30 seconds of video content that took 30+ minutes of recording to get right 
Edit: To elaborate on my point… it takes only a few seconds (minutes, if you’re trying to get the best angle/lighting/etc) to take and post a picture. It also takes less time to view a picture over a video and, like others have stated, I usually go somewhere like Instagram or YouTube to watch videos.
Plus, yoyos are works of art and we like looking at them.
I like this thread. I think @Theycallmecotton brings up some good points. Other good points are brought up as well.
I think there are a couple explanations for the mail thread being more popular.
1.) Simply that pictures are easier to scroll through
2.) This one’s a larger/more complex factor. The forum demographic today is much more focused on collecting and buying than it is on actually throwing. The average user age is older, and the average budget is larger. The average time to yo-yo is less.
Something that I’ve been trying to figure out is when the shift mentioned in 2.) happened, because it didn’t used to be that way. There used to be more of a mix of players and collectors on the forums. And most of the users who are collectors have accounts made in the last two or three years. It’s been a fairly recent trend. Pretty much all the players have migrated to Instagram now.
But the current demographics are very apparent when it comes to tricks. Not only do fewer users post tricks, but I’ve actually cut down on the tricks I post here, because in recent years, tricks that I’m excited to share have been dismissed as “showing off” by multiple members of the forums.
Not to mention any discussions of “which do you prefer, BST hunting of actually yoyoing?” Or @Theycallmecotton ‘s thread about whether a yo-yo reviewer needs to have any sort of skill qualifications, or (lord knows) my dumpster fire of a thread called “consistency is key”. On any thread where it is possible for less skill/more collecting to be placed over skill acquisition, it is. Consistently.
Not trying to attack @evildipper at all, but his response here is very indicative of what I’m talking about, as far as the skill based trick aspects of yoyoing being out of favor in the current forum demographics.
Again, not trying to attack anyone, but I notice that @evildipper has his favorite yoyos listed as two RSOs. No judgement, RSO is an AWESOME company, and he has excellent taste. I one day hope to be able to try a Tiramisu. But this attitude towards yo-yo tricks is very much in line with the yo-yos of choice, and the above mentioned demographic trends in the forums.
While I happen to disagree with Mr. EvilDipper on this particular subject, I’m not making this post to say he’s wrong, or criticize him, and I’m sure he’s a really great dude. I just thought it was an example of the current trends in forum users, which in turn, explains why the trick section gets little attention and someone posting their latest purchase does.
Bro went deep here.
Respect the passion.
Most of the posts seem like they are reposts off of instagram. If I wanted to see tricks on instagram this seems like an unnecessary middle step.
In the mailday thread if I dont think the post is any good I can just scroll past but in the trick thread I would have to play the video watch part of it and realise it does not interest me.
The forum just doesnt seem that great a place to share tricks when we have instagram.
@evildipper and @suspense cover it pretty well in each of their first posts here. If I’m sitting at my computer, I’m usually at work and just skiving/procrastinating or on a short break so the forum is good for a quick peek, read and a way to feel like I’m keeping up with the world of yo-yo.
Videos are something to browse when I have more time at home. More importantly, for beginners like me, at some point so many tricks look just unobtainably complex that I’ll sometimes just scroll past. And even for people who can do speed or tech on the level of more experienced players, their taste probably steers them to only really watch certain players. The trick videos that I seek out are the ones that show me something I want to learn or they’re players I like watching. I can’t watch every trick video, even on instagram. There’s just too much.
@Modern_yoyos said it so well in the Kill Your Yoyo podcast, that to a non-yoyoer (or imho even someone who’s not at a reasonably high skill level), two tech combos next two each other are like looking at two different plates of spaghetti. Both look good, but you can’t really tell them apart by the tangle.
The trick thread doesn’t get bumped as much as the photo thread . The photos are easier to take and post , and are easier to scroll through and like. Even a video that is 20 seconds long can be 15 photos that you can scroll through and like.
There is also I think more discussion that comes up with the photos , especially if someone has a unique / rare yoyo , or have a photo that is really pretty . Tricks have some discussion but not nearly as much .
Great points made already, I wanted to share my perspective as someone grappling with whether or not to share trick videos, leaning towards yes.
I recently came to the conclusion that if/when I start posting tricks I’ll probably have to upload them to insta and link them here for max reach. Originally I only wanted to post them here because I’m not keen on having a social media presence but here feels separate enough. I have however, noticed lower engagement on trick posts. It does make it apparent that if we want to grow that side of things here it must be fostered and there are efforts towards that; contests, and the trick remix thread are good incentives. I try to like tricks when I see them in the trick a week, landed it and general trick threads.
That being said, in my foray into Instagram it does seem like there’s already a bigger trick posting community there, it seems like a better medium for sharing videos and its user base is of course primed for them whereas on fourms the mode is usually pictures and text plus forums maybe attracting the kinds of people who take issue with posting pics/videos of themselves (nothing wrong with that lots of legit reasons to take issue with it).
I wholeheartedly agree.
This video’s only 3 seconds long. Enjoy! Or don’t.
It’s representative of how I yoyo most of the time.
Forums are better for text, anyhow.
I’m sure this has probably already been said but its far easier and quicker to upload videos to instagram then it is to the forum.
Most younger/newer players exclusively use instagram/reddit to connect with the yoyo community too.
Therefore there has been less and less trick videos to the forum over the years.
I don’t see a problem with this, if I want to watch tricks I always go to instagram. Where it’s far easier to watch and interact with them.
Perfect execution
I agree too. This forum seems like a wonderful resource for buying, selling and trading. For growing a collection and explaining the history of said yoyos and expressing ones passion through their collection, this place is awesome and documents some serious yoyo history on the production and branding side of things.
As for tricks, this isn’t the place, as odd as that is. The 0A thread does a good job though. To OP point, the demographic here is less about trucks and more about ownership of multiple yoyos.
Nothing wrong with that, it just is what it is. You’d think a wicked cool trick would get 30 likes, but it won’t. But a pretty yoyo will.
Looking at photos of delicious looking food is preferable to watching videos of people eating food.
I apply the same philosphy to yoyos. 
Wait, this isn’t the Ford f150 fan group? I’ve been in the wrong place for years!
just kidding
People with the photos of their new yo-yos are too busy throwing it. Just my guess. Tricks threads aren’t usually at the top of the forums, so they get less attention. Probably because it takes some effort to set of and record yourself rather than take 10 seconds to post a picture. Hence, the mail day thread gets more traffic, and it will be at the top of the forums always.
For me yoyos are tools. They are tools to have fun with and to get creative. I’m more interested to see what other people do with yoyos. I don’t care so much about the yoyo itself. But this forum seems to have an opposite view on this (which is not wrong of course).
hahaha
Haha, what? That’s an odd application of that philosophy my friend!
Like it or not, there is a large skill based component to yoyoing. Eating food? Not so much. Unless it’s hot chilly pepper eating contests.
To me looking at skateboarding tricks is preferable to looking at skateboards. We all enjoy different things though <3
Competitive eating is a huge “sport”. To me, this is the food equivalent of yoyo trick videos.
I get the whole parallel with skateboarding but they’re not really collectible. A yo-yo is many things to us all. For some its a piece of art that gets coveted, hence the pictures This kind of thing doesn’t happen with a skateboard.
