Official word on Orbit Balls

[GaryVoshol]

To all First competitors,

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify many of the rumors regarding the Blip Toys Orbit Ball. At this time Blip Toys does not have any stock of the Orbit Ball to sell to competitors directly. First has purchased extra units for the competition and has informed us additional balls we will be sold via their website in the next 24 hours. To date Walmart has been the only retailer to carry the Orbit Ball and has elected to not purchase the ball for the upcoming spring season. All remaining orbit balls through Walmart are available in their stores and are being sold on clearance. They were not offered by Walmart via their website or in any other countries. Our analysis shows around 14,000 pieces throughout their stores across the U.S.

Customer Service
Blip Toys

Also see http://www.logoloc.com/first/ - "Orbit Balls Coming Soon"

Also see: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=73298 - "Lunacy Game Ball Kits"

[IKE]

So somewhere in the US there must be a Walmart store with about 1,000 of these things, because everywhere else seems to only have a couple.

[Jim Wilks]

So somewhere in the US there must be a Walmart store with about 1,000 of these things, because everywhere else seems to only have a couple.

Most of the teams that have found them have found some of them in the "ball bin" with no label, etc. Those are sold as clearance items and are not recorded against the inventory. There's likely a big error in this inventory by now. I think that there are a lot less around than Wal-Mart thinks. This is well supported by the many teams including mine which have found none yet.

[Greg Peshek]

Citing Wikipedia here, because I'm too lazy to find the original source..

In 2005, Wal-Mart had $312.4 billion in sales, more than 6,200 facilities around the world—including 3,800 stores in the United States

So 14,000 / 3,800 stores comes out to about 3.86 or 4 balls per store.. which seems to be the average that people have found. Personally I found 4 at my local Walmart. Some people have been reporting not finding any and some people have been reporting finding them in numbers upwards of 10.. so it actually makes sense.

Of course these Walmarts aren't always in the most convenient places for teams, so there will be a lot of random Walmarts with these balls in stock, while tons of other will be wiped out.

[Wetzel]

I think the error came in reporting them at 319 Walmarts. Inventory control and tracking is something that Walmart is extremely good at, and a big part of why they have done so well.

Wetzel

[XXShadowXX]

team 1718 i was told walked into a nearby Walmart, and walked out with 10 undamaged orbit balls...

[suewanninger]

Yes, I think that it is really a matter of where you are located. I was traveling yesterday and, on a whim, stopped off at a Walmart about 40 miles from home (Milwaukee) and found 13 orbit balls nicely packaged in their boxes. We don't have that many FRC teams here in Wisconsin (and lots of little towns with Walmarts), so that is probably to our advantage.

[Elgin Clock]

To all First competitors,

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify many of the rumors regarding the Blip Toys Orbit Ball. At this time Blip Toys does not have any stock of the Orbit Ball to sell to competitors directly. First has purchased extra units for the competition and has informed us additional balls we will be sold via their website in the next 24 hours. To date Walmart has been the only retailer to carry the Orbit Ball and has elected to not purchase the ball for the upcoming spring season. All remaining orbit balls through Walmart are available in their stores and are being sold on clearance. They were not offered by Walmart via their website or in any other countries. Our analysis shows around 14,000 pieces throughout their stores across the U.S.

Customer Service
Blip Toys

1) What about that random report about one being available at KB toys? Fluke? I didn't see any at my local KB last night.

2) And are they GOING on clearance, or were they ALREADY on clearance at the $10 price? If they are going on clearance, then can those of us who bought them at the regular $10 price get a price adjustment now?!?!?
Oh, And if they were on clearance at $10, why the heck did they ever sell for more than that?? Seriously now. Or, maybe they didn't, & that's why they are discontinued.:rolleyes:



On a seperate note, I'm glad Logo-Loc is picking up the slack of Blip/Walmart this time. I guess FIRST has one more company they owe a huge favor to after this one. I'm wondering how much they will sell for on the Logo-Loc website with my 2nd question above in mind.

[Brandon Holley]

This entire situation depresses me....Knowing that whatever we design and come up with may not be able to be tested to the best of its ability until competitions....its sad :mad:

[BrianT103]

There has been discussions that you must fill out an "application" in order to purchase orbit balls through FIRST.

Could someone perhaps provide a link that explains this possible "application" and where you would fill it out?

[Team 135]

I search around about 5 area walmarts only to find 1 or 2. I drove about 30 miles and after asking an associate they presented me with 4 cases of 3 balls each. These cases were still sealed from the factory. We now have a total of 28 balls and that is most likely as many as we are ever going to be able to find.:ahh:

[Craig]

This is well supported by the many teams including mine which have found none yet.

I think it was clear in the statement that the balls were only ever carried in the USA. I have had no better luck finding them in canada

Perhaps some Halton teams should pool some resources and make a few?

[Greg Needel]

I called every walmart within a 100 miles of my team and got the same answer at all of them. They remember having them instock but in the last week or so they were moved to the clearance section of the store and now are none. The problem is that once something is put on clearance it is removed from the inventory tracking system, so all the computer come up having zero in stock and zero at surrounding stores. The only walmarts that we found them in are ones who have not yet taken down there "ball bin" for the winter. Within a few weeks I doubt there will be any of these in any Walmart, regardless of teams in the surrounding area.

[KateLasPumas09]

If you go to the Blip toys website www.bliptoys.com you can find other stores that may carry the orbit balls. I think the only other stores more common then Walmart were Target, Radioshack, and some Kmarts.

[Elgin Clock]

If you go to the Blip toys website www.bliptoys.com (http://www.bliptoys.com) you can find other stores that may carry the orbit balls. I think the only other stores more common then Walmart were Target, Radioshack, and some Kmarts.

That was a good idea, until we just got word from Blip themselves that the only official retailer of the Orbit Balls were Walmart.
The company sells lots of other things, & in turn those other items are sold at the stores you have stated.
Sorry. Don't go on a wild goose chase for these there, or you will be wasting your time.

Their cool foam ring gun is the most popular of their items that I have seen so far at stores.
And, did anyone see the Stilts that Blip sells? Those are pretty cool! :cool:

[MikeDubreuil]

2) And are they GOING on clearance, or were they ALREADY on clearance at the $10 price?I talked with a Walmart employee. He claims that he started working there 4 months ago. He remembers the ball and said that when he started they were on clearance.

Anyway, the Walmart in Tewksbury, MA had zero.

[Bob Koch]

please see my post under Source for Orbit ball page 6. I explain how to go to Walmarts and use their Telxon system for finding Orbit balls in nearby stores.

[The Pre]

Yes, I think that it is really a matter of where you are located. I was traveling yesterday and, on a whim, stopped off at a Walmart about 40 miles from home (Milwaukee) and found 13 orbit balls nicely packaged in their boxes. We don't have that many FRC teams here in Wisconsin (and lots of little towns with Walmarts), so that is probably to our advantage.

in kenosha, wi (30min south of milwaukee) we found that the "WILD TIME ORBIT BALL" (not ZOOM BALL) happened to be in a walmart in kenosha when the director of the school and purchasing students came back they had their arms filled with 18 orbit balls!!! :D it was quite hilarious seeing them walk in.


i think these are the most fun game pieces i've seen thus far

[Deep Dark]

while I purchased 3 from one walmart, and 1 from way across town (20 miles from the other), I did see one at a Big K-Mart. However, It was so badly destroyed and mangled, being at the bottom of the ball rack, that it hardly represented anything close to what I would be willing to spend money on. The store I went to and got the 3 balls at actually had an employee there looking at the orbit balls and asked me if I was on a FIRST team. Apparently he was at our local kickoff event and was glad to see a FIRST team take them instead of a "random" customer. Just found that to be interesting.

[Cow Bell Solo]

Also see http://www.logoloc.com/first/ - "Orbit Balls Coming Soon"

They have had that on there before with previous game pieces and it has taken until either mid season if I remember correctly or not until after the season or even the competition. But that is what I noticed when viewing their site, but each year is a new year and I guess we will see what it is this year.

[MrForbes]

We checked our local Walmart Sunday and did not find any balls, although we did find the $9.97 price tag for them on the shelf in the ball section. Yesterday we saw that list that said they should have 10 in stock. Today we visited Walmart again for something else, but we found a dept. manager working in the toy department, and asked her if they had the balls (pointing to the price tag on the shelf). She said she thought they did, and went and looked and came back with a carton of 3 balls, and said there might be more. Apparently she had trouble with them having the packaging removed, and people playing with them, and hasn't been putting them on the shelf! So you might want to find the toy department manager, and ask if they have any. Also she said they were moving a lot of the toys out and getting ready for the pool toys display...which means pool noodles should be available here soon! And it also means that you might be able to find pool noodles if you ask the toy department manager.

[suj]

We canadians have no hope of getting orbit balls for no where else but first hey wait what about ebay?

[synth3tk]

So you might want to find the toy department manager, and ask if they have any.
Thanks for that tip. According to that list, there should've been ~18 balls at one local store, but I couldn't find any at all. And as far as I know, there are really no area teams that didn't have another Wal-Mart closer to them which carried the balls.

[Manoel]

Teams will be hearing officially from FIRST today or tomorrow. Don't expect to be able to buy many balls, though. Don't even plan to count them with a full hand.

:)

[Bongle]

We canadians have no hope of getting orbit balls for no where else but first hey wait what about ebay?

Don't forget about GUS Balls (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2187?) (home made orbit balls). If you just want to make ones without fabric for throwing practice, seems like you could manufacture them pretty quick: cut, pop rivet, and weave.

[charrisTTI]

About 14,000 orbit balls available.

1,685 registered teams.

14,000/1,685 = 8.?????

If you bought more than 8 balls, find another team to share them with.

We need to remember our gracious professionalism.

[GaryVoshol]

And they're up - http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71587

[overclocked-mom]

So, before I head out to buy Spandex - what are the appropriate colors? And a note to Boston area teams - Fabric Place, which was a great fabric store, is closing/closed so don't try them for Spandex. JoAnnes is a good store, and there are a fair number of them. One of the larger (I think) is on Rt. 9.

[Protronie]

I'm betting Wal-Mart wishes they had ordered them self's a train load of them about now. :p

-p :cool:

[skimoose]

So, before I head out to buy Spandex - what are the appropriate colors? And a note to Boston area teams - Fabric Place, which was a great fabric store, is closing/closed so don't try them for Spandex. JoAnnes is a good store, and there are a fair number of them. One of the larger (I think) is on Rt. 9.

We found lime green spandex at a JoAnne's here in CT which we used on the prototype Gus Balls, they also had a navy blue which was a little dark for the blue color needed.

Correct colors should be purple and orange for moon rocks, blue and orange for empty cells, and green and purple for super cells.

Green is a lime green color, purple is probably a dark lavender (Viking's uniform purple), blue is a medium hue like royal blue, and orange is well orange (dare I say Gus Orange!) ;)

[overclocked-mom]

We found lime green spandex at a JoAnne's here in CT which we used on the prototype Gus Balls, they also had a navy blue which was a little dark for the blue color needed.

Correct colors should be purple and orange for moon rocks, blue and orange for empty cells, and green and purple for super cells.

Green is a lime green color, purple is probably a dark lavender (Viking's uniform purple), blue is a medium hue like royal blue, and orange is well orange (dare I say Gus Orange!) ;)

I hit the local JoAnnes yesterday and found that same lime green. I think the other colors I got are a little off, but should be good enough in terms of just letting humans tell which is which. For those on the hunt for fabric - look in the 'dancewear/swimwear' sections. Also, you need 'ball point' needles which should be available at any fabric store.
In some ways, it's a shame that there are required colors - it would be fun to let teams make these in their own colors.
Finally, a tube or loop turner might be useful - it's a device for turning the tube rightside out once you have sewn it. Quilters use them mostly, I think, so they would probably be in the quilting notions section.

[JaneYoung]

Finally, a tube or loop turner might be useful - it's a device for turning the tube rightside out once you have sewn it. Quilters use them mostly, I think, so they would probably be in the quilting notions section.

A safety pin would work in a similar fashion.

[vannade]

We were able to find 12 Orbit balls in Tennessee, Walmart shipped them to our local store in Michigan, we got them in two days. If you can find them ask for them to ship to your local store.:)

[Joe Ross]

In some ways, it's a shame that there are required colors - it would be fun to let teams make these in their own colors.

Unless you are planning to use the vision system to track the balls, there shouldn't be any reason to keep with the official colors. We're making blue and yellow balls (team colors).

[MrForbes]

The vision system might accidently "see" the offical color balls...so maybe it would be worth getting at least one of each color, to test your system for compatibility.