I’ve got a magicyoyo k2 and a V8, I saw a considerable jump in performance with that upgrade (~25s to ~50s sleeper responsive and ~35s sleeper to ~80s unresponsive) but now I’m wondering when I should upgrade from my “first metal yoyo” to something nicer like a shutter or maybe even skip that to go for a polycarbonate-steel hybrid or a low end bi-metal.
The other thread I found however mentioned that it’s possible to learn most if not all the tricks here on a first base, which raises the question about the reasons for which people upgrade.
I’d also like to ask at what point do we start seeing noticeably diminishing returns with better and better yoyos, and the value of spending on yoyos after a point if I don’t plan to compete (at least for the foreseeable future).
tl;dr: when and why to start upgrading further or otherwise buying more yoyos, and how to know when to stop speaking from a yoyoing standpoint.
Once you get past something like a Spotlight Ultra… it’s all preference. Buy whenever you have the funds, are willing to spend, and see something you like.
V8 is sweet. You could just go with a V10 and get another sweet yoyo. Skillwise, unless you are really advanced these will take you really far. Also the YYF Shortcut seems like a good deal at $30 but i dont have personal experience with that one.
Personal opinion but most of anything between the $30-$65 ish range is mostly pure personal preference. They dont like have magic powers over the other yoyos.
So basically i wouldnt base it on price, base it on what you are looking for. Look at the different shapes, the weights, materials, type of bearing, the diameters. So maybe try an organic yoyo, or like you said maybe a hybrid plastic/metal or a bimetal, or something smaller, maybe a responsive slimline, wood, looping yoyos, etc.
Basically im saying i wouldnt go buy a shutter because its more expensive. Its better to look at what the yoyo is made of and what you want to use it for. Why is it different than the others? No point in buying a bunch of similar yoyos, at least to me. If you are making it in my collection you better be different than the rest of the crew lol.
Diminishing returns after like 40$ but also like, buying yo-yos is fun and nice yo-yos are nice. Kinda depends on your situation and goals. No real right or wrong answers to this question. Really is a preference thing. My fav Yoyo is very expensive but I can do all the same tricks with my cheaper yo-yos. Maybe slightly less consistent with the cheap yo-yos but if I used the cheaper yo-yos as much as my fav, I could probably get that number up.
I jumped from a $12 plastic to a $100 One Drop after playing only that $12 plastic for about half a year.
So, 6 months. That’s the answer.
Really though, whenever you feel like you’re ready and willing to spend some big money on this hobby. If you’re in it for the long haul, get what will make you happy every time you throw it. I love my Top Deck and I certainly don’t regret getting it, even if it was a little pricey. Worth every penny and then some.
I try not to look at yoyos as “upgrading” but instead, trying new flavors. Ice cream is nice, but as delicious as ice cream is, I’m not going to only eat ice cream for every meal for the next year. I’m gonna want a hamburger, sushi, tacos, spaghetti, etc… That being said, sometimes people just wanna eat different ice cream flavors for a year, and more power to them. Which also leads people down this rabbit hole of finding more throws similar to ones they like. Some people fall inbetween both.
I think “upgrading” is the mindset of someone new like yourself. Which is totally understandable, but for 95% of the community, our baseline performance needed isn’t close to what competitive players require. If the v8 outplays you, you don’t need to “upgrade” but if you see a throw that sort of “speaks to you” like, you love the way it looks, the color, the specs, the design, the company, then that to me is an “upgrade” because it actively makes you want to pick up the yoyo and throw more.
This also falls into the sort of “niche” aspect of the hobby where in, we’re a niche to begin with, but within our niche, there’s even more niches… For example, if you throw Zontal, you’re not going to want to buy an End Pt 2… Other’s might see an End Pt 2 as a grail, or their favorite throw, while competitive players wouldn’t even consider something like that for their style of throwing. So a lot of it all comes down to you, your progression, and your style of throwing. Some people might see a wider yoyo as an “upgrade” because they need the width to help them hit some sort of zoning trick. Other’s could see wider as a downgrade because they can’t maneuver through their dense string formations.
The V8 probably is all you really need if you only care about learning tricks. I haven’t played a v8 so I can’t say for sure but it likely spins long enough to achieve most competition level combinations without too much issue.
That being said, each yoyo feels a little different and trying new yoyos can inspire you to play in different ways and motivate you to yoyo more. This is not a hard and fast rule, and if you prescribe to this opinion, you will likely gather a vast collection of yoyos and spend a lot of money.
Honestly, a shutter is probably less powerful than your v8 and bimetals only offer a moderate increase in power past that. You could try a cheap bimetal from myy, aceyo, or topyo to see if it’s your thing but it’s all just preference
Upgrading really means a certain trait is lacking, be it spin time, spin power, a certain play-feel, etc. Ask yourself which characteristic you feel is missing. Some folks upgrade when their trick set has changed resulting in new desired traits, others when they feel like they might want to switch up play-feel.
Reasons:
Trying something new is fun, it keep stuff fresh and sometimes you just want a new yoyo. Alternatively maybe your current yoyo no longer fits your play style or no longer reflects the traits you desire in a yoyo. I think food is a great comparison: Sometimes you may want a sandwich, other times pho, etc…
Diminishing returns:
I would like to argue that anything over a decent mono-metal is diminishing returns. That wall truly hits at $100 for a nice premium bi-metal personally.
Are those returns worth it?
If you’re a long time player, most likely, as your depth in understanding of the trait differences and nuances between designs is much more in tune.
For folks just getting out of their starter yo-yo’s, just buy what you think you would love to own. Look at the shape and check if its still relevant in today’s offerings. Don’t stress too much about the specifics as you will likely not have the understanding of how to judge a yoyo based on specs and design type.
Here is an advice i have not read till now: Decide how many yoyos you are going to buy within a year. For instance i buy one as xmas present for myself, one one my birthday and one out of the blue. What does that mean exactly? If a yoyo pops up that i cannot resist or that i am afraid it will sell out immediately i go for it. ( Even if it is released two weeks after x mas or birthday). Now this is not a golden rule but it is a general guideline. For instance, if i decide i want to try a hybrid yoyo and something comes up, i pull the trigger. Another case would be pulling the trigger if i want to buy something just to feel good. (Impulsive buying, rough period at work, etc.).
Those are just some thoughts. Onto your case now. I advise you to go for a monometal yoyo between 30-50 dollars. You talk about the shutter but i ha e no experience with it. I can vouch for the yoyofriends shortcut, koi and graviton:y. After that, i suggest to try either a more expensive mono or a bimetal. But instead of going all in (budget wise), take small incremental steps. You can find bimetals even at 40 dollars. Some cheap bimetals that come to mind : yoyofriends nucleon, c3 galaxv diver v1 and v2, gway ixion, yoyofactory switchblade, magicyoyo z01,z02.
