Update on the Orbit Balls

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Petey

Can someone sticky that response from Peter?

No, but I can do this:

HEY YOU! Read peter's post two posts up!

That said, I checked a Target and two Wal-Marts around Columbia. Zero, zero, then five today on my lunch break (two with a band broken and let go for $2 after a chat with customer service--it may have helped that I was buying the other three at full price.) There was something on the terminal screen I saw there that I thought read a cost near $5.00; I don't know how relevant the figure is. The balls are currently residing in the back of my car, shuttling along with me between 1618 and 2815 meetings. (And, occasionally, back to work--nothing like a brightly-colored ball to drum up interest!)

[The Pre]

+1 bump inb4lock spam spam spam

aka

i would like to move that we sticky peter's post. do i hear a 2nd? and consent?

[Thermal]

Originally Posted by Billfred

No, but I can do this:

HEY YOU! Read peter's post two posts up!

That said, I checked a Target and two Wal-Marts around Columbia. Zero, zero, then five today on my lunch break (two with a band broken and let go for $2 after a chat with customer service--it may have helped that I was buying the other three at full price.) There was something on the terminal screen I saw there that I thought read a cost near $5.00; I don't know how relevant the figure is. The balls are currently residing in the back of my car, shuttling along with me between 1618 and 2815 meetings. (And, occasionally, back to work--nothing like a brightly-colored ball to drum up interest!)

I'd assume you'd let 1293 in on a slice of that ball heaven pie for a day or two eh?

Pwetty pweeze?

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by Imprudent

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.

I'm afraid these "orbit" balls are export controlled; if the Canadians got them they might be able to reverse engineer them and find all the secrets to our space program. (they were built in China?)

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Imprudent

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

Too bad this isn't still running. It would make a great centerpiece for a US-Canada orbit ball smuggling operation. Reverse Prohibition!

We have a grand total of.....4.....and are trying to collect more to share among the 6 local teams. But we'd gladly sell one to you - $1,000 and it's all yours....

[Imprudent]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

We have a grand total of.....4.....and are trying to collect more to share among the 6 local teams. But we'd gladly sell one to you - $1,000 and it's all yours....

How...generous (?) of you I think we'll wait for the FIRST Store to come up

[cabbagekid2]

Looks like there's a list of walmart stores with balls on Bill's Blog. What does the () in red mean? Broken balls? I wonder if these numbers were verified in any way or just pulled from a computer inventory. I can tell you...there are no balls here on this island in Hawaii.

[Matt C]

Went to 2 stores, one of which stated having 9, the other having 16.

Neither had any. I had gone to one of them on Saturday.
Looks like the list is not all that reliable.

[Joe Ross]

Now you know why Walmart wants to RFID everything.

Several of the stores we've been to already were listed as having them, despite being out. We called one store that was listed as having a bunch as soon as we saw the list. They said they've received calls from all over the country today, and had already sold the ones they had.

I assume that the ones in (red) means that they've sold more then they thought they had. That is a common accounting notation.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Now you know why Walmart wants to RFID everything.

Several of the stores we've been to already were listed as having them, despite being out. We called one store that was listed as having a bunch as soon as we saw the list. They said they've received calls from all over the country today, and had already sold the ones they had.

I assume that the ones in (red) means that they've sold more then they thought they had. That is a common accounting notation.

Yep, red means a negative number. I will personally attest that Wal-Mart's Inventory Control is only as good as the folks they have working at that given store. When I working for Wal-Mart, I would spend 30 minutes looking for an item that was listed with large counts and never finding them, or seeing a negative 12 next to an item when I had 100 in the box next to me.

I just sent my parents in GA to their local stores when I saw two stores in their area on the list.

Update: just got a call from the parents: don't bother going to the store on Bobby Jones in Augusta, they were just bought out.
The other store on Augusta should still have some.

[dsmoker]

Just when you thought this whole orbit ball thing couldn't get any crazier. . .

Went tonight to our local Walmart to check yet again for the balls. I had checked Sunday, and found none, but Bill's list said they had 3, so I figured what the heck. Guess what . . . found a precious 1 ball, slightly damaged. So I asked at customer service what they would sell it to me for and was told . . . THEY WON'T SELL IT TO ME!!!!! The assistant manager on duty said it was a hazard because if it broke further a child could become injured and Walmart could be sued. Now I'm a lawyer, but even to me this seemed ridiculous. The plastic was snapped at only 1 point, and it was still covered by fabric. Any way, I had a fit, informed them that FIRST teams across the nation were buying these balls damaged, so she put it in the manager's office with my name on it and I have to go back to see him when he returns on Thursday. I'll be bringing with me all the emails from you good folk proving that these balls can, in fact be sold. Wish me luck!!!

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by dsmoker

Just when you thought this whole orbit ball thing couldn't get any crazier. . .

Went tonight to our local Walmart to check yet again for the balls. I had checked Sunday, and found none, but Bill's list said they had 3, so I figured what the heck. Guess what . . . found a precious 1 ball, slightly damaged. So I asked at customer service what they would sell it to me for and was told . . . THEY WON'T SELL IT TO ME!!!!!

Yet I'm sure they've sold bucketloads of Chinese products.....you know - "NOW FORTIFIED WITH LEAD!"

They say the Warren store near me has 7. However, a few days back, I only found one broke-down scrap heap reject. I doubt they materialized out of thin air - maybe when I go back for my next lead booster I'll check again.....

[Kirk]

I just got off the phone with a technical sales support rep from Logoloc and he told me that they will be selling a grand total of 1800 balls. There will be a limit of one package (3 balls) per team first come first serve. I guess its time to send the scouting parties to check those far off walmarts for balls.

Here is an interesting little video: Walmart Store Spread

Good Luck Teams

[neoshaakti]

argh have been looking around NJ, no luck yet
none at the princeton, north brunswick, edison, piscataway or union

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by neoshaakti

argh have been looking around NJ, no luck yet
none at the princeton, north brunswick, edison, piscataway or union

The Northeast is wiped clean dude, no luck for us either...

We'll be lucky to have 2 by the end of week 3.

What were they thinking by using this ball and not knowing about Wal-Mart's intent to not purchase them beforehand...

Oh well...