“To join the very affordable Intro, we wanted to offer a Side Effect yo-yo that is also sensitive to the economics of the times. We present: The Silhouette. The play is airy, stable and fast and has a definitive feel in the hand unlike anything we’ve done before. If you hold it with your eyes closed you’ll know what it is. Here we embrace concave arcs in the catch zone and sport the traditional Side Effect hub in the cup – offering adjustability, durability and the ability to customize at a bargain.
Those of you who were around in the mid 2000’s may notice that we were inspired by a yo-yo made by our friends at I Love Yo-Yo: The Noctu. It was released in 2009 and it was completely unique. It’s shape is cool and extreme and can hurt when catching it if you get sloppy. We have one in our collection, we consider it a true gem and a treasure from a different era.”
“A long long time ago (December 2008), in a yo-yo community not so far away, we released our 3rd yo-yo and it was called the M1. M1 meant “metal for everyone”. At that time, high-end yo-yos were rare, runs were small, prices were high and almost none of it was made in China.
As the new kids on the block, we looked at this situation of scarcity, and decided we would make a high-end yo-yo that was affordable and available. Solid colors retailed for $60, many people were able to obtain their first metal yo-yo, and One Drop Yo-Yos had landed. There was some controversy because we had shaken up the market, but from that point forward, “budget metal” became a standard offering in the industry and eventually this lead to other brands moving their production overseas in pursuit of lower and lower prices and higher and higher availability.
Now, 12 years later, we are the only company of volume producing in North America. Furthermore, we have always produced our yo-yos in our factory. This is our jam, we have stuck to our convictions, and we are a unique offering. Thank you to everyone who supports us – it’s because of you that we are still here. It’s not easy competing against China.
We know we will never be able to get our price as low as our outsourcing competitors, but we are always striving to get close while maintaining the high quality that we are well known for. In the spirit of the M1, the Intro is our next “Metal for Everyone” but I think the phrase needs updating: “Made in Eugene, Oregon, USA Metal for Everyone” is more accurate. Starting at $44 for solid colors, we want to have the most affordable model possible to INTROduce people to our brand and quality. Obviously, our current supporters might love it as well (especially those who first discovered us through the M1). It’s great value for everyone with a little bit of nostalgia thrown in.
Taking inspiration from the M1, the diameter nudges toward the pocket friendly side of things at 54mm. Of course that is 4mm bigger than the M1, but still on the smaller side of things by today’s standards. The curves are simple and clean and the flat hub has two circles of ornamentation paying homage to the round nut axle system that most M1s had. It’s a solid performer, pocket and wallet friendly, and made in the USA.”
“The story of this design is exactly what you might think. David wanted fat rims. Really really really fat rims. Also a slightly concave catch zone and Side Effects. The Machinist isn’t a huge fan of concave catch zones, but agreed on the general feature set. He then knocked the design out of the park.
It’s bold and beautiful. Feels great in the hand and very unique on the string. Side Effects and lots of love included.”
“Classic is a very simple return top reminiscent of the toys from a few decades ago.
It sleeps. It comes back with a tug. You can loop with it, if you’re good enough. You can land it on a trapeze, if you’re good enough.
Its aesthetic is inspired by vintage Russell yoyos. With a modern axle system, the two side caps can be detached and swapped for different colours and designs!
Classic shares its bearing and response system with its older brother Kasm, so it is compatible with everything in the Kasm parts kit (not included).
Special shoutout to the YoYo Boomers Club for suggesting the “Jazz” colourway (white/purple/teal) for those who miss the 90’s 😂”
