Ultimate Designer Yo-Yo Is Wheel Expensive

Looking for a gift for the guy (or gal) who has everything? If his/her interests are cars and yo-yos then you've come to the right place - and I hope you brought your wallet with you.

The "Nostalgia" ultimate yo-yo is made to order by famed yo-yo craftsman Shinobu Konmoto, who takes his sweet time in doing so: estimated delivery time per yo-yo is about 6 months and you have to pay half the cost in advance.

Yo-yo aficionados (yes, there are such folks) won't mind the wait because the end result is an exquisite replica of the 2007 World Championship winning spinner.

Uh, I couldn't find an image of Konmoto to include with this post, so how about this cover pic from "Yo-Yo Girl Cop", a Japanese movie from 2006 that features... well, you can probably guess.

Anyway, back to biz... the Nostalgia yo-yo looks like an expensive, multi-piece, alloy auto wheel, spokes and all. Components include polished aluminum and brushed brass construction using hand-made bearings, precisely balanced by the famous "S.Kon" himself. 





How much would someone pay for the ultimate yo-yo? Konmoto thinks a price tag reading 400,000 yen (almost $5,000) is reasonable, and he's listed the "Nostalgia" at Rakuten to make it easy for international buyers to order online.

Not exactly chump change for someone who just wants to "walk the dog" once in a while - you'll be parking this beauty on the shelf, behind glass, protected by a laser alarm, methinks. Oh, and you have to buy your own string separately. (via SPGRA Design Blog)