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[All Buns Glazing]

Hi,
I live in Western Australia, which makes it difficult to find items such as trompos. I'd love to buy one, but I'm unable to find them online for a reasonable price.

Most hobbies that I'm into have some sort of baseline quality vs. price entrypoint. Is there somewhere online that I'm missing that sells a range of these tops? Better yet, does anyone know of a place in Australia to purchase them?

Thanks in advance,
Sam

[Jack]

welcome home sir! @-@. http://shop.yoyoexpert.com/category/19/Spin-Top has the best sellection and the best prices ur gonna find

[All Buns Glazing]

Thanks 
That's the list of brands and models that I was after to check online reviews, etc.

[Jack]

Thanks 
That's the list of brands and models that I was after to check online reviews, etc.

how long have you been playing? if uve been doing this for a awhile if i may be so bold to suggest a top i would suggest the spintastics "quicksilver hybrid" with the spintastics "C" tip (the tip is found here: http://www.spintastics.com/shop/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=18&cat=Spin+Top and you can purchse the top and tip directly from spintastics but ud have to contact mr oliver about shipping to australia) or if uve got the money to burn then the gulia http://shop.yoyoexpert.com/product/253/Giulia-Spin-Top or stb2.0 http://shop.yoyoexpert.com/product/734/STB-2.0-Spin-Top. if your just starting id have to recommend the duncan "bearing king" or "ripcord" for durabiltys sake, theres my 2 cents worth others might dissagree lol 

[All Buns Glazing]

Thanks everyone.
I've not thrown one of these style of tops before, so this is my first string top purchase.
Thanks for the advice - gotta go to work right now, but I'll check back later.
Sam

[the Earl of Whirl]

Welcome, Sam!  Great to have you around these parts.  I don't recall many people from Australia ever being on this forum.

Didn't Spintastics do a big "blitz" of Australia a couple years ago?  They gave yoyo and spintop demonstrations all around the continent in a short time.  I wonder how that turned out?  I wonder if our new friend Sam ever encountered any Spintastics people?

[All Buns Glazing]

I didn't, no. Well, not that I can remember.

I just purchased a Duncan Bearing King for a start. Unless I've missed my mark, it'll be the first of many.

[studio42]

I'm just a beginner myself, but I've already gotten quite a few tops.

Considering shipping from the USA to Australia, it makes a bit more sense to go with something a bit more "high end". Of course, I do advocate starting with the Bearing King, but the bearings need cleaning, the crown needs taping and the string is too short, it's not an ideal starter. If the work doesn't bother you, then it's not so bad.

Honestly, the recommendation for the Strummol8 Gulia may sound like insanity, but it's probably one of the most ideal tops, period. Right size, right weight. While smaller and less expensive, the STB 2.0 is also really good, and I find myself really liking this top. The Sophina is just too expensive for a starter, despite me starting with that as my first expensive top purchase despite not knowing how to spin tops yet. I ordered the Sophia in early October because I decided "it's time to get into tops". I did most of my learning on the Gulia. I think my modest success is due to this spin top.

The prices are kinda up there.

I find the Spintastics Trompo Grande or Trompo bearing to be a bit too big to start with, but the price is really super affordable and I find them to be a good top. I find the Blizzard and Gladiator to be too small for starting, and they also spin with a lot of energy and so they can be a bit much to control immediately on a boomerang.

I feel the Chico Delrin spin top is just too expensive for a beginner, but if you want an easy to throw top that is easy to control, then it might be a good way to go. For roughly the same money(OK, about $5 more) is the Strummol8 Sophia. The Chico Spin Top 2.0 took me a bit to get used to due t the tip, but it shouldn't stop you.

If I was starting out, and knowing what I know now and the person has decide to make it work and is willing to spend decent dollars to get decent equipment, I'd say the Strummol8 Guilia or the STB 2.0. If you're serious, you can justify the expense. These are just amazing tops, not just for learning, but for whatever you want to do.

I am also only speaking of models I am familiar with(that I own).

[Jack]

and the string is too short

oy vei here we go again lul  i feel we need a dedicated sticky thread on that debate 

[All Buns Glazing]

Honestly, the recommendation for the Strummol8 Gulia may sound like insanity, but it's probably one of the most ideal tops, period.

Yes, $142 (AUD, inc postage) is not really the kind of purchase one feels like making on their first top purchase. i can tape the top and I hear it's not the length of your string, but what you do with it, right?

I may throw it for a weekend, or keep throwing until I'm 90. I think I'll be fine with the Duncan for this purchase

My main hobby is slingshots, which I own an enormous amount of handcrafted ones from around the world. If I start spending bulk cash on tops right now, I'll most likely find myself single

[the Earl of Whirl]

Slingshots, eh?!  It was some slingshot making videos that I watched a lot to learn about working HDPE.  You are the first, though, that I have known with a collection of slingshots.  How many do you have?  What do you like to shoot at with your slingshots.

ps......in keeping with this thread, buy some Spintastics trompos.  You can't go wrong for the price.  You can always try other things later.

[All Buns Glazing]

Slingshots, eh?!  It was some slingshot making videos that I watched a lot to learn about working HDPE. 

Classic - I remember some mates at slingshotforum.com experimenting and working with HDPE to make slingshots. There was a bunch of us collecting milk bottles, cutting them up and melting them in the kitchen oven, pressing them into boards and making slingshots out of them, much to the dismay of some of our spouses 

I don't know how many I have - a small collection, relatively. Perhaps 35-40 in total. I've not counted them.
I'm a target shooter, strictly paper targets and cans - I don't hunt/eradicate vermin with them, although many, many do (that's another discussion entirely  )

Thanks for the Spintastic recommendation, I'm sure I'll grab one at some point, I had the Blizard bookmarked earlier.

[Jack]

I hear it's not the length of your string, but what you do with it, right?

yes! finally someone with some sense! lul 

[studio42]

and the string is too short

oy vei here we go again lul  i feel we need a dedicated sticky thread on that debate 

I really felt the string that shipped stock with the Bearing King was far too short. Using the stock string at full length was just a never-ending source of frustration. Shortening it in logical small increments didn't really do much except make the problem worse.

I won't go into other stories of "being set up for failure from the get-go", but this felt like one of them.

It's better to ship with the string being too longer rather than too short. You can always shorten it. Once I gave my friends proper length strings for their Bearing Kings(cut at 72 inches so they could shorten it to where they needed it, anywhere from 60-64 inches), they are all doing fine now with the newer, longer strings. So, I'll just stick with what's working for me, debate or not debate.

[Jack]

So, I'll just stick with what's working for me, debate or not debate.

aha! you have chosen the correct finger! that right there should be the answer every time this question arises "I'll just stick with what's working for me" much respect to you sir @-@

much internets to whoever gets my finger reference