Hi I’m just wondering where I can buy b-grades and how much they would cost? Thanks for the help!
Depends on the brand: some take them to contests and some sell them directly through their websites. One drop sells their “not quite perfect” yoyos on here sometimes as well!
Same I was thinking the same thing yesterday
ive got a bunch of NQP one drops and FG sas if youre interested PM me
Lots of times, companies will bring their B-grades to their booths at yoyo competitions. other times they will sell them direct from their website, if they sell direct.
Try shooting for A grades.
I don’t like the B grade concept. Sure, it’s cheaper but you get a flawed product.
I see on the BST things like ‘I really want a FG Bonfire’, but shouldn’t they really be wanting an A grade? There’s something wrong here.
Imagine if Mazda or Toyota sold B grade cars. They still work fine, but they’re scratched up, make a horrible sound or the steering wheel is a bit warped.
Imagine buying a B grade Big Mac? It will still fill you up but the bun is a little dirty and the patty is a bit old, but not old enough to cause harm.
What about a B grade T Shirt? It looks almost perfect except a small hole near the collar.
What about a B grade house? etc.
Sure, we’re only talking yoyos here, but when you extend the B grade concept into other everyday products, it doesn’t seem like such a great idea.
Save up a little more until you can get an A grade; a proper representation of the company’s product.
You may have to wait a little longer, but it will be worth it.
I see where you’re coming from, but I cant say I agree with you. I have owned and loved SO many B-grade throws, and they still performed at 100%… An anno flaw, minor machining mark, or tiny bit of vibe doesnt really affect your enjoyment of the throw. Im seriously thankful our companies have insane quality standards and are willing to sell imperfect stock at discounts. In the end, people buy b-grades to save money and still receive a fantastic product. Nothing wrong with that.
Companies would love to never have b-grades for sure. But it’s a fact of life in manufacturing a product that has a high level of aesthetic expectation. Can’t speak for other companies, but One Drop never sells b-grades for any other reason than visual flaws. They always perform exactly the same as an A-grade. So if people don’t mind a scratch or some kind of weird anodizing flaw then it’s a great deal. Especially if it’s going to be a beater that hits the ground a bunch any way. It’s good for us because it helps us at least break even when problems happen and it’s good for customers on a budget.
Da5id is speaking the truth here. I’ve played One Drop NQPs and, aside from the “NQP” engraving couldn’t tell the difference between that and a standard release. I’ve purchased B grades from several manufacturers and have yet to feel I’ve gotten a substandard playing yoyo.
The two B grade yoyos that jump out to me were both B grade for vibe. The first is a Spin Dynamics Flow, the second a Sengoku Hideyoshi. Maybe I’m just not sensitive enough, but, I can’t feel the vibe.
All this said, as long as you know what you are getting, don’t be scared of B grade.
I just want a yoyo that I can mess around with mods and such and I don’t have to worry about ruining a 45 dollar yoyo
What kind of mod?
I just want to mess around with polishing, maybe hubstacks, etc
Oh! Okay, what amount magic yoyos?
I’ll probably use MYYs for the hubstacks, but I want to get a shutter for the polishing
The key difference between a yoyo and a car is that B-grade on a yoyo typically means aesthetic flaws, like ano not being quite up to par, or a bit of vibe, they typically play just as well on the string as their a grade counter parts.
I’ve had FG and B grade yoyos that I couldn’t tell any difference other than an engraving marking them as B-grade. This is especially true with b grade Gen-yo in my experience. Manufacturers typically won’t sell a yoyo with wobble or severe vibe as B-grade, never that I’ve heard of at least.
Basically if having flawless ano matters to you or dead smoothness then you don’t want b-grades. But those aren’t big deals to me as they don’t affect string play.
B-grades are awesome. Buying one is like buying a used car, you get the same performance, but you don’t need to worry about dings. I have a b-grade shutter, and I used it to get forth place out of 15 people at a contest.
If you think about it, a yoyo becomes a b-grade when you ding it, so why not just buy one that has dings already if, like me, you know that you’ll relieve a yoyo of its mint condition within a month?
If you have a b-grade you want, spring for it. I would definitely buy more yoyos if companies made b-grades available more often.