Author Topic: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class? (Read 9486 times)

Also Sprach Zaruthstra · « **on:** May 11, 2011, 05:39:23 AM »

Much discussion lately has been about the evolution and demise of bowling. There is not much mention of cost. I remember when bowling was $7.50 a week and the one ball you used was $59. So here are some basic numbers based on where I live:

1) Three ball arsenal including spare ball $500 (per year average)

2) League fee for one league $20 @ 35 weeks $700

3) Gasoline for the 45-60 minute drive $300 a year (estimate)

4) Food and Beverage $300 a year (estimate)

5) Practice before league $10 @ 35 weeks $350

6) Sanction fee $14

7) Misc items like tape,rosin, sure slide, ball polish, etc...$50

Total for bowling once a week for $35 weeks $2214 a year!

Additional league double that number excluding equipment! Add a tournament or two and you are looking at $4000 a year to bowl.

Is it worth it?

ASZ

9andaWiggle · « **Reply #16 on:** May 12, 2011, 01:05:14 PM »

Priced out of the middle class? No, I don't think so. A recreational bowler, or even a good kinda serious bowler can buy one or two balls, shoes, and a bag and use them for several years without issue. The league cost, food, and beverage aren't too bad (you can always eat before you bowl and just buy a drink at the lanes if you need to cut back). For the middle class, I don't think finding an extra $80 - $100 a month is the issue. There has been a massive social change, and that is what has been hurting bowling for a while now. People have more options, more to do, for the same or similar money. People no longer wish to gather with the same people (if they like to gather at all) and do the same thing week after week. That change in social behavior is what has hurt bowling the most.

Now, pricing out the lower, or lower end of middle class is a possibility. In smaller areas like where I grew up, the threat of job losses and the cost of food/energy skyrocketing while the wages stay stagnant puts a hurting on them and the bowling alleys that rely on them to stay open. When you've got $100 left and payday is a week away, the kids need food, your car needs gas to get you to work, and the electric bill is past due, bowling is the last thing you'll be spending any of that $100 on.

9~ Internet Tough Guy and
Cyberspace Sheep Lover

Good Times Good Times · « **Reply #17 on:** May 12, 2011, 01:20:50 PM »

JOE FALCO wrote on 5/12/2011 9:12 AM:
If the cost isn't killing bowling .. what is?

Get Motivated .. get Motiv

J O E - F A L C O

RIP Thong Princess/Sawbones

Joe I think this game just may be too expensive for you in general.. You worry about 10 bucks so.....it may be quite high in your book as a "sport" in general....

Am I being unfair?

GetOffMe10Pin

Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage. - Theodore Roosevelt

clint191 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 12, 2011, 01:39:20 PM »

Just thinking about it again, the costs of bowling aren't that much more expensive than when I first started around 8-9 yrs ago. Facts are that the cost of living are up and many people are still working for the same or less pay (if they're even working at all)

Many families have had to cutback on luxuries or recreational activities. I used to make every Georgia football game home and away. That no longer happens! Golf also went from playing once-twice a wk to maybe twice a yr. There's still some other things that could be cut if the need arises but.....

I enjoy bowling and will try and continue to bowl a couple nights a week as long as I can afford to do so. I think of it as time to be w/ my friends, time to get out of the house, while at the same time a competitive activity that you don't always get to do as you get older.

There's always cheaper alternatives that allow us to continue to bowl as some of you guys have mentioned. You certainly don't always have to buy the high performance balls, bowl the "money" leagues, and you certainly don't have to always eat/drink at the center if the cost becomes to expensive. Our local center is only 3-4 miles from my house, but I still bowl a league that's 30-40 minutes away. Carpooling is a wonderful thing and no one on my team has to drive more than once every 3-4 weeks.

If the person really enjoys bowling, he/she will find a way!!!

Sunshine n Lollipops · « **Reply #19 on:** May 12, 2011, 02:19:41 PM »

Don't any of you win any pots? I finished $800 in the black this year. Not bad. Had a great time and made money. Here's what I don't get about topics like this. Who is the "middle class" and who are we to decide if it's too expensive for an entire economic class? Everybody has a cost to value line in their mind. The line gets crossed, some people quit. I know other people that won't quit no matter what. That's up to them.

Don't believe in the Uzi, it just went off in my hand. I, I believe in love.

batbowler · « **Reply #20 on:** May 23, 2011, 05:55:44 PM »

Well when I started driving the cost of gas was $.25 a gallon, so I could fill up the tank for $5.00 and that was a 20 gallon tank. I would go to the movies for $.50 and with popcorn and drink I'd pay about $3.00. So I guess if you figure gas prices now and movie prices now that it's all went up a bunch!!!! Just my $.02, Bruce

"Train a child up in the way they should go and when they are old they will "Bowl up a STORM", be MOTIVated to be "King OF THEM ALL" and not turn from it, besides bowling starts with a Big B!

Bruce Campbell
USBC Bronze Certified Coach
IBPSIA Certified Technician
Originator of the -35deg x 25 leverage drilling!
http://stormbowling.com/products/balls
http://www.rotogrip.com/products/balls/
http://visionarybowling.com/

http://www.motivbowling.com/products/2/

http://www.brunswickbowling.com/products
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usfan51473 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 23, 2011, 09:51:19 PM »

The prices are higher these days than in years before...but so is everything else. I learned a long time ago bowling is not going to put food on my table and clothes on my back. Those who think they do it for the money are only fooling themselves. I bowl one night a week in a mixed leauge. Cost-- $15 per week. Sure the return at the end of the season is not there like money leauges, but I think I have more fun bowling in this type of environment than in a high competition leauge. I also bowl a summer ball leauge where you get your choice of any ball you want. That's how I afford a new ball every year. Cost-- $18-24 per week depending on what ball you want. Gas...we are going to go out and do stuff anyway. I'm not gonna sit home and cry about prices I have no control over. I generally bowl one big tourney a year and then some smaller house types occasionally. You only live once...might as well enjoy the ride!!!!

txbowler · « **Reply #22 on:** May 24, 2011, 08:15:00 AM »

I had this discussion with my co-workers a while back. They were wondering why I spent so much on bowling? Then we started talking about their discretionary spending...

One guy spends over a $1000 a year in hunting.

One lady buys over $2000 a year in designer handbags and shoes.

Another guy had recently bought his third pair of $350 designer sunglasses.

And finally one guy had just bought a brand new $400 fishing rod & reel.

And my final question to them was, out of all these expenditures, does any of them have any potential to earn you a dime of money? Of course not. Mine does. But for all of us, these expenditures bring us some form of satisfaction or happiness.

JOE FALCO · « **Reply #23 on:** May 24, 2011, 11:46:15 AM »

I've heard this term used by a few on here .. MONEY BOWLERS .. would anyone venture a guess at what percentage of MONEY BOWLERS there are in their own house .. or perhaps .. what percentage of CUSTOMERS a Pro Shop might have that are MONEY BOWLERS? (My definition of MONEY BOWLER: A bowler who's only purpose is to MAKE MONEY).

ALSO SPRACH .. if you think I am not continuing your topic .. please advise and I will delete my comment!

JessN16 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 24, 2011, 09:09:18 PM »

There are two excellent posts on the first page about the effects of inflation on the general cost of ALL goods and services, and if anyone else posts in this thread without reading those two posts, you're just wasting our time.

The average rate of inflation is around 3-4 percent, annually. An inflation rate of 3.5 percent doubles the cost of goods/services every 20 years. Speak to your local financial advisor (or just look it up yourself) and you'll see it spelled out.

In other words, if it cost you $10 a week to bowl in 1991 and it's costing you $20 a week to bowl now, it's costing you the same now as it did then, adjusted for inflation.

Jess

tburky · « **Reply #25 on:** May 25, 2011, 03:07:29 AM »

JessN16 wrote on 5/24/2011 9:09 PM:There are two excellent posts on the first page about the effects of inflation on the general cost of ALL goods and services, and if anyone else posts in this thread without reading those two posts, you're just wasting our time.

The average rate of inflation is around 3-4 percent, annually. An inflation rate of 3.5 percent doubles the cost of goods/services every 20 years. Speak to your local financial advisor (or just look it up yourself) and you'll see it spelled out.

In other words, if it cost you $10 a week to bowl in 1991 and it's costing you $20 a week to bowl now, it's costing you the same now as it did then, adjusted for inflation.

Jess

The difference between now and then is the fact that wages have not kept up for a lot of the people.

JessN16 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 25, 2011, 10:24:42 PM »

'Tis true. But even so, the bowling center's bills are doubling and they can't be expected to eat the cost differential alone. There seems to be an attitude among many that the bowling centers keep raising their prices indiscriminately and their owners are rolling in dough. I don't believe that's the case.

Jess

tburky wrote on 5/25/2011 3:07 AM:

The difference between now and then is the fact that wages have not kept up for a lot of the people.

rvmark · « **Reply #27 on:** May 26, 2011, 12:51:17 PM »

To answer the question IMO no bowling has not priced itself out of contention. It is up to each individual how many balls they buy. It is up to each individual how much they spend on food and beverages. The different leagues I bowl in run from $12-$18 per week for the lineage plus prize fund and secretary fees. We normally eat after bowling and catch the 2 for 1 special so the food does not cost and since I can't drink beer while on medication my beverage cost is minimal.

Mark

r534me · « **Reply #28 on:** May 26, 2011, 03:48:35 PM »

Good post. I found a calculator and I have not verified it by hand but it claims to use the cpi up until 2010.

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

If the calculator is correct, $11.00 in 1991 will cost someone $17.38 in 2010. Adjusting for 3.5% for 2010-2011 should yield a very small increase to the $17.38 number.

JessN16 wrote on 5/24/2011 9:09 PM:There are two excellent posts on the first page about the effects of inflation on the general cost of ALL goods and services, and if anyone else posts in this thread without reading those two posts, you're just wasting our time.

The average rate of inflation is around 3-4 percent, annually. An inflation rate of 3.5 percent doubles the cost of goods/services every 20 years. Speak to your local financial advisor (or just look it up yourself) and you'll see it spelled out.

In other words, if it cost you $10 a week to bowl in 1991 and it's costing you $20 a week to bowl now, it's costing you the same now as it did then, adjusted for inflation.

Jess

r534me · « **Reply #29 on:** May 26, 2011, 03:53:35 PM »

Absolutely true. With the U.S. being more of a service oriented economy now it's likely going to get worse before it gets better.

tburky wrote on 5/25/2011 3:07 AM:

JessN16 wrote on 5/24/2011 9:09 PM:There are two excellent posts on the first page about the effects of inflation on the general cost of ALL goods and services, and if anyone else posts in this thread without reading those two posts, you're just wasting our time.

The average rate of inflation is around 3-4 percent, annually. An inflation rate of 3.5 percent doubles the cost of goods/services every 20 years. Speak to your local financial advisor (or just look it up yourself) and you'll see it spelled out.

In other words, if it cost you $10 a week to bowl in 1991 and it's costing you $20 a week to bowl now, it's costing you the same now as it did then, adjusted for inflation.

Jess

The difference between now and then is the fact that wages have not kept up for a lot of the people.

Smash49 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 30, 2011, 10:35:35 AM »

It is very expensive to operate a bowling center. The cost are enormous.

24 lane center electric bill: $4800 a month.

24 lanes new synthetic lanes: $150,000

24 lanes new scoring: $150,000

Kegel lane machine nothing fancy: $15,000

Don't for get the supplies

Labor

new pins $150 a box X 2 per machine X 24 + 4 extra just to replace old stuff.

Average league 88 bowlers at $10 a night lineage = $880 if you are lucky that may happen 3 times a week.

Almost no rental shoes

$2700 a week. multiply this by 42 weeks = $113,400 figure summer is dead.

Now go back to just the electric bill at $4800 a month. Be conservative and call it $4000 a month times 52. You will be open 52 weeks a year! Cost = $208,000 so you spend almost double your major league lineage intake to just turn on the lights!

So bowling its self has not priced itself out of the market.

Smash49

Slick, tacky, wood or synthetic it does not matter your slide is correct with SLSM Designs Bowlers Slide Sock. The Finest Slide Sock on the Planet!!!
www.bowlersslidesock.com
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Author Topic: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class? (Read 9486 times)

Also Sprach Zaruthstra

Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

9andaWiggle

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

Good Times Good Times

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

clint191

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

Sunshine n Lollipops

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

batbowler

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

usfan51473

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

txbowler

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

JOE FALCO

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

JessN16

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

tburky

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

JessN16

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

rvmark

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

r534me

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

r534me

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?

Smash49

Re: Has Bowling Priced Itself Out Of The Middle Class?