Do you think that’s because of higher manufacturing costs or because YYF figures they can set a higher price tag for a yo-yo made in the U.S.? I’m guessing it’s both. People are usually willing to pay more for things made in the U.S. vs. China or third world countries. The U.S. Supernova costs us $40 more than the Chinese one, but then again the U.S. one was made with 7075 aluminum. Also, a jump in price to the consumer usually reflects a much smaller jump in production costs for the manufacturer. I would bet money that the $30 price difference in the G5 reflects about a $5 difference in manufacturing costs.
Anyway we’ve gone way off topic here. I’m just trying to say Chinese yo-yos can be just as good as American ones, even better, and that their prices are set more by market than actual production costs. The Ares Star when released was the best competition yo-yo made in China, and Auldey’s secondary market, after China, is likely Japan (not the U.S.), where competition yo-yos typically cost much more.
Bottom line…I have a lot of Japanese yo-yos, two Chinese yo-yos, and a few American and Canadian yo-yos. The Ares Star is really, really good. IMO better than my American and Canadian yo-yos and some of the Japanese ones.