Last time I checked my catalouge and local customer contingent, there's a dozen or so other balls at a price point around/less for the Maxxx Zone that yeild a better or closer reaction for local lane conditions.  Luckily, the majority of my customers don't care what I pay for the ball and are happy enough with the good work I do to pay what I demand.  If it's online for 2 or 3 bucks cheaper(in my case 8 or 9 bucks cheaper online)....then eh, so be it.  In this industry which I run as a full time job I live by one motto.

Sell what keeps your customers satisfied and your bills paid.

Pro Shop 101.


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-DJ Marshall
...The Twelve In a Row Pro Shop.  AMF Bowie Lanes -- Bowie, MD

Cool,  no it is me!!!!  My son got bored with this site about a year ago.

Now the previous two post are from pro shops.  They posted how they feel about big B balls.  If any of you took the time, you would have noticed that in a much earlier post I stated that we do ok with the Twisted Fury Line, and just recently starting ordering the Maxxx Zone.   Sold 3 in the last few days, and have 2 more on order.  NOWHERE in any of my post did I ever knock the quality of the Zone Line.  However, since others posted about the Cells and the Venoms,  I made a comment about the cost.  I wondered why, since the Cells and the Widow line cost pro shops about the same as a Maxxx Zone, why does a Maxxx zone sell on line for $107.99 as opposed to $119.99 for the other two lines.

Ebonite floor pricing has been a sore subject on this site.  Some posted that it isn't working or that Ebonite does not enforce it.  I said they do.  Then someone attacked with, "are you on drugs"  They they brought up balls like the NV, or complete or NVS or the ONE.  These balls have all been removed from floor pricing by Ebonite.  Why, must be because they did not sell and so Ebonite DQ them.  { disc. }  

So of course they will not be on the floor pricing plan!!!!  Now I do remember getting either an email or a letter from Ebonite saying that certain balls will be removed from floor pricing on a certain date.  I have no problem with that.  You can't expect Ebonite to DQ a ball and leave it on floor pricing!!!

I stated that floor pricing pertains to CURRENT model balls.  Which brings us back to the new release called the Maxxx Zone.  I believe it came out earlier this month.  Yet it is selling for $12.00 less online then other CURRENT model balls from other ball makers,  which retail for about the same price.

Now I as a pro shop  I do indeed have the RIGHT to question this.  Why is a brand new Cell Pearl or Venom selling higher online then a Maxxx Zone???

An yet people on this site claim that Ebonite floor pricing does not work!!!
It works and it pertains to new CURRENT models, not one year old DQ balls.

And as a pro shop who on a daily basis invests money into inventory.  I do have the right to question this.  It is not whining as some of the BIG B groupies call it.  If they had to invest their money into stock, I wonder would they complain!!!!  BET YOUR BUTT THEY WOULD.

Now as for the world famous Fury closeout of 2007.  According to my dist.  the ball was selling ok.  Yet many BIG B people told me that the their dist.  you know the ones who cater to online dealers,  told them that the ball had "slowed down to a crawl in sales"  Why,  maybe it was because these certain dist.  bought too many Fury's and their online dealers didn't sell them well at regular price.  So they were stuck with them.  So sad too bad!!!

So right before the busy Christmas selling season, BIG B dumps the Fury.  At  a time when retail sales are at their BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, no problem....  But they probably dumped these balls for about $60 to their dist.  who inturn dumped them to their online dealers for about $75-$80.
Now this was indeed a great deal for the consumer!!!!!  But it cost Big B profits.  

Now the Big B could have done this.... Tell their sales staff to get off their butts and call their accounts and say,  we have a deal on the Fury, buy 4 get one free.  At that time a fury was costing pro shops about $128.

Now that means that by buying 4 and getting one free,  the cost to the pro shops now becomes $102.40.  Big b could then have sold these balls to their dist.  for maybe $80.  They would have made at least $20 or more per ball.

By doing this they would have shown some concern for their pro shops. But no, they didn't.  Their sales reps were too busy posting on BR.  So they just dumped them to their dist who cater to online dealers.  And hundreds and hundreds of small pro shops who had the Fury's in stock, got screwed.  Kinda sorta like when they moved to Mexico. Those workers in Michigan lost their jobs!!!!

Now we were LUCKY.  at the moment in history we were out of Furys.  You see in my shop, the sales of the Fury had not slowed down to a crawl....
I was working on my usual stock order.  I had 2 Fury's on it.  Lucky for me I received a phone call from a customer asking about a Fury.  I told him I was out and was re ordering the next day.  He ask me my price, and then he told me he could buy the ball online for $99.  

I turned around in my chair and went on the computer to Bowling.com,  and there they were,  for $99!!!!!! Now before this they were selling online for about $130-$132.   And as a pro shop owner, I do have the right to whine or complain about this.  I'm sorry if the Big B groupies who are not in the pro shop business don't understand or care about this.   I as a pro shop do have this right!!!!!!

Also I do not have an axe to grind because the Big B moved to Mexico.  I darn anyone to go back 2-3 years ago when their move was a major hot topic on this site.  Many shops were mad and had nothing nice to say about the Big b.  

Not once did I ever post anything bad about them because of their move.  I never once posted that I would stop selling their balls.  It's there, go back and read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I did not like it, but I understood it.  After all, I play golf and just about all golf clubs are made in China!!!!!!!

One day the Big B might wake up and realize that pro shops are needed and do sell their products.  New companies like Global know this.  And each and everyday, more and more pro shops are finding out that companies like Global and Ebonite are truely helping pro shops, as well as the whole industry!!!!

Now I don't care one bit about what the Big b groupies that make up this site think or care about anything!!!!!

I don't spend much time on this site.  So I did not know that Just Ric was laid off.  I was sorry to hear that.  Hopefully another ball company like maybe a Global or Ebonite or Storm will realize what a great addition to their staff a person like Ric would make!!!!!

We don't seem to see eye to eye,  mostly over pricing, but I have read many of his post, and do consider him extremely knowledgeable.

Now as for this last issue some have brought up about online dealers.
I check out prices online on a daily basis from the big 3.  Bowling.com,  bowling paridise.com, and Buddiespro shop.com  

Just a week or so ago, a customer called and asked about a Blast Zone for his daughter.  I told him I no longer stocked that ball and that a new model called the Maxx zone may be the replacement for that ball.  He knew all about that Mazxx,  But the Blast zone was selling online at a much lower price.  he asked me what I thought of that ball.  I told him it was a good ball for med. to heavy oil.  Much like the new Maxx zone.  I told him to order it, and he did.

A few days later he brought the ball in to be drilled.  Earlier that day I had taken an order for a Maxxx zone.  And then while drilling his Blast Zone, I received a phone call and another customer ordered a Maxxx Zone.  So I then decided that maybe I should start stocking this ball.  And I have.  But I did not try to talk this person out of ordering this blast zone online.  On many occasions I tell people to order online.  So far this new season,  I have two customers who I have drilled 12-14 balls for.  All but 2 were bought online from Buddiesproshop.com   A site that I told them to order from!!!!!

Just this last monday a women who has a Break S75 wanted a Break Pearl.  She needs certain specs,  I ordered one for her, but when the ball came in, the Top weight was 4oz and she wanted 3 oz.  I told her to call Buddies,  because thay have pro cg Break pearls for $99. and maybe she could get her specs!!!!

So I laugh when certain no it alls say "deal with online" give me a break.

Now my customers know me, we have been in business for just over three weeks!!!
Ok a joke!!!  So I really don't care what big B groupies who probably are still
using LT-48's or black beauties think about what I say or feel.

I especially got a good laugh at the clown who posted, "I ain't never buying Global or Ebonite"  is he a child of 12,  you see real BOWLERS, bowl for money. And money bowlers would use a rock if they thought they could win MONEY.
So only a fool or a 12 year old would post something so childish.

I also saw another keyboard tough guy's post.  another 12 year old.
My friend text me when he saw that, I told him that I had had enough for one day dealing with these big b groupies.

BTW I did tell him if he wanted, to pass along an address!!!

Now to all you Big B groupies, I must leave.  Because this site and some of you really bore me.

Happy Thanksgiving
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jls

Edited on 11/27/2008 10:32 AM

JLS has the worst case of nerd rage I've seen a long, long time.
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To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.