Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Yes. We want 150+ so we can outfit a fully legal competition field for all teams in the area to use.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Knowing the way Wal-Mart squeezes the lowest possible prices out of its suppliers, I wonder how much cheaper FIRST will be able to offer them to teams for, and how many they will be able to get their hands on. I doubt Blip has 1000s of extra of these laying around in a warehouse already (beyond what Wal-Mart already has), but you never know. Since they say "MADE IN CHINA" all over them, if they have to make new ones, even if they ramped up production now to produce a few thousand extras for FIRST demand, it'll take them a while to get here from Asia...

Also, if Wal-Mart really does have almost 30,000, that's still only a dozen or so for each team (assuming that it would even be possible to buy out their whole inventory, which is difficult to imagine).

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Our team just aquired 20 additional ones from a few walmarts in our area. Search around for a few.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Texas is getting organized and posting a listing of all nearby walmarts. We are going to try and pool the balls together so rookies have a chance to buy them.

http://houston.txfirst.org/node/48

Thanks to 2158, 2587, 1745 for putting together this list.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Although we will not be able to compete this year, (due to problems beyond our control) I still got one at our local
Walmart as we might still build and compete off season based on this years game. We should be back for next year.

As of 6PM EST at the Franklin, Va. Walmart there were three...I bought one
leaving two.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Blip does not have any in stock and cannot get any more made until March (after Chinese New Year). They had told us we could only buy from them in min quantity of 1200, which actually we figured was fine because we could just set up a webstore for teams to buy from us, but then they came back with the March date and that completely killed that idea. Im really hoping FIRST has something up their sleeve like that they are going to sell all their competition balls and work with Blip to get more for themselves by March. Oh and the price Blip initially gave us (without being able to work with a manager) was $8/ball. Not to say thats what Walmart or FIRST pays, just what they told us, so the Walmart price really isnt that much higher.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

We were pretty proactive in getting them early locally.
Even if many were broken when we bought them, they are much easier to fix rather than having to make them from scratch.
In fact, we were lucky to have a team beat us to a Walmart near my house, only to decide he didnt want them, because they were broken. I came about 5 minutes later and snatched them up!:D :D

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

From what Walmart declares is the total number of balls a store should have may be incorrect. If like at my local Walmart, the Orbit Balls were placed in the ball bin and taken out of the original packing. This means they have the incorrect price tag. Our mentor was able to contact someone at walmart to ask which stores have what quantities. One store in the computer at 30 Orbit balls, but at the store there was 0. Along with other stores which should have had other numbers like 5,7,4, there ended up being either none or a number less than that.

I do not believe there are 28,000 of these available across the 319 Walmarts.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

According to the wikipedia article on walmart, there were 3800 walmart stores in the US in 2005. That means that less then 1 out of 10 stores have the balls.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

yea this definetlly is NOT good.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

That's interesting. WalMart told me they'd be stocking more during the spring refresh in two weeks.

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

I found 2 balls at a local walmart and they were in the general ball bin and got them for $4 a piece, they had a couple of breaks in the bands...

my sister found me three more, 2 in the packaging and one not. those were $9 a piece and that was at the walmart in the town she goes to college at, that puts team 1737 up to 5 balls from walmart and 1 KOP ball.

and as for FIRST selling all of the competition balls, the Kansas City regional is feb. 26-28 so that means that they couldn't sell all of the competition balls because at least one regional would short on game pieces

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Is there any way that some American teams would be willing to sell a few of their orbit balls to Canadian teams? To the extent of my knowledge, NONE have been found in our WalMarts, Toys-R-Us, Zellers, local toy shops etc.

If anyone could possibly lend a few, please send me a private message and I can pass the information along to other local teams.

Thanks!

- Jenn

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

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

Re: Update on the Orbit Balls
 

Can someone sticky that response from Peter?