Wilson The Duke Football

[Claymore]

On a Wilson The Duke Football, what do the small letters mean under the made in usa ?
i have seen ones without them and others with different letters ?

[jpipes]

I'm still learning the many aspects of how to read a professional football and its markings but my understanding is those letters can be used to help date a football. It's not much right now I know but hopefully can point you in the right direction!

[cohibasmoker]

On a Wilson The Duke Football, what do the small letters mean under the made in usa ?
i have seen ones without them and others with different letters ?

It's the last stampings placed onto a football. The letters identify when the football actually left the Wilson factory - NOT when it was made.

Jim

[Claymore]

Thanks guys, ive got 4 of these footballs that i have on display and even though 2 of them are quite new and one even still has its tag on only one of the balls holds air

has anyone else had problems with them or is it just my bad luck ?...just seems strange that with decades of experience making footballs you wouldnt expect them to spring leaks after a few years !!

ive even got an old soccer ball from the 1980's that still holds air !!

[scottishcowboy41]

Thanks guys, ive got 4 of these footballs that i have on display and even though 2 of them are quite new and one even still has its tag on only one of the balls holds air

has anyone else had problems with them or is it just my bad luck ?...just seems strange that with decades of experience making footballs you wouldnt expect them to spring leaks after a few years !!

ive even got an old soccer ball from the 1980's that still holds air !!

I think it's just bad luck. I have had quite a few of these Duke's, new and used and some older one's too and all were fine. Had a couple of Nike 3005 NCAA footballs that had some issues holding air in the past though and would flatten pretty quickly. You can get them repaired easily, but I haven't seen this service in the UK. You and I definitely live in the wrong country lol! Glad ur collection is growing well.

[Claymore]

We must get the reject footballs sent over here !!

for the punishnent these balls get you would of thought the bladder would of been made to last and not spring a leak sitting in storage !!

i did look to see if i get them fixed but i coudnt find anyone in the uk that does it ....maybe thats a business idea for me

well i did get some good news, i told the guy that i bought them off ebay from that they dont hold air, so he gave me a full refund and told me to keep them !!

i got them roughly into the right shape and they are now sitting on my shelf !!

[scottishcowboy41]

Wow! That was great service! I always wondered if sometimes the pressure in the flight over during shipping burst the Nike 3005 footballs that I had that leaked. Had loads of footballs sent from the States both flat and fully inflated with no issues, but maybe that particular flight burst your Dukes?

[Claymore]

The guy i bought them from had bought some stock from a sports shop that had closed down and he realised after he had sent them to me that some of the footballs that he had bought were not holding air ( they were the cheaper wilson models balls )

so when i told him that mine were the same he was more than happy to refund me, but even though the balls were brand new, i only bought them for £20 posted and they normally retail from about £70-£100 each ( i dont think he knew what he had ) so i had got a bargain anyway but now its even better that they are now free !!

i was only using them for display anyway !!

whether they were faulty returns to the shop i dont know but for the retail prices of these balls they should not be springing leaks so easily !!

[cohibasmoker]

The guy i bought them from had bought some stock from a sports shop that had closed down and he realised after he had sent them to me that some of the footballs that he had bought were not holding air ( they were the cheaper wilson models balls )

so when i told him that mine were the same he was more than happy to refund me, but even though the balls were brand new, i only bought them for £20 posted and they normally retail from about £70-£100 each ( i dont think he knew what he had ) so i had got a bargain anyway but now its even better that they are now free !!

i was only using them for display anyway !!

whether they were faulty returns to the shop i dont know but for the retail prices of these balls they should not be springing leaks so easily !!

If you can, buy a bottle of "Inland Marine" Athletic and Sport Ball sealant. I would not recommend it on vintage footballs but give it a go on one of the footballs you have. If it works, do the others. They have a on-line website.

[NEFAN]

Look on the Wilson Page and click on customer service, you can send them back and get a new bladder installed.