Yep. Just after I refurbished my Duncan Jeweled Tournament that is 25+ years old, I banged the floor on an early throw. 
Murphy’s Law
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For some reason the more expensive a yo-yo is the higher chance it has to hit the ground. A cheap plastic will stay pristine and a brand new titanium will fall out of the box
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I solved that problem real quick. I normally yo-yo while standing on my head. That way I only hit the ceiling. No more hitting the floor for me.
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It’s funny you mention the ceiling…my last several dings weren’t from the floor, but letting my eli hops go too high and bashing the ceiling 
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Sometimes if I throw to hard and I miss a trapeze the yoyo will swing and hit the ceiling. This is basically how I have gotten 90% of my dings.
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Lolol
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Yo-yos will ding no matter what, I think it’s part of the original curse on Adam and Eve or something.
By my third yo-yo I developed the habit of running the first couple strings a bit on the short side to get used to it. But the Curse intervened. My Expedition received a scratch from my watch and then two nicks from my belt buckle. So when I got my new Speedaholic I never threw with a watch on and actually wore my belt with the buckle rotated to the side.
This worked for a few weeks, but the Curse would not be stopped. The Speedaholic spontaneously separated halves on a throw while I was walking across a brand-new concrete floor. The axle half took off merrily across the floor and I finally caught up with it some dozens of feet later. Still plays dead smooth but the finish isn’t minty-fresh anymore.
Dings will happen. Mere human preparedness is no match for fate.
Ivan
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I only practice horizontal when my girl has All her most expensive glassware on the kitchen countertop.
I feel like it helps me concentrate.
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All these guys talking about watches. Im a G-Shock guy, so most of my watches have soft resin protection, but then I got some metal squares. Great watches, but I put a nice gouge in my Batsquatch with one, so I now only yoyo with the G’s with resin coating. I also remove my Frogman too because the bulk makes wrist-mount tricks a problem.
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I used to have same problem years ago… Now, when i get myself a new yoyo, i`m always rolling a string from yoyo carefully and checking its lenght and quality. Sometimes string is a bit long or feels like crap, so i have an opportunity to cut it a little, or swap it before first throw.
Be a little patient, check some things before play, you paid for your yoyo, you have it in your hand, it is not going anywhere 
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I got a new Sturm panzer the other day. Was showing my sister’s family how to throw. The string on it was two inches longer that I would normally use, but stupidly I didn’t check. Smoked it off their interlocking patio. 
Within a hour of getting it.
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Me tooooo. I think I have 2 that haven’t kissed the ground. … yet!
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Why this happens, I’ve got zero answers. But this is the reason I started buying used yo-yos. I don’t have to feel the guilt of destroying a new throw
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I’ve started throwing my minty throws outside in the yard, over the grass.
Or inside, over a rug…although the ceiling can still be a rather harsh mistress :3
The more I play though, the less I am concerned about whether or not I’ll send one into the floor to see how aluminum, steel, or titanium can affect asphalt, tile, or concrete.
All that said, sometimes I buy a double (normally a b-grade variant or used and previously damaged) to utilize as a daily carry that can be beaten and bashed unabashedly!
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The ceiling fan in my office has probably taken more damage than my throws at this point.
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I know what you mean. Dinged my new YYF Sugar about a week ago, luckily, it’s still very smooth. I’ve just learned to accept that it’s gonna happen once in a while. Impermanence is a strange thing.
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