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Author Topic: question about equipment booths  (Read 3898 times)

rymacatthedisco

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question about equipment booths
« on: May 13, 2008, 08:50:54 AM »
was wondering if there are any good deals out there at any of the booths, and also what ball shirts are being sold this year, i would love to get a cell shirt and a vibe shirt from hammer while im out there
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RYAN MCDANIEL...Northern Illinois University bowling

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JMORRIS

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2008, 02:27:28 PM »
quote:
I wonder where they got the Yellow Sun Storm from????


I'd love to have one again, but not at that price!

BeansProShop

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2008, 03:19:33 PM »
Thanks for the complements guys and gals...

I have a passion for this sport that never gets old and I can talk to anyone about bowling for hours...

beans

Feel free to stop in and chat....It would be even better if you stopped in and picked up a Lane#1 ball...
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Lane#1 Ball Drilling Expert
Thanks for reading and be sure to check us out at the Lane#1 booth in Albuquerque. Check out current eBay auctions at:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=bowling_with_leah
Official Pro Shop of "ALL" F.O.S. Members!!!
Looking for a great place to sell your bowling equipment?? Auction style,Fixed Price and FREE For A Limited Time! Try www.bestintheworldauctions.com and to Purchase The "Secret Sauce" visit www.beansproshop.com
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
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THEICEMAN

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #18 on: May 14, 2008, 03:33:45 PM »
Plus I think the Buzz Bomb polo is the hottest one out there right now.  Purple and Black with white trim and the logos.  My wife grabbed both that and the I Got Buzzed T, while I bowled team.  Never had a channce to talk to Beans myself though as I bowled minors at 11:30 PM and he was long gone once we got to the center that next night.  Appreciated the layout for my BB from him though before I headed out there.

theiceman

DanR

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #19 on: May 14, 2008, 08:39:07 PM »
Sixcranker

Guys in the Brunswick booth don't care about selling TZone, they want to sell performance and Viz A balls.  All act like big shots.

Storm booth was same for me too but I didn't ask any questions but you would assume someone would cover over and ask if you needed something. Basic customer service.  Saw too many balls where the CG was way out of line, they call it pro pin but I think it's another name for defect x-out balls

Hammer booth was busy but once they saw me checking out the balls at least the guy at the counter came over and asked if I needed help.  

Ebonite guys were OK and they had the most shirts available from cheap to higher quality.  No great deals expect for the NVS.

Columbia booth seemed bare with not much products, I assume because they only have hand full of balls.  They had nice shirts and jackets.  I believe the workers in the Columbia booth also worked the Ebonite booth.

Visionary booth has Frankie May, " Hey Super Guy "  bet he used that line few time in his life time

All the booths care about is selling higher price balls and nothing else. Just go get the best deal possible.

JoeBowler

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #20 on: May 16, 2008, 12:50:26 PM »
If they had sucessfulll proshops back home they wouldnt be there

DanR

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #21 on: May 17, 2008, 12:37:52 AM »
Six, I agree with you completely.  Customer service is what I saw Brunswick and Storm booth lacked.  No matter if they're selling a ball ( any price ), shirt or even a rosin bag, they should take care of the customers.
Maybe this is why I stopped buying Brunswick and now maybe Storm balls.

rge

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #22 on: May 17, 2008, 07:15:26 AM »
I've never owned a Buzzsaw ball, but their flame shirts are righteous.  Can't beat the price either!  (29.95)
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Rats get fat.  Good men die.

frontiers2

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #23 on: May 17, 2008, 02:34:17 PM »
i would have to concur with most of the posts regarding the customer service at the nationals.  I didnt bowl this year but i was in ABQ for work and i did stop by the booths.  did anyone catch the storm booth??  didnt the thunderstruck some out last year??  and i thought the price was $149 or more??  and i didn't see lots of tournament deals going on.  still the same prices as last year.  you would think that with the tourney going on, they would have promos to sell their equipment.  and yeah their attitudes were a little to be desired.  the best booth i found was visionary.  frankie was busy as usual but when he got the time to chat with me, it was awesome.  he really paid attention to what i had to say and what i was looking for in terms of type of ball, look, etc.  i was looking getting a ball from the other guys, but he got me leaning towards visionary.  

oh.. and did anyone catch the used balls the companies had for sale??  talk about quality plug work?? im being sarcastic.  for the prices they were charging, i would've rather bought the ball for half and had a better plug job done.  

af

BeansProShop

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #24 on: May 18, 2008, 01:30:33 AM »
quote:
If they had sucessfulll proshops back home they wouldnt be there


Not True!!!

beans
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www.beansproshop.com
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Lane#1 Ball Drilling Expert
Thanks for reading and be sure to check us out at the Lane#1 booth in Albuquerque. Check out current eBay auctions at:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=bowling_with_leah
Official Pro Shop of "ALL" F.O.S. Members!!!
Looking for a great place to sell your bowling equipment?? Auction style,Fixed Price and FREE For A Limited Time! Try www.bestintheworldauctions.com and to Purchase The "Secret Sauce" visit www.beansproshop.com
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Pro Shop Own

Mike Austin

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #25 on: May 18, 2008, 06:50:36 PM »
quote:
quote:
If they had sucessfulll proshops back home they wouldnt be there


Not True!!!

beans
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www.beansproshop.com
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Lane#1 Ball Drilling Expert
Thanks for reading and be sure to check us out at the Lane#1 booth in Albuquerque. Check out current eBay auctions at:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=bowling_with_leah
Official Pro Shop of "ALL" F.O.S. Members!!!



Beans is exactly right.  These guys are working there, some for the experience, some because of who they know, some cuz they don't want to get a real job.  How successful can their shop at home be if they leave during the large part of the bowling season to go work for somebody else for $8 an hour??  I've had offers in the past to work a booth.  If I was younger, I would probably like to do it 1-2 years.  The experience, the networking would probably be invaluable.  I was always ran over in my Houston shop, I just couldn't pry myself away for that long of a period of time.

The Storm booth is not the same without my girl Carol Norman working there.  She is perfect for the booth, can put on the happy face no matter what, endless patience, a bowler to her core.  She knows her stuff too, not just a pretty face that can throw it.  She now has probably the #1 or #2 shop in Houston, I know for a fact her business has spiked since I have been gone, I told all my customers to go to 2 places, hers was one.

Some of those guys are REALLY good, but their attitude stinks.  Six is right, the huge majority of people don't know their mass bias from their..... hole in the ground, and I'm sure it gets old answering those questions every day, BUT, those guys should know that when they took the job.  There aren't many kids or newbie drillers working those booths.  Its gonna be hard to find good drillers, good people people that will work those long hours on their feet for $8 an hour.  Long hours, not many days off, wears you out.

I completely agree with Six and his take.  That is how it is for me most every year.  Frankie May is great, great ambassador for Visionary.  If they would just go PBA Grassroots I would buy the Ogre deal next month when I go!!

Columbia booth has sucked for years, I've told my people about that too, nothing gets done.  The people running the Brunswick booth have always thought their poop didn't stink.  Young punks wanting to argue with me about my PAP and my drillings and all kinds of stuff (in the past).  I'm not some yahoo right out of the corn field that balls one night a week in his eight lane center that orders balls from a catalog.  Helloooo???  Things like this topic really irk me because I put soooo much effort into giving good customer service in my shop.  These guys think they can treat you like dirt because you are a semi captive audience.  Bullllony!!

Wheres JLS when I need him!!!

Beans, I will be seeing you June 30 and July 1, be ready bruthurrrr!!

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Edited on 5/18/2008 6:53 PM
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BeansProShop

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #26 on: May 19, 2008, 05:44:48 PM »
My shop is quite successful. I also own a bread delivery route back home. I was just lucky enough to have a good, trustworthy group of workers that can hold down the fort for 6 months while I am gone. I can tell you that the good ball drillers and salesmen out here do not make $8 per hour. They make at least what they make back home at their regular jobs or shop. The guys that stand on the floor trying to sell you stuff and keep you from running away that also do the surface changes and resurfacing grunt work....They make $8 an hour...maybe!!!

This is a good job. It is a great place to meet new people and to also meet new connections in the industry. It is a big decision to pick up your life and move for 6 months. Some people just can't do it.

beans


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www.beansproshop.com
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Lane#1 Ball Drilling Expert
Thanks for reading and be sure to check us out at the Lane#1 booth in Albuquerque. Check out current eBay auctions at:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=bowling_with_leah
Official Pro Shop of "ALL" F.O.S. Members!!!
Looking for a great place to sell your bowling equipment?? Auction style,Fixed Price and FREE For A Limited Time! Try www.bestintheworldauctions.com and to Purchase The "Secret Sauce" visit www.beansproshop.com
--------------------
Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Pro Shop Own

laddog54

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #27 on: May 20, 2008, 10:18:07 AM »
My brother and I have had Mike do alot of work for us and he is world class. Not only with his work but his attitude and professionalism. If the booths had half his ability the would never have a problem.
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Tateman

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #28 on: June 05, 2008, 04:02:21 AM »
When I was there, I hung out a bit in the Lanemaster booth, and in the Lane#1 booth.  it was great to meet Beans.  Very nice guy to talk to, and didn't mind me asking any questions.    I need to email you Beans out some future redrilling of my other balls to fit the BuzzBomb you drilled.

Kent and Lori Wagner were fun.  Me and my buddy hung out with them quite a bit.  Rick that was in the booth really tried to let me know my balls sucked and I should get all lanemaster

Brunswick I didn't talk to anyone.  I didn't like them last year, so I wasn't really tempted to go check them out.

I had to buy a columbia shirt, and the lady running the register was really nice.  Don't recall her name.

People at hammer seemed busy.

All in all I liked the place a lot.  This was my second nationals.  I bowled bad, but still had a good time meeting everyone.
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dr300

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Re: question about equipment booths
« Reply #29 on: June 05, 2008, 11:39:59 PM »
dballz, that would be Christina at the Ebonite booth. She's Bill's daughter. Bill & Jacki have been running the Ebonite booth for near a decade now (since Albquerque last, I believe) and they do a fantastic job. Sometimes they have busy periods with three mills going in back, so that their service obviously has slow periods, but our team has found that year after year they're the best. This year alone our team (6 of us) had a total of TEN balls punched at the Ebonite booth.

There are some good deals to be found there. The NVS was something like $125, and the Etonic red flame shoes (!) were on close-out around $59. Despite the color, the Goodyear V-heal is pretty much tops for anyone who plants at the line.
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