What is the Holy Grail yoyo?

General Yo-Yo
1

Just like the title asks, what is the Holy Grail of yoyos? I’ve collected cards since I was around 5-6 years old (1986) but started out only collecting baseball. The holy grails for baseball and basketball are pretty much the Mickey Mantle graded rookie and Michael Jordan graded rookie which I never obtained as a child to even have graded later if had gotten one. I finally bought a Jordan a couple years ago BGS 9 with sub grades of 9.5,9.5,9,9 for top dollar just to get the best “mint” holy grail as possible. I truly think it could be regraded and recieve a 9.5 gem mint over all grade.

The feeling of opening the package when it arrived was so gratifying. I finally possessed my most saught after card that I’d been chasing since I was a mere child. I had bought several others just to have in my collection throughout the years but none of them were near BGS mint graded quality so I traded them around but always made sure to keep one in the collection.

I still don’t have a Mantle but hope to before my days are done.

So what is that yoyo in our hobby? It doesn’t have to be the best playing throw, the prettiest, or the most expensive (although that normally comes with something like this).

I see all the threads about most wants etc… But most people’s top throws are ones that are available either in production or commonly on the BST. So I’m hoping I’m not wrong by thinking the Holy Grail yoyo would be one not so readily available.

2

The first ever CLYW Peak. Or any Peak for that matter.

3

I do see a lot of people talking about Peaks.

4

It depends on a lot really.

IMO I would love to have a Flores for the effect you are looking for

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5

The early rare GenYos are mine, but he one that rest tickles my fancy the most is a mint Purple Heart (I have one but its not mint so it just sits and is a show piece can’t really play it.) or the starts and stripes edition of the (I can it seem to find the model of the GenYo that was anodized with Stars and Stripes. It’s not the Hatrick though).

6

Probably a flores, or a nostalgia, or a tondo.
I’d really love to have a tondo… but it wouldn’t fit in my cases circular holes.

7

i can tell you from personal experience that the Tondo fits in circular case slots just fine :slight_smile:

8

The “Holy Grail” is generally unobtainable from my perspective. Not completely but nearly impossible.

Four Dertis made. One in the owner’s possession. One sold on ebay 5 or 6 years ago. One to the owner’s friend (I’m pretty sure that’s correct). And one that I regrettably sold to a collector with a vast collection that’s like a lobster trap. Yo-yos can go in but they never come out. :slight_smile:

The only consoling factor in the whole thing is that the guy I sold it to has an amazing collection and I know he appreciates owning it.

9

Flores
The Yo-Yo signed by Richard Nixon
OG YYJ Titan
Gold Fusion
Killer Bee
Gouda
Black Pyro/SOAS Pyro
1904 World’s Fair Iron Bandalore (arguably the most grail-worthy)

Just a few that come to mind.

There are many other rare yo-yos which are virtually priceless, one-offs or preproduction prototypes. Most of these are only valuable to certain collectors.

There are many modern metal yo-yos that have inflated to absurd and unreasonable prices because of hype. In the long run, I doubt these will maintain their value.

10

For historic purposes and to not perpetuate the wrong initials I think it’s SOTS. I believe it’s “the” not “a”.

Though I’ve often seen it referred to SOAS.

11

Yo! How’ve you been doing?

12

Probably an original Flores… Or a Duncan from Luck, WI. If you’re talking more modern, something like the Nostalgia, Blue airbrush peak, Levi painted peak… Etc.

13

Psst…

CLYW Snipe

Bye!

14

All the new stuff… pfft, boring, easily obtained with the right bank account.

Let’s talk ‘extremely hard to find’ first.

Goody Spin-a-Bell - there are several of these about, but they pop up -very- rarely…

TK Turbo-Yo - there are only 39 I believe, all owned in large collections or by people who have no intention of selling them. They were the prototype for the very first workable ball-bearing yoyo.

Bandalore Yoyo - In the early 40s, after Flores sold his company to Duncan he produced yoyos under the name Bandalore (yo-yo was a trademark sold to duncan with the company).

Now for the ‘only one of them known’ category…

1904 Worlds Fair - As far as I know Tom Van Dan Elzen owns the only known example… though he did produce a short run of replicas several years ago.

Flores Advertising YoYo - I know of only one of these, owned by Greg Cohen and donated to the National Yo-Yo museum… quite possibly the earliest advertising yo-yo. There are bound to be others out there somewhere.

Now for the ‘so rare it’s almost a myth’ category.

Lego Yo-Yo - In the early boom days for yo-yos in the US, Lego was a wooden toy company (yes, the same LEGO that we know now). They wanted to cash in on the market, so they produced a run of wooden yo-yos. The problem was, by the time they were released, the economy had died, the yo-yo had faded out and there was no market left. Their rather clever solution, was to cut the yo-yos in half and use them as wheels for toy trucks, horse carts, etc. The only example I’ve ever seen, I found in a picture from the actual LEGO museum… and even that took quite a lot of digging. They -have- to be out there somewhere, but the odds are that people probably just don’t know what they are. Even the wooden toys from that era are very hard to find.

There are quite a few others, but that should get you started :slight_smile:

Kyle

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15

I gotta detour.

I like to do a lot of things. Many of the things I choose engage it, be it work, hobbies or other, often has a holy grail type item.

I’m into 12" action figures. Had some extra cash lately, spent some on getting some new stuff. I have no clue what the “holy grail” item is. There has to be one. I just have no idea what these items are. Why do I collect them? I think they are cool. I just focus on getting the ones I want or like. Things like “rare” means little to me, especially if I don’t like it. I suppose it doesn’t help that I’ve tapped into being able to “feed this habit”.

I also collect coins, but that’s more of a hobby of opportunity. I’m not a serious collector. I have been picking up some cheap challenge coins on Ebay here and there. I’m designing my own, so I need a few for inspiration and ideas. I think I have a casino token and a dollar chip from a casino. At this point, I don’t really need much more to “complete my collection”. I think I’ve gotten nearly what I need.

Back to yoyo. Maybe I have a Holy Grail item. What would it be? One of the Peaks I have? Would it be the Anglam? Would it be the TI5? what else do I have that may be kind of rare? I don’t know.

The way I see it, it’s not really important what the item is to me. When it comes to yoyo, if it’s not a playable item, then it’s not just shelf decoration, it’s completely useless. I don’t really need more shelf decorations. I got enough of that with the 12"-scale stuff. I could also do well with less useless stuff.

I’m not gonna go down and seek out an item because it’s rare.

Until I find something better, I’m really enjoying the TI-5 a lot. I’ve been playing it near constantly the past few days when I get a chance. I still like the Anglam better. So, I guess for me, I’ve got my holy grail items. But, if the mood hits me, I’m on a CLYW, OD, or who knows(or cares) what else.

Whatever you’re after, may you find it. I guess I’m not a hard-core enough yoyo’er. Either way, as long as you’re happy doing what you’re doing, then keep doing it.

I will say though, I would love to get a white Duncan Imperial with gold markings, circa 1977. I think it was wood with a metal axle. That is what my first yoyo was, and I really wish it didn’t get taken away from me when the string broke. Either way, that would probably have to be my holy grail item. It has significance to me, importance and nostalgia. It is what I started with, and failed on, yet the interest never left me. That item is what is why I am here now, or at least the part where I ended up playing yoyo again, despite a complete and total failure a long time ago. I know without having that hands on experience, I’d never have gotten back to this activity.

16

For me it would be any of the yo-yos used in experiments on the shuttle or in the ISS. I am a huge space nut and would love to own that little piece of history.

17

og 1st run peak (clyw)
catch 22 (yoyofactory)
lego yoyo (lego)

Also technically they are all rare if you dont know where to look

18

Here’s MY List:

OG Torrent
OG Peak

19

I’d love to find a yoyo that was pulled out of an ancient Sumerian mound. Finding something like that would rock the world of yoyo history!

1 Like
20

the gladiator, by dif-e-yo yos.

out of production…

mgodinez

dawn…