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Author Topic: Bowling Ball prices  (Read 6266 times)

JOE FALCO

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Bowling Ball prices
« on: December 08, 2003, 08:12:43 PM »
I've noted NUMEROUS times that LANE 1 balls were TOO EXPENSIVE and have got a LOT OF FLACK from users. Many have said that the amount they pay for LANE 1 balls is equal to the cost of other MANUFACTURERS .. that blows my mind. I went to one ON LINE shop and wrote down prices .. to me the variance (25%) is TOO BIG for bowlers and I can't understand how anyone can say the price is equal to other brands. Can it be that these bowlers are being RAPED by the shops they are DEALING with? here is my findings:

Lane 1
Golden Nugget $185
BCB $185

Ebonite
Obtyx Illusion $146
Addiction $140
TPC Shooter $144

Storm
Fear Factor $144

Hammer
Big Blue $144
Vicious Strike $140

MoRich
Mayhem $145
OnSlaught $144

Brunswick
Blazing Inferno $140
Fuze Inferno $140

Track
Phenom Unleashed $140
Super freak $144

How can anyone claim that they pay as much for other balls as they do for Lane 1? I guess you can't believe ALL YOU READ!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O
ON EDIT CORRECTED SPELLING OF ADDICTION!
Edited on 12/9/2003 12:16 PM

Edited on 12/9/2003 5:02 PM
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Gravy

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #16 on: December 10, 2003, 12:01:59 PM »
Lots of people pay too much for balls regardless of brand, because they are mis informed or lack patience.( I want that ball and I want it now attitude). I buy most of my equipment from the internet. There are many great shops out there and you can get it with the specs that you want. I have also bought used balls mostly from people on this site. (you still have to be careful) I've bought used lane#1 equipment for prices between $65-$80 and this usually includes shipping. Now I know Lane #1 stuff works for me and I would not hesitate buying new Lane #1 stuff. You just need to be informed and shop around.
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JOE FALCO

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2003, 12:23:37 PM »
Gravy .. I appreciate your comment .. at least you give me the impression I've gotten my point across ..  the rest of these people only appear to want to defend their position! Thanks!

I didn't know I POSTED IN THE LANE 1 COLUMN .. What gives with you guys? Makes me think of the little boy who tells a LIE and has to keep lying to cover up his previous comments .. I'M TRYING TO ASSIST THOSE BOWLERS (OTHER THEN LANE 1 FANATICS) TO SHOP AROUND IF THEY ARE PAYING LANE 1 PRICES FOR OTHER THEN LANE 1 BALLS! If you are buying LANE 1 balls why are you chirping in? JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O
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Rileybowler

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #18 on: December 10, 2003, 12:48:10 PM »
Quite simply what Joe is trying to say is everyone knows that lane 1 balls are higher than the other balls being sold, so if you are paying the same price for another ball you are getting ripped off. He wasn't downing lane 1 equipment
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JOE FALCO

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #19 on: December 10, 2003, 12:54:16 PM »
RILEY .. Thanks .. makes me feel that I'M NOT AS BAD A WRITER AS THESE GUYS HAD ME BELIEVING I WAS!!!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O
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Rick Wunder

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #20 on: December 10, 2003, 01:41:48 PM »
In response to what Joe said regarding people claiming that Lane 1 prices are the same as those of other premium balls, there is another possible scenario.  I know of a couple of pro shop operators who charge reasonable (competitive) prices for their premium bowling balls and actually sell their Lane 1 balls for close to the same price.  In this case, they are making a business decision to lower their profit margin on the one ball line (Lane 1) to make sure they don't lose potential customers who won't consider other manufacturers.  As long as those people are coming into the shop, there is the chance that, along with the Lane 1 bowling balls, they will buy shoes, bags, accessories, etc.

Now, before you come back and suggest that if these pro shop operators can lower their margins on Lane 1 balls, they should be able to lower them on all of them, that is not necessarily true.  If they were to lower their margins on all of the their ball lines, they would probably not be able to afford to stay in business.  There is a reason that their margins must be what they are, and lowering the margin on one ball line will not lower the average margin by very much.  As I said before, it is a business decision to attract and keep more customers.

Disclosure:  In our shop, we don't stock Lane 1 products, only partially due to the higher price.  If one of our customers comes in and asks for a Lane 1 ball, we'll be happy to order it for him/her, letting them know up front how much the ball will cost.
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RW (THB)
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Brickguy221

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #21 on: December 10, 2003, 05:45:10 PM »
Joe, you got your prices from one of the higher priced on line pro shops. I looked up the price of the balls you gave an example on at another on line shop and found for the example, the TPC Shooter to be priced at $140 vs your findings of $144. On the BCB, I found the price to be $170 vs your findings of $185. To sum it up, if it bothers you what others are paying for balls of any brand, you would found and posted  the cheaper shop's prices.

Now at this cheaper shop, the Shooter costs $140, drilling $50, and shipping to where I live $13. This is a total of $203.

Now on the BCB, You saw where ringing 10 paid $195 to a Lane 1 Dealer for a BCB drilled and shipped to his location. I haven't asked for a price from this dealer yet, but I did from another Lane 1 dealer and he quoted me $210, drilled and shipped to my location. That is only $7 more for the Lane 1 and since those balls fit my style best, it is worth the extra $7 to me.....And I am going to ask the dealer that ringing 10 got his ball from for a price and if he quotes me the same $195, then that is $8 less than this on line shop that has the cheaper prices for all balls.

To sum it up, if a person is buying a ball from the cheaper shop and and plans to get it drilled elsewhere, then Lane 1 is 21% more at this particular shop. However if the person buys the ball from the cheaper shop and gets it drilled there, then the price for it and the Lane 1 is virtually the same. $8 less at one Lane 1 dealer and $7 more at the other.....This is an example of where Lane 1 bowlers are coming from, when they say they can buy a Buzzsaw for the same price as another company's premimum  balls.

Are the bowlers paying too much for any brand of ball?...I don't have the answer to that question, but I do know that premimum balls such as the Shooter XL, Addiction, Inferno, Duece, etc where I live cost from $234 to $258 depending which shop you go to....So are the Pro Shops ripping people off where I live? I don't know the answer to that question because I don't know what they have to pay the regional Distributor for the balls.
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In the old days, they used axes to chop up wood...Nowadays, they use "BUZZSAWS".
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janderson

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #22 on: December 10, 2003, 05:57:55 PM »
Joe (and everyone)

I've noticed a trend in ball pricing at the local pro shops. This is a large metropolis and I've priced equipment at six different shops. The trend I've noticed here is that the pro shop owners here seem to want to price their equipment the way the bars price their drinks.  That is to say, depending on the general "type" of ball, it is given a specific price.  In a bar, you typically have (names will vary) liquor sorted into "well", "call", "premium", and "top shelf".  So whether you're buying a "well" rum or "well" brandy or "well" scotch, they're all the same price.

The pro shops seem to have high performance, mid performance, low performance, and spare ball categories.  For example, at one shop, whether you buy a Hammer Vicous Pearl, an Ebonite Obsession, Lane #1 Black Cherry Bomb, or a Storm Fear Factor, they're all considered "high performance" and are all the same exact price.

So in these situations, yes Joe, you're correct.  The uninformed public is spending as much on other equipment as the Lane 1 stuff.

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(c) Copied Right! 2003 Knarly Stuff Inc.
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Robin

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #23 on: December 10, 2003, 06:09:48 PM »
You guys are really quite lucky,  The proshop where i buy all my equipment has the throttle up for £220 (english pounds.  work it into dollars) and lane 1 cost £20 more.  The average price in the uk for the latest releases is in the £200 pound mark.  So is getting the bum deal here?????
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JOE FALCO

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #24 on: December 10, 2003, 10:09:14 PM »
Just for clarification .. the prices I picked up where directly from BLOCKBUSTERBOWLING.COM .. I thought they were fairly reasonable .. in fact I think it was mentioned on BR that they were REASONABLE PRICED .. with the big variance in price HOW COULD ANYONE BUY A NEW BALL AND PAY AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO A LANE 1 BALL? The base price for the undrilled/undelivered balls that I recorded shows 'too big a variance' for them to cost equal amounts.

I hear the comment about DEALER MARK-UP and I understand how certain BALLS could be MARKED DOWN to keep a customer base .. but doesn't that BLOW YOUR MIND that BOWLERS would be so gullible? Before I buy ANYTHING I make sure the price is in the BALLPARK .. 25% HIGHER .. is NOT IN THE BALL PARK!

Thanks for your comments .. I hope we got to ONE BOWLER .. I'll be happy!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
      J O E - F A L C O
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arcright7

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Re: Bowling Ball prices
« Reply #25 on: December 10, 2003, 11:40:43 PM »
Joe,

I understood the point you were trying to make also.  What I don't understand is the mindset of some of the people here.  They tell you to knock off the topics concerning Lane1 pricing.  Then they turn around and ask who are you to tell them how much they should spend on balls?  Well who are they to tell you what you can and can't write?  It's a two way street folks!  Ever heard of freedom of speech?  If you don't like a particular topic (here's a thought) move on to the next one!  Perhaps you are not the one the person who wrote it is trying to reach...duh.  I realize there are some things that can't or should not be written, and we all know what these things are...but come on.  If you reply to a topic "YOU CONTIBUTE TO IT".  Maybe you should ask yourself why you bothered to instead.  Ok that's off my chest.  Sorry if I was offensive.  Just giving my (entitled) two cents.

....arc7


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