When it comes to making value judgments, everything becomes relative. Is a Porsche really 4X better than a Toyota Camry? It all depends on criteria and the size of the wallet.
But your question does bring up an interesting point. Given the dearth of high-quality, low priced throws coming from China and Eugene; the question of value is more difficult.
I tend to hit the “Add to Cart” button sometimes without thinking about price too much. That is because I am not a 14 year old who’s buying decisions are much more driven by the value proposition and how much lawn-mowing money I have managed to save up.
So to me, your question is more of a high-quality plastic or plastic/metal; vs a low cost, high-quality metal. Examples might be:
- Rally vs. Shutter
- Triad vs. YYO Hatchet
- Triad vs. OD Benchmark.
If I could only afford one; the value question is much more important. If your budget only allows for one purchase; then I would strongly recommend finding a good, low-cost high-quality metal yo-yo. The performance is just better - if the metal is a great yo-yo like the Hatchet is. If it is not so good, then the Triad will outperform most metals that I have tried in the sub-$100 range. But a Triad will never perform like a Sleipnir; plastic has its limitations after all.
My previous post was really stressing that the Triad is the best plastic/metal hybrid available on the market today. Its performance is just stellar in all respects. Yoyorecreation has realized this and is charging customers accordingly. If you buy Yoyorecreation, you are buying pure performance at its design best. Value; is not a word that typically plays into this type of buying decision (I mean really; $650 for a Dazzler??).
After reading many of your reviews over the years, I would venture to guess that your play-style would like the Triad. It is in your comfort zone for size and weight. I would like to hear your comparison of the Triad and the Rally or the ProtoStar/NorthStar. Is it 2X better?
As for the patents; it seems someone is willing to test the waters… While my thoughts on the Patents in question are well known; I do not support flaunting US laws, on US soil. Only the lawyers will make money in that fight. I can only imagine the snickers that big yo-yo suit will get when it comes up on the docket.