BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Ebonite => Topic started by: bradl on August 25, 2016, 08:24:23 PM
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Just got the email blast on this, and it is all over Ebonite's FB page.
Interesting bit of marketing on this one. They're treating it like the launch day of a new series of gaming cards (read: Yu-Gi-Oh, World of Warcraft, etc.) with a contest on top of it to boot.
Looks like they are all going to have the same specs, regardless of color of the ball: GB 12.7 coverstock, Mission core, 500/1000 Abralon polished, asymmetric core.
They marketed the contest as not even EBI knows what is packed into what, let alone who gets what, with Black being common, Red being rare (less than 10% of the balls made were red), and Gold being ultra-rare (less than 1% of the balls made were gold). If you get gold, you get a free Black Unknown and a jacket.
WWRD: 9/20/2016. Video is below.
BL.
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Can't fault them for coming up with something different in the bowling world
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I like it. Can't beat the mission core and plus a stronger cover. I'm in. I actually like the looks of the black one the best but the yellow one would look pretty on eBay.
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This seems more like a Lottery with those getting the Gold one putting it immediately on EBay for $500 or more.
They don’t even say if the 12.7 coverstock is pearl, solid or hybrid.
And there's no choice of pin distance or top weight.
I got better things to do with my $160.
Just another advertising ploy for the gullible and those with plenty of cash to throw around and gamble.
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They don’t even say if the 12.7 coverstock is pearl, solid or hybrid.
And there's no choice of pin distance or top weight.
this is why i wouldn't take a chance with that much as well, my very first thought before i was even done reading
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It's like there saying pearl, hybrid, or solid don't matter. It's been stated before by a brand rep on here and largely ignored. They tell you the balls intended purpose and box finish.
After watching the video all of the ball specs are printed on the box as normal. Weight, top weight, and pin placement.
$135 shipped online it appears
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Buddies has it for $160 and Bowlersdeals has it for $135. Price gouging has begun.
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It's like there saying pearl, hybrid, or solid don't matter. It's been stated before by a brand rep on here and largely ignored. They tell you the balls intended purpose and box finish.
I have to disagree. You can't say that blindly; you have to know the coverstock and how the company operates. Sometimes it matters; sometimes it doesn't.
Not everything is cut and dried, black and white.
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Marketing. 🤑
Gotta love it. 🙄
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It's like there saying pearl, hybrid, or solid don't matter. It's been stated before by a brand rep on here and largely ignored. They tell you the balls intended purpose and box finish.
I have to disagree. You can't say that blindly; you have to know the coverstock and how the company operates. Sometimes it matters; sometimes it doesn't.
Not everything is cut and dried, black and white.
If the manufacturers didn't tell you what the coverstock was but showed you on a chart of some type where the ball fits in the lineup, would that be okay?
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It's like there saying pearl, hybrid, or solid don't matter. It's been stated before by a brand rep on here and largely ignored. They tell you the balls intended purpose and box finish.
I have to disagree. You can't say that blindly; you have to know the coverstock and how the company operates. Sometimes it matters; sometimes it doesn't.
Not everything is cut and dried, black and white.
If the manufacturers didn't tell you what the coverstock was but showed you on a chart of some type where the ball fits in the lineup, would that be okay?
That's part of the problem: what is the design of this new ball intended to solve, where and how is it intended to be used, by what type of bowler?
The implication has been that it is a skid/flip type of reaction; that could be a dull, polished, solid, hybrid, pearl. More important than the "contents" is what are the designed-in parameters for length, backend and hook on how much oil.
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This is like a box of chocolates.
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I'm just happy that there's effort involved by a manufacturer.
Instead of HERE IS A BALL. IT IS NEW.
why cant u guys appreciate it? I do
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This is like a box of chocolates.
Yup, I hate not knowing what I'm biting into. 90% of the crap they put into chocolates just spoils the taste of the chocolate.
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I'm just happy that there's effort involved by a manufacturer.
Instead of HERE IS A BALL. IT IS NEW.
why cant u guys appreciate it? I do
Sorry, Bill, but we're not all spoiled, rich ball whores. :)
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I'm just happy that there's effort involved by a manufacturer.
Instead of HERE IS A BALL. IT IS NEW.
why cant u guys appreciate it? I do
if I could pick my pin I'm in, I'm not plunking down $135 on the chance I get a 1-2 pin...if I want to spend that much I'll get something the way I want it
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If you watch the video closely it looks like the pin and top-weight are listed on the box you will get. So just request what you want when you order.
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Seems kind of odd to me unless all sales were via mail order. The cynic in me sees too many pro shops opening the boxes and reserving the red balls for their friends and keeping any gold ones for themselves or eBay or ???
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It's like there saying pearl, hybrid, or solid don't matter. It's been stated before by a brand rep on here and largely ignored. They tell you the balls intended purpose and box finish.
I have to disagree. You can't say that blindly; you have to know the coverstock and how the company operates. Sometimes it matters; sometimes it doesn't.
Not everything is cut and dried, black and white.
If the manufacturers didn't tell you what the coverstock was but showed you on a chart of some type where the ball fits in the lineup, would that be okay?
That's part of the problem: what is the design of this new ball intended to solve, where and how is it intended to be used, by what type of bowler?
The implication has been that it is a skid/flip type of reaction; that could be a dull, polished, solid, hybrid, pearl. More important than the "contents" is what are the designed-in parameters for length, backend and hook on how much oil.
You are really over thinking it. What bowling ball is solving anything? Look at the information listed on the GB2 Phenom then compare to the new Mission. All the same information is there. When its a pearlized ball or hybrid they list it next to the coverstock. Gb2, gb12 hybrid, gb12 pearl.
They can't force you to read the information infront of you.
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To put the numbers into perspective. Ebonite said 8,000 balls produced. 10% red = 800 and 1% gold = 80, 89% black = 7,120.
The odds of you getting a gold one at the start is .01 x .00987623452931616
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Its a creative idea, props to Ebonite
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It's like there saying pearl, hybrid, or solid don't matter. It's been stated before by a brand rep on here and largely ignored. They tell you the balls intended purpose and box finish.
I have to disagree. You can't say that blindly; you have to know the coverstock and how the company operates. Sometimes it matters; sometimes it doesn't.
Not everything is cut and dried, black and white.
If the manufacturers didn't tell you what the coverstock was but showed you on a chart of some type where the ball fits in the lineup, would that be okay?
That's part of the problem: what is the design of this new ball intended to solve, where and how is it intended to be used, by what type of bowler?
The implication has been that it is a skid/flip type of reaction; that could be a dull, polished, solid, hybrid, pearl. More important than the "contents" is what are the designed-in parameters for length, backend and hook on how much oil.
You are really over thinking it. What bowling ball is solving anything? Look at the information listed on the GB2 Phenom then compare to the new Mission. All the same information is there. When its a pearlized ball or hybrid they list it next to the coverstock. Gb2, gb12 hybrid, gb12 pearl.
They can't force you to read the information infront of you.
Oh, so you're saying the Unknown will react the same as the Phenom.
If not, how do you apply the phenom's coverstock to the Mission's core?
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if I could pick my pin I'm in, I'm not plunking down $135 on the chance I get a 1-2 pin...if I want to spend that much I'll get something the way I want it
If you watch the video closely it looks like the pin and top-weight are listed on the box you will get. So just request what you want when you order.
Agreed. You can get the ball normally as you would any other ball; your choice of pin placement. You can even see the tag for the pins on the boxes at the :10 point and :14 point of the video. Also, at the :48 point, you see 4 boxes all with the stickers showing the pin placement on the ball.
So the only thing that is unknown is the colour of the ball.
I do have to agree that we're overthinking a lot of this, at this moment. Of course we aren't going to know how the ball is going to perform yet; we just got the marketing side of the ball, and nothing as far as the technical side, especially in comparison to other balls. What we do know, however, is that this core and cover have history, albeit separately and not together. We know they perform well on their own separate merits; together is a different story. But I'm pretty sure that the closer we get to WWRD, we'll know a bit more about what it can do.
Personally, this plays well for me. 2 days ago, I pulled the trigger on a Warrior Supreme, Scandal (both solid, with Scandal being symmetric), and Gamebreaker MVP (hybrid), so that leaves me a hole in my lineup for when the lanes start to break down. I'm holding fire because I'm pretty sure a pearl Scandal or similar is going to make its way into the country from overseas, or was going to look at the Rebel (Same cover as the Cold Blood) for the Pearl, but this Mission Unknown may slot in there nicely.
Definitely taking the finger off the trigger until next month now.
BL.
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There's already a couple of vids of this ball on youtube. Looks pretty angular.
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I'm referring to your statements previously stated
They don’t even say if the 12.7 coverstock is pearl, solid or hybrid.
And there's no choice of pin distance or top weight.
I got better things to do with my $160.
Just another advertising ploy for the gullible and those with plenty of cash to throw around and gamble.
That's part of the problem: what is the design of this new ball intended to solve, where and how is it intended to be used, by what type of bowler?
The implication has been that it is a skid/flip type of reaction; that could be a dull, polished, solid, hybrid, pearl. More important than the "contents" is what are the designed-in parameters for length, backend and hook on how much oil.
They put out the same info for this ball as all others. You get the specs on the box like any other ball. The core, the cover type, the performance category, the ball finish, the intended conditions, and deigned reactions are all listed on the site. It is the same as every other release from any other manufacture.
Do you ask this on every ball release and I've just not seen it? Like a general whats the point for the industry? Same performance category as the Cyborg line, Widow line, or Urge series with the same posted info.
The only difference here is the chances at a limited color ball
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What EBI has done is very cool idea it has bowler talking about it good or bad . Haters are going to hate . I am looking forward to getting a mission .
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One thing I would change is the fact that there are balls being shipped overseas so we here our 8000 is cut. It's hard as hell to get an overseas release in the states, they should have kept all 8000 here and done something different overseas.
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One thing I would change is the fact that there are balls being shipped overseas so we here our 8000 is cut. It's hard as hell to get an overseas release in the states, they should have kept all 8000 here and done something different overseas.
Do we know that these are going overseas as well? In the past 3 months, the Mission Genisys was released, which had the GB 13.3 Pearl coverstock; same as the Warrior) as well as a Last Mission (still trying to find the specs).
Seeing that they've released at least 3 balls per month (based off of Star Legend's site), I don't know if they'll get this one yet, as they've had more Missions released overseas than they had here.
EDIT: In fact, looking at their site, the September balls they appear to have released are The One Boss (GB 13.3 Hybrid; same as Warrior Elite), and the Black Widow Gold CFI. So it all depends on what videos they put up within the next 2 weeks.
BL.
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Yes, 6500 US, 1500 overseas. So that makes them more rare, so get them while you can.
One thing I would change is the fact that there are balls being shipped overseas so we here our 8000 is cut. It's hard as hell to get an overseas release in the states, they should have kept all 8000 here and done something different overseas.
Do we know that these are going overseas as well? In the past 3 months, the Mission Genisys was released, which had the GB 13.3 Pearl coverstock; same as the Warrior) as well as a Last Mission (still trying to find the specs).
Seeing that they've released at least 3 balls per month (based off of Star Legend's site), I don't know if they'll get this one yet, as they've had more Missions released overseas than they had here.
EDIT: In fact, looking at their site, the September balls they appear to have released are The One Boss (GB 13.3 Hybrid; same as Warrior Elite), and the Black Widow Gold CFI. So it all depends on what videos they put up within the next 2 weeks.
BL.
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This is like a box of chocolates.
Yup, I hate not knowing what I'm biting into. 90% of the crap they put into chocolates just spoils the taste of the chocolate.
ain't that the truth!
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I'm just happy that there's effort involved by a manufacturer.
Instead of HERE IS A BALL. IT IS NEW.
why cant u guys appreciate it? I do
if I could pick my pin I'm in, I'm not plunking down $135 on the chance I get a 1-2 pin...if I want to spend that much I'll get something the way I want it
I'm sure u can ask in the comments section of your order
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I just went to bowlerx, you can pick your specs there
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If you order a pallet, you get 100 balls. There is a Gold and 10 red in every pallet. I ordered 12 balls. 5 are sold. I will order 4 more tomorrow. Looks like all the info on here is correct. Lucky enough to buddy up to a Pro Shop Owner, you can view the live feed.
Weight and pin distance is on the label. Serial number is not.
You can not peek in the box. Good Luck to all in getting the Golden Egg.
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If you order a pallet, you get 100 balls. There is a Gold and 10 red in every pallet. I ordered 12 balls. 5 are sold. I will order 4 more tomorrow. Looks like all the info on here is correct. Lucky enough to buddy up to a Pro Shop Owner, you can view the live feed.
Weight and pin distance is on the label. Serial number is not.
You can not peek in the box. Good Luck to all in getting the Golden Egg.
Is one pallet all the same weight or is it all mixed up with 14, 15 and 16 lbs?
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weight breakdown is supposed to be 20-72-8
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weight breakdown is supposed to be 20-72-8
I wonder how many golds they made in each weight. I'm assuming the bulk of them are in 15 pounds.
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Received my Black Mission today. The ball is in a red poly bag, no peeking. Media kit also came in later today. 7 pre sold. Ordered another 4in 15 lbs. Come on Gold!
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Have not seen anybody mention this yet.Received a email from Bowlersmart stating this.
Opening a ball box has never been this exciting before! This is a limited production run product and is called Mission Unknown for a reason. The Mission Unknown will come in a box completely sealed so nobody will know what is inside until it is opened to reveal one of three versions: black, red, or the ultra-rare gold.
Less than 1% of balls produced are the ultra rare GOLD while less than 10% of produced balls will be the rare RED
Here's where it gets interesting...
If you get the GOLD ball, we will Refund Your Purchase and Jason Couch will personally call you to chat bowling!
The 10 lucky recipients of the Red Mission Unknown will receive a signed autographed Ebonite loomed towel from Jason Couch.
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Have not seen anybody mention this yet.Received a email from Bowlersmart stating this.
Opening a ball box has never been this exciting before! This is a limited production run product and is called Mission Unknown for a reason. The Mission Unknown will come in a box completely sealed so nobody will know what is inside until it is opened to reveal one of three versions: black, red, or the ultra-rare gold.
Less than 1% of balls produced are the ultra rare GOLD while less than 10% of produced balls will be the rare RED
Here's where it gets interesting...
If you get the GOLD ball, we will Refund Your Purchase and Jason Couch will personally call you to chat bowling!
The 10 lucky recipients of the Red Mission Unknown will receive a signed autographed Ebonite loomed towel from Jason Couch.
I did receive this, and this is a really good deal if you get it. So when you think about it, if you pull the gold, you:
- get refunded the cost of your Mission Unknown,
- get a call from Jason Couch to talk shop,
- get a free Black Mission Unknown, and
- get the Mission Unknown jacket.
So basically, you get 2 balls, your money back for the cost of 1 ball, a jacket, and a call from Couch.*
Not a bad deal.
BL.
*all assuming BowlersMart gets a Gold Unknown.
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Would anyone buy 1 if not for the gimmick? I have to say, marketing well done by ebonite.
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Would anyone buy 1 if not for the gimmick? I have to say, marketing well done by ebonite.
If my Warrior cracked right now, I'd probably consider the Unknown as a replacement
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Bowlers Mart purchased at least 1 pallet with 100 balls on it. They are guaranteed to get 10 Red and 1 Gold. Eighty Pallets world wide. 6500 balls for the US, 1500 OVERSEAS. And yes, talking to Couch is a hoot.
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Bowlers Mart purchased at least 1 pallet with 100 balls on it. They are guaranteed to get 10 Red and 1 Gold. Eighty Pallets world wide. 6500 balls for the US, 1500 OVERSEAS. And yes, talking to Couch is a hoot.
That brings up a question. Is Bowlersmart set up in a way that if they were in town, another local pro shop would have to order from Bowlersmart if a customer wanted a ball from that local pro shop?
For example, here in the Sacramento area, a given pro shop may have to order the ball from Steve Cook's supply, who would be getting the pallet.
I ask, because I know that Bowlersmart has set up shop in the Las Vegas area, an didn't know if any other shop would have to subsequently order from them to get the balls in for the customer.
Is Bowlersmart set up that way?
BL.
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Would anyone buy 1 if not for the gimmick? I have to say, marketing well done by ebonite.
I can't imagine why they wouldn't, especially if they are an Ebonite fan. The original Mission was one hell of a good ball.
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Ebonite's marketing department has hit a homerun on this marketing idea. I mainly throw Storm and Roto Grip and I have been very tempted to try my luck and purchase one. The only reason I haven't pulled the trigger is I keep having trouble justifying spending $135+drilling when I tell myself no for an online bowling raffle selling tickets for $15/$20 each.
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Would anyone buy 1 if not for the gimmick? I have to say, marketing well done by ebonite.
I can't imagine why they wouldn't, especially if they are an Ebonite fan. The original Mission was one hell of a good ball.
not disagreeing. But the other Missions weren't near as good, nor was the Source line. Just a curious question of course. 6 year old core, 10 year old cover.
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Would anyone buy 1 if not for the gimmick? I have to say, marketing well done by ebonite.
I can't imagine why they wouldn't, especially if they are an Ebonite fan. The original Mission was one hell of a good ball.
not disagreeing. But the other Missions weren't near as good, nor was the Source line. Just a curious question of course. 6 year old core, 10 year old cover.
By comparison, Gas Mask core is older, yes? I guess I'm not seeing why the age of the core and cover makes a difference, when some core/cover combinations are still working and working well..
BL.
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Break core is still in use 10 years later. If it ain't broke...
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I think you guys missed the point. The hype is over the colors of the ball. Not the cover. Not the core. Not the performance. Go back and read the thread. It's all about what color you may get. When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
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I think you guys missed the point. The hype is over the colors of the ball. Not the cover. Not the core. Not the performance. Go back and read the thread. It's all about what color you may get. When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
What is Ebonite marketing? The color. Do they need to hype anything else? Most balls don't live up to the hype created, so why not do something different and don't create hype on performance
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It's a performance driven industry. Ebonite has fallen behind when it comes to performance. By marketing the balls the way they have, nobody cares about performance. Just color. Like I've stated, smart move.
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It's a performance driven industry. Ebonite has fallen behind when it comes to performance. By marketing the balls the way they have, nobody cares about performance. Just color. Like I've stated, smart move.
I disagree that they've fallen behind in terms of performance. Especially if you look at the releases of the past 2 years
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I disagree that they've fallen behind in terms of performance. Especially if you look at the releases of the past 2 years
Yeah, Ebonite has really come back the past couple of years with the GB2 and Warrior lines. Prior to that they had been pretty iffy for a while.
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Name 1 company that you would put Ebonite ahead of for a 6 ball arsenal? 2 balls from each of the top 3 lines.
I like where the discussion is going. So don't take any of this as bashing. This should spark a good debate ;)
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Name 1 company that you would put Ebonite ahead of for a 6 ball arsenal? 2 balls from each of the top 3 lines.
I like where the discussion is going. So don't take any of this as bashing. This should spark a good debate ;)
In this scenario I would put them over Columbia 300 for sure. Give me the Warriors over the Swerves, and the Game Breaker 2s over the the Sideswipe and Deliriums. Neither of those battles are close in my opinion. The Mission Unknown and Adrenaline Overload is probably a push with the Raw Urge and Urge.
I don't think the overall selection of Ebonite products is great, but they still make some good stuff. Actually I don't think any of the EBI companies have great depth to their lineups. If I wanted to stick with them I would have to pick and choose between at least three of the four to fill out one really nice arsenal. Which is fine since you can still find just about anything you would want out of them all.
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When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
IQ Tour Pearl? the gold butterscotch smelling ball?
BL.
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When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
IQ Tour Pearl? the gold butterscotch smelling ball?
BL.
arguably the best ball of 2013? It was dubbed "the gold ball." But the performance was there.
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Motiv has had some success with hash tagging their balls.
#redball was the primal rage..
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Just pulled the trigger today and ordered this ball. I guess a sucker is born every day. will be my first ebonite ball. I like the concept, great advertising.
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Got My Media Seed ball on Monday. Two Staff balls on the way. Ordered 16 MORE. Eleven are pre sold. I am all IN.
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When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
IQ Tour Pearl? the gold butterscotch smelling ball?
BL.
arguably the best ball of 2013? It was dubbed "the gold ball." But the performance was there.
As was the Mission. It wasn't just the face that sold the Mission (read: Kelly winning the ToC). The ball lived up to expectations, as the Domination backed it up.
BL.
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When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
IQ Tour Pearl? the gold butterscotch smelling ball?
BL.
arguably the best ball of 2013? It was dubbed "the gold ball." But the performance was there.
As was the Mission. It wasn't just the face that sold the Mission (read: Kelly winning the ToC). The ball lived up to expectations, as the Domination backed it up.
BL.
The main talk with the Mission wasn't color, nor was it with the IQ Tour Pearl. I had 2 Red Missions. The Mission 2.0 was not a good release. The Mission X was iffy. The 250k was much better, but not the first.
I believe Charlest mentioned cover on page 1, but since then, nothing has been mentioned of performance. The previous release hype is ALL color. That is all I am saying. We have 4 pages on a ball becuase of a scavenger hunt.
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When was the last time a ball came out and the color was the number 1 topic?
IQ Tour Pearl? the gold butterscotch smelling ball?
BL.
arguably the best ball of 2013? It was dubbed "the gold ball." But the performance was there.
As was the Mission. It wasn't just the face that sold the Mission (read: Kelly winning the ToC). The ball lived up to expectations, as the Domination backed it up.
BL.
The main talk with the Mission wasn't color, nor was it with the IQ Tour Pearl. I had 2 Red Missions. The Mission 2.0 was not a good release. The Mission X was iffy. The 250k was much better, but not the first.
I believe Charlest mentioned cover on page 1, but since then, nothing has been mentioned of performance. The previous release hype is ALL color. That is all I am saying. We have 4 pages on a ball becuase of a scavenger hunt.
Have to agree with tkkshop. This is a lot of hype about the color and some things you can win if you get the Red one. The mission was a good piece the 250k/DOmination was good but the other two were not very good over all.
Looks like EBI has started a buzz at the least and that is sometimes all it takes...
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I can agree mission brought me back to EBI but the 2.0 and X were really bad!
The red and domination were pretty darn good balls!
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I can agree mission brought me back to EBI but the 2.0 and X were really bad!
The red and domination were pretty darn good balls!
Just depends on matching the ball to the bowler I guess. I have a buddy who just killed it with the 2.0
I gave him one and he did so well with it that one of our mutual friends won a raffle for another one and gave it to him as well. For about two years he was almost unbeatable with those balls.
Every ball matches up well to someone.
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I drilled my Mission Unknown and rolled it last night in league. The ball reminds me of the original red Mission but a touch stronger at the break point. I really like how the ball rolls and carries. This will be my "go to" ball until something better comes along.
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It's a performance driven industry. Ebonite has fallen behind when it comes to performance. By marketing the balls the way they have, nobody cares about performance. Just color. Like I've stated, smart move.
I will comment on this in particular.
I had used many storm and roto products for years, just didnt quite do it for me at the time, went to the Track 505T on the recommendation of a buddy. Didnt look back after that, completely switched to mostly Track, but some other EBI stuff in there.
they did start to fall behind there 3 or so year ago and I stuck with them, didnt buy as much though.
last 2 years of releases has been nothing short of a homerun with all the brands
they took 4 brands and basically got rid of the duds, they don't really overlap between the brands.
there is some really good pieces in all the brands, hands down, at or near the top IMO of available pieces out there
and..just wait to see whats next from EBI
stronger piece coming--than the Scandal--and by a good bit from what I'm hearing
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I'll disagree and leave it at that for arguments sake.
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Should you be lucky enough to see a box opened before Sept. 20. That ball will be black. Media balls and Staffer balls are being opened all over. We are not allowed to have Red or Gold. Want a Red or Gold, pre order and take your chances. No peeking now.
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Balldoc I would agree except for the day after the announcement when EBI posted on their own facebook page a guy in Japan opening a RED one. That was a bad move by them in my opinion. Yes we are seeing a bunch of Black ones and that is good. Guy on my Wed team has one and I cannot wait for mine to get here in a couple of weeks. From the reaction I have seen I dont care what color I get at this point. I have always been a big fan of the Mission series and have had everyone of them. My favorites being the original and the Domination (yes the one I had said Domination not 250K) The X was also a dud but the Source was very good for me also. I am going on a golf trip next week so no bowling but when I get back it should be arriving just in time for my Wed league.
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Should you be lucky enough to see a box opened before Sept. 20. That ball will be black. Media balls and Staffer balls are being opened all over. We are not allowed to have Red or Gold. Want a Red or Gold, pre order and take your chances.
I know of at least one staffer that got a red one in the US.
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Balldoc I would agree except for the day after the announcement when EBI posted on their own facebook page a guy in Japan opening a RED one. That was a bad move by them in my opinion. Yes we are seeing a bunch of Black ones and that is good. Guy on my Wed team has one and I cannot wait for mine to get here in a couple of weeks. From the reaction I have seen I dont care what color I get at this point. I have always been a big fan of the Mission series and have had everyone of them. My favorites being the original and the Domination (yes the one I had said Domination not 250K) The X was also a dud but the Source was very good for me also. I am going on a golf trip next week so no bowling but when I get back it should be arriving just in time for my Wed league.
Mine was a domination too, it was great!!!!
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Rob made it clear in an email, we would only get Black. That staffer must be the chosen one. Good for him/her.
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Balldoc I would agree except for the day after the announcement when EBI posted on their own facebook page a guy in Japan opening a RED one. That was a bad move by them in my opinion. Yes we are seeing a bunch of Black ones and that is good. Guy on my Wed team has one and I cannot wait for mine to get here in a couple of weeks. From the reaction I have seen I dont care what color I get at this point. I have always been a big fan of the Mission series and have had everyone of them. My favorites being the original and the Domination (yes the one I had said Domination not 250K) The X was also a dud but the Source was very good for me also. I am going on a golf trip next week so no bowling but when I get back it should be arriving just in time for my Wed league.
Mine was a domination too, it was great!!!!
Mine was as well. Always will be Domination.
I was hoping that we'd see the 1.5 and 2.5 in the US, but that didn't happen. They came out with another 5 balls in the line overseas, never to be sen here. The X was horrible for me, as that was when they started to go downhill.
I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on this instead of holding out on what Hammer does. My shop has its presale and its incentives going on until the 19th, so there is still a LITTLE bit of time..
BL.
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Should you be lucky enough to see a box opened before Sept. 20. That ball will be black. Media balls and Staffer balls are being opened all over. We are not allowed to have Red or Gold. Want a Red or Gold, pre order and take your chances.
I know of at least one staffer that got a red one in the US.
If I received any others when I got mine(Red or Gold), I would have returned it back to the company. This ball rolls really great... I never threw the original Missions, but this ball is definitely something special for sure... Love the marketing ideas and think it will be cool when bowlers start finding the rare balls in the upcoming weeks.
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Should you be lucky enough to see a box opened before Sept. 20. That ball will be black. Media balls and Staffer balls are being opened all over. We are not allowed to have Red or Gold. Want a Red or Gold, pre order and take your chances.
I know of at least one staffer that got a red one in the US.
If I received any others when I got mine(Red or Gold), I would have returned it back to the company. This ball rolls really great... I never threw the original Missions, but this ball is definitely something special for sure... Love the marketing ideas and think it will be cool when bowlers start finding the rare balls in the upcoming weeks.
You really alleviated my last minor grievance with the consequence of how this was marketed: Honesty and integrity of the pro shop.
Case in point: Say that a bowler orders the ball; gets the right weight, pin placement, etc. PSO opens the box, and finds out that it is red or Gold. PSO then goes back to his stocks and tries to find the next closest Mission Unknown with the same weight and pin placement.. PSO opens it up and finds it to be black. PSO drills the black ball and gives it to the customer.
Or better yet: the PSO has to order the ball as it's on a 3 - 4 day wait. Ball gets in while the customer isn't there. PSO opens it, finds it to be Red or gold, and then gets in another ball with the same weight/pin placement, finds it to be black, drills the Black, gives it to the customer when the customer comes in to pick it up.
This places a lot of honesty and integrity in the hands of the PSO. If they aren't honest about what they are doing, that really says a lot about the pro shop, the integrity and character of the PSO, and how the PSO would screw over the customer. Seeing how you would return it says a lot about the integrity and character you have. Thank you.
I wish (and perhaps you can get the word out through EBI to all of the pro shops carrying the Mission Unknown) that the PSO would treat this like the Apple Store (work with me on this). When customers come in and purchase something from the Apple store, most employees there would let the customer open the box on their own, should they want their product set up and running right then and there in the store.
Taking this to the PSO, if someone purchases the Mission Unknown, if the ball is in stock, the PSO should let the customer open the box. If the ball has to be ordered in and there is a waiting period for it, when the ball gets into the pro shop, the PSO should contact the customer to let them know that the ball is in, and keep it boxed up until the customer gets to the pro shop, then the PSO should let the customer open the box.
That way, the customer has the best experience, the integrity and honesty of the PSO isn't called under scrutiny, and it's a win-win for everyone.
Finally, for the one you opened and returned, what would EBI do? Would they put it in a new box, seal it up, and ship it back to you? If not, that would suck as you would essentially lose the rare gem from the pallet of balls you ordered.
BL.
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bradl, EBI has asked that the boxes be opened by the customers only and our rep asked us to shoot video in case it is a red or gold one. I doubt it will be done by all shops, but hopefully most will follow suit.
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I know at our shop, we have ordered a few of them and have made it a point for all those that pre-ordered to select the sealed box in front of the other people.
Whoever ordered the 1st ball, gets the 1st pick of the pile, etc... then everyone opens theirs at the same time.... I will get a pizza so we can all have some fun with it, then we will drill their Missions... This can be a great thing for all to enjoy & have fun!
I think this will succeed if the PSO are honest and not get too greedy!
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I know at our shop, we have ordered a few of them and have made it a point for all those that pre-ordered to select the sealed box in front of the other people.
Whoever ordered the 1st ball, gets the 1st pick of the pile, etc... then everyone opens theirs at the same time.... I will get a pizza so we can all have some fun with it, then we will drill their Missions... This can be a great thing for all to enjoy & have fun!
I think this will succeed if the PSO are honest and not get too greedy!
That sounds like good customer service right there. Kudos to you sir!
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I know at our shop, we have ordered a few of them and have made it a point for all those that pre-ordered to select the sealed box in front of the other people.
Whoever ordered the 1st ball, gets the 1st pick of the pile, etc... then everyone opens theirs at the same time.... I will get a pizza so we can all have some fun with it, then we will drill their Missions... This can be a great thing for all to enjoy & have fun!
I think this will succeed if the PSO are honest and not get too greedy!
That sounds like good customer service right there. Kudos to you sir!
Yeah great way to do it, hope it works out for all involved. Always good to hear of someone doing the right thing.
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The Box plainly states STOP. To Be Opened By Customer Only.
Brown box, no handles, Mission Tape all around the box.
Go Facebook, Performance Plus Pro Shop, see an opened box
and the Black ball. I have a Media ball and three staff balls.
They are all Black. The Gold run is locked up separate as are the Red balls.
If a red got out, it was sent on purpose.
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bradl, EBI has asked that the boxes be opened by the customers only and our rep asked us to shoot video in case it is a red or gold one. I doubt it will be done by all shops, but hopefully most will follow suit.
Just thought about this as I read back through the thread and also get another email blast from Bowlersmart.
With their contest, how are they going to handle that? Obviously, they are still taking orders for it to be drilled and shipping the ball out. Additionally, they don't have any terms/conditions (read: fine print) on their site for having to be at one of their shops for the customer to open the ball prior to drilling. Does this mean that they'll be opening the balls, punching them up, and re-sealing them before shipping out?
BL.
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bradl, EBI has asked that the boxes be opened by the customers only and our rep asked us to shoot video in case it is a red or gold one. I doubt it will be done by all shops, but hopefully most will follow suit.
Just thought about this as I read back through the thread and also get another email blast from Bowlersmart.
With their contest, how are they going to handle that? Obviously, they are still taking orders for it to be drilled and shipping the ball out. Additionally, they don't have any terms/conditions (read: fine print) on their site for having to be at one of their shops for the customer to open the ball prior to drilling. Does this mean that they'll be opening the balls, punching them up, and re-sealing them before shipping out?
BL.
Replying to my own post.. yeah, yeah, I know. :P
Just talked to the PSO whom I mainly get my gear with in Las Vegas. I initially wanted to go with them because of how well they treat me and always have my business. But for how this marketing works and having the customer open the ball almost eliminated me from going with them.
Almost.
most pro shops local to me aren't getting the ball in until the ball is purchased. then they order the ball from their distributor (taking at least 3 days for the ball to get in), then the distributor gets it to the pro shop (another day) before the PSO gets to even punch the ball up.
On top of that, they are marking the ball up over what MSRP is for the ball.
So, while I was going to bite the bullet and order it local, I gave the PSO back in Vegas a call, and talked about ball layout. He also had mentioned that they were needing media release forms to be signed by the customers who ordered the ball.
With that, here's my question and if this would work for EBI.
He mentioned the option of for those who are out of town, could a video of them be taken of them tagging the ball with the customers name (in which the specs of the ball would correspond with the customer's request), them opening the ball, and punching it up, and have that sent to the customer?
with the quote of my post above, we see how the room for being unethical comes into play, and my PSO wants to keep his morals and integrity intact, and thought this would be a good way to achieve that.
Thoughts on this?
BL.
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To quote from an old Star Trek episode... As McCoy said to Kirk. "if you have the awareness to ask yourself that question, you don't need me to answer it for you". In other words, if the PSO is willing to ask for opinions as to the veracity of that approach, you can trust him. In fact, I'd trust him more than I'd want to support the price gouging of the local shop.
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this whole marketing strategy is absurd, people going nuts trying to get a gold or red ball.
all this industry is anymore is a big joke with equipment and idiotic programs like this.
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Its all about moving product and getting your brand out there, in my opinion its great marketing on Ebonites part, but everyone has a different opinion,but it seems to be a topic of interest and that was their goal so Im thinking it worked
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I have to admit I don't throw ebi but did order one from buddies just because it seemed neat I'm pretty excited to get it but know it will be black. I never get that lucky lol but hopefully everyone is honest and does the right thing
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It's fun.
Bowling is fun.
Too many bowlers only enjoy being negative on everything.
Bowlers make bowling not fun or appealing to others.
I have four Mission Unknowns coming in for me and family. We are looking forward to finding our golden ticket.
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
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this whole marketing strategy is absurd, people going nuts trying to get a gold or red ball.
all this industry is anymore is a big joke with equipment and idiotic programs like this.
How about you wait and withhold comment until you see the performance of the ball before making such grandiose assumptions?
I'll let others who have tested the ball chime in, but the same PSO I mentioned in my previous posts answered one last important question for me: The performance of the ball between the Black, Red, and Gold.
He mentinoed that while the coverstocks will be the same, there will be a very slight to negligible variance in performance, just based on the pigment being used in the Red and Gold balls, with the gold having the most variance. Gold would be slightly more angular than Black and Red, while Red would have more continuation through the pins. He also stated that Black would, in his opinion, be the better ball overall than Black or Red.
It was him telling me this, plus the idea that he'd shoot the video of him opening the box for me that sold me on it.
But if you think it is so absurd, tell us this: What talk have you hear of other bowling balls outside of the Mission Unknown? Just for a small sample, we're almost pushing 7 pages on this at this forum, and it hasn't even been a month, let alone WWRD yet.
Absurdity? hardly.
BL.
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The only bad publicity is no publicity.
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nothing at all against you or your pso.
i see this a marketing gimmick, hence why i have not and will not purchase these for my shop. reason being, its a gimmick, and most of my customers buy pre release, have me drill them, and come in 1-2 weeks later to pick them up. my customers know me, i am old and cynical and have all been told if you want one of these buy online and bring it in, i am not incurring carrying charges for a ball.
if you think i'm holding off drilling, say, 40-50 balls to wait for my customers to come in and be there for a "box opening" you are nuts.
its a gimmick. as for ball motion, solids and pearls are rather different but thank you for the insight.
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nothing at all against you or your pso.
i see this a marketing gimmick, hence why i have not and will not purchase these for my shop. reason being, its a gimmick, and most of my customers buy pre release, have me drill them, and come in 1-2 weeks later to pick them up. my customers know me, i am old and cynical and have all been told if you want one of these buy online and bring it in, i am not incurring carrying charges for a ball.
if you think i'm holding off drilling, say, 40-50 balls to wait for my customers to come in and be there for a "box opening" you are nuts.
its a gimmick. as for ball motion, solids and pearls are rather different but thank you for the insight.
It is marketing. Blame the consumers that lack knowledge for allowing this to take place. It's a smart move by Ebonite understanding the customer base in bowling. Hell I'll even go as far as to congratulate them on doing something no one else has done.
Maybe you're shop is just an outlier where your customers buy pre-release and wait 1-2 weeks to pick up their ball. I don't know many shops that have a customer base similar to that
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nothing at all against you or your pso.
i see this a marketing gimmick, hence why i have not and will not purchase these for my shop. reason being, its a gimmick, and most of my customers buy pre release, have me drill them, and come in 1-2 weeks later to pick them up. my customers know me, i am old and cynical and have all been told if you want one of these buy online and bring it in, i am not incurring carrying charges for a ball.
if you think i'm holding off drilling, say, 40-50 balls to wait for my customers to come in and be there for a "box opening" you are nuts.
its a gimmick. as for ball motion, solids and pearls are rather different but thank you for the insight.
So have your customers buy their pre-release ball from your shop instead of online. They pay in advance, just like online and you are not out the money waiting on them to pay. Seems simple enough.
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nothing at all against you or your pso.
i see this a marketing gimmick, hence why i have not and will not purchase these for my shop. reason being, its a gimmick, and most of my customers buy pre release, have me drill them, and come in 1-2 weeks later to pick them up. my customers know me, i am old and cynical and have all been told if you want one of these buy online and bring it in, i am not incurring carrying charges for a ball.
if you think i'm holding off drilling, say, 40-50 balls to wait for my customers to come in and be there for a "box opening" you are nuts.
its a gimmick. as for ball motion, solids and pearls are rather different but thank you for the insight.
It is marketing. Blame the consumers that lack knowledge for allowing this to take place. It's a smart move by Ebonite understanding the customer base in bowling. Hell I'll even go as far as to congratulate them on doing something no one else has done.
Maybe you're shop is just an outlier where your customers buy pre-release and wait 1-2 weeks to pick up their ball. I don't know many shops that have a customer base similar to that
How ironic!
I said this 2 weeks ago and everyone said I was just jaded or full of BS.
Now the idea is beginning to settle in.
"We grow old too soon, and too late, smart."
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agree, however,the higher caliber folks i drill for order, ask me to drill up with specific layouts and pick up when they are around. i am not incurring carrying charges for a gimmick nor will i be chastised to "customer must open the box themselves", small business owner no time for gimmicks and marketing games. willy wonka i am not.
nothing at all against you or your pso.
i see this a marketing gimmick, hence why i have not and will not purchase these for my shop. reason being, its a gimmick, and most of my customers buy pre release, have me drill them, and come in 1-2 weeks later to pick them up. my customers know me, i am old and cynical and have all been told if you want one of these buy online and bring it in, i am not incurring carrying charges for a ball.
if you think i'm holding off drilling, say, 40-50 balls to wait for my customers to come in and be there for a "box opening" you are nuts.
its a gimmick. as for ball motion, solids and pearls are rather different but thank you for the insight.
So have your customers buy their pre-release ball from your shop instead of online. They pay in advance, just like online and you are not out the money waiting on them to pay. Seems simple enough.
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i do blame consumers for participating in these stupid games, much like the facebook nonsense if i get 100 more likes i'll give a towel away, 1000 comments later a towel is given.
most of the folks that buy pre release we have specific layouts for some balls and others they stash away based on what the feel works best for them. i.e. J bought 4 rebels pre release we drilled 2 he has 2 blank at home. been that way for a long time.
nothing at all against you or your pso.
i see this a marketing gimmick, hence why i have not and will not purchase these for my shop. reason being, its a gimmick, and most of my customers buy pre release, have me drill them, and come in 1-2 weeks later to pick them up. my customers know me, i am old and cynical and have all been told if you want one of these buy online and bring it in, i am not incurring carrying charges for a ball.
if you think i'm holding off drilling, say, 40-50 balls to wait for my customers to come in and be there for a "box opening" you are nuts.
its a gimmick. as for ball motion, solids and pearls are rather different but thank you for the insight.
It is marketing. Blame the consumers that lack knowledge for allowing this to take place. It's a smart move by Ebonite understanding the customer base in bowling. Hell I'll even go as far as to congratulate them on doing something no one else has done.
Maybe you're shop is just an outlier where your customers buy pre-release and wait 1-2 weeks to pick up their ball. I don't know many shops that have a customer base similar to that
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Going back to the coverstocks, has it been confirmed what type the Mission Unknown has yet? The Red and Gold sure look like pearls from the pictures, although it's hard to tell with the black and it's just named the GB 12.7. Then there's the bit about it being the longest, most angular motion the Mission series has ever had.
I realize the companies can make solids react like pearls and vice versa since it's more of a pigment thing than an actual difference in coverstocks, but would still be nice to know for reference or maybe what to expect with the possible next release in that series.
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We just had the chance to review the new Mission Unknown, the ball definitely is clean through the fronts and it has a strong angular motion. Here is the review, I hope this helps!
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On ebi website under specs they list pearl or hybrid next to the coverstock name and sometimes solid. I'm guessing solid since pearl or hybrid isn't listed next to the coverstock.
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The Black Mission, the only one out is definitely longer with more back end hook than the original red. The deal is, when they are gone, they are gone.
And today's pearls and solids can be finished in such a manner, that there is little difference in performance.
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I have not seen anyone who disliked the Red Mission. I did good with it as well as others. Ebonite has succeeded in calling attention to itself again with this Ebonite Mission Unknown promotion. When this had all died down, can Ebonite just bring back the Red Mission? If there is a huge demand for it, why not give in to the demand.
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Going back to the coverstocks, has it been confirmed what type the Mission Unknown has yet? The Red and Gold sure look like pearls from the pictures, although it's hard to tell with the black and it's just named the GB 12.7. Then there's the bit about it being the longest, most angular motion the Mission series has ever had.
I realize the companies can make solids react like pearls and vice versa since it's more of a pigment thing than an actual difference in coverstocks, but would still be nice to know for reference or maybe what to expect with the possible next release in that series.
Not yet. But as I mentioned earlier, the PSO I have stated that even the pigment used to make the Red and Gold look like they are pearls can cause the ball to perform slightly different than Black. Whether you'd be able to see that difference is a good question. I'm guessing not, but if so that could be fixed by surface adjustment or a slightly stronger drill to compensate.
But as Average Joe Reviews also said, Black is the strongest and most angular out of them, which gels with what my PSO also said.. so if you're wanting the strongest and angular, hope that you get Black; the one that actually would be shut out of that, funnily enough, is someone who gets Red.. Go figure.
BL.
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How would it compare to the Gamebreaker 2?