My name is Adam Brown and I'm five time Alabama State Table Tennis Champion.  I am currently rated 2137.  I am a manager at BumperNets in Birmingham.  You can check out our store Bumpernets here on Ebay.  Today, I am writing a guide about how to buy a Butterfly Table Tennis Racket.  I am writing this review because the market on Butterfly rackets on Ebay is dependent upon the speed, spin, and control ratings exclusively. 
    There are a few things that need to be considered when purchasing any table tennis racket.  First, the blade.  Blade technology has changed a lot in recent years adding Arylate and Carbon to Enlarge the sweet spot and increase speed.  These features also add price.  There are a few handle choices including: Flare, Anatomic, Straight, and different varieties of each.  The next thing to consider when purchasing a Table Tennis Racket is the Rubber/Sponge.  The rubber is what determines the spin of a rubber.  Rubber can also affect the speed of a racket, but most of the speed is determined by the thickness and density of the sponge.  Without getting too in depth, the thicker the sponge, the faster the racket.  Usually, the more spin and speed a  racket has, the more expensive it is.  These are the main considerations when purchasing a racket.
    The main problem that I have with the table tennis market on Ebay is the sole reliance upon the rating numbers.  Rating numbers themselves are great, they can show which rackets have how much spin, speed, and control.   Rating numbers are meant to show differences between rackets from the same manufacturer.  Rating numbers are valid within a particular series of rackets only.  A racket that has 100 speed from one manufacturer is not the same as a racket that has 100 from another manufacturer.  Butterfly has built a reputation as a premier blade and racket manufacturer.  When you purchase a blade or rubber from Butterfly, the rubber will be extremely consistent, and will have a long life.  This Guide is about buying a butterfly racket, so the rest of the guide will be exclusively about butterfly.
    There are 4 different series of butterfly rackets.  This is VERY IMPORTANT.  The four series include the International Racket Series, The Penhold Series, The North American Racket Series, The World-Class Series.  The speed, spin, and control ratings within these series are on completely different scales.  In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the rackets in the different series, their ratings, and how the different series compare with one another.  We will also discuss how to buy a racket on Ebay and get a deal. 
    The first racket series is the International Racket Series.  This series is a little faster than the North American series because of the Foam Core Technology in the blades.  This series contains the Naifu, Tensai, Kyoshi, Kodo, Shikata, Kenji, and Senshu.  To see the difference in speeds, compare the Kenji in the International series to the Brian Pace.  They have the same rubber, but the Kenji's speed is 90 versus the Brian Pace's 85.  Compare the prices online of the Senshu versus the Carlos Chiu.  When you look at the numbers, you would think that the only difference is that the Carlos Chiu has more control.  Look closer.  Both rackets have 2.0mm Flextra rubber, so why does the Carlos Chiu have a higher control rating?  The answer is because the speed is inverse to the control.  The faster a racket is, the less control it has.  The Foam Core Technology, or FCT adds speed to the racket, therefore lowering the control.  Both rackets have the same rubber and sponge, but the Senshu has the FCT to add speed, so the Senshu is actually faster.  So you would think the Senshu would sell for more on Ebay.  That is not true.  The Carlos Chiu actually sells for more than the Senshu.  That is because the Carlos Chiu looks like it has more control, but actually just has less speed.
    The second racket series is the Penhold Racket Series.  The rackets included in this series are the Shido, Kansei, Tashika, and the Satori.  These rackets are made for Japanese and Chinese Penhold racket play.  These rackets have only one sheet of rubber.  These rackets compare closely with the International and North American Series. 
    The third racket series is the North American Series.  The rackets included in this series are the Kassam, Derek May, Sweeris, Seemiller, Brian Pace, and the Carlos Chiu.  These rackets Speed numbers should be considered slightly slower than the International Series because they do not have the Foam Core Technology.  These are still very good rackets, with good quality rubber.
    The fourth racket series is the World-Class Series.  This is where table tennis rackets are taken to a whole new level.  This Series includes the X-Star, Firehand, Primo 2000, Primo Vitesse, Primorac Carbon, and the Viscaria.  These rackets are MUCH faster, and have MUCH more spin.  Many of these rackets contain Carbon and Arylate to add speed and enlarge the sweet spot.  There are two main differences between these rackets and the other series.  First, these blades are world class competition blades.   Second, the rubbers on these blades far exceed the spin and speed capabilities of the other series.  The fastest rubber in the previous series (Flextra) is the slowest rubber used in this series.  The Viscaria uses one of the fastest rubbers that Butterfly offers, Bryce.  If you are looking to get a racket that you might see a world champion use, the world class series is the best bet.
    Thank you for reading this guide, and I hope it helps you to buy your next Butterfly Racket.  Don't forget to check out our store Bumpernets when you do.  BumperNets Ebay Store