Thrifter Pulls a Black Bowling Ball Off a Goodwill Shelf, Turns It to Reveal the Grim Reaper From Billy and Mandy Painted on It and Calls It a God Tier Pull

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Left: cover still from an Instagram reel by @. Right: A green bowling ball on a wooden bowling lane with white pins (Unsplash photo by engin akyurt).

The first frame of the reel from @part.one.side.b looks like any other store shelf, a pegboard back wall, a ledge and a blue shelf tag, with a dark round shape tucked on the edge. Over it sits a line of text: “God tier goodwill pull.” A hand reaches in and pulls the object out, and it turns out to be a bowling ball.

The caption is short. “Cannot believe I found this,” it says, followed by the tags #grimadventuresofbillyandmandy, #cartoonnetwork, #nostalgia, #cartoon and #90scartoons. The clip runs about 14 seconds and shows the creator handling the ball with both hands as it turns.

The ball is on its side at the edge of the shelf for the first second, with the text over it. A hand grabs it and rolls it forward, and by the two second mark the face of the Grim Reaper is turned to the camera, a pale skull with big eyes under a red hood, set against a green background that wraps around the black ball. A green price sticker is stuck to the surface. The creator then turns the ball, and the picture changes to a second panel with a pair of cartoon characters against yellow green swirls, one with a pink nose and one with blond hair. The creator turns it back to the skull and the sticker, then tilts the ball to show the underside for the last four seconds, where two green rimmed finger holes and a small square emblem sit near each other, which shows it is a drilled bowling ball.

The artwork comes from the show named in the caption’s first tag. Warner Bros.’ own page for the series describes it as the story of two kids, “happy go lucky Billy and cynical, deadpan Mandy,” who become best friends with the Grim. The page is at warnerbros.com. The Grim is the character on the ball.

The emblem and finger holes at the end of the clip are the parts a bowler would check. The United States Bowling Congress sets the standards for balls used in certified play, and its Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual gives a diameter of 8.500 to 8.595 inches at the time of manufacture and a maximum weight of 16.00 pounds. It also says each ball must carry a brand name or logo, a ball series name and a serial number, so a ball with art like this one should show that identifying information somewhere on its surface.

Turn the ball all the way around, because the art wraps and the best panel may be on the far side, as the creator’s rotation shows. Look for a price sticker, like the one here, so you know what the store is asking. Check the finger holes too, since the video ends on them.

The video does not say what the creator paid, whether the ball was drilled for a particular player, or whether they kept it. What the clip does confirm is the setting, a Goodwill according to the on screen text, and the artwork on the ball. For a collector of cartoon merchandise, the practical next step is to photograph every side of the ball, note any maker mark, and compare it with listings of cartoon themed bowling balls before deciding what it is worth.



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