Yeah, yeah. This list might be cutting it a little too close X-Mas, but it’s been a few years since we did a round up of cool “skee-adjacent” gifts, and since it doesn’t look we will be rolling together in bars any time soon, you might as well stock up now with at home alternatives!
HERE IS MY TOP 10
SKEEBALLER’S PANDEMIC WISH LIST!
***Look out for special League Member SKEEaster egg links in this content!***
10. Desktop Skee Games– Price: $10-$20
A quick Google search will reveal there are a lot of different skee-ball-esque desktop options out there, but I’m sorry to report they all are pretty much garbage in terms of gameplay. Still, it’s nice to have a little reminder of happier times by way of a Skee-Ball knick knack/ paperweight to decorate your home office, and they make a nice little stocking stuffer as well.
9. Skee League Merch – Price: $10 + ???
Ok, Ok. This one is admittedly biased, but since we’ve moved from an online storefront to on-demand custom merch, you can literally order whatever SKEE GEAR you can imagine and have it drop shipped to your doorstep! Kids shirts and one-skees, coffee mugs, beanies, masks, pillow cases…. you name it! Plus, we can also use any logo/image in our catalogue from the past 9+ yrs – and there are a LOT of options there. New orders probably won’t arrive by Xmas without expedited shipping, but it’s never too earlskee to order a suns out hundos out tank. Just give us a shout on Instagram and we’ll gladly take your order!
8. Classic Skee-ball Travel Mug– Price: $18
If you drink coffee as much as I do, this on-the-go classic skee travel mug should be right up your alley. There’s a couple different design options available, so you should be able to find something for the caffskeenated high-roller in your life.
7. Kendama (aka “Stab-A-Skee-Ball”) – $20
If you hung out at Navigator Taproom during HundoBall! season, you maybe have noticed a few of these ball, string, wooden toy things hanging around. The game is called Kendama, and it’s actually a sport. Pre-Covid, Navigator would hold annual competitions featuring 100+ of the game’s top ranked competitors! Most people I know, including myself, suck at it. My mission is to start practicing now, and hopefully I can be a two sport athskeetes next year!
(Eww. That last pun felt dirtskee…)
6. Official Skee-ball™ Merch- $25+
Sticking with the Classic Skee theme, Baytek Entertainment (the owners/manufacturers of Skee-Ball™) have rolled out their own officially licensed product line of apparel. I’m a big fan of that zip hoodskee, but there’s plentskee of options from which to choose from.
5. Magic (Skee?) Ball Puzzle – $11
This is an old-school skeeball that once belonged to a wizard. Convince me otherwise.
4. Skee-Bowl Carnival Game – $475
I’ve had my eye on this picture perfect contraption for the past 5 yrs and for $475, I just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger. If I ever decide to retire to and go full-on Carnie, I’ll be sure to rig this thing up at a county fair with some completely impossible objective (perhaps oversized balls that barely fit in the holes) so people can pay $5+ in efforts to win a stuffed animal worth .46 cents. That’s my 401 sKee.
3. Pop-A-Shot – $299+
I know this isn’t skeeball, but I going to rank Pop-A-Shot as the TOP non-skeeball alternative for home entertainment during the pandemic. At an introductory price point of $299, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more affordable and fun activity you can play by yourself or with your quarantined partner.
Now, who has the biggest basement?
2. Skee-Ball Home Arcade– $3,999+
Behold, the 🔥HOT🔥 new premium skee-ball machine for the home market. As strong as the arcade versions, but lighter and more economical for at home use. At 4k, it’s probably going to be heavy ask for most folks to get loaded onto Santa’s sleigh, but if you look at it in terms of how many $1 bills you’d likely be pumping into machines over the course of 2020 and 2021, you might actually come out ahead in the deal!
1. DIY Skee Doll – $Priceless$
The holidays aren’t just about receiving presents. They’re a time to celebrate with family and friends while appreciating love and togetherness. So when you can’t do ANY of those wholesome things and find yourself sitting home alone on the couch in your underwear binging The Office on Netflix for the 14th time, why not get creative and DIY yourself a trustskee little skee companion?
Ryan Reyn-balls (pictured above) was constructed out of decapitated doll from Goodwill, Super Glue, a Skee League Vinyl Sticker and a Skee-Ball all for less than *$8. Owner Jared Lentil of The Skee League, says “Sure he’s hairless, but Ryan’s a great listener, and you won’t find a gentler non-contagious cuddler around.”
The moral of the story is, you don’t need a lot of money or fancy gifts to find happskeeness in the times of COVID. Just stay engaged in activities, eat healthy, be creative, find things that bring you joy until we all can safely return to the lanes.
Until next time, Happskee Holidays!
(*Award-winning Begyle Beer sold separately)
Special shoutouts to all my favorite entrepreneur hustlers out there!:
*If I accidentally missed anyone, just let me know! I’m pretty tired and out of coffskee.
