Author Topic: Buying online VS buying at the local shop (Read 5457 times)

Juggernaut · « **on:** February 09, 2010, 10:44:18 AM »

(Another thread asking about online buying was getting away from the intent of the OP, so I started this to continue this discussion)

There are many, myself included, that tends to buy much of their equipment from online shops. There are still many who prefer their local shop and the service they get there. Each group has its own reasons. What I'm wondering is, WHOSE RIGHT and WHOSE WRONG?

Virtually ALL shops who post here tout the virtues of buying from a "real" shop where you get things like advice and service. Others speak well of online shops where you get merchandise only and service may be a crap shoot. Shops posting here claim they can meet or beat deals that can be had online, but I have yet to see anyone match the deals I have made, or the prices I've paid.

Is it just a personal choice? Or is there a REAL difference?

Now, you shop guys, please don't just jump in here claiming to be the "end all, be all". You do have your good things, but are they enough to offset actually saving money ( and I do, else I wouldn't do it)

And you online guys, don't just jump in claiming you save the GNP of China by buying online. I've bought enough stuff to know how it works, and how to save some bucks by doing it, but I don't have a really good shop anywhere around here for 100 miles.

So, what is it?
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agroves · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2010, 08:33:13 AM »

We don't stock much in the shop. Matter of fact, I have only one ball right now....a 12lb Natural.

I don't have any problem with online purchases. It keeps the overhead low. I have quite a few customers ask me what ball they should get. We discuss it, I tell them what specs to order online and they bring it to me. I actually think it works out very well. There are too many balls on the market to stock everything that everybody wants. I'd say I haven't ordered the same ball twice from our distributor yet this year.

Otherwise, I make plenty of money on plugging, resurfacing and insert changes.

FWIW, I order my personal equipment online or from sellers here on BR.....

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Proshop Operator
North Bowl Bowling Center
www.northbowlspokane.com
ctwings10--"Here's the problem with any retail service - You can't fix stupid."

Nicanor · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2010, 08:52:10 AM »

I think for the most part, the pro shops with more then a couple of bowling balls are becoming less and less. So there aren't as many looky loos walking into a pro shop and buying a ball off the shelf. Why stock different companies and different weights when you can order a ball and if early enough get it the next day or at least the day after. So why chase away potential customers by charging higher prices to drill a ball just to try to get them to order a ball from you.

Drilling a ball is almost all labor. Thumb slugs and inserts are fairly cheap but what is charged for them through a pro shop is almost illegal. Alvin Kou charged me $50 to drill a ball about 6 years ago and wouldn't even oval the thumb. Never went back. Today $50 dollars is still a little high to drill a blank ball regardless.

One of our local pro shops says bring me you internet balls. Drills them for $35 a pop. Will do it all day. No overhead, no discussions about what ball to buy unless you go there in advance no stocking a lot of bowling balls, just make money. He'll order a ball for you in a second, but he takes his work in anyway he can and doesn't chase them down the street by trying to charge high prices to drill a blank ball.

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Nicanor (Ten On The Deck)

pop_1 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2010, 09:03:10 AM »

Buddies Pro Shop drills my stuff, but they are also a "real" shop.

jls · « **Reply #19 on:** February 10, 2010, 09:48:45 AM »

quote:
I think for the most part, the pro shops with more then a couple of bowling balls are becoming less and less. So there aren't as many looky loos walking into a pro shop and buying a ball off the shelf. Why stock different companies and different weights when you can order a ball and if early enough get it the next day or at least the day after. So why chase away potential customers by charging higher prices to drill a ball just to try to get them to order a ball from you.

Drilling a ball is almost all labor. Thumb slugs and inserts are fairly cheap but what is charged for them through a pro shop is almost illegal. Alvin Kou charged me $50 to drill a ball about 6 years ago and wouldn't even oval the thumb. Never went back. Today $50 dollars is still a little high to drill a blank ball regardless.

One of our local pro shops says bring me you internet balls. Drills them for $35 a pop. Will do it all day. No overhead, no discussions about what ball to buy unless you go there in advance no stocking a lot of bowling balls, just make money. He'll order a ball for you in a second, but he takes his work in anyway he can and doesn't chase them down the street by trying to charge high prices to drill a blank ball.

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Nicanor (Ten On The Deck)

We have about 72 balls on display... We stock hundreds of balls.

About 90% of all are sales are in stock... About 10% special order..

Our customers like the fact that they can come in and see all the new releases and if they decide on one, get it drilled now...

What I do here is this, "why go to a pro shop if you still have to order the ball" That makes no sense.... You might as well order online, if your local pro shop doesn't stock anything....

BTW, the new releases are all doing well. and have really increase sales...

This last weekend of Thurs- Sat. was busier then any weekend during the holidays.... So bowling interest is up.......

Seriously, I think that most of you online shoppers think all pro shops are "converted broom closets" like the ones you see at you center...With little or no inventory.

We are not....

We stock hundreds of balls, bags and shoes....

And we have been in business for just over 3 weeks...

just so you know
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jls "Obama, you wanna see my truck"

agroves · « **Reply #20 on:** February 10, 2010, 10:32:43 AM »

quote:
We have about 72 balls on display... We stock hundreds of balls.

About 90% of all are sales are in stock... About 10% special order..

Our customers like the fact that they can come in and see all the new releases and if they decide on one, get it drilled now...

What I do here is this, "why go to a pro shop if you still have to order the ball" That makes no sense.... You might as well order online, if your local pro shop doesn't stock anything....

BTW, the new releases are all doing well. and have really increase sales...

This last weekend of Thurs- Sat. was busier then any weekend during the holidays.... So bowling interest is up.......

Seriously, I think that most of you online shoppers think all pro shops are "converted broom closets" like the ones you see at you center...With little or no inventory.

We are not....

We stock hundreds of balls, bags and shoes....

And we have been in business for just over 3 weeks...

just so you know

Glad you can afford the overhead. Not every shop can. Yes, you miss out on the impulse buyer, but you can still win the customer by discussing the purchase and giving them the specs for ordering elsewhere.
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Proshop Operator
North Bowl Bowling Center
www.northbowlspokane.com
ctwings10--"Here's the problem with any retail service - You can't fix stupid."

Pinbuster · « **Reply #21 on:** February 10, 2010, 10:35:09 AM »

I buy from a local shop. I know the driller, it is well stocked, and get good service.

If you didn't have a good shop in your local I could understand buying online to an extent. But you still have to get it drilled and I wouldn't trust an online shop to do that.

I don't buy that many balls (1 or 2 a year at most) and would much rather support my local guys.

The Stroke · « **Reply #22 on:** February 10, 2010, 11:00:35 AM »

support your local pro shop. I'd rather spend teh extra $10 for service.
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Toodles

Mike Austin · « **Reply #23 on:** February 10, 2010, 09:25:11 PM »

quote:
quote:
We have about 72 balls on display... We stock hundreds of balls.

About 90% of all are sales are in stock... About 10% special order..

Our customers like the fact that they can come in and see all the new releases and if they decide on one, get it drilled now...

What I do here is this, "why go to a pro shop if you still have to order the ball" That makes no sense.... You might as well order online, if your local pro shop doesn't stock anything....

BTW, the new releases are all doing well. and have really increase sales...

This last weekend of Thurs- Sat. was busier then any weekend during the holidays.... So bowling interest is up.......

Seriously, I think that most of you online shoppers think all pro shops are "converted broom closets" like the ones you see at you center...With little or no inventory.

We are not....

We stock hundreds of balls, bags and shoes....

And we have been in business for just over 3 weeks...

just so you know

Glad you can afford the overhead. Not every shop can. Yes, you miss out on the impulse buyer, but you can still win the customer by discussing the purchase and giving them the specs for ordering elsewhere.
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Proshop Operator
North Bowl Bowling Center
www.northbowlspokane.com
ctwings10--"Here's the problem with any retail service - You can't fix stupid."

How is he missing out on the impulse buyer? I must be misreading you groves?? With all that inventory he can get the impulse buyer who wants it right away.

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Check out my blog:

www.strikes4days.blogspot.com

Mike Austin · « **Reply #24 on:** February 10, 2010, 09:39:56 PM »

quote:
Yeah, I think that's the million dollar question for local pro shops. If they really want to stay in business they should scale back and basically only make money off of the drilling and servicing of the bowling balls. I would stress training, giving lessons, and focusing heavily on league and youth bowling.

Personally, I buy everything from Buddies because their service and prices can't be beat. It's not like they have the best website in the world, so some pro shop out there could do better. Either way the the online pro shop market is still very young and we've only seen the beginning of what's to come.

I go to my local shop for everything service wise. Routine deep cleaning, surface changes, tape, ball cleaners, layout suggestions, new finger grips. If I get something plugged and re-drilled I go to my local shop. I buy all of my wifes equipment at local shops, because she gets a new ball once a year and I can take that hit to support my friends.
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"The framers of our Constitution believed that if the people were to be sovereign and belong to different religions at the same time then our official religion would have to be no religion at all. It was a bold experiment then as it is now. It wasn't meant to make us comfortable, it was meant to make us free."

So now you want to tell the pro shops how to make even less money? Scale back? If the shop is in a high traffic bowling center, has been there awhile, knows what he is doing, he cannot afford to not stock balls and just be a hole pounder.

What some don't seem to understand, at the GOOD shops, the internet balls are still in the minority. The shops that drill a majority of internet balls are doing that for a reason. They are cheap and probably not very good, hence they have to lower their price to acquire business.

@ Moto, you are in the minority. MOST ball buyers do not know what they want. MOST do not do any of their work themselves. Many want the ball right now, impulse purchase, which a well stocked pro shop can take care of.

@ scizzo, some shops have their feelings hurt if you don't buy the ball from them. Shops do make a few bucks on the mark up of the ball. These shops are going by the wayside. The internet is here to stay, soooo, the shop has to make X dollars to stay in business, if they are losing sales in one area, (equipment), they have to make it up in another area, (service). Service prices are going to rise, the shops still have X dollars in costs to stay in business, and they are probably rising too.

Personally, I didn't care where you bought the ball from, me, internet, ebay, friends, whatever.... The $50-$70 spent getting the ball drilled, fixed, plugged..... was the same no matter what. BUT, the internet balls were probably only 10-15% of my drillings. The others bought the ball from me.

@ Nicanor, dude don't you know you live in one of the most expensive areas in the country?? I have bowling friends in the San Diego area, you may know them, $50 is not outrageous in that part of the country. Alvin Lou has his PBA days reputation behind him, and to most people that will enable him to command a good price. If you feel it is too high, don't shop him. But if he is busy, and his clientele is happy, then don't bag on him.

@ Jugggg there really isn't any wrong, it's just business. Shops get their feelings hurt, consumers get their panties in a wad, but in the end, shops/nets have to do what they have to do to stay in business. Consumers have to/should do what they feel gives them the best value for their money.
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Neptune66 · « **Reply #25 on:** February 10, 2010, 10:25:34 PM »

I buy some things online. Never bowling balls.

I am so incredibly fussy about the fit of every ball to my hand, that the slightest imperfection from an online driller would cause me a major inconvenience and headache.

I am lucky that I have two pro-shops rreasonably close to me that usually do a pretty good job drilling my equipment. One of them is a little lower in price, but always likes to customize the drilling when I come to pick up the ball. The other shop drills it perfect on the first try, and has the ball waiting for me when I come to get it. But they are sky-high with their prices.

So... when I want to save $25-50, I take a chance on the lower priced shop. But other times, when I don''t feel like messing around with the fit and/or just HOPING they can have my new ball literally ready to roll from the moment I take delivery, I patronize the more expensive shop and the extra money, to me, is justified by the convenience (and speed).

If I buy a ball online, and the drilling doesn''t feel 100% perfect.... I do not wnat to have to be shipping the ball back and waiting---and hoping---it will/can be fixed to my satisfaction.

Just my 2 cents....

Edited on 2/10/2010 11:26 PM

rackattack · « **Reply #26 on:** February 11, 2010, 08:11:08 AM »

I price a ball online and call my driller. If he can get within $10-$15 I'll ask him to supply it. If not he'll tell me to order the ball online and charge me for drilling.

I buy everything else the same way.Most times he can get close to the online price and still make a little.I always call him first though. Unless it's a huge savings I like to keep it local.

There are times when what I want is only available online and I have to go that route.For example, my ABS shoes(pre Dyno) had to be ordered from Japan online.I also like the covers on international balls only available to me online.

I'm sure the online shops will supply top notch drilling service but I enjoy the one on one experience I get locally. A bonus of that is if the ball does not perform as hoped he will plug and redrill the ball and only charge for his materials cost.
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It's all about the X

jls · « **Reply #27 on:** February 11, 2010, 08:18:19 AM »

quote:
I price a ball online and call my driller. If he can get within $10-$15 I'll ask him to supply it. If not he'll tell me to order the ball online and charge me for drilling.

I buy everything else the same way.Most times he can get close to the online price and still make a little.I always call him first though. Unless it's a huge savings I like to keep it local.

There are times when what I want is only available online and I have to go that route.For example, my ABS shoes(pre Dyno) had to be ordered from Japan online.I also like the covers on international balls only available to me online.

I'm sure the online shops will supply top notch drilling service but I enjoy the one on one experience I get locally. A bonus of that is if the ball does not perform as hoped he will plug and redrill the ball and only charge for his materials cost.
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It's all about the X

Triple AAA+++ Now here is an excellent post...
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jls "Obama, you wanna see my truck"

Boos · « **Reply #28 on:** February 11, 2010, 10:26:49 AM »

Quote

Quote
I buy everything else the same way.Most times he can get close to the online price and still make a little.I always call him first though. Unless it's a huge savings I like to keep it local.

I agree with it to a point. Online Shops like mine supply to Your door Your supplies. A lot like Safeway.com, Amazon.com, Papajohns.com, etc. A lot of people do not like the way Pro Shop guys talk them into something they do not need. It happens a lot where the pro shops I live are. The only thing with online is certain compenies sell under cost and hurt even us online shops. So they are not just hurting brick and mortar places.

mmcfarland300 · « **Reply #29 on:** February 13, 2010, 09:30:05 AM »

quote:
Quote
Quote
I buy everything else the same way.Most times he can get close to the online price and still make a little.I always call him first though. Unless it's a huge savings I like to keep it local.

I agree with it to a point. Online Shops like mine supply to Your door Your supplies. A lot like Safeway.com, Amazon.com, Papajohns.com, etc. A lot of people do not like the way Pro Shop guys talk them into something they do not need. It happens a lot where the pro shops I live are. The only thing with online is certain compenies sell under cost and hurt even us online shops. So they are not just hurting brick and mortar places.

Showing BR.com yet again how not to use the quote function.
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utopia6 · « **Reply #30 on:** February 13, 2010, 09:58:09 AM »

I do both, but only buy out of the pro shop on impulse. I understand the up charge, but serously, if I buy a Jigsaw online for $130 and get in drilled for $50, thats $185. If I buy it through the pro shop down the street, I pay $240, which includes drilling. Thats a big mark up. The pro shop guy in the bowling alley has not even offered to watch me throw a few shots to recommend the right ball and drilling. Just put three holes in and give him $50. Is that service? The other pro shop down the street doesn't stock a lot, and just orders. He charges $60 for drilling, and that same Jigsaw there would be $250!! I know you got too make money, but what am I getting for MY money?

Author Topic: Buying online VS buying at the local shop (Read 5457 times)

Juggernaut

Buying online VS buying at the local shop

agroves

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

Nicanor

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

pop_1

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

jls

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

agroves

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

Pinbuster

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

The Stroke

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

Mike Austin

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

Mike Austin

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

Neptune66

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

rackattack

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

jls

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

Boos

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

mmcfarland300

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop

utopia6

Re: Buying online VS buying at the local shop