Anyone Still Collecting Kuhn?

There’s always been a few I’d like to pick up, but they’re nearly nonexistent. I was happy to find a Celtic Ring and Celtic Star, and I hope to pick up a Quatle.

I think most of the die-hard TK collectors have most of what they want, and that’s why there’s not much discussion, along with the fact that nothing great has been released from BC lately.

To me the question is not whether people are still collecting them - it is why they are collecting them?

Apart from the historical significance of Tom Kuhn, what purpose does acquiring Tom Kuhn yo-yo’s serve? Are they being played? Looked at? … Why?

I think yo-yo’s are not as collectible when they are not up to the standards of modern yo-yo’s. The “Collectible” yo-yo’s are yo-yo’s that are rare AND worth playing by today’s standards. By that measure, Kuhn is not that collectible.

Different strokes for different folks man, I love my TKs.
Not sure what standards have ever been set for yoyos, but as far
as wood yoyos go, TKs are very well made and have a lovely finish, and they play great.
I wouldn’t say I am actively collecting TKs, but I keep an eye open for
stuff I don’t have (but maybe wouldn’t pay full price for).

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HO scale slot cars from the 70’s aren’t nearly as playable as their newer counterparts yet they are very collectible.

The batman story from detective comics #27 isn’t (I’d imagine by most readers standards) as good graphically or from a plot standpoint as the Dark Night graphic novel. Yet one sold for a million dollars. (That’s a lot by Dr. Evil’s standards!! :))

Toys (and other things) are collected for more than their present day usefulness.

Lots of the earlier Tom Kuhn yoyos are scarce and aesthetically pleasing. I have a couple I play with and the rest are for display.

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I have a very modest TK collection (maybe a couple dozen), but it’s the most extensive brand in my entire collection (200+ yo-yos). Not because the yo-yos are stellar players, but because of what they represent in, at the risk of sounding presumptuous, yo-yo history. Kuhn practically dredged up yo-yoing from its spectacular flameout in the 1960s and lethargy in the 1970s, and started pushing the envelope on technology that is taken for granted in modern player yo-yos: take-apart design, ball bearings, response systems, aluminum construction. It’s kinda fun having some of these early benchmarks represented in the yo-yos of Tom Kuhn.

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And don’t forget oldyoyoguy, Tom was the first to do a fancy splash Ano colorway on a yoyo. So we all have him to thank for the splash colorways that everyone loves so much now.

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Good point!

Wow, I had no idea. Thanks for those many color-ways Tom. :wink:

Was the SB-2 the first to get the splash anodized color treatment?

Wow, thanks buddy ol’ pal. Without those colorways, I’d have that extra $20 for nothing.

Tom Kuhn is the reason we have yoyos with bearings.

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Posted this in the TK Appreciation thread too (along with my “wanted” list), but… yes, I’m still collecting TK. Although mainly just No Jives. It’s definitely gotten slower/tougher lately.

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WOW!!! Nice.

We’re gonna need more, closer, and larger pics here @edhaponik :wink:

Also is this really true? Can anyone substantiate this claim, with a pic?

Yes “tortoise” SB-2 was the first anodized aluminum yoyo (and so the first fancy/splash ano). I sold mine years ago but the first ones (which predate the rereleases with “bc” serial numbers) were among the first SB-2 variations after the raw aluminum ones.

Lol I’ve taken tons of No Jive collection pics in the past. I’ll take a current one.

Edit: this one is pretty much current actually.

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Is that an Aspen Mandala next to the 84’ Olympics?!

Wasn’t Perkins in about the same time frame for splash anodizing??:thinking:image image image

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I don’t know Perkins well enough but the Tortoise Sb2 was 1992-3 and by 1995 they were doing a range of colors. I can’t imagine Perkins was that early? I was pretty sure Tortoise was the first.

@mrciurleo no it’s even cooler! That is a clean machine which was hand carved by Gus Somera and the personal No Jive of Stu Crump!

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Man I’d love to have a laminate.

image

Also Tom Kuhn sure loved the crap out of laser etching, geez :wink:

Also @edhaponik sorry to be a stickler about this, but it’d be nice to have a full-resolution uploaded version of this image versus the resized one instagram serves :wink:

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