I actually go with the research approach. When a new yo-yo comes out, I will try to learn more about it through reviews and videos. If the info given is on par with what I would think would be a good yo-yo for me, then I go ahead and buy it. My criteria does not generally revolve around anything, with that said I think every yo-yo company out there is awesome and they all have something different to offer, so I will tend to look into yo-yo’s from many brands.
An example of this approach would be the Magic Yoyo Skyva. When it came out I became interested due to the finger spin hub being considered on of the best for fingerspin tricks. After watching reviews by Mike Montgomery and Brando Vu, I decided to buy it due to the positive reviews I saw as well as the low price. I also had not had a yo-yo by Magic Yoyo so I was happy to buy it.