I store all of my older balls, that I don't sell in the basement.  I may go back and grab one just to see how it will react  if I am having carry issues. It seems like after the ball sits for a while, then I use it again, it has great carry, like it rejuvenates itself from sitting. Do you get the same reactions from older stuff? Its almost like I have a new ball again after it sits!

I don't think that carry should really change as long as you're playing the right kind of line; however, I've often been struck by how much weaker today's balls are compared to those of years passed.

In their day, both the Inferno and the Lane 1 Cherry Bomb pearl were two big-hooking pieces. Neither handled tons of oil, but they could really cover some boards if you had dry to bounce them off of. Out of nostalgia, I picked up a Cherry Bomb Pearl a year or two back, and that ball slid like a hockey puck! I simply couldn't use it in the same part of the lane I used it in back in its heyday. Now, when I squared up and went with the boards, the ball hit just fine when I got it to the pocket. Still, it wasn't the swing it and bring it ball that I loved so much when it was new.

At least in my area, the new lane surface, different machine, and different conditioner being used all add up to old balls not having nearly as much bite as they did when they were new. You can still strike with them, but not from the same lines you did when they were fresh out of the box. Maybe that's just me and my center/area.

I'm  great believer in the older balls.  All of the new stuff I try hooks way too much for my style.  I am a "control" stroker  and the "hockey stick" back-end drives me crazy.  Thank heavens I kept the old stuff.

I had a Rising Star that was ok but not very strong when I first bought it.  Put it away for a season or so and decided to give it a try and all of the sudden had a screaming backend reaction.  Weird....

I'm  great believer in the older balls.  All of the new stuff I try hooks way too much for my style.  I am a "control" stroker  and the "hockey stick" back-end drives me crazy.  Thank heavens I kept the old stuff.

+1; I recently used my Freeze---not exactly a relic---but it had been sitting unused in the basement for a long time. I wanted something with a smooth and continuous arc, so I threw the Freeze in league play earlier this week---still a nice ball if you like what it has to offer.

Is it possible that the oil moves further away from the surface of the coverstock when it sits for an extended period of time?  Or it evaporates so that the surface is now clean to absorb more oil?