hello Jeremy
I've had to answer this question about yoyos and tops too
to me ,it's the moment "in suspension" when the yoyo sleeps or the top spins
it's fugitive, won't last long ,defies the laws of physics....during this "extra" time
everything is changed(......)
in addition
yoyos and tops are great tools for communication:it's present somewhere in everybody's head, like kites , it touches the young and the old,it embodies culture,poetry,the fun of playing (...)
to develop this question it would require an interview:
that would be another project: talking about tops for 2 minutes and posting the vid on the tube
jim