UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

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  • Benjy
    Member
    • Mar 2018
    • 47

    UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

    One for the UK looners on here (of which there seem to be a fair few of us!)

    My local Poundland, due to the lunatic way global capitalism and stocking in retail now works, has already started putting out the summer stuff... not inflatables, because I think even the staff realise selling beachballs and inflatable animals whilst the snowdrifts are blocking the doors would cause adverse comments, but other stuff nonetheless which means hopefully the inflatables cannot be far away.

    I reckon for most UK looners into inflatables, the appearance about a decade back of the 'Jumbo' beachballs must have been great- easily purchased, large, stretchy, reasonable quality, and proper 'traditional' colours.

    My question is though, has anybody ever seen them used 'in real life'? Me and a looner friend have a theory that it's only looners buying them, as they seem to fly off the shelves, but we've never actually seen one being played with at the beach or at a pool.

    I remember seeing one as a background prop/set dressing on a TV program a couple of years ago, I've seen a couple in shop window displays, and seen one in a music vid. But that's about it.

    So has anyone ever seen one being used/played with by (for want of a better, non-loonerish term) normal people?
  • Big Balloons!
    Member
    • Jul 2016
    • 81

    #2
    Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

    I'll keep this in mind for when summer comes back around. I agree, it's odd how many inflatables are about but I never see them used - not even many at beaches where they're marketed for. Maybe people use them more as a toy in the garden for their kids now but it doesn't explain it still.

    Slightly unrelated but still Poundland, any thoughts on their other looner things? I remember seeing punch balloons but never tried them, but did buy helium balloons once (apparently they have to ask for ID now, which surprised me)

    Comment

    • craggy2012
      Senior Member
      • Jan 2012
      • 824

      #3
      Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

      Poundland's great for cheap, popping fodder.

      Comment

      • Benjy
        Member
        • Mar 2018
        • 47

        #4
        Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

        The normal packs of punchballoons are naff, they inflate to a very small size and a rubbish shape. They do however sell in packs of 2 some 'light up' punchballoons which inflate to a 'proper' size, about 2ft accross if you're careful.

        Their inflatables generally aren't bad, the large swim rings are reasonable quality and a nice soft material which heat-stretches well. The inflatable animals are small but reasonable quality too... I would say only the paddling pools are naff, very small and leaky.

        Don't understand why they need ID for helium balloons, unless it's to stop kids messing around with them?

        Comment

        • craggy2012
          Senior Member
          • Jan 2012
          • 824

          #5
          Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

          To be honest the majority of their stuff I've never been too plusses about. They use nice, soft, gloss vinyl which is Good, but everything's just too small to be of much use.... other than their odd sized classic six colour beach ball which was bigger than a 36 inch, but not quite a 42. My missus found them great for sitting on solo.

          Comment

          • craggy2012
            Senior Member
            • Jan 2012
            • 824

            #6
            Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

            The ID's for the helium to stop kids inhaling it. It's not as inert gas as you'd think and excessive concentration in your lungs can kill you.... plus it soon leads them into inhaling hippy crack (NO2).

            Comment

            • Benjy
              Member
              • Mar 2018
              • 47

              #7
              Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

              I suppose it makes sense with the ID then, they have to cover themselves.

              Agree with the comment about the soft vinyl. Unless you actively try to puncture the beach balls they can take a lot of abuse, just stretching and deforming. With sitting and laying on, they just seem to soften and stretch. We used one on the beach a few years ago for fun and games, and it just naturally heatstretched all day. We just kept topping it up with air until by the end of the day it was as light as a balloon and really massive...

              Comment

              • FireRider
                Junior Member
                • Jul 2016
                • 29

                #8
                Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                I actually was wondering if Poundland selling those was a regular thing or just a one-off. I stumbled over them by accident (didn't even know about Poundland as a store) last summer, and bought easily a dozen. Hard to get beachballs of that size for that price, especially ones that stretch so nicely.
                I'll be in London in May, albeit only for a few hours during a stopover. Fingers crossed Poundland will have their inflatables rolled out by then so I can get my hands on some!

                Comment

                • John225
                  Member
                  • Jan 2018
                  • 80

                  #9
                  Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                  Do you have a picture? What size are they? I couldn't really find anything on my American google

                  Comment

                  • Benjy
                    Member
                    • Mar 2018
                    • 47

                    #10
                    Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                    I'll try and sort a picture out soon to show the size etc.

                    Having said in the first post that stores were not stocking them, low and behold... my local branch here in Yorkshire have dozens of them out on the shelves; the outdoor temperature on the day I spotted them was barely over freezing What a wonderfully mixed-up retail sector we now have. I've no doubt the summer toys will be yanked off the shelf to make way for the Halloween decorations by early May at this rate

                    Comment

                    • craggy2012
                      Senior Member
                      • Jan 2012
                      • 824

                      #11
                      Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                      Reminds me of Toys R Us.... outdoor toys hit the shelves in late April, all gone again by Mid August for the kids were soon heading back to school again.

                      Comment

                      • craggy2012
                        Senior Member
                        • Jan 2012
                        • 824

                        #12
                        Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                        But by jingo in those few weeks did we spend well in there lol!
                        Those Intex 48inch Jumbo balls were about £4.50 a piece back then n me and the missus would like buy them in the tens of- each time we visited.....

                        Comment

                        • John225
                          Member
                          • Jan 2018
                          • 80

                          #13
                          Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                          Here in America there are only a few places, mostly Walmart. We have a big sporting goods place called academy that used to sell them but last year I didn't find any there

                          Comment

                          • John225
                            Member
                            • Jan 2018
                            • 80

                            #14
                            Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                            Well no where in my part of America has them yet and I'm pretty close to Florida. Just looked at all the stores I can get them. Academy was the only place with inflatables though oddly no beach balls what so ever. That's odd to me, I would think it would be one of the most popular inflatables

                            Comment

                            • Benjy
                              Member
                              • Mar 2018
                              • 47

                              #15
                              Re: UK- Poundland Jumbo Beachballs

                              Finally had chance to photograph one of the beach balls, as requested... Hopefully the attached image should work!

                              On the left is a standard Poundland Jumbo Beachball, as bought, and relatively tightly inflated (not overinflated). On the right is one which has been heatstretched using an electric pump between bouts of heating it up with a hot shower. By this point the material was exceedingly thin and the ball pretty fragile, but in 'normal' conditions they naturally heatstretch with play/use/sunlight and become very nice and soft. I appreciate in hindsight there isn't much to judge scale from with this shot, I will just say the beachballs inflate straight from the packet up to a size a bit bigger than the 'standard' intex pink/yellow/blue/white beach balls.

                              Given the usual poor selection of inflatables for sale here in the UK in shops, and that most places stock "16-"20 overpriced character-print beachballs, Poundland stocking these lovely traditional, six-coloured, large toys has been amazing. Even with the wider general decline in quality of inflatables in recent years, the one's available today are only slightly smaller (with less glossy colours) than the first ones released about a decade ago.

                              They also do a football-print version of this ball, and a slightly smaller transparent blue globe version too.
                              Attached Files

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