- It has to be new: I don’t like used stuff. Nothing against it but it’s just my personal preference.
- Color and appeal: I somehow dont like curvy yoyos. I like “edge-y” yoyos. I usually look for the colors that I dont have.
Brand matters a bit.
I read reviews on whether it plays well.
If it looks cool.
And I also don’t like to get a yoyo that looks almost exactly the same as a yoyo I already own.
Nice thread.
I’m not trying to collect a whole bunch of yoyos…although my wife might disagree. I guess the first thing I look for is vibe (not “vibration” but coolness). I think that the first yoyo I bought on vibe alone was the quark. It just looked cool. After that, I have taken things I like about certain yoyos and look for another yoyo that has that quality. So I guess I’m just trying to converge on the perfect yoyo. For example; I really like matador play, so I really don’t want a yoyo that won’t do that easily. I really like undersized yoyos (after experimenting with oversized). I like a wide catch zone. I like a distinctive IGR, etc. So I scour the BST for yoyos that fit with what I want. I also read reviews to find out about playability. A bad review inversely influences my decision. I’ve gone against this formula a couple of times and got lucky.
As far as trading off…I’m not there yet. I’m even keeping the klunkers, for now.
i look for specs first, manufacturer second, colorway third. Very strong on the manufacturer though.
If its G-squared-OneDrop-YYF-MFD-C3 or Xcubed, i usually want it or have it. but i do have some other things. PRICE MATTERS TOO. if its ridiculously priced, then no way.
- Is it a No Jive 3-in-1?
- Is it a yoyo that I enjoyed as a kid?
- Is it a yoyo which represents/recalls experiences with close friends (i.e. a signature yoyo, a yoyo that belonged to a buddy, one we had fun with).
I would use “collection” loosely, since, though I’ve accumulated a lot of yoyo’s, I don’t really fuss about keeping them in a state of “like-newness”.
Either:
-Spec suitable with my playstyle and or comfortable.
-“Classicness”
-When I feel like wanting a new different yoyo, I just trade them with some strings (I produce strings), sometimes it’s some random whatever yoyo that I end up liking.