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wulfiesmith Inner circle Beverley, UK 1339 Posts |
Any idea where I buy a Wiffle Ball in Vancouver ...
we are from England, and I wish to take some home as a present ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik0IPEIV8sU regards, Wulfiesmith |
Bob1Dog Inner circle Wife: It's me or this houseful of 1159 Posts |
I don't know how long you will be in Vancouver, but you may want to look into these sites. Maybe you can arrange for shipping to Vancouver before you return? Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck.
http://www.wiffle.com/links.asp https://shop.ctstore.com/store/pc/viewCa......tegory=2
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?
My neighbor rang my doorbell at 2:30 a.m. this morning, can you believe that, 2:30 a.m.!? Lucky for him I was still up playing my drums. |
wulfiesmith Inner circle Beverley, UK 1339 Posts |
Thanks for the heads up Bob1Dog ...
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Bob1Dog Inner circle Wife: It's me or this houseful of 1159 Posts |
You sir, are quite welcome. I grew up in the 1950s in NYC when whiffle ball came on the scene and a good wiffle baller can have a lot of fun with those things!
PS. You must be from a wonderful place in the UK; my "little" sister is named Beverly and I love her to, well, I love her!
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?
My neighbor rang my doorbell at 2:30 a.m. this morning, can you believe that, 2:30 a.m.!? Lucky for him I was still up playing my drums. |
stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
I can't help you with Vancouver, but I have some VERY important tips if you aren't familiar with Wiffle and are only basing your gift idea on a video like the one you posted.
1. It is ESSENTIAL to buy the ball with the Wiffle trademark and brandname. In the US, it is quite common to call any practice ball made of plastic and containing holes a "wiffle ball". This is like calling tissues Kleenex. So if you go into, say, a sporting goods store (which in general is NOT the best place to look) and ask for "wiffle balls", they will show you balls with holes in them. (BTW: even the plastic practice golf balls (which are an absolute BLAST to play with) are called "wiffle golf balls".) But these balls are usually unsuitable for what you are looking for. They have three big disadvantages. First, they usually (though not always) have a different placement of holes. They have round holes overall rather than oblong holes only on one side. This makes a huge difference. But be aware that I have also seen non-Wiffle brand practice balls with the Wiffle ball hole placement. Second, the plastic is usually less pliable than what Wiffle uses, and if you actually use it with a bat a good hit can crack it into two pieces. That has happened to me (several times) with the other balls, but NEVER with a Wiffle ball. Third, the slightly more pliable plastic is easier to scruff. Scruffing is EVERYTHING. If you don't know what I'm talking about, use Google. 2. Wiffle balls are sold differently regionally. I found them VERY difficult to find in central Pennsylvania (I spent many hours going to many stores). In the end, I found them at a Toys R Us, and bought up their supply. (Literally. I bought five or six three-packs. More on this later.) But I had failed to find them at any Wal*Mart, K-Mart, Dick's, or any other drug store, toy store, or sporting goods store. But on a drive through New York state, I saw Wiffle everywhere--even convenience stores. I've also seen them in California in strange places. So if you can't order online like Bob suggests, I have no idea where you might find them in Vancouver. 3. Still more advice, however: a real Wiffle ball is very cheap. In toy stores they are usually sold in three-packs. But as a gift, you really want to get one in a box. The box is real cool. In a perfect world you might find both. Buy a three-pack (for scruffing practice) and one in a box to put on a bookshelf. Also be aware that in some places (especially small toy stores or drug stores) you are likely to find a set with both a bat and Wiffle ball. That's a very nice gift, I think. I've got a couple of those, untouched (like the untouched boxed Wiffle ball on my bookshelf. Another BTW: I have seen the boxed Wiffle balls at Cracker Barrel gift shops.) 4. Regarding bats: the Wiffle brand bat is no good. It is made of a better plastic than other cheap plastic bats, but is so thin that it's nearly impossible to hit a well-pitched Wiffle ball. Other plastic bats are also a problem, because they easily get bent. My own personal choice (and I may just post a picture of all this stuff) is called "Big Bat", is so fat that it's hard to bend, and is so fat that you have a better chance of hitting the ball, and looks pretty cool, and it makes a wonderful THUMP when you hit the sweet spot. I found it at a Wal*Mart. But to summarize, Do NOT go into a store and ask for a wiffle ball and buy something other than the original Wiffle. They are different, and far superior. Here's a quick picture just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about in this post: a Wiffle box with Box, two three-packs of Wiffle balls, an original Wiffle bat and a Big Bat. One more thought: if I lived in the UK, what I'd use for a bat is a plastic cricket bat. It's not "authentic", but it would be incredibly fun to use with a Wiffle ball. Anyway, the picture, (though this is my first time using photobucket, so I'm not sure what to expect): |
stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
Later in the day (I wrote the above post several hours ago), I decided to use Google a bit myself. I learned two things, one new, one old. The old thing? If you just Google the word "wiffle" and hit the pictures button, you will immediately see some non-Wiffel brand wiffle balls (the kind with holes all over). I even ran into an embarrassing website that shows you how to make a pencil holder out of "Wiffle" balls (note the capitalization) which are generic and with holes all over. But I covered this point above.
The new thing? "Scruffing" the ball (or what I have also always called scratching or cutting) seems to have been entirely replaced by "scuffing". So Google "wiffle scuffing" and you'll find a ton of information about the Art of modifying Wiffle balls. An addendum: there are apparently Wiffle ball forums. I don't want to exceed my charter by delving into those trenches, but they SURELY would reveal where to buy Wiffle products in Vancouver. |
wulfiesmith Inner circle Beverley, UK 1339 Posts |
Bob1Dog - stoneunhinged ...
now you've done it. I have just GOT to get a Wiffle Ball! |
wulfiesmith Inner circle Beverley, UK 1339 Posts |
Going to Toys R Us at W Broadway, Vancouver this morning to try and buy a Wiffle Ball!
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