by Crazy Ivan
I know, I know... you know. But I still have to say it. There are a few people reading this that might be really, really new to Myachi so I have to say it.
STWAKOJ is a Myachi acronym that means "Spread the Word and Keep On Jammin'". It's been a part of the movement since at least 2005 when Myachi Man shortened the usual closing line of his email and we've used it internally ever since. I guess it was late 06 when the phrase made it's way out into the Myachi community and it's been synonymous with Myachi ever since.
In 2008, it also became one of the categories we decided to honor each year in our Jammer of the Year Awards. In fact, when we originally started kicking around the idea of a Jammer of the Year Award, we only planned on giving out one award each year and the criterion for that winner would have been the criterion that we use now to judge the STWAKOJ Award winner.
Ultimately, of course, we decided that there were too many factors involved in being a Myachi Maniac for any one award to properly weigh all of them so we split it into a few different categories. Now, I've already explained how, in a sense, the Trickster Award is the most important in all of Myachi and how, in a sense, the Forum award is the most important in Myachi, but in truth, the STWAKOJ Award really is the most important. Or at least, it awards the most important trait.
Take Myachi Man as your example. If he exemplified the things that would win the Trickster Award, he would be phenomenal at the game (he is), he would have created hundreds of tricks (he has) and he would be a legend in the movement (he is). But, of course, if he didn't also exemplify the things that would win the STWAKOJ Award, there wouldn't be any movement to be a legend of.
Myachi is built on STWAKOJ. The whole empire is built on the idea that one fan of the game teaches his or her friends, they teach their friends, they teach their friends and so on. It would take a long time for Maverick, Lucky, Bones, Hard Kore and I to teach the whole world to play, but if we spread the game like a (good version of a) virus, we can eventually conquer the whole world.
And of course, given the nature of the award, the voters have often favored people who spread the word across the US border. In fact, only once in it's 5 year history did the prize go to somebody who lived in the US during the year of the award. Once it went to an American who was living in China, twice it went to different Maniacs in the UK and last year it went to Switzerland.
Anybody's guess where it will land this year...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
JOTYA History: The FORUM Award
by Crazy Ivan
You could make an argument that any of the 4 JOTYAs is the most coveted prize in all of Myachi, but the Forum award always seems to be the tightest race. It often has the most heated battle for nominations and it almost always has the narrowest margin of victory.
It's not hard to see why. Until 2 years ago, this ceremony was entirely conducted through the forum. And even now that I've opened it up to the blog, the FB page, etc., the bulk of the discussion and voting goes on there. Because of that, everyone has a horse in this race.
Keep in mind that not every Myachi Maniac is a cutting-edge freestyler or an international traveler. A lot of the people on the forum probably don't feel like they're qualified to win the Trickster or STWAKOJ awards, but everyone is a contender for the Forum award. This one is just about who does the most to make the forum a fun place to hang out.
And there are always a great pool of candidates. Myachi has one of the oldest company-sponsored skill toy forums on the internet and we're pretty proud of the community that it has created over the years. Sure, there have been some peaks and valleys, some slow times and some busy times, but in all we've created a community that has sparked at least several dozen lifelong friendships.
But forums are forums so once in a while interpersonal conflict arises and, like you find on any online forum, there are occasional spats, disagreements and downright fights. That means that when STWAKOJ time comes around, a lot of people that might have partially burned bridges in the past suddenly get a little more political and try to smooth out old differences with potential voters.
The Forum Award is my personal favorite because I've seen the kind of community that it helps to foster. The past winners are exemplars of the kind of people we want populating our forum, the kind of voices we want representing our movement online. It's ultimately an award about friendship, and what could be more meaningful than that?
You could make an argument that any of the 4 JOTYAs is the most coveted prize in all of Myachi, but the Forum award always seems to be the tightest race. It often has the most heated battle for nominations and it almost always has the narrowest margin of victory.
It's not hard to see why. Until 2 years ago, this ceremony was entirely conducted through the forum. And even now that I've opened it up to the blog, the FB page, etc., the bulk of the discussion and voting goes on there. Because of that, everyone has a horse in this race.
Keep in mind that not every Myachi Maniac is a cutting-edge freestyler or an international traveler. A lot of the people on the forum probably don't feel like they're qualified to win the Trickster or STWAKOJ awards, but everyone is a contender for the Forum award. This one is just about who does the most to make the forum a fun place to hang out.
And there are always a great pool of candidates. Myachi has one of the oldest company-sponsored skill toy forums on the internet and we're pretty proud of the community that it has created over the years. Sure, there have been some peaks and valleys, some slow times and some busy times, but in all we've created a community that has sparked at least several dozen lifelong friendships.
But forums are forums so once in a while interpersonal conflict arises and, like you find on any online forum, there are occasional spats, disagreements and downright fights. That means that when STWAKOJ time comes around, a lot of people that might have partially burned bridges in the past suddenly get a little more political and try to smooth out old differences with potential voters.
The Forum Award is my personal favorite because I've seen the kind of community that it helps to foster. The past winners are exemplars of the kind of people we want populating our forum, the kind of voices we want representing our movement online. It's ultimately an award about friendship, and what could be more meaningful than that?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
JOTYA History: The TRICKSTER AWARD
by Crazy Ivan
Some people would argue that the Trickster Award is the most coveted award in all of Myachi. After all, it's primarily a game of skill and this is the only one of the Jammer of the Year prizes that recognizes somebody for their Myachi skills.
A quick perusal of the past winners will show that only top echelon jammers have won it before. Mantis has taken the prize twice, Kickstand, Dragon and A-Train once. All four of them true masters of freestyle Myachi.
But all that being said, the Trickster Award is not necessarily about who has the best skills. Mantis won in 2008 and 2010, but Dragon won in 2009. Does that mean that Dragon got better at Myachi that year and Mantis caught back up in the following year? Of course not. Because the Trickster Award is about something more than that.
Of course, I don't get to vote in the awards so I can't say exactly what people take into consideration when they're choosing the winner, but after watching the process go down for 5 years in a row, I can say with certainty that there are certain commonalities in the people that have won.
The most important factor, as near as I can tell, is INNOVATION. That's the one thing that all the winners have had in common over the years. Each one of them helped to take the game to the next level by creating new tricks, new combos and new ways of executing the classics. They took the next logical step in the game and created two Myachi versions of one Myachi tricks or three Myachi versions of two Myachi tricks (and in Mantis' case, four Myachi version of three Myachi tricks). They pushed the envelope. They test the boundaries.
Not only does this make them great Myachi players, but it also helps others to become better. The true Trickster is the one who brings everyone's game to a higher level. Our past winners have certainly personified that trait and I'm sure whoever takes the award this year will continue that proud tradition.
Good Luck to all the hopefuls!
Some people would argue that the Trickster Award is the most coveted award in all of Myachi. After all, it's primarily a game of skill and this is the only one of the Jammer of the Year prizes that recognizes somebody for their Myachi skills.
A quick perusal of the past winners will show that only top echelon jammers have won it before. Mantis has taken the prize twice, Kickstand, Dragon and A-Train once. All four of them true masters of freestyle Myachi.
But all that being said, the Trickster Award is not necessarily about who has the best skills. Mantis won in 2008 and 2010, but Dragon won in 2009. Does that mean that Dragon got better at Myachi that year and Mantis caught back up in the following year? Of course not. Because the Trickster Award is about something more than that.
Of course, I don't get to vote in the awards so I can't say exactly what people take into consideration when they're choosing the winner, but after watching the process go down for 5 years in a row, I can say with certainty that there are certain commonalities in the people that have won.
The most important factor, as near as I can tell, is INNOVATION. That's the one thing that all the winners have had in common over the years. Each one of them helped to take the game to the next level by creating new tricks, new combos and new ways of executing the classics. They took the next logical step in the game and created two Myachi versions of one Myachi tricks or three Myachi versions of two Myachi tricks (and in Mantis' case, four Myachi version of three Myachi tricks). They pushed the envelope. They test the boundaries.
Not only does this make them great Myachi players, but it also helps others to become better. The true Trickster is the one who brings everyone's game to a higher level. Our past winners have certainly personified that trait and I'm sure whoever takes the award this year will continue that proud tradition.
Good Luck to all the hopefuls!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The 500th Post on the Myachi Blog
by Crazy Ivan
This will mark the 500th post on the Myachi Blog. It's been around since February of 2011 so we're about to celebrate our 2nd anniversary as a blog. That means that on average, we're updating the blog about once every 1.4 days or so. That's a pretty good average if you just look at that number, but if we really break it down, it's not as good as it should be.
In 2011, the year I first started this blog, there were 444 posts. I only did it for eleven months, so that was an average of about 9 new entries a week. At that rate, I should have posted the 500th entry sometime in April of last year. But in 2012, there were only 54 updates to the blog in the whole year. That's only a little more than 1 a week.
Now obviously I have nobody to blame for this but myself. As the company has gotten bigger, it's also gotten busier and while I once had a great deal of time to dedicate to the blog, the forum, the FaceBook page, the Twitter account and the You Tube Channel, recently I'm lucky if I can find enough to time to eat lunch and breath regularly.
So if it's gotten a little bit dusty in here, blame me. I'm the janitor, after all. I'll be checking in as often as possible in 2013 and I hope that I can make that a lot more often than it was in 2012. With a little bit of luck, we can celebrate the 1000th post this time next year.
Friday, January 25, 2013
2012's Jammer Of The Year
by Crazy Ivan
It's been a tradition in Myachi now for 6 years. Every year in January and February we undertake a small process designed to recognize the contribution that Myachi Maniacs all over the country and the world make to our movement. Obviously Myachi Man, Kid, Maverick and the other Myachi Masters (including me) work pretty hard every day to spread the word of Myachi and keep the game going strong, but if it wasn't for the contributions of the Myachi Maniacs, we never would have gotten this thing off the ground.
That's why, way back in 2007, we decided to start this little annual celebration and in the intervening years it's kind of taken on a life of its own. I know that a lot of our long-time maniacs look forward to it all year and as the arbitrator of the whole ordeal, I can say honestly that it's one of my favorite responsibilities as a Myachi Master.
The coolest thing about the awards is that they're all decided on by the Myachi Maniacs themselves. It's up to you to pick the nominees and once the nominees are in, it's up to you to vote for the winner. And as MMFL has pointed out in the past, if you want to win one of these awards, it's up to you to earn it all year long.
The nominating process began yesterday on the Myachi Forum and is only open to members there. Of course, if you're not a member of the forum and want to nominate someone, it's not too late to sign up and send me a nomination via private message. Just sign up, go to "General Discussion" and look for the JOTYA 2013 post toward the top of the page.
Keep in mind, it's only the nominations that are restricted to forum members. Voting will be open to anyone who wants in on it. The more votes the merrier. I'll be putting plenty of info here on the blog as well so that even if you're new to Myachi you might be able to make an informed vote.
There are three award categories this year:
It's been a tradition in Myachi now for 6 years. Every year in January and February we undertake a small process designed to recognize the contribution that Myachi Maniacs all over the country and the world make to our movement. Obviously Myachi Man, Kid, Maverick and the other Myachi Masters (including me) work pretty hard every day to spread the word of Myachi and keep the game going strong, but if it wasn't for the contributions of the Myachi Maniacs, we never would have gotten this thing off the ground.
That's why, way back in 2007, we decided to start this little annual celebration and in the intervening years it's kind of taken on a life of its own. I know that a lot of our long-time maniacs look forward to it all year and as the arbitrator of the whole ordeal, I can say honestly that it's one of my favorite responsibilities as a Myachi Master.
The coolest thing about the awards is that they're all decided on by the Myachi Maniacs themselves. It's up to you to pick the nominees and once the nominees are in, it's up to you to vote for the winner. And as MMFL has pointed out in the past, if you want to win one of these awards, it's up to you to earn it all year long.
The nominating process began yesterday on the Myachi Forum and is only open to members there. Of course, if you're not a member of the forum and want to nominate someone, it's not too late to sign up and send me a nomination via private message. Just sign up, go to "General Discussion" and look for the JOTYA 2013 post toward the top of the page.
Keep in mind, it's only the nominations that are restricted to forum members. Voting will be open to anyone who wants in on it. The more votes the merrier. I'll be putting plenty of info here on the blog as well so that even if you're new to Myachi you might be able to make an informed vote.
There are three award categories this year:
- The STWAKOJ Award: This award goes to the Myachi Maniac who has done the most to help spread the word of Myachi over the country and over the world in the previous year. Past winners include Halestorm (China), A Guy Called Will (England), Mach 3 (England), DGH (USA) and Myachi Max (Switzerland). So as you can tell, this is a pretty international award.
- The TRICKSTER Award: This award goes to the Myachi Maniac who has done the most to help expand the game itself by inventing new tricks, games and styles in the past year. Past winners include A-Train, Dragon, Kickstand and the only two time winner, Mantis.
- The FORUM Award: This one goes to the member of our online forum who has done the most to help make it an inviting and hospitable place for veterans and people new to the game. Past winners include Jedi, Champ, Downtown and MMFL (The latter two shared the award once and won it solo as well)
Twice in the past we've also included a "Lifetime Achievement" Award, but this award is so coveted that we've decided only to give it out once every 5 years. The next time it will be awarded will be in 2017 (for the calendar year of 2016). Past winners include MMFL (2007) and Downtown (2012).
I'll be posting a lot more about the JOTYAs over the next couple of weeks, so be sure to check in regularly and get your fix.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
New Year, New Location
by Crazy Ivan
As many of you have already learned, Myachi headquarters has moved. As much as we loved our location out in Long Island, it had become increasingly impractical to have such a big HQ in a place that the majority of Maniacs couldn't reach. With so much of our business going on in and around the city, it made less and less sense for our HQ to be so far from the center of action.
While we'll certainly miss the location out in Glenwood Landing, the new spot is much more convenient for purposes of making deliveries, receiving deliveries, commuting back and forth from the House of Skills and getting back and forth from our two biggest retail locations.
Unfortunately, the new location does not include a retail spot. In our old HQ, of course, we had a little Myachi store and a big Myachi play area, but it wouldn't make much sense to do that with a new HQ in the city. After all, we already have two of the best retail locations a toy company could possibly want in NYC. So as much as we're all digging the new spot, it's not exactly a place where maniacs can drop by to visit. And even if you did, there wouldn't be much to see except piles and piles of Myachis.
So to all of you who got used to coming to see us out at the old HQ, we're sorry and we'll miss you. You made our time out there awesome and you're the reason we're sorry to leave the old spot behind. Unfortunately, these decisions often have to be made from a purely business perspective and it makes better business sense at this point for our HQ to be inside the five boroughs.
Of course, the new location is only one of many new things happening in the world of Myachi in 2013. Stay tuned to the blog to keep up to date on all the new, exciting changes awaiting us in the new year.
As many of you have already learned, Myachi headquarters has moved. As much as we loved our location out in Long Island, it had become increasingly impractical to have such a big HQ in a place that the majority of Maniacs couldn't reach. With so much of our business going on in and around the city, it made less and less sense for our HQ to be so far from the center of action.
While we'll certainly miss the location out in Glenwood Landing, the new spot is much more convenient for purposes of making deliveries, receiving deliveries, commuting back and forth from the House of Skills and getting back and forth from our two biggest retail locations.
Unfortunately, the new location does not include a retail spot. In our old HQ, of course, we had a little Myachi store and a big Myachi play area, but it wouldn't make much sense to do that with a new HQ in the city. After all, we already have two of the best retail locations a toy company could possibly want in NYC. So as much as we're all digging the new spot, it's not exactly a place where maniacs can drop by to visit. And even if you did, there wouldn't be much to see except piles and piles of Myachis.
So to all of you who got used to coming to see us out at the old HQ, we're sorry and we'll miss you. You made our time out there awesome and you're the reason we're sorry to leave the old spot behind. Unfortunately, these decisions often have to be made from a purely business perspective and it makes better business sense at this point for our HQ to be inside the five boroughs.
Of course, the new location is only one of many new things happening in the world of Myachi in 2013. Stay tuned to the blog to keep up to date on all the new, exciting changes awaiting us in the new year.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Myachi Holiday Buying Guide
by Crazy Ivan
We're going to do something a little different on the blog today. Normally, I reserve this space for people who are already pretty Myachi-savvy; we talk about new series, new tricks, strategy for various Myachi games, new developments in the Myachi Movement, etc. But today I'm going to be writing for a different audience. Today I'll be talking to those people who aren't familiar with the game and are, perhaps, hearing about it for the first time.
We've been getting a ton of calls recently at HQ from parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents who want to buy Myachis for their kids, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, but they aren't sure what to buy. We figured we could help these enlightened shoppers quite a bit by addressing some of the most frequently asked questions we've been hearing on those calls.
If, after reading the buying guide below, you still have some unanswered questions, fear not. We have Myachi experts waiting to help you at HQ from 9-5 est at (516) 801-4949 so feel free to call us or email us at orders@myachi.com and we'll help you pick out the perfect gift for the Myachi lover in your life.
So without further ado, here are the eight most frequently asked questions:
What is the right age for Myachi?
When you see someone throwing down with a Myachi, it's logical to wonder if the if it might be too advanced for the young athlete in your life. But the beauty of Myachi is that there are challenges for all ages and all levels of coordination. There are tricks that the younger kids can learn and have fun with, but there are also plenty of tricks to challenge a veteran juggler.
Obviously, there is a lower age limit on the game. Children under the age of six generally lack the coordination to learn the tricks, but even an athletic five year old can have fun tossing and catching with an older sibling or mom and dad.
We recommend Myachi for anyone 6 and up. There is no upper limit here, as the game is popular with a lot of college kids and makes a great office game (and stress reliever) as well. It's a great gift for those hard to buy for ages that are too old for traditional toys but not too old to play.
Is it a game for boys and girls?
In a way, I hate this question, but I suppose I understand it. Most games and toys do seem to break down on a gender basis and even within the industry toys are often referred to as "Boy's toys" and "Girl's toys". I suppose this is appropriate for some toys, but I've always felt like fun is fun regardless of your gender.
That being said, Myachi is a great game for anyone who is active or in need of more coordination. While the game tends to be more popular with boys, there are thousands of female Myachi Maniacs out there as well. The best determination of whether someone will like Myachi is their existing hobbies. If they're athletic or enjoy skill toys like yo-yo, Fushigi and frisbee, odds are that they will really enjoy a Myachi in their stocking.
What should I buy for someone new to the game?
Many people are looking for the perfect gift for a Myachi fanatic, and we'll talk about some great gift ideas for them, but what about the person who hasn't seen the game before? Many a Myachi shopper is concerned that even if the game is awesomely fun (and it is), that doesn't matter if they don't know what it is. What if they open it and don't know how to have fun with it?
Luckily, between the Myachi website and the numerous instructional videos on You-Tube, it's remarkably easy to find good info on how to play the game. That being said, the easiest way to get into the game is through our official Myachi instructional DVD. It breaks the game down, shows you how to do dozens of tricks (starting easy and slowly upping the difficulty) and even shows a couple of the different Myachi "disciplines", ways to use the game to improve your sports-skills.
For people new to the game, we recommend the Myachi 2-pack, which includes the instructional DVD. It gives you everything you need to get started and includes a second Myachi so that you can get a friend into the game, work on complex doubles tricks or have a spare in case the first one winds up on the roof somewhere. The 2-pack retails for $9.99 and you can find them by clicking here.
What should I buy for someone who already has a Myachi?
The Myachi Movement has been going strong for over a decade now and many of the kids who got into the game early are now adults that are still into the game now. The never-ending series of challenges that Myachi provides makes it a game that you don't discard after a few days. Many Myachi Maniacs play for years. So what if you're looking for a gift for somebody who loves Myachi, but you don't want to just buy them another Myachi?
Luckily, this year we have the answer for you. Brand new in 2012, the Myachi Battle Paddles are the latest, greatest addition to the Myachi family. They take the game to the next level by allowing you to do long distance and big air catches that turn the game into more of a team sport. At the same time, they'll make some of the hardest tricks in the game far easier to master.
For people who are already fans of the game and already have one or more Myachis, we recommend the Myachi Battle Paddles. They're super adjustable and designed to fit hand big and small so the same pair can be used by a 16 year old, a 10 year old or a 6 year old. They come in packs of two so that two friends can play together and include an exclusive Myachi, available only in the Battle Paddle pack. The Battle Paddle Set retails for $19.99 and you can find them by clicking here.
What should I buy for a Myachi collector?
In many ways, this is the most difficult question to answer. Myachis make a great, inexpensive gift for anybody who doesn't have a Myachi, but what if you're buying for somebody who already has not just one Myachi, but a bunch of them? How can you be sure that you aren't buying them something they already have?
Well, obviously one way is to get a list of the Myachis they have and comb through the "Retired Sacks" section of our online store (which you can reach by clicking here) until you find one that they don't have. This is effective, but it's pretty time consuming and it requires an easily accessible list of all the Myachis in your collectors collection.
Another great option is to check out our new line of "Wacky Sacks". These limited edition sacks are must-haves for collectors and since there were only 150 of each design made, there's a pretty strong chance that your favorite Myachi Maniac doesn't have them yet and won't have many more opportunities to pick them up. So, for that reason, for Myachi collectors, we recommend the new Wacky Sack series. You can find all the choices by clicking here, and you can pick one up for only $10.
Where can I find a particular Rare Myachi?
Many Myachi Maniacs have their eyes on a particular rare Myachi and they can drive their parents, grandparents and various loved ones crazy looking for some of them. Unfortunately, many of the rare Myachis that every collector wants are all but impossible to buy at this point. Many of them were retired as much as a decade ago and they have long since sold out.
I recently received a desperate email from the mother of a Myachi Maniac who presented me with a list of incredibly rare sacks that I don't even have in my personal collection and I had to tell her that there was no way I was aware of to find any of them.
Sometimes rare Myachis show up on E-Bay and sometimes you can find them at locally owned toy stores that have them from years ago, but if your favorite Myachi player is looking for a really rare Myachi, there may be no way to satisfy that request. Feel free to contact Pinky at the Myachi home office at (516) 801-4949 to find out if the retired sack they want is still available for mail order, but be forewarned that of the several hundred Myachis that collectors are looking for at any time, only a handful will be available.
Can I get a discount if I buy several?
Myachis make great stocking stuffers and good office gifts for people trying to stretch their budget. At just $5, a Myachi is a perfect gift for almost anyone on almost any budget. But if you're trying to stretch those dollars a little further (and who isn't?), consider making a bulk purchase and crossing a bunch of names off the list at once.
Both the Myachi Original Handsack and the new Myachi Battle Paddles are available on the website with steep discounts for large orders. You can check out some of our deals by clicking here and if you'd like to buy more, feel free to call our Headquarters at (516) 801-4949 for a quote.
Is Myachi a good gift for an adult?
In the interest of full disclosure, I should remind everyone that I'm a paid employee of Myachi and one of the company's founding members, so I'm not exactly going to recommend against getting a Myachi for anyone, but the fact that I am an adult and speak from experience should also count for something.
Everybody wants something to play with on Christmas morning. When we outgrow toys, we start hoping for complex electronic gadgets or games. Sure, we all appreciate a practical gift like a new hat or a warm pair of gloves, but once all the presents are opened, it's nice to have something fun to goof around with amidst the rising tides of spent wrapping paper. And what better toy than something that the whole family can play together?
Remember, it's not the we quit playing with toys when we get old, it's that we get old when we quit playing with toys.
Happy Holidays from the whole Myachi team. May you find yourself warm and safe and surrounded by people that love you.
We're going to do something a little different on the blog today. Normally, I reserve this space for people who are already pretty Myachi-savvy; we talk about new series, new tricks, strategy for various Myachi games, new developments in the Myachi Movement, etc. But today I'm going to be writing for a different audience. Today I'll be talking to those people who aren't familiar with the game and are, perhaps, hearing about it for the first time.
We've been getting a ton of calls recently at HQ from parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents who want to buy Myachis for their kids, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, but they aren't sure what to buy. We figured we could help these enlightened shoppers quite a bit by addressing some of the most frequently asked questions we've been hearing on those calls.
If, after reading the buying guide below, you still have some unanswered questions, fear not. We have Myachi experts waiting to help you at HQ from 9-5 est at (516) 801-4949 so feel free to call us or email us at orders@myachi.com and we'll help you pick out the perfect gift for the Myachi lover in your life.
So without further ado, here are the eight most frequently asked questions:
What is the right age for Myachi?
When you see someone throwing down with a Myachi, it's logical to wonder if the if it might be too advanced for the young athlete in your life. But the beauty of Myachi is that there are challenges for all ages and all levels of coordination. There are tricks that the younger kids can learn and have fun with, but there are also plenty of tricks to challenge a veteran juggler.
Obviously, there is a lower age limit on the game. Children under the age of six generally lack the coordination to learn the tricks, but even an athletic five year old can have fun tossing and catching with an older sibling or mom and dad.
We recommend Myachi for anyone 6 and up. There is no upper limit here, as the game is popular with a lot of college kids and makes a great office game (and stress reliever) as well. It's a great gift for those hard to buy for ages that are too old for traditional toys but not too old to play.
Is it a game for boys and girls?
In a way, I hate this question, but I suppose I understand it. Most games and toys do seem to break down on a gender basis and even within the industry toys are often referred to as "Boy's toys" and "Girl's toys". I suppose this is appropriate for some toys, but I've always felt like fun is fun regardless of your gender.
That being said, Myachi is a great game for anyone who is active or in need of more coordination. While the game tends to be more popular with boys, there are thousands of female Myachi Maniacs out there as well. The best determination of whether someone will like Myachi is their existing hobbies. If they're athletic or enjoy skill toys like yo-yo, Fushigi and frisbee, odds are that they will really enjoy a Myachi in their stocking.
What should I buy for someone new to the game?
Many people are looking for the perfect gift for a Myachi fanatic, and we'll talk about some great gift ideas for them, but what about the person who hasn't seen the game before? Many a Myachi shopper is concerned that even if the game is awesomely fun (and it is), that doesn't matter if they don't know what it is. What if they open it and don't know how to have fun with it?
Luckily, between the Myachi website and the numerous instructional videos on You-Tube, it's remarkably easy to find good info on how to play the game. That being said, the easiest way to get into the game is through our official Myachi instructional DVD. It breaks the game down, shows you how to do dozens of tricks (starting easy and slowly upping the difficulty) and even shows a couple of the different Myachi "disciplines", ways to use the game to improve your sports-skills.
For people new to the game, we recommend the Myachi 2-pack, which includes the instructional DVD. It gives you everything you need to get started and includes a second Myachi so that you can get a friend into the game, work on complex doubles tricks or have a spare in case the first one winds up on the roof somewhere. The 2-pack retails for $9.99 and you can find them by clicking here.
What should I buy for someone who already has a Myachi?
The Myachi Movement has been going strong for over a decade now and many of the kids who got into the game early are now adults that are still into the game now. The never-ending series of challenges that Myachi provides makes it a game that you don't discard after a few days. Many Myachi Maniacs play for years. So what if you're looking for a gift for somebody who loves Myachi, but you don't want to just buy them another Myachi?
Luckily, this year we have the answer for you. Brand new in 2012, the Myachi Battle Paddles are the latest, greatest addition to the Myachi family. They take the game to the next level by allowing you to do long distance and big air catches that turn the game into more of a team sport. At the same time, they'll make some of the hardest tricks in the game far easier to master.
For people who are already fans of the game and already have one or more Myachis, we recommend the Myachi Battle Paddles. They're super adjustable and designed to fit hand big and small so the same pair can be used by a 16 year old, a 10 year old or a 6 year old. They come in packs of two so that two friends can play together and include an exclusive Myachi, available only in the Battle Paddle pack. The Battle Paddle Set retails for $19.99 and you can find them by clicking here.
What should I buy for a Myachi collector?
In many ways, this is the most difficult question to answer. Myachis make a great, inexpensive gift for anybody who doesn't have a Myachi, but what if you're buying for somebody who already has not just one Myachi, but a bunch of them? How can you be sure that you aren't buying them something they already have?
Well, obviously one way is to get a list of the Myachis they have and comb through the "Retired Sacks" section of our online store (which you can reach by clicking here) until you find one that they don't have. This is effective, but it's pretty time consuming and it requires an easily accessible list of all the Myachis in your collectors collection.
Another great option is to check out our new line of "Wacky Sacks". These limited edition sacks are must-haves for collectors and since there were only 150 of each design made, there's a pretty strong chance that your favorite Myachi Maniac doesn't have them yet and won't have many more opportunities to pick them up. So, for that reason, for Myachi collectors, we recommend the new Wacky Sack series. You can find all the choices by clicking here, and you can pick one up for only $10.
 |
| One of the many cool designs of the limited edition Myachi "Wacky Sacks" |
Where can I find a particular Rare Myachi?
Many Myachi Maniacs have their eyes on a particular rare Myachi and they can drive their parents, grandparents and various loved ones crazy looking for some of them. Unfortunately, many of the rare Myachis that every collector wants are all but impossible to buy at this point. Many of them were retired as much as a decade ago and they have long since sold out.
I recently received a desperate email from the mother of a Myachi Maniac who presented me with a list of incredibly rare sacks that I don't even have in my personal collection and I had to tell her that there was no way I was aware of to find any of them.
Sometimes rare Myachis show up on E-Bay and sometimes you can find them at locally owned toy stores that have them from years ago, but if your favorite Myachi player is looking for a really rare Myachi, there may be no way to satisfy that request. Feel free to contact Pinky at the Myachi home office at (516) 801-4949 to find out if the retired sack they want is still available for mail order, but be forewarned that of the several hundred Myachis that collectors are looking for at any time, only a handful will be available.
Can I get a discount if I buy several?
Myachis make great stocking stuffers and good office gifts for people trying to stretch their budget. At just $5, a Myachi is a perfect gift for almost anyone on almost any budget. But if you're trying to stretch those dollars a little further (and who isn't?), consider making a bulk purchase and crossing a bunch of names off the list at once.
Both the Myachi Original Handsack and the new Myachi Battle Paddles are available on the website with steep discounts for large orders. You can check out some of our deals by clicking here and if you'd like to buy more, feel free to call our Headquarters at (516) 801-4949 for a quote.
Is Myachi a good gift for an adult?
In the interest of full disclosure, I should remind everyone that I'm a paid employee of Myachi and one of the company's founding members, so I'm not exactly going to recommend against getting a Myachi for anyone, but the fact that I am an adult and speak from experience should also count for something.
Everybody wants something to play with on Christmas morning. When we outgrow toys, we start hoping for complex electronic gadgets or games. Sure, we all appreciate a practical gift like a new hat or a warm pair of gloves, but once all the presents are opened, it's nice to have something fun to goof around with amidst the rising tides of spent wrapping paper. And what better toy than something that the whole family can play together?
Remember, it's not the we quit playing with toys when we get old, it's that we get old when we quit playing with toys.
--------------
Happy Holidays from the whole Myachi team. May you find yourself warm and safe and surrounded by people that love you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)