Author Topic: Cost Increase NOT effecting bowlers? (Read 11088 times)

JOE FALCO · « **on:** January 02, 2008, 07:45:00 AM »

I buy all of my bowling balls on-line. Recently there have been some posting on here that talked about EBONITE PRICE INCREASE .. seems from the discussion that the increase was to the DISTRIBUTORS and WILL NOT effect the bowlers. Well I just checked with one of the online site for prices .. let me tell you what I found:

Columbia Momentum .. $155.95
col Resurgence $155.95

Hammer No Mercy Beat'n $161.95
Ham .. No Mercy $161.95

Ebonite Total NV $159.95

When you add drilling costs it seems like Local Pro Shop prices to me. I'm so glad this change didn't effect the bowler .. perhaps it didn't effect the bowler who BUYS from Local Pro Shops ..
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Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O

Eddie M · « **Reply #76 on:** January 05, 2008, 07:01:49 PM »

quote:

I think I know where you stopped reading. Please continue through the whole thing. I covered many different aspects of what you asked and even some things you didn't ask.

I read your entire post twice, but didn't see an actual answer the my question. So I simply restated my point, as all the effort you went thru to skirt the question tells me you are not going to answer it. I understand all your points on what you consider "service", and how long you have been with your current distributor, and so on and so forth. All that is well and good, but if you could get a better price from another distributor.... would you?
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Visionary Test Staff 07-08

BW · « **Reply #77 on:** January 05, 2008, 07:21:45 PM »

quote:
really the only bowlers that will see a price increase are those that frequent the internet. given that information i bet if you went to a league and asked how many shopped online to buy their stuff, my guess is that the percentage is less then 20 percent in any league anywhere. Remember folks this is the minority here, not everyone shops online, upwards as much as 80 percent will never ever see this price increase to the online etailers. pro shops will be able to compete and hopefully get back some of those customers they lost to the internet. a thriving shop in an alley leads to a thriving league community, which leads to a thriving house and continued sucess for years to come. really the picture is as simple as that

I do feel for the people in florida that are quoting the prices they are. We dont have anything in the shop for more then 225.00 out the door, the majority are less then 200.00 including lane 1. shops needed to learn to be competitive with the net and most chose not too, rather they chose to mark up drilling to an absurd level to make up for the margin they lost on the ball

simple economics 5 balls at 80.00 profit each or 25 balls at 45 profit each. you do the match
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www.bowlingballexchange.com

Triggerman

F.O.S Loud, F.O.S. Proud

Lane #1 Baby

With all due respect, you can't discount a ball by $35 and sell 5 times as many of them. Even if you could double your sales you'd have to work twice as hard to increase your profit by 20% using the numbers you gave. No thanks.

DP3 · « **Reply #78 on:** January 05, 2008, 07:27:48 PM »

Those dealers have popped up and although their prices may be 3-6 bucks cheaper on paper, extra packing and shipping fees (Our current supplier delivers free of cost once a week, as does two other distributors in neighboring states), make up for the cheaper paper price.

You can make up any scenario that you wish....it's not realistic and it is not what the discussion is about. I even said, if there was a 25% cheaper distributor, due to our longstanding relationship with Bowlers Supply Inc in York, PA we will continue supporting them no matter what because of the comradiery that have established with the workers there. The distributors prices stay very consistant with each other and are usually never more than 2-3 bucks in difference. When that totals up it is made up in other areas via shipping vs. distributor delivery. Pro shops would better stay afloat if the pricing structure was more stable over the grand scheme of things. People would in turn support those that do the best work and encourage good shops to continue advancing their skills and knowledge through company seminars, bowl expo, and advanced training clinics. Shops will better stay afloat and be able to help out bowlers even more.

I'm not going to skirt any questions unlike many others. I wouldn't post anything that wasn't the truth or that I felt didn't have to be said in order to keep the integrity of what we do as pro shops. Do you have any other questions/scenarios? I'd be glad to answer to the best of my ability. I wish more shops were more vocal on here when situations like these come up. We can't keep letting miscontrued beliefs of our industry keep going around, it only damages us even more. Alot of people think they know how things are ran and what we really do, but so far many have been way off base.

Also, if ball prices keep getting compared to online vs. retail why are they all done in high end equipment when 70-75% of sales are generated through plastic and entry level equipment and only a small percentage being mid upper and high end equipment? Lets take every facet of avenues to compare and not just a few select high priced models from every manufacturer.
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-DJ Marshall
...The Twelve In a Row Pro Shop. Hyattsville, MD

Edited on 1/5/2008 8:29 PM

BW · « **Reply #79 on:** January 05, 2008, 07:35:16 PM »

DJ,

I've been open and honest about the business for the past two weeks. Most on here simply don't want to listen. Hope you have better luck than I.

The internet shopper believes the high average bowler is all that matters. They ignore the entry level shopper and continually fail to realize that today's maxim buyer is tomorrow's black widow buyer. The etailers do not cater to the new player. If the pro shop can't compete fairly in the present, the etailers will see the high end ball market dry up in the future. The pro shops essentially create customers for the etailers down the road. But they continually miss that point. They don't see the indutry as a whole. They only see their own situation, not the big picture. Like I said, good luck.

Edited on 1/5/2008 8:45 PM

DP3 · « **Reply #80 on:** January 05, 2008, 07:42:29 PM »

Doesn't look like it but I thank you for the well wishes.

Same to you buddy.
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-DJ Marshall
...The Twelve In a Row Pro Shop. Hyattsville, MD

Spider Ball Bowler · « **Reply #81 on:** January 05, 2008, 08:12:45 PM »

The only big difference would be maybe in the high end equipment. If you go to a website and purchase a mid range ball, take it to get drilled, it's about the same price. I think I figured it out for a current line mid price would save me like $2-$5. I'll just go to my shop thank you.

High end stuff, maybe you save some money, but like someone else said, it cracks, you're on your own. To me the extra money is worth it. I bought my Black Widow online. It cost me like $120 shipped, $45 for drilling, that's $165. The shop I now go to was charging $179. $14 savings, not really worth it in my opinion. You go to the shop or in my case call the shop say I want this, and you pick it up in a few days.

I am guilty of buying equipment online, and I will continue to buy discontinued stuff that shops don't have. As for new releases, no thanks, I'll stick to the shop.
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Formerly SGC300
"Never get into a pissing match with a skunk, cuz he'll piss all over you and like it."-Keyshawn Johnson on Terrell Owens

sunsetlefty · « **Reply #82 on:** January 05, 2008, 08:18:18 PM »

DP3, thanks for taking the time to offer a lot of intelligent conversation about Ebonite's price increase. This website could use more of this........

I have been reading the BR threads over the last few days about this topic. I own a small pro shop located in a local bowling center. I have no problems drilling any ball that a customer brings into the shop from an internet sale. I charge the same price to drill it as if he purchased it from me. I give the same effort (yes, I layout the ball from the customer's PAP if possible, watch the customer bowl prior to ball layout whenever possible, and converse with the customer about the expected ball motion).

DP3 explains much better than I can just what a GOOD pro shop operator can provide to the bowler.

I do see that a lot of balls that are brought in have less than desired specifications, either in poor PIN/CG/MB alignments or X-outs, etc. Many times the customer isn't aware of the difference between that ball and a 1st quality ball.

The customer has a choice about where to purchase a ball. He also has a choice where to get it drilled, and all of the services that he might need afterwards.

There are some intelligent, well trained, and reliable pro shop operators out there. Don't take them for granted........what happens if the pro shop operator that he's happy with goes out of business? Who does he rely on?

Remember that proper training, equipment, services, etc. takes money. Show me a local pro shop operator that's getting rich off of this business. Yeah, right. Most of these guys, like me, do it because they love the game, and have enough knowledge, experience, education, and a legitimate desire to help the customer.

Gary Palma
X-act Reaction Pro Shop at Ideal Lanes
119 Jennings Street
Endicott, Ny 13760
(607) 760-3700

Eddie M · « **Reply #83 on:** January 05, 2008, 08:19:09 PM »

The entire problem with this entire debate, is that everyone is right from their own perspective. Consumers are right, in that they can and should buy from whoever they damn well please. Any pro shop who says otherwise is wrong. It is the pro shops job to pull in and maintain a customer base. It is not the consumers job to put food in your mouthes, it is your own. Pro shops are right, in that the ball manufacturers are putting them into a bad position by not allowing them to buy product at a rate competitive with everyone else. The solution to these problems is the point contention at the moment. Pro shops are happy that something is being done to give them a leg up. Consumers are unhappy that the solution is to make them pay more. If each side could take a step into the other guys shoes, this debate would be more productive. But that is obviously not going to happen as evidenced earlier.
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Visionary Test Staff 07-08

Maine Man · « **Reply #84 on:** January 05, 2008, 08:26:09 PM »

I saw a dead horse on page 4 of this thread and it looked like it was getting beaten pretty badly.

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MainePBA
"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton

Author Topic: Cost Increase NOT effecting bowlers? (Read 11088 times)

JOE FALCO

Cost Increase NOT effecting bowlers?

Eddie M

Re: Cost Increase NOT effecting bowlers?

BW

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DP3

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BW

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DP3

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Spider Ball Bowler

Re: Cost Increase NOT effecting bowlers?

sunsetlefty

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Eddie M

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Maine Man

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