Prototypes

You see that blurry thing up there? Yea, the green return top in the background. That’s one of our new prototypes. (the other isn’t pictured) I’ll have these with me while I’m in Iceland for the World Yo-yo Contest. I’ll let you try one. Although there’s a lengthy paragraph here, I’ll be disclosing just one detail about them. Brace yourselves. What I’m about to say in the next sentence will bother some people. These are made in China by FPM. I’ve wrestled with how/when I would reveal this. I feel it’s best to be upfront in most things, so this should be no different. Taking risks is an important part of business. I’ve always been slightly curious about the work that Jacky and FPM do. I’ve also always been concerned about the stigma carried by Chinese-made return tops. I must say, now that I’ve played with the prototypes for a while, that they are of exceptional quality. What does this mean for ART? In short, I’ll continue to have return tops made in the USA (I enjoy supporting my regional shop in Tennessee), but I am also confident that any product I offer regardless of the country of origin will be high-quality.

Ovation Restock

Second run Ovations are just about finished at the anodize shop. There are some very exciting colorways in this batch. I can’t wait to share them. (but I’ll have to) They will most likely get delivered to my place while I’m away in Iceland. I’ll drop another update on these when I get back.

Sarahah

Each Sunday, I'll be posting replies to submissions to our Sarahah on our IG story. (@amplifiedreturntops) What is sarahah? It’s a site/app that allows users to submit honest comments, questions, and critiques. How do I know they’re honest? Because the comments are submitted anonymously. Anything and everything goes. I’ll respond to each submission. (within reason)