Yeah pineapple was active in reaching out to do some #dsgs giveaways even though they are pretty tiny!
Trickle down economics doesn't actually exist in any form ever. No one believes that it works in that form, as no self respecting economist even talks about it because it doesn't actually exist. The whole fad of trickle down economics was simply made to make fun of the how cutting taxes to simulate the economy.
That might seem the case. But production costs can only go so low, esp if everyone wants new paints and new shapes. Also not necessarily making price to consumer lower because the company isn't making as much. 100 sales for 5 companies? Not bad. 100 sales for 100 companies? Not good.
Bump!!!! I actually think that smaller kendama companies are good because they show new products occasionally. Maybe a new shape or paint will catch on, and the small company blows up to a huge one like KendamaUSA, Sweets, and KROM. All companies were once small, it is just that now there is a lot more competition. if the company becomes successful, it is more of an accomplishment than earlier, but if they are unoriginal and pretty trash, people will realize, and the companies will shut down. So, in the end, only progression happens! I know there are a few exceptions, but the more companies we create, the more likely there will be bad ones. I am completely open to this discussion, so feel free to give your own opinion in as short or long of an answer as you like!
I greatly enjoy the diversity of products on the market. Hunting your favorite paint, ken shape, color scheme, wood type, etc. is a huge part of the fun. It promotes getting involved in the kendama community, and the search helps you find and express your own style. Also it promotes innovation from the design and manufacturing side. My only worry is that some companies may take advantage of demand by only making small batches for the sake of scarcity. Scarcity can make products collectible despite whether or not effort was put towards craftmanship. It’s such a bummer when you get a new kendama that may have been from a well promoted brand, and you see inconsistencies in the manufacturing, like imperfections in the wood grain, splintering around the string holes or serrado holes, marks in the paint, uneven tracking lines, etc. Is a kendama better because it sold out in 30 seconds, or is planned scarcity driving the price up unjustifiably?
Revisiting this because there are now a lot more kendama companies that have made their mark recently (e.g. Quill, NoJumper, Analog, Lotus, Cereal) as well as those companies that have disappeared after their initial hype (e.g. Fujin, Fortress, RWB [though they still manufacture for GT]). As of 2021, I think the question of whether there are "too many" kendama companies is something that doesn't need to be asked yet; after all, we never ask ourselves "when are there too many restaurants" or "when are there too many ice cream. That question will answer itself when a kendama company itself goes out of business.
Also, I noticed that demand for kendama is not necessarily based on price, but on the quality of product, players sponsored by the company, and overall brand management. To illustrate, why are KUSA's sales relatively quiet when they offer one of the best values for money on the market with their USD 20.00 Shift halfsplits? On the other hand, why is Grain Theory always selling out of their stuff when their kendamas are priced at USD 90.00 minimum? In connection with this, I believe that there will be "too many" kendama companies when all these companies stop innovating and instead keep chasing the same goal (bigger cups, stickier paint) in the same manner.