What devalues a throw? Obviously over time things such as supply and demand, rarity, and availability will affect prices, but what about damage? How much does damage devalue a throw? I just got my first high end yoyo (Code 2) about a week or two ago and I’m wondering if I should worry about keeping it in “Mint” condition just in case I ever wanted to resell it, or if it wouldn’t really matter what condition it’s in so long as it still plays great. I know some of this is dependent on the buyer. Some don’t care what it looks like so long as it plays like new, while others have to have it in pristine condition.
I’m wondering what your opinion is on how damage affects the value of a throw, and the difference in price you’d pay for something that wasn’t in “pristine condition”.
When I say “damage” I mean scuffs, flat spots, dings, that kind of small stuff that usually doesn’t effect play and is mostly cosmetic.
For me, damage devalues a throw, but I am not a slave to it. These are toys, and are meant to be played with. Enjoy your toy. Whatever value you lose should be considered the price of having fun. I’ll bet that yoyos are pretty cheap as entertainment expense goes.
TotalArtist made a very good thread (like usual :D) about secondhand yoyo costs. I can’t seem to find it, but I think she said that she takes off a certain percentage (30% or 40% is the number I remember, but I’m not sure) of the original value just for it being used, and then a smaller percentage (I seem to remember 10% being this number) for any damage. Ever since I read that, I have used this system, and it has worked out pretty well.
If I’m selling a yoyo, even if it’s pristine, I don’t expect to receive messages offering retail or near retail prices. I don’t think anyone should, unless it’s a “rare/collectable” throw. Damage will reduce this price even further.
Just play with your yoyo. It’s a toy. Try and keep it in the best possible condition, but if something happens, don’t get bothered. Aim to have fun, and don’t worry about the aftermarket value.
I was going to buy one of those. I would try to keep it mint because protos can be valuable if you plan on reselling it if you dont plan on reselling it just play it ding it up. Give it some love. Jrod sure gives his Code 2s some love.
I’ve found most people just care about cool colorways. Prototypes don’t matter that much in terms of resale value. If they want a proto, then they won’t worry too much about slight damage…
I wouldn’t even worry about it unless you’re doing 3a, 4a or 5a over concrete.
Well, it is a Code 2. There are quite a few out there; it’s not really like a Peak. (This is not to say the Code 2 is a bad throw)
Even though it is a proto, I wouldn’t expect retail or over retail price, even in mint condition. Try and keep it in good condition (Be careful where you play it/what styles you play on it), but if something happens, don’t sweat it too much.
Since you got it for $50 (a super deal) just play the heck out of it, and don’t even worry about dings. A super beat Code 2 is still going to be worth $30, So the way I look at it is no matter what you do to it your only going to be out $20 should you decide to sell it.
It depends on what the buyer is buying it for !! If it’s being purchased to fill out someone’s collection, then they will want minimal damage, if any, and that person will devalue it much more than someone buying it to actually throw that particular YoYo.
For me, pretty much any damage at all makes the throw almost worthless. Obviously I’d probably buy a Chief with a pinprick for $20 just on principle, but I basically don’t even consider yoyos that aren’t MIB.
It is partially because I care about condition, but also because yoyos just aren’t that expensive. To me, there’s no reason to save 10 or 20 bucks by getting something that’s damaged when there are plenty of mints readily available for still virtually the same price.
Like it was said, unless you’re doing 4a/5a on a hardfloor (and maybe even then), it’s nearly impossible for you to destroy the yoyo.
Scratch it? Sure, beat it to the point it needs to be replaced? Impossible.
If you’re buying yoyos thinking about the resell value, you’re doing it wrong.
It is true. If a yo-yo has any major ding, flat spot and so on, I would pay far less than retail for it on the BST. Unless you “collect” yo-yos and you want to retain the value, or you know for sure you will be reselling in the future…go ahead and play it. Unless you have a rare Code 2, if you damage it, you can just buy another one.
This is the exact reason why despite enjoying FHZs and wishing that I had some of the rarer editions, that I own so few of them. If I were able to acquire some of them mint in package I would not want to remove them from the package or have any of them recessed even if I was willing to open them unless I was able to acquire a 2nd copy of that specific FHZ and the idea of doing that along with the difficulty of it is just ridiculous to me. No clue why I’m happy to play with throws worth $200+ but I would hesitate to play the FHZs. I guess it’s just the plastic package. There’s no going back once it’s open even if the throw stays mint =P
I can’t help but completely agree you here. This is why I only buy mint throws. Trades are where I consider damaged throws only if mine are damaged in return or the deal is awesome for me.
