An argument against collecting yoyos.There are several virtues practiced in yoyoing, and not coincidentally they are the same as the virtues for the rest of life. Becoming a great yoyoer takes dedication and hard work, for example, both qualities that garner acclaim in other realms, like school or at work. Another great yoyoer virtue is sharing. It is rare to find a yoyoer who will not let other considerate individuals use their yoyos on a temporary basis. Most yoyoers will also happily teach you any trick they know, even if it means they will no longer be able to brag that they know a trick you don’t. Despite the fact that most yoyoers are quite competitive, this virtue has been a mainstay in every yoyo community I have been a part of.

Collecting yoyos is different. Being a former yoyo collector myself, I have some experience in this realm. Here I offer my thoughts for your consideration.

First, let me be blunt. There is no money to be made collecting yoyos. To be sure, this will not shock many. Nonetheless, in that unused, dusty part of their yoyo loving brain, some yoyoers secretly believe that their unopened Luminator will put their kids through college one day. Sadly, this is simply not the case. Even the most rare and sought after yoyos are not all that rare nor very sought after. By the time most people have extra money to spend completing their yoyo collection with some rare yoyo gem, they have already gotten over their yoyo collecting passion and are now spending their money on different kinds of toys: toys like a lawn mower or that new double-wide tool belt with enough room for not one but two hammers, a hack saw, an entire set of screw drivers – English and Metric – and a 10,000 ft. tape measure.

This is what I mean by collecting: buying a yoyo with the intent never to use it. Some, as I noted, do this in hopes that they will one day be able to sell it for a considerable profit. This will never happen. Others collect because they like to have things just to show off, to make others jealous of their stuff. “Hey, have you seen the new Hot-Pink Super Hyper-Spin Demon Limited Edition Yoyo. No? Well I have one. Hey, don’t touch it… it’s never been thrown.” I’m gonna give it to you straight. Nobody likes that guy.

On the other hand, there are some virtuous reasons one may want to have more yoyos than is strictly necessary (which is 1, if you are wondering… 2 if you are two-handing). In the Peter Fish line of yoyos, for example, there are different types of yoyos to make learning different tricks easier. Every decent yoyo (and yes, there are decent yoyos we do not sell here) performs just a little bit different, and having multiple yoyos will allow you to learn many challenging tricks easier.

A second great reason to collect multiple yoyos has already been mentioned: to share. Having a spare yoyo sitting around is perfect for when you invite over the uninitiated (those with no yoyos), because you can immediately get a yoyo in their hand and begin to teach them tricks. This, of course, will demonstrate that you are a great friend, and in turn will make them a better person… because that’s what yoyos do.

Yoyos are meant to be used. They are not meant to sit on a shelf. Use them, share them, give them away. Make the world a better place.

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