I would love that, but I’m not holding my breath. SPYY was a really special thing when it was happening, and I didn’t always appreciate what we had with it. It was truly an honor to be part of that team. Maybe down the road things will feel different for Steve, but I think it’s a really hard thing to throw yourself back into. Time will tell.
I’d still love to get my hands on an Addiction. I’ve liked all the SPYY throws I played with. They had their own feel that wasn’t like anything else. Kinda marched to their own beat.
Side note: Ed, your fixed axle play always inspires me. I’m blown away by some of the stuff you pull off
The Addiction is absolutely awesome. It’s almost perfectly what I want in a yoyo. I just wish I hadn’t dinged mine, I’m contemplating finding another mint one just to have it.
Made me stop, think, and be sad. I would be crushed if I worked as hard on something and got a result like that. Wish I was into yoyoing back then (I was, but no unresponsive) to appreciate that
was always my dream team and i’ve been collecting them years before they went under. even have a badass SPYY belt buckle (to embarrassed to say what i paid for it) but overall they will always be my favorite
I think it’s a cool thread, but any real discussion of SPYY returning would need some pretty candid responses from us, about why we were not buying their yo-yos.
I, personally, entered yo-yo a few years ago. I always thought SPYY had a stellar reputation for quality. Reviews were always great. But, the presentation and marketing, I believe, if different, would have resulted in me spending a lot more money on them. Further, when other people were not buying, it enabled me to procrastinate and buy other brands first. After all, SPYY would still be in stock, and I could get them later.
In a two year plus period, I tried to spread it around, but it may have been too little too late. In that period, I bought 3 El Rancheros, a Spyder II, a Supra, Orbitron, Radian 2, Amplifier, Pro, and 4 EHs. But, most of it was toward the end of their run.
I think more color popping, and more on the marketing end, would have worked better for me. When it looks like this, it markets itself. I seriously thought about this yo-yo until I found one in stock somewhere. No effects, it really looks this good.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2910/14809984675_f0283b0416_c.jpg
Pro by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/14809630292_3cea2de070_c.jpg
ProSpin18 by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
When I first started yoyoing, SPYY was in a league of its own. At that time, with experimental releases like the Pure, Flying V, Pistolero and Radian Super Light, they came across as sort of the “avant garde” yoyo company. Even their more standard shapes like the Addiction, Skyy Chaser and (to a slightly lesser extent) Stryker had really striking design decisions with regard to colorway and engravings, which made them seem unique. Like any piece of art, they were distinct enough that they wouldn’t visually appeal to everybody.
With the release of the Pro, SPYY seemed to change direction. YYR was making waves with the Sleipnir and the Pro seemed like a direct response to it. It felt as though SPYY was following the crowd, rather than doing it’s own weird thing. The offbeat (but confident and inspired) design decisions gave way to a variety of splashes and acid washes to suit multiple tastes, and experimentalism was abandoned in favor of the overriding trend of the time: “competition oriented.” Many other companies followed the same trajectory, and the whole yoyo market became bogged down with a glut of very similar “performance” designs. SPYY, having lost what attracted me to the brand in the first place, didn’t stand out in this crowd; though in fairness, nobody did, IMO.
Also, if I’m being honest, I didn’t care for the addition of maple leafs to the engravings on latterday SPYY yoyos. I’m a bit of a nationalist myself, so I can appreciate the display of national pride on Steve’s part and applaud him for keeping the manufacturing process “in house,” so to speak. But a maple leaf has no appeal to a non-Canadian, and if anything, it pushed my thinking toward the notion that perhaps I should stick with American companies, and leave SPYY for the Canadians. I don’t think it’s wise for a company to feature patriotic iconography on their products if it intends to market them to a global market.
The rims on the Addiction are incredibly comfortable and classy.
I love the subtle gap designs on the Orbitron and Speed Freak. They are functional and yet don’t take away from the look and feel of the overall organic shapes.
The icy blue Amplifier is gorgeous in every way. And plays great. Period.
El Ranchero is just so darned good.
Spyy is really what got me looking into my first metal yoyo. I remember watching a rethink yoyo tutorial and he said the yoyo was a spyy Stryker. Immediatly it got in my head that this was the best yoyo and I needed it, but unfortunately I couldn’t find one. It never occurred to me that spy would have other yoyos so I went with a general yo instead. But without spyy I probably wouldn’t be yoyoing right now
Wow I just watched that video, seems like so long ago.
^ Very candid and well thought out post. SPYY, obviously a great company, and we certainly enjoyed their yo-yos.
I have to be honest, that I’m not a girly girl, but in addition to the colorway choices on most runs, the spiders and skulls on the yo-yos were just not for me. I know it worked for others though.
I forgot to mention that I got a Ronin as a gift, and bought an Addiction on the second hand market. So, I tried a few more SPYY, besides those I bought new.
I love spyy always have always will. what drew me to them was there history reading on yoyowiki and doing other research let me know they were legit. i actually ended up with 2-3 of them on accident just handy downs from my buddy Mack. But after throwing so many yoyos i really started to feel they fit me better than anything else. there earlier models are still up there with the newest releases IMO and even there newer ones were amazing Ive been collecting them since i started in 2010 and the love has never faded. i know have about 15 or so and i love each one for a different reason. Another reason i loved spyy was there team they had such a legit group of players at all times and the videos produce were always jaw dropping. It kinda seemed like toward the last couple years though there marketing became less and less. with the exception of the dynamo and amplifier which came out really close together and with great vids. I also love how with a fresh response these yoyos have the ability to do amazingly complex tricks and yet always have a solid snappy bind. They were my dream team and the reason i took yoyoing so serious. I actually teared up quite a bit when i read Steve Buffel’s post saying he was resigning from the yoyo world. It’s a sad day when such greatness was overlooked for whats new and trendy but i guess that is the power of strategic marketing and when you have top competitors pasted on the wall marketing YYF’s and the like it is no wonder why it happened. They aren’t cheap to make and you have to make people wanna pay for that sorta action even if the product speaks for itself.