BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: squirrelywrath1 on September 06, 2012, 10:08:33 PM
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Hello everybody!
I have a Vintage Columbia White Dot that I need to determine about how old it is. I've already contacted Columbia 300, but it's been 3-4 days now with no reply.
Anyway, the box is beat to hell. Says it was made in San Antonio. The serial number is #6Y39718 if that helps. No drill sheet included.
Anyone have any idea?
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Columbia300 was bought out by Ebonite recently, so anything made prior to the buyout probably isn't going to get much attention from the new owners, who wouldn't be able to tell you anyway.
The first number is the serial number is a 6. That denotes the fact that it was produced in a year that ended with the number 6, as in 1976, 1986, 1996,........
I don't know that anybody ever really tracks the balls by serial number, so the actual date of production may be lost forever.
If it was made in San Antonio, it was probably prior to 2006, because many companies were having their polyester balls produced overseas by that time, so it is probably older than 2006 at least.
Can you post a picture of it? Believe it or not, the look of the whitedot has changed over the years, and some officionados might be able to get very close to the date just from the way the ball looks.
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Thank you Juggernaut. I was guessing sometime in the 80's. This ball has the old logo without the big "WD" on the side. It also punches up around 80-81 on my durometer, (harder than the ones being made today).
I will see about posting a photo sometime tomorrow.
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A picture of the logo might help. As far as drill instructions I don't think you will find much difference in new and old models. There is if I remember correctly a surface difference between the new and old ones. You probably can get that information from Ebonite. Also old white dots depending on how they were stored became brittle. Resurfacing may help but cracking out around the fingers and thumb may happen. The old white dot's were not as bad about it as the yellow dots but still did it.
Smash49
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if its the WD on the side to my memory that is a 90s ball. the 80s ones didnt have that
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It may be from the 70's and the durometer on them was in the low 80's! The yellow dots were in the mid 70 on the durometer and the white dots where low 80's with the blue dot being mid to upper 80's! The first number was the year as stated and there was a code that identified everything from the serial number.
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in the 70s they didnt have the big WD on side , i know that for sure
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November 1976. Number is the year, letter is the month produced! N started the year -no O - P Feb and so on!
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Thanks Gene/Raider! I knew somebody would remember the code!!! Good luck to you and the Raider this season!!
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Thanks Bruce! If we stay healthy, we might be in the hunt!!!!!!! I hope we get back to Tennessee next season so we can meet up!
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Thanks to all who chimed in on this one. My photo images are too large to be attached here. >:(
This ball is being put on Ebay if anyone is interested. No need for me to hang on to it.
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hello! i also have a white dot i am trying to date. I did not quite understand raiders reply. the serial number is IM32103. It is red/maroon marble color. I believe the first letter is an I it might be a 1? Its just a line. I can take a picture if anyone happens to come by this. there is no WD log or any other log other than the Columbia300.
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The first will be a number and it's probably a 1 the M means it was March. The first letter of the year he said was a "N" which would be January and that they did use "O" so the "N" was February and "M" would be March.
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so in plain english, what year is my white dot serial number #1M32103?
march 1981?
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Yes, I would say probably March 1981. The early white dot just had the Columbia 300 with a white dot in the center. They later went to the WD on the side of the ball. When EBI couldn't keep up with production I know they had some made overseas.
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Here is a pic of it. I'll be bowling with it this sunday ;D
its 15 lbs and seems like it will be a fun day trying out a 4 finger ball.
It will be my first time using one.
(https://www.ballreviews.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs875.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2Ferigais%2Fmedia%2FDSCF3547_zps42f11aaa.jpg.html&hash=db48c29cb6afbfa7f09ca44920669fa1c5827ee9)
http://s875.photobucket.com/user/erigais/media/DSCF3547_zps42f11aaa.jpg.html (http://s875.photobucket.com/user/erigais/media/DSCF3547_zps42f11aaa.jpg.html)
*edit, after picking it up a bit, not really sure how my hand is supposed to go into this, with my index in that far right hole? or my middle? if i ignore one of the holes it kinda feels like a finder tip :-\
and ty for all the help on the ball dating^^
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The hole on the left is a index finger hole. Also, it does look fingertip.
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Good luck with the three fingered ball and hope you don't track over the index finger hole!
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I suspect you're not going to like the index finger hole, if so have your pro shop plug it. -- JohnP
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yes i meant left hole, sorry about that, getting my left and right confused, no wonder im so bad at bowling. so i bowled with this 30 year old ball sunday, gave it a good test of 5 games.
my first impression was that the thing had almost no hook. 4 finger holes were comfortable and all the holes fit(very lucky on this i was). I found that by taking my finger out of that index hole it had a slight very nice smooth hook. I just couldnt get the revs right putting my index in there.
it was kind odd to bowl with i never really bowled with a ball with quite the same feel and i dont even know how to describe it. it kinda had a smooth "sticky" feel. i kinda felt like my ball speed was slower than other balls i bowl with and it kinda just glided until it hit some friction then it would hook ever so slightly but smoothly. was definately fun, my first couple of games started terrible!!! but i ended up kinda getting used to it and i definately think ill hang on to it for fun. i gotta say, if youre a stroker try to pick up one of these vintage white dots, it was a blast for me to play around with. it DOES hook its just easy and smooth, not a real bite like something you would be used to made in the past 10 years.
i think ill take that advice about plugging the index tho. after initially playing around with it i never used it again and i dont really see a reason to keep it there.
also i had a friend two hand it and got it to do some wicked hooks. he doesnt normally 2 hand but we were just enjoying the novelty of the ball so he gave it a shot.
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It might have been drilled originally for a left hander, then the extra hole would have been a pinky hole. -- JohnP