Where do you buy your equipment?

[Blomer]

Probably discussed on here before, but where do you buy your equipment? I would love to buy it from my pro shop guy, but prices online are so much cheaper. Even if I buy a ball and bring i5 in 5o get drilled, I'll still save about $40 or so. But I feel bad brining it in and saying I got it online. I'll go in a buy tape, cleaner, etc from him, but it again it's cheaper online. Do pro shops make money on balls they sell you, or on the drilling?

Thoughts?

[Jaescrub]

It's good to mix both online and pro shop buys. They both need support. But I'm more on a proshop lev. That's the guy that's out there with you watching you bowl drilling your equipment and he needs your money but online is a great place as well. So find a good mix of both. Really every one will be different on the answer they give to this.

[RobLV1]

If your "pro shop guy" owns the shop, or even manages it, he's probably got some leaway in terms of pricing. Try being up front with him. Tell him that you feel badly about buying online, but the money you save is significant. I wouldn't be surprised if he is at least willing to meet you in the middle. Certainly worth a shot.

[Amyers]

Usually on my previous purchases I have let me pro shop guy know the price I can get the ball on line for add $40-$50 for drilling and that's the price he charges me. If he can't make money on the ball he lets me know I'll buy it online and take it to him to drill and he charges me $40-$50 to drill it. We have a very good relationship with this but I also know some pro shops don't work this way.

[Aslan]

Most of my bowling balls I buy at discount/clearance prices. I've only once paid more than $79.99 for a ball and that is shipped. Most of these balls I've gotten from BowlerX.com which tends to have the best clearance bargains. I have also bought from bowlingball.com; both balls and wrist positioners. Especially around "black friday"; bowlingball.com has some great ball discounts on clearance bowling balls.

For shoes and bags, I generally use Ebay.

Now, if Im getting a "specific ball" (non-clearance) or a ball for my kid or a friend that has never been measured/drilled for a ball before...I'll use the local pro shop. He usually gives me a good deal on the ball (although probably $20-$40 more than what I could get online) and it includes measuring, drilling, and some instruction. For the balls I get on clearance, most (all) of them I've taken to MWhite and had drilled...which I think runs about $45-$55 range depending on inserts and what not.

So I don't really save much buying balls on clearance and having them drilled ($70 + $45 = $115) versus buying them directly from my local pro shop (or MWhite) which would run about $125ish. The difference is I can get a much higher end ball online on clearance for very little cost ($70-$80) where as a ball that is new or just released recently is going to be $125-$195. MWhite is more reasonable on ball prices than my local pro and alot of the other shops I've seen...but he also adds drilling to the price. Some pro shops will drill the balls for free...but they'll tack on $40-$60 to the price of the ball. I think Mike's method is the better method because it doesn't make you feel like you're getting ripped off by paying $180 for a ball you can get for $118.00 online...you're really just paying for the drilling...which in reality is what the pro shop owner is actually doing.

As to why I use Ebay for shoes/bags....I've just been able to find roller bags MUCH cheaper through Ebay...even NEW ones than anywhere else. And the shoes, I can get a pair of slightly used bowling shoes for $29.99 (shipped)...or I can buy a $79-$200 pair of shoes new in the pro shop. The new ones will last longer...but I can buy THREE pairs of shoes for the same amount of money as one pair new in the pro shop. As long as you kinda know you're size and not too afraid of "foot fungus issues"....much more affordable.

[mike_thomas93]

My local pro shop usually, but I have bought a couple balls online before, last year, bowlingball.com to be exact. The prices including the drilling was a little cheaper, but I realized when the operators told me the difference between buying online and from the shop, should any of them get damaged, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. replacing it, fixing it, nada. Soo then I decided to stay and continue buying them from my local pro shop. In fact, next week I'll be planning to buy my mastermind genius when my financial aid arrives. ;p

[rv driver]

I've only bought one, and I bought it from the pro shop. First of all, the shop spent a lot of time with me, and so I wanted to give them the business. I also didn't want to make him mad, because he's really good at what he does. Second, he didn't charge me really any more for a ball, drilled, than Bowlingball.com would have. I do notice that BB.com's bags and accessories are cheaper, so I bought my bag and shoes from them.

[rv driver]

My local pro shop usually, but I have bought a couple balls online before, last year, bowlingball.com to be exact. The prices including the drilling was a little cheaper, but I realized when the operators told me the difference between buying online and from the shop, should any of them get damaged, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. replacing it, fixing it, nada. Soo then I decided to stay and continue buying them from my local pro shop. In fact, next week I'll be planning to buy my mastermind genius when my financial aid arrives. ;p

Yeah, my pro shop guy told me the same thing. Plus, I figure that if I buy the ball from him, he's going to take more care in the drilling. (BTW, my pro shop always gives away free game vouchers with new balls, which is a little bit of an incentive.)

[classygranny]

I buy from my Pro-shop. He says he only makes about $10 on each ball, so he doesn't really care if you buy online. But the pros of buying local much outweigh the savings from online.

[jnv32185]

I buy from both the pro shop and online. I bought my most recent ball and shoes from bowlingball.com because I had a gift card to them, but I am looking into buying another ball that is less aggressive as my second ball which I will buy at the pro shop. I bought my bag from the pro shop as well as my other bowling accessories such as cleaner and towels ect.