Which Yo-Yos (plural) have stood the test of time. Not getting crusty over the years, still creating a pleasure to throw.
I’m not talking those underproduced, highly hyped, supposed holy grails.
These are the throws you dig into your collection occasionally, put on the finger and relive why you started enjoying yo-yo.
Share your thoughts.
shout out to the oxy 5
The two yo-yos that really got me going at the beginning of my time in this hobby were the OD Cascade and MMC. Both are still my go to dailies.
Depends on what its application is…learning as a 0a player, many throws of the 90s, heck even 70s and 80s hold up today for that style of play and many are as timeless as you can get. I’ve been collecting different yoyos as of late, ones that I never got as a kid but wanted and they all work pretty well today for this growing style of play (specifically focusing on the wing shapes). Speaking from yoyos in my classic responsives collection:
As for 1a - lot of iconic yoyos that are still a joy today. Pretty much anything One Drop has made in the past, same with CLYW and SPYY, and maybe a handful of YYF (Specifically the 888).
Roll Model
Duncan Imperial was the grail when I first started in 1969. [rEvolve rolls eyes] I have three now. Yoyo Factory Velocity was the one that got me back into the sport in the early Oughts. I still throw all of them, along with some moderns.
rEvolve
The tiger shark is basically a manta ray with a bearing. Of course you have to find the axle and bearing assembly to make one. Virtually all of the spintastic yoyos of that period used the same shells. The difference was in the cap configuration and/or the bearing assembly. Early Buzzon yoyos used the same shells.
Old general yos and SPYYs come to mind for when I started .
A more modern example might be something like a chopstick gorilla.
There’s one yoyo that’s been absolutely timeless since its inception, semi-modern classic - the Duncan Freehand 1. Its response has changed over the years (for the better) but the yoyo overall is identical.
for me:
Kyo Senza Nome
Hicoo West Uranium Black Gen2
Hspin Pyro og
I think most yoyos have stood the test of time, because this really is a hobby where the player matters so much more than the gear used.
I think you’d need to be a lot more specific than this question. Stood the test of time for which application? Because while contest trends and tricksets have radically evolved over time, it’s not like the way people played with yoyos 10-20, or even 30+ years ago aren’t still equally as valid of ways to play yoyo.
My Delrin Skyva.
It’s not the flashiest pick, but I always come back to it. It reminds me of when I first started. I still have all my yoyos from when I got into it in 2009, but the Skyva is the one that still brings me the most nostalgia and joy when I play it.
Yes, this! New yoyos cater to a certain kind of trick but that doesn’t mean the old yoyos and old tricks aren’t valid anymore.
In many cases, I think we get attached to the yoyos we learned on (for me, a YYJ Kickside)
I do feel like not all yoyos are equal, though. Within each era/decade, there seem to be certain models that were more capable, accessible, and durable than others. But I haven’t tried enough yoyos to know definitively. I can only speak for myself:
I thought I was pretty specific.
All day. Tens of thousands of dollars into the latest and greatest throws since 2008 and all I throw now is the same shape I threw in high school in like 2001 or whenever. 25 years, in production consistently through that run (via FHZ and now the new One), recent changes to its response system all being very positive and consistently releasing limited colorways that interest collectors.
Honorable mentions for Butterfly, Bee GT, Proyo GT/Profly, 888 and Genesis.
IYOYO STEEL AND ICEBERG (NEW AND OLD)
I actually have a MYY Rainbow that was my SECOND throw ever 7-8 years ago and it’s still dead smooth and plays perfect though outdated. MYY actually drops yoyos that seem to retain the best in time I’ve noticed compared to even more elite throws. (Don’t want to name them cuz I am still a fan)
I loved the Skyva so much I started with the translucent batch being my 4th throw. Before that was all MYY and they were Shadow, Rainbow, The shark one that is NOT an n12, then the N12 when I realized I screwed up lol. Then the Skyva. Okay, 5th throw then. The Skyva lacks spin time and is really out-dated at this point in my opinion as far as plastics go. I still DO rock it though. I want the Skyva 2 so bad but in translucent or I’m not going to buy it. The Skyva made me as a newer player truly appreciate plastics. The MOJO came shortly after and blew my mind that this cheap little yoyo with an “okay” graphic actually did it better than the Skyva did. However, the Skyva still felt A LOT more premium.
Honorable mention to Recess First Base during that time period
I just put honorable mention at the end of my post and realized I probably jacked your style. My bad 
They were both on Amazon recently. People are saying the newer versions aren’t as good. Do you have an opinion on this? Apparently, they changed the graphic
