Tops With Bearings? I had no idea....

Someone got a size A ceramic and a chrome bearing for a spin top from me the other day.
How long has this been going on and what companies make them?
Are they popular?
Thanks

look in the “shop” section of the site, then go to spin tops. duncan makes em, yyf, strommol8

i dont think they are very popular, could be wrong

Ha! Tops with bearings appeared in 98-99. Dale Oliver claims the invention (and regrets not having patented it) but the first commercial bearing tops may have been the YYJ. However, there were tops with ball bearing tips as early as 1930s (I have one), just not very good.

And yes, they are very popular, about as popular as fixed tips for tricks. At Worlds this year (like the last two) there will be freestyle titles for bearing and fixed tip.

Interesting…thanks

A ceramic in a spin top seems a bit odd though…