Curious what got everyone started with collecting yoyos.
Told myself no more yoyos 4 years back and found myself back into bottomless pit of collecting novelty yoyos (Hollows, Capped, Undersized, interesting sounding ones).My journey started with the Playmaxx proyo II after watching yaohan on stage at the mall looping 2 yoyos to AHA’s “take on me”. Buying multiples just to swap and trade halves.
Then came the Turbo bumble bee, the tornado and Terminator Tigershark.
Fast forward to 2020, got reintroduced to the world of mono metals and was obsessed with organics, particularly bowl shaped yoyos. The hiss of the bearings resonating through the yoyo.
I enjoy playing but i love collecting even more. An inexplicable nostalgia.
2º - the feeling of completion and finally getting the yoyo u wanted.
3º - exclusivity
4º - having total control over this small part that drives and motivates me, and at same time goin crazy/losing control when buying yo-yos and starting new collections from brands I don’t own yet
My collection is mostly due to the misguided hope that if I just get that one yoyo that’s perfect for me, I will improve faster, learn tricks easier, and be better at yoyoing in less time and with less frustration. And since retailers don’t have a try-before-you-buy policy, the only way to try is to buy. Ugh.
I love having similar but different things and then sorting them. There’s few things more satisfying than a full and organized case of yoyos. I’m thinking about getting the big 80 yoyo G2 case and reorganizing my entire collection. I have about 15 or so floaters right now because my cases are all full.
I went from Yomega into YYF into CLYW into madness. Similar to a band shirt, my collection shows who I am and my connection to something bigger than myself.
Fixed, trans, bearing axles. Different sizes, shapes, weights. Materials, colors, build qualities. Old, new. They all have a unique character. They’re fun, small, usually not too expensive. At least I don’t mind seeing them laying around our dresser and nightstand. And if you pick them up, you can do cool tricks with them sometimes. Probably.
Looking at the volume of releases from all the current brands (at least from my perspective), they seem to be losing the essence of being well-developed products. It’s just one special edition after another—across multiple models—all dropping at once.
What was supposed to be a “limited edition” is turning into just another standard release.
I’ve always preferred old stuff; always more interesting to own.
With all this, I’ve come to admire Onedrop more and more; they have always maintained such consistency with their standard releases and their collabs.
Stemmed from childhood…Saw another Duncan Imperial or Butterfly color, wanted it. Same with Yomega. Saw a more “obscure” yoyo (like Playmaxx or Spintastics), I had to try it to see what it had to offer.
Fast forward to today - back to colors, but shapes, sizes, play styles, and nostalgia (getting the yoyos I dreamt of as a kid but lacked funds). While I’m not the collector that needs to complete a collection, it’s fun trying out different manufacturers, weights, shapes, styles, etc.
I actually kind of get it when it comes to those who collect guitars…different styles, tones, pickups, colors…
The day I started messing with yo-yoes completely changed the focus of my energy.
It has been the very best thing for me
Throwing yo-yos helps me keep my promise to myself to never kill again.
For years, I was a serial killer.
Every Friday without missing a beat, I would go down the street and do my worst
The week before, I discovered JoJo’s. I was up and early and down at Ralph’s grocery store.
And I did what serial killers do. I killed four boxes of Cornflakes, three boxes of Captain Crunch and 12 boxes of Lucky Charms. I really don’t like marshmallows
That’s 19 boxes of Cereal in less than 15 minutes. And then I walk to the dairy section and chill out, drinking a quart of low-fat organic milk.
Now that I’ve been at this hobby for 28 years, I have no doubt the world is a safer place.
I have an addiction to mini throws. I’m always on the hunt for a throw that is the most pocket friendly and plays the best. So anytime a mini is released, I just have to try it.
