, there comes a point when it is time to say OK, what is next? I see that happening after the 21 year ish moving forward. I remember when I first helped out with Worlds the person who ran it asked if I was going to perform HA! no way, I’m not nearly good enough and then when he found out I was (29 at the time) he was like yeah, your past your prime anyway haha OUCH! but it is true. Plus I have a business, married, 5 kids, I don’t have time to put hours and hours day and night on it. I’m going to really push myself though this month to put a routine together for States that will at least be respectable. But the question comes at what point do you figure out it’s time to go a different direction. At least Mickey, from what I can tell, isn’t leaving the industry which is great for YoYo’ing.
I can agree that the prime age seems to be 16-21. I’m finding myself slowing down. Well, I can still run a stage faster than most of the “kids” these days, but that’s not a same kind of comparison.
I feel that even being past a prime age won’t be a reason for people to no longer be sponsored. There’s so much positive that the “older players” can do for the industry. JD retired from competition after winning Regionals, Nations and Worlds. I can’t argue his logic, as he’d proven everything he needed to prove regarding yoyo at that point in time. Yet, it appears he’s still a YYJ sponsored individual.
There are really two paths when one decides to leave a company. They can either leave to join another company or leave and be independent, which can lead to dropping out of the scene if one should choose to.
What I like about the yoyo is that it’s so simple on the surface, but as complex as you want it to be or can make it. Learn it, ramp it up, compete, ride the competition circuit, then wind back down and then throw for life as a hobby. Not bad. A toy that can go with you for life. You can’t say that for some of the pro sports we acknowledge as sports. Football and basketball, you’re done at 35-36. Hockey is about the same. Soccer you can go until about 40. Tennis maybe 44. Golf is rather ageless. Baseball you can go into your 50’s if you can continue to be solid as a player, otherwise, think around 40 start to either retire or move into management or coaching or office positions.
I suppose for a few who get real jobs later on, I’m sure some may have to give up sponsorships due to issues with associations with their day job. I would hope those that do choose to give up sponsorships are able to do so of their own choosing and not for peer pressure reasons. Then again, I was never a part of the “in crowd” anyways.
Plus, for those who choose to go independent, there’s so many opportunities. Graphic design, branding, custom accessories, freelance hardware design, writing and publishing, video, tutorials, private performances, educational programs, judging, contest organizing, staring a store, starting an independent company and so much more. Of course, leaving the scene is always an option too.
In my case, competition was never a goal, objective or option I was willing to explore. Sponsorship doesn’t cross my mind either.I’m not planning to video myself. That doesn’t mean I don’t intend to give back, just means I have certain guidelines for myself. I guess I won’t have this problem.
Thank you very much for such great words. I can’t thank any of you guys more. The other forum where I posted this thread initially only had one thread and seems like no one was interested in it. Here in YYE, however, I find great responses. Thanks, thanks, thanks! :]
I’m a big fan of his signature yoyos, though. It’d be sad for me not to see his name in the yoyos anymore. Oh well, I should probably buy a Chaser and Speeder2 now. Hmm.
I think that YYJ is going to continue to make the signature models, just probably not under the “signature graphic” on the cap. So, my hands are a little bit forced, so I’ll step up and spend a bit extra and get the Meteor SOONER rather than LATER. I was hoping to meet him at Worlds this year, but we’ll see if he’s maybe looking to retire from competition. His video from one of his Worlds 1A performances(the yoyogod one on YouTube) was actually THE first yoyo video I watched. I think my eyes spun for a bit. It was NOT what I was expecting. It was like watching sped up videos but without the tell tale signs of things being sped up.
As long as there are people helping to support the yoyo industry, it’s nice to be able to support them. My problem with Mickey is that well, he’s in Japan and I’m not, so I can’t help him by purchasing through HIS store, mostly because he won’t be able to offer me the pricing that YYE can for reasons beyond his control. However, I can still buy a blue Phenom and a Metro from YYE. I have the nickel/gold Phenom, but I also really want the blue. Hey, it’s only money, right?
The other issue for those players who choose to go independent, which is the same for any store choosing to specialize in not only yoyos, but skill toys in general(and even magic to a lesser extent) is that it’s a risky business. The internet has been wonderful for people who choose to go this route. They can carry inventory in their garage, a storage shed, their living room or a spare bedroom, establish a PO Box as a legal mailing address and to protect privacy, and then run things at a very low cost. Since they won’t have to waste money on overhead costs like office spaces, telephone systems, networks and additional data circuits(even as cheap as ADSL and cable, one for the office and another for the home, it doubles up), it allows them to keep the costs as low as can be. Still, there’s up front costs, as you have to get inventory in hand and you do need an electronic storefront. Getting the inventory in hand can get expensive. Getting the electronic storefront isn’t that expensive, but it is time consuming and needs to be done in a manner that the operator feels caters to the customers the best.
In some cases, I’m a bit torn. JD has his own store, but being not far from me, it is silly for me to buy from there because I’d have to also pay sales tax and shipping, which makes YYE a better value for me. I hear JD’s a super nice guy and I want to support California business, and he’s so close that it’s almost supporting LOCAL business for me, which is something I try to do. It’s that stupid sales tax issue… And not to praise Andre, but he’s got the best selection of in-stock stuff of any place I’ve seen, and I’ve seen quite a few. Plus, Andre seems to be a super nice guy too.
We also have to concern ourselves with potential market saturation. Internet-based shops can serve nationwide or even international with little to no effort once they can be found on search engines and good word of mouth. But, with the possibility increasing that there may be too many yoyo stores online, it becomes a battle for survival for the new guys to stay afloat. There’s many places that have been around for years, both in brick and mortar stores with an internet storefront, and internet only. The physical stores that have been around for years, the odds are they aren’t going to go away anytime soon. It’s really the new people showing up on the internet that will be fighting for survival. Right now, the internet is approaching this issue. Smaller countries have smaller local populations to sell to. There’s a few stores in Japan online that sell yoyos and so another is certainly needed, but they tend to serve all of Asia as well due to proximity, as to the other Asian-based yoyo internet stores. There’s a few places in Europe that help cater to that region. I’m sure most of YYE’s business is North America, if not mainly the western Hemisphere. Africa and the Middle East, well, I’m sure it sucks for them because I am not sure if there’s really much available for them in those regions, so they have to eat it on big shipping charges.
Independence has risks. You make a name for yourself under someone else’s banner. Now, you’re no longer under that “security blanket”. This is fine for those who are getting out of the competition circuit and are no longer worried about travel, or for those who are still going to compete and can afford all the travel. Still, if a name as been established, it’s got a reputation and credibility, even if it’s not landing title after title. The key is developing a GOOD name for oneself. That’s really what’s important. Establishing a good name can help with moving to another company or starting a business, or heck, even leaving the world of yoyo and joining a cubicle farm but at a decent pay grade!(and a nicer cubicle, hopefully one in battleship grey, not feces brown, which seem to be the prevalent cubicle colors).
Just to make this simple enough instead of a cluster storm of texts from Studio and Tmcertified, its called a “Conflict of Interest” when it comes to Hiroyuki and Yoyojam.
Simply put, If a player has their own company that they have to focus on contests, promotion, sales…they will no longer be able to focus on the company they are sponsored by. This was one of the main issues between Yoyojam and Hiroyuki.
Certain companies will allow players to be able to branch out to their own accord while others seem to not be able to. I specifically remember when Daniel Budia, a member of Duncan Crew awhile back wanted to create his own store, but Duncan would not let them.
I am not sure if Simpson Wong is with Duncan or is fully fledged to C3. Due to all the constant promotion with C3, I have a feeling is not with Duncan.
People constantly evolve forward in time for so many different reasons.
Let the yoyo world blossom into both negative and positive.
With all the “until recently sponsored” players leaving the world of competition to run their own ventures, are we sure that overall this is a good thing?
With so many NEW yoyo stores cropping up, I worry that what will happen is there will be too many stores, and as a result, not enough to spread it around. Granted, there’s a potential stable market. New people come in all the time, others leave, die, whatever, replaced by new folks. But we’re not talking giant numbers here.
And for those who get into design and hence new product, there seems to always be room for another company and product offerings, but they have to go head to head with larger and more established companies.
I’m reminded of stories my wife would tell me in regards to families back in Vietnam. Someone would have a “new product”. Let’s say it’s something pedestrian like curtain rods or PVC pipe. Well, then everyone else would see it and jump on that product. Then, everyone would undercut each other until everybody went out of business and then the product would no longer be available because everyone who carried it went broke. I saw the same pattern repeat with the beauty schools until I said “If you keep trying to undercut your competition, you have no way of making any money so you might as well just quit now”. I also reminded them that “perhaps there’s a reason why you’re choosing not to compete with the others in regards to pricing”. A side note about this is that recently, 2 schools were shut down for selling hours, and one of those owners went to jail. Another school, a couple of years ago, fearing getting their collective butts nailed to the wall, STOPPED selling hours. But, regarding the “going independent”, my in-laws ran a salon, then converted to a school. When they converted to a school, a bunch of others decided “hey, we can run a a school too”. Other than two “brand name schools” that have been around like forever and will continue to be around forever, almost all the "independent schools’ have either shut down, been forced to shut down, could never open or are gone except the one that was around before my in-laws created a school(and that was the one I said was selling hours but stopped) and my in-law’s school. With a glut of schools, they were bottoming out tuition to get students.
I see the same issue happening to yoyos. We won’t see price drops, we’ll just see that there’s not enough to go around.