BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: dmonroe814 on November 28, 2014, 12:05:59 PM
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Our pro shop lost its lease due to the Bowlmor/AMF corporate decision. I bought one of his Drills and am going to drill out of my garage. Classic will not sell to me because I am not in a brick and mortar pro shop. Who do you order from and what kind of a discount can I get. Buddies and some of the other shops sell balls at the same price that we sold in the shop, so I can't give any of my customers a break on the balls. Any suggestions?
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No legitimate distributor will or should sell to any garage shops...
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I'd call your staff's company and explain to them what happend. If they value you I'd think they would offer suggestions on how to get your business recognized. Talk to a creditor and see if you could get a small business loan. Follow your dreams, bowling needs your support.
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No legitimate distributor will or should sell to any garage shops...
Why?
As long as you have a tax number and/or the proper permits for operating a business. What difference does it make if you operate out of a garage?
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JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
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JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
I couldn't agree more with you.
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I said garage shop not one that ACTUALLY purchases a tax ID number plus sets up as if a legitimate business...there are too many, let me reiterate TOO MANY garage shops that screw legitimate businesses by undercutting....we check google maps with any new account
I deal every type of volume shop and actually have a few that have pro shop/businesses in their garages that are better than many shops....
I stand by my statement
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I am with justrico
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There are some that even with tax id numbers will not sell to home shops. Bowling is changing to the point in many smaller markets where it is the only option.
If you start calling distributors in your region it should not be an issue. Most proshop cost aren't much under online prices especially when factoring shipping.
My suggestion for you is not stock anything and make the customer pay up front for any product ordered. Yes on sone ball packages it is worth ordering because of the price. Otherwise no matter what close out price you see for x-outs or closeouts don't order and stock it. It will end with lots of stock sitting around not selling. Same for shoes, bags ect. Without the benefits of walkins being in a bowling alley its a different animal.
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I was in a similar situation. I managed a pro shop for 8 years and finally got tired of being crapped on by the owners. I left and started my own business out of my "garage." I went and registered my business name, got a tax ID and used my supplier at the time. I started my own business for a couple of reasons: 1) I love the sport and 2) I am good at what I do and I feel bowlers need a respectable driller. I operated my business out of my "garage" for 6 years before the center owner and I had a meeting of our differences and I came went back to the center. I own my pro shop and just lease the space. During my time operating out of my "garage" the center where I was located at went through 6 ball drillers in 6 years. When I operated out of my "garage", my pricing mark-up was the same as it currently is at my location at the center. Why did people come to me as to the pro shop at the center? Because I had a reputation as being one of the best not in my city, but in my state. I had customers that came to my "garage" pro shop from over 200 miles annually. When stocking, I stocked about 12 balls of the current line-up of what I felt would sell. I did not stock shoes or bags and ordered upon payment. A decent distributor should work with you given the circumstance knowing you are a legitimate business and promoting the sport as to a garage hack that is just trying to save a buck from utilizing their local pro shop.
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Thus lies the problem.
Most legitimate suppliers (distributors) want to sell wholesale to proshops with some volume and represent legitimate business.
Not to someone who wants to get cheap equipment for themselves and a few of their friends.
Perfect Approach I assume you had a relationship with your supplier before leaving the proshop at the bowling alley. So they were willing to continue to work with you due to your previous relationship with them.
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Thus lies the problem.
Most legitimate suppliers (distributors) want to sell wholesale to proshops with some volume and represent legitimate business.
Not to someone who wants to get cheap equipment for themselves and a few of their friends.
Perfect Approach I assume you had a relationship with your supplier before leaving the proshop at the bowling alley. So they were willing to continue to work with you due to your previous relationship with them.
+1
Bowlers are cheap :)
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JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
What a crock of crap...Of course all real pro shops in the city are going to drill
the ball WRONG....And we all know, the only place where one can get a ball drilled right is in someones GARAGE...
What you really are saying is...If you want IT CHEAP...go to a garage...If you want it done right...go to a real pro shop...you might pay a bit more...but it's usually worth it to A REAL BOWLER...
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Generally if you get it done cheap...you get your monies worth...
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More money isn't more service. Blanket statements about either are not the reality. Ive got many local shops that are not worth the money if we consider all brick and mortar shops and prices the same.
One doesn't understand dynamics of xhole locations or finding a bowlers pap ect. You get pin up, and pin down for your choices. Have another shop that doesn't believe in lateral pitches for thumbs. They do a little better on layouts and xholes. One of the other drillers is a very good bowler but not when it comes to drilling. The one newer guy I would let drill my equipment besides me is in a center going out of business.
Those who blanket statement price along with proshops in bowling centers are kidding themselves to reality. Bad proshops can still charge high prices when they have the only game around.
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Will not disagree with that statement one bit....
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Price is all relative to operating costs. People still want a high performance ball for 180-200 out the door with grips and slug, after "consulting" with their pro shop guy for hours/days/weeks leading up to their purchase for the poor ball driller to spend 1-1 1/2 hours laying out your ball, bantering with you, answering your questions about what is coming out next, then giving you the 10-15% discount you begged for because "I'll send you some business" ....leaving him with about $40 profit on that ball he sold you.
/endrunonsentence
That's why good shops and good people have left this industry behind. You can make more money as a shift manager at Target and not have to put in 70-80 hours a week just to pay your shop rent, bills, and expenses in your personal life. Not to mention the disloyalty of customers/bowlers just because the guy across town "ran a great special".
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I recently defected from a traditional brick and mortar pro shop, go my own way, and pursue an additional career outside of retail bowling products. I did, however, still enjoy providing pro shop services to those in our bowling community and (then) wanted to continue at a smaller scale.
Operating as a traditional brick and mortar shop was never an option, as the rental market in our area is approximately $2.50-$3.00 per square foot, while there is about one bowling center per 300,000 people in this market. The options for me to run a traditional brick and mortar shop were either expensive or unavailable. I then came with the idea to try the business out of my garage, as individuals in other industries frequently do. I was thinking like how an independent Avon Skin Care sales rep would work.
After first working diligently to obtain various tax licenses and city permits, I approached a number of distributors to receive services and was turned away, despite the fact there are other individuals operating in their homes, with active distributor accounts. At first, this frustrated me dearly, but later realized that the outcomes have been favorable to me.
Despite my inability to secure a distributor account and unable to start operating my business, not having to commit to large amounts of stock has been advantageous to me. Now, "customers" bring balls to me from online, and have been savvy enough to purchase their own accessories, or "buy" some from my personal stash. The result is minimal overhead, while I have fun providing high quality services to people from near and far. Additionally, there is zero pressure for me to push product, especially during the slow months and the decline in league activity in the industry.
I'm lucky, though. I do not have to rely on bowling retail sales for my livelihood.
In essence, my advice to those who are defecting, or have been forced out, of the traditional brick and mortar business model is, "Your professionalism, craftsmanship, and people skills will speak for itself."
If your craftsmanship lacks value, while having less than ideal people skills, it doesn't matter if you are in a traditional brick and mortar shop or drilling out of your own basement. People, especially bowlers, will find other ways to find service and products that fit their needs.
Happy holidays and happy new year to all!
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I was in business in the late 90's and was then director of pro shop operations for Coast in Vegas....we were buying bowling balls for abt 20% or so for less and selling them for under $200..,.shops are still selling at these prices...does this look like a good business model?
Bowling ball prices have not increased accordingly and bowlers refusing to pay for quality service astounds me...quality service should be able to sell high performance products for $250 plus inserts, etc....
Get quality fitting in golf and it's $50-100 per fitting....
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The biggest problem I see is that many bowling centers are closing. If the pro shop operator wants to stay in business he has to either rent a stand a lone space or do it out of his home. Other centers in the area usually have a working pro shop. Stand a lone space is very expensive and the walk in traffic is just not there. Home shops make sense. As long as you get the proper licensing and do not solicit business in bowling centers that have pro shops, you should have no problems.
Distributors need to understand that times are changing. What use to be just isn't anymore. Online shops have taken away a lot of business and bowlers are leaving the sport every year. Good example is shoes. Pro shop guys check your price from your distributor for a pair of Dexter SSt8's and then check the online price. The pro shop business is changing. Distributors are also going out of business. Here is the Northeast, we lost 2 distributors in the last 6 years. If they want to stay in business, they will have to eventually deal with the Home "Legal" Pro Shop because more of them are opening up then the ones in Bowling Centers.
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Stan:
I agree with the idea that the landscape of bowling retail business has changed. I doubt business practices, however, will ever favor of the brick and mortar and non-traditional home shops.
I doubt distributors would be willing to take on new, non-traditional pro shop accounts anytime soon, unless someone has an "in." This practice will continue because it is likely those "online balls" are supplied by the same distributor that supplies the local brick and mortar shop, often with "varying pricing tiers." In the end, the "tallies" are still the same, early in the supply chain.
On the other hand, I need to recognize the risks the online retailers have to go through. For those guys to be profitable, they would have to buy enormous amounts of stock to "earn" the further-discounted wholesale prices, and sell at those floor prices. Basically they'd have to buy a lot of product, and sell it at very low profit margins. To me, I am not willing to take that risk. So, kudos to those websites that are able to drive profits.
With all of that known, if I were in a brick and mortar shop, I have to go through the trouble of stocking a high performance ball, sometimes at higher costs than internet retailers, hope to sell it for $240 (if you're lucky), leaving me with about $80 bucks before further overhead costs. After paying rent, etc, probably about $40 of it is real income. Happy distributor, happy customer, and sad pro shop operator.
Again, I got tired of going through this kind of trouble, so I "came up" with a different way. I took my practice to my own home, while taking out some of the expenses and risks involved with retail. Now, with nearly zero investment on balls and accessories, I make straight $50-60 when I fit and drill a ball that was sold by an online retailer. Happy distributor, happy bowler, ball driller can buy lunch. No stress.
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Oh and BTW...
Record sales on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving... :D
Record sales on Friday, the day after...known as Black Friday... ;D :D
Record sales on Saturday, known as small business day... ;D :D
I guess all the garage guys took the weekend off... ;D :D
You guys crack me up...
I especially love the guys who post..."went to a pro shop, span was 6 feet off"
"But my guy did it for $25 with slugs and inserts and lunch and a car wash by his
daughter"...
I must be lucky....I have BOWLERS for customers...
NOT CRY BABIES...
NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF KEYBOARD POUNDERS...POUNDING THEIR KEYBOARDS WHILE AT WORK...
OH AND BTW...There are about 10 pro shops within 30 miles from me...
and a lot of garages... ;D :D
now trying doing some work while at work, for a change...
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JLS do you think like Obama that the fishbowl you are in represents what everyone else is seeing? No doubt there are great proshops out there and because of that get and keep great customers but to say that is the norm anymore is wishful thinking. I also don't think every market is like mine where your number of good shops or drillers are slim to none. I do know there's enough that price and experiences push people to look elsewhere.
You saying you have bowlers as customers and not cry babies is also funny. As soon as you walk into any bowling alley you have cry babies. I thought you were better then that. Next you are going to tell bowlers if they like their health insurance they can keep it.
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kID2000...My remarks were not AIMED at you...For I know your a bowler...
They were meant for the people who come on this site and bash pro shops 24/7...
And they always claim that they can not find a pro shop that knows what they are
doing...REALLY NOW...
But some guy in his PJ's working out of his garage in the worlds best...
THAT KID2000 is total BS....Much like what you said about Obama and health
insurance... ;D
It gets a little old hearing the same crock in every thread on this side...
Oh and BTW...I have nothing against garage/basement ball drillers...In fact on many occasions they have come to me for balls...And I sell them to them...
I can't be worried about every shop or garage...
I just worry about what I'm doing...and MY customers... :D ;)
it is good to see that Dist. are not selling to them...unless tham are B & M...
But seriously...All they have to do is order online from Buddies..or Bowl.com...
If they pay 160.00 for a ball...they should be able to sell it for about 200...
Maybe even more...Since they are SO GOOD... ;D :D
Now that's some funny stuff...
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dmonroe814, I think your post was hijacked. Nobody appears to have answered your question.
I think you have a few options. One would be to get a tax ID and set up a small business. Easy to do and this would allow you to order from Lomar or even Classic. You may have to explain your situation.
Otherwise, you can comb all the bowling websites for deals, including eBay. Charge bowlers for the drilling and accessories.
www.easy-strike.com is a good place to get slugs and plug.
Everybody arguing over brick & mortar vs. garage is a waste of time. The market has changed from the early '90s. The internet has changed business for all markets.
JustRico, I have to disagree with you on a high performance ball today being worth $250 with inserts and drilling. Ball technology hasn't changed since the mid 90's. You've said that. They just keep recycling the same stuff and the manufacturers put new balls out every other week. Brunswick alone (Not Radical or DV8) has but out 10 performance balls in 2014 with an additional 8 overseas. You can't justify higher prices when ALL the manufacturers are flooding the market. That's a different argument not for this thread. Sorry.
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The op got some of those suggestions on the first page. I do also agree with the number of balls being released has an affect on how much you can try to sell a ball for. When you know a replacement is going to be posted 7-8 weeks after release thats not a good window to have before clearencing out for new stock.
JLS didn't think you were talking to me or anyone specific just in general. Seen you are scarce in the bowling talk these days if i can throw an Obama reference in at you i will. Was hoping to get Tiger in as well but couldnt. Bowlers of all levels are fickle and whiney. I have no desire to deal with them is customer service if i dont have to. I started my home setup with my brother because of his proshop experience combined with the prices available online it was a no brainer. We have both learned a ton and its been a great experience.
We live in an area where finding a good driller is very hard. Shops train in house new employees and when the person training knows very little you keep getting a copy of that to do the same again later. Luckily its not my issue. For many others out there I do think it is real. Not all that post on here but certainly some. Yes many distributors sell to home shops. We all know this. We all know what MAP pricing is and how all of these online shops are selling below what are distributors are charging. That's hard to swallow when ball companies say they support brick and mortar shops
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My reference is based on cost of product and running a BUSINESS not in regards to the actual quality of the product...
Here in lies the products...bowlers assume the smarter or better they are they deserve some special treat,ent that allows them service from individuals such as myself, for basically free when I've spent a LOT of years learning what I know which, btw is more than prolly 99% in this industry...
Someone such as JLS that has been in business deserves getting paid for his services and knowledge...
I'm sorry, as stated some of this s**t gets olde...
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My reference is based on cost of product and running a BUSINESS not in regards to the actual quality of the product...
Here in lies the products...bowlers assume the smarter or better they are they deserve some special treat,ent that allows them service from individuals such as myself, for basically free when I've spent a LOT of years learning what I know which, btw is more than prolly 99% in this industry...
Someone such as JLS that has been in business deserves getting paid for his services and knowledge...
I'm sorry, as stated some of this s**t gets olde...
Just Rico....Yes indeed...it gets old...But we live in a different world...People
know their prices...And if a pro shop is selling a ball for way too much...No matter how
good he thinks he is...he will have trouble selling at those high prices...
We try to keep our prices in line with online dealers...factoring in the drilling charge...
And like I said...I can't worry about garage/basement ball drillers anymore than in the
old days worrying about K-Mart or Sportmart selling bowling balls...
It is what it is...
Thanks for the kind words...
Kid2000...You're right...I don't post here to often...Bring in Tiger...that's some funny stuff...
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Agreed you have to set your prices based upon your environment as well as what you need to stay in business...but your services are worth something, generally more than most...
More times than not, quality pro shop operators are under paid due to 'bad' operators giving it away...
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Agreed you have to set your prices based upon your environment as well as what you need to stay in business...but your services are worth something, generally more than most...
More times than not, quality pro shop operators are under paid due to 'bad' operators giving it away...
That is true...It's a fact of life NOW...
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I have no idea what kind of ball driller dmonroe814 is, but he should expect to be blasted when he asks a question about buying wholesale and getting a discount so he can give his "customers" a break on balls.
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Oh and BTW...
Record sales on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving... :D
Record sales on Friday, the day after...known as Black Friday... ;D :D
Record sales on Saturday, known as small business day... ;D :D
I guess all the garage guys took the weekend off... ;D :D
You guys crack me up...
I especially love the guys who post..."went to a pro shop, span was 6 feet off"
"But my guy did it for $25 with slugs and inserts and lunch and a car wash by his
daughter"...
I must be lucky....I have BOWLERS for customers...
NOT CRY BABIES...
NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF KEYBOARD POUNDERS...POUNDING THEIR KEYBOARDS WHILE AT WORK...
OH AND BTW...There are about 10 pro shops within 30 miles from me...
and a lot of garages... ;D :D
now trying doing some work while at work, for a change...
I don't know how to drill and I don't even have the equipment to do it, but I'd still rather do it by myself instead of letting someone like you do the job. You are pathetic.
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L3nnOn, the best thing to do when you run into an internet troll is to ignore them.
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L3nnOn, the best thing to do when you run into an internet troll is to ignore them.
I know, but people like him really creams my corn... >:(
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L3nn0n, MI 2 AZ,
Sorry, but JLS is no troll, trust me when I say you haven't seen a real internet troll is the Misc -Bowling forum, luckily. But JLS is passionate, sometimes that passion comes out in Red crayon, lol.
JLS, I know where you are coming from. While I do make a purchase on the internet from time to time, I would say for every ball I buy from the net, I make 3-4 purchases from my local pro shop (now that may be over a couple of years, but...). I try to support my local shops, as I know the struggle these guys and gals have everyday. I never ask for a discount, but have gotten some from time to time since I kept coming back. But every JLS or JustRico out there, there are probably 2-3 guys like some here have described. I related my last drilling story in the Switch Grip thread. I moved around, had my local house driller drill up a ball that I did purchase on the internet. His drillbit for the Switch Grip was set a different depth then my last driller. He wouldn't change his depth because he didn't want to screw up his other customers who have all their equipment drilled through him for me. So as a customer....how do I go back to this guy again?!? He was recommended, he is a bowler himself, a PBA Regional winner, so he knows his stuff. Yet he can't find a POS ball, one of his old ones, or ask to buy a cheap House ball, that he can Drill into and use as a guide to reset his depth after changing it?!? C'mon. Now I have drive probably 20-30 miles at least to find another pro shop to fix this ball and drill any others I decide to get (which I know isn't as bad as some guys here, so I am lucky that I have options, it's just the one that I'm discussin, is about a mile from my house).
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L3nnOn, the best thing to do when you run into an internet troll is to ignore them.
I know, but people like him really creams my corn... >:(
here is a TYPICAL KEYBOARD POUNDER....They love to come on and slam
pro shops...they usually do this while at work...or in the case of this loser...while
on mommy's I-Pad...
More than likely this loser is not even potty trained...But as we have just seen...he got some help from one of his little friends...
so sad...
move along BOY...
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L3nn0n, MI 2 AZ,
Sorry, but JLS is no troll, trust me when I say you haven't seen a real internet troll is the Misc -Bowling forum, luckily. But JLS is passionate, sometimes that passion comes out in Red crayon, lol.
JLS, I know where you are coming from. While I do make a purchase on the internet from time to time, I would say for every ball I buy from the net, I make 3-4 purchases from my local pro shop (now that may be over a couple of years, but...). I try to support my local shops, as I know the struggle these guys and gals have everyday. I never ask for a discount, but have gotten some from time to time since I kept coming back. But every JLS or JustRico out there, there are probably 2-3 guys like some here have described. I related my last drilling story in the Switch Grip thread. I moved around, had my local house driller drill up a ball that I did purchase on the internet. His drillbit for the Switch Grip was set a different depth then my last driller. He wouldn't change his depth because he didn't want to screw up his other customers who have all their equipment drilled through him for me. So as a customer....how do I go back to this guy again?!? He was recommended, he is a bowler himself, a PBA Regional winner, so he knows his stuff. Yet he can't find a POS ball, one of his old ones, or ask to buy a cheap House ball, that he can Drill into and use as a guide to reset his depth after changing it?!? C'mon. Now I have drive probably 20-30 miles at least to find another pro shop to fix this ball and drill any others I decide to get (which I know isn't as bad as some guys here, so I am lucky that I have options, it's just the one that I'm discussin, is about a mile from my house).
Thank you Jorge....This child completely missed my point...
I could care less about basement/garage drillers...Don't have time to worry about them...I just worry about my business...
I don't come on and knock basement/garage drillers...I KNOCK IDIOTS LIKE THIS LITTLE LOSER....THEY ARE THE ONES WHO USUALLY BASH PRO SHOPS AND SAY STUPID CRAP LIKE....
"my guy drill my ball for $25.00 with inserts, slug, lunch and a car wash from his daughter"...
TOTAL BULL CRAP...
I EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO POST THAT ON MANY OCCASIONS I HAVE SOLD THEM BALLS...IF OR WHEN THEY WERE IN A PINCH AND NEEDED SOMETHING RIGHT A WAY...
Now Jorge, you know me...and little losers like this kid don't bother me with their geek tactics...
"I would never buy from you"
You are darn right BOY...We have standards...we wouldn't even let you in...without
your mommy...
Thanks for the kind words Jorge...And I'm sure Just Rico feels the same...
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I used to look for closeouts, ebay auctions. Anymore I usually suggest the customer buys the ball online and just drill it for him. I have good line on slugs and grips, if your interested PM me.
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L3nnOn, the best thing to do when you run into an internet troll is to ignore them.
I know, but people like him really creams my corn... >:(
here is a TYPICAL KEYBOARD POUNDER....They love to come on and slam
pro shops...they usually do this while at work...or in the case of this loser...while
on mommy's I-Pad...
More than likely this loser is not even potty trained...But as we have just seen...he got some help from one of his little friends...
so sad...
move along BOY...
hahahaha... I can't take someone like you seriously since you don't even know how to write iPad! hahaha i-pad? Come on!
Pathetic, simply pathetic "Mr grown up man"
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JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
What a crock of crap...Of course all real pro shops in the city are going to drill
the ball WRONG....And we all know, the only place where one can get a ball drilled right is in someones GARAGE...
What you really are saying is...If you want IT CHEAP...go to a garage...If you want it done right...go to a real pro shop...you might pay a bit more...but it's usually worth it to A REAL BOWLER...
I guess as a professional ball driller trained at The Vincennes University Bowling lanes management program,certified mechanic on Brunswick and Amf pinsetters,my garage shop must be cheap by an uneducated bowler.Btw our nearest full service pro shop is 60 miles away,without my credintials
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Then make your 'garage' an actual business and treat it as such instead of justifying it not being one...fairly simple
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Then make your 'garage' an actual business and treat it as such instead of justifying it not being one...fairly simple
Then make your 'garage' an actual business and treat it as such instead of justifying it not being one...fairly simple
JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
What a crock of crap...Of course all real pro shops in the city are going to drill
the ball WRONG....And we all know, the only place where one can get a ball drilled right is in someones GARAGE...
What you really are saying is...If you want IT CHEAP...go to a garage...If you want it done right...go to a real pro shop...you might pay a bit more...but it's usually worth it to A REAL BOWLER...
I guess as a professional ball driller trained at The Vincennes University Bowling lanes management program,certified mechanic on Brunswick and Amf pinsetters,my garage shop must be cheap by an uneducated bowler.Btw our nearest full service pro shop is 60 miles away,without my credintials
JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
What a crock of crap...Of course all real pro shops in the city are going to drill
the ball WRONG....And we all know, the only place where one can get a ball drilled right is in someones GARAGE...
What you really are saying is...If you want IT CHEAP...go to a garage...If you want it done right...go to a real pro shop...you might pay a bit more...but it's usually worth it to A REAL BOWLER...
I guess as a professional ball driller trained at The Vincennes University Bowling lanes management program,certified mechanic on Brunswick and Amf pinsetters,my garage shop must be cheap by an uneducated bowler.Btw our nearest full service pro shop is 60 miles away,without my credintials
JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this.
Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop? Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball? And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake? (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball). That is the situation here in our small town. Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise. If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.
What a crock of crap...Of course all real pro shops in the city are going to drill
the ball WRONG....And we all know, the only place where one can get a ball drilled right is in someones GARAGE...
What you really are saying is...If you want IT CHEAP...go to a garage...If you want it done right...go to a real pro shop...you might pay a bit more...but it's usually worth it to A REAL BOWLER...
I guess as a professional ball driller trained at The Vincennes University Bowling lanes management program,certified mechanic on Brunswick and Amf pinsetters,my garage shop must be cheap by an uneducated bowler.Btw our nearest full service pro shop is 60 miles away,without my credentials. Guedss my duplex also zone commercial,might qualify,and i get my supplies through Vincennes at wholesale prices from Ace Mitchell
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So your 'education' and training as well as your circumstances should allow you to the squirt the rules? And because of your credentials, you shouldn't play by the same rules as the guy paying rent in a bowl? Just wondering...
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So your 'education' and training as well as your circumstances should allow you to the squirt the rules? And because of your credentials, you shouldn't play by the same rules as the guy paying rent in a bowl? Just wondering...
As long as I'm qualified,not breaking any rules or laws,yes
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I used to look for closeouts, ebay auctions. Anymore I usually suggest the customer buys the ball online and just drill it for him. I have good line on slugs and grips, if your interested PM me.
When I opened this thread, this was the answer I was looking for. I didn't mean to stat a bashing of garage shop vs center shop. Circumstances forced us out, not quality of work or prices. I have some loyal customers that only want me to drill their balls. I was wondering if I could get them a price deal for staying loyal. Since I can't use a supplier, then I only charge them cost for the ball and give them a break on my labor. That is all I wanted to know.
P.S. Anybody have and opinion on Grips Gloves?
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After being away for a couple of weeks because of the bashing, I finally came back and read the entire thread, skimming past the yelling and garage vs center attacks. To those of you who actually answered my post, I thank you. We have two center pro shops within 30 minutes drive. Our shop was one, and the other shop was run by a nice guy who wanted to learn how to drill balls. Our shop was forced out by Bowlmor/AMF. McCorvey's is now running the shop. The other center did not want to do to their hobbyist pro shop what Bowlmor did to us, so we were left out. On Thanksgiving, the hobbyist had a major stroke, and will not be able to return. A friend of his and the original owner of that shop was filling in for him to try to sell the inventory. Apparently, he had his life savings invested in the shop. Anyway, we are moving into the shop on Dec 18. The center is not the best maintained, as the owners don't want to put any money into lane maintenance or upgrades. They are always looking to move into "other directions", whatever that means. Thanks to the posters who gave me good advice about getting a taxid. If things in the center look like they are going south, I will hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
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Good luck with your venture.
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I used to look for closeouts, ebay auctions. Anymore I usually suggest the customer buys the ball online and just drill it for him. I have good line on slugs and grips, if your interested PM me.
When I opened this thread, this was the answer I was looking for. I didn't mean to stat a bashing of garage shop vs center shop. Circumstances forced us out, not quality of work or prices. I have some loyal customers that only want me to drill their balls. I was wondering if I could get them a price deal for staying loyal. Since I can't use a supplier, then I only charge them cost for the ball and give them a break on my labor. That is all I wanted to know.
P.S. Anybody have and opinion on Grips Gloves?
I saw a lot of hype on the Grips Gloves when they were first introduced. As a "Pro Shop" and wanting to have answers for my customers, so I purchased one. It is still in original box sitting on my shelf. Not worth it.
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I used to look for closeouts, ebay auctions. Anymore I usually suggest the customer buys the ball online and just drill it for him. I have good line on slugs and grips, if your interested PM me.
When I opened this thread, this was the answer I was looking for. I didn't mean to stat a bashing of garage shop vs center shop. Circumstances forced us out, not quality of work or prices. I have some loyal customers that only want me to drill their balls. I was wondering if I could get them a price deal for staying loyal. Since I can't use a supplier, then I only charge them cost for the ball and give them a break on my labor. That is all I wanted to know.
P.S. Anybody have and opinion on Grips Gloves?
I saw a lot of hype on the Grips Gloves when they were first introduced. As a "Pro Shop" and wanting to have answers for my customers, so I purchased one. It is still in original box sitting on my shelf. Not worth it.
Perfect Approach. I was joking about the Grips Gloves. I asked about them once and got about 10 pages of bashing. Look at the thread. It was really kind of funny.