Sorry In advance if I’m posting in the wrong section. I’m looking for a store/seller that has custom ball tops for sanwa sticks. I found this: http://store.projectgiantsword.com/product/custom-balltop, but it seems awfully expensive. Is there something that is more reasonably priced? Thanks
Try the Trading Post
There are like 6 different people that do various things with Ball Tops
2 that actually make unique molded Ball Tops, like pear finish and marbled effects.
I forgot who, there was once someone who made glass Ball Tops, there also someone who makes custom Anodized metal Ball Tops and Bat Tops
and 4 different people who paint ball tops.
Actually for the quality of work and the durability of the product you are not going to beat Project Giant Sword’s $58.95 price tag.
You got to understand anything hand done and crafted custom per order does not come cheaply.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I simply wanted ones with unique paint on them, not ones that are custom molded as well. Does this change anything? Thanks
There is a “how to paint your own balltop” thread. If you can draw ok and follow directions, that is probably your cheapest bet.
What do you guys think of these?
take a look at
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131493.0.html
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131493.0;attach=286933;image
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131493.0;attach=286935;image
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131493.0;attach=286937;image
those are rad
Those are awesome.
Here’s someone I found while looking for info on custom art. She had made a matching balltop for a modder
https://www.facebook.com/GandaKrisPage?ref=ts&fref=ts
Her work is really good.
Please note these are extremely difficult to photograph and look more stunning in reality, as the little specks in the balls are little holographic flecks within the ball.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131493.0;attach=287012;image
Would you know if they are the same material as the Sanwa clears? I’m nervous about them cracking with just a little temperature change like how my Sanwa smoke clear ball top did.
rest assure these things are tough -believe me Ive did the tests,dropping them ,putting them in a vice,hitting them with a hammer and unless you play your machine in sub zero temperatures - they’ll last the pace, Ive been abusing mine for the past year and a half !
butteroj is out of the custom balltop market as are a few other custom part builders…
Paradise Arcade Shop and (very likely) Arcade Shock are going to be doing more custom balltops in the near future.
Paradise is doing at least anodized, various color (5 at the moment) aluminum balltops… 35mm size.
Arcade Shock looks to be doing metallic balltops similar to some I’ve seen on an auction site. You have to go to Arcade Shock’s Facebook page to see these balltops. These are chromed silver, gold, black, etc.
The Paradise balltops are previewed on their thread in the Tech Forum.
Paradise may or may not be picking up some of where butteroj left off; they apparently have the info for the shop he ordered those balltops from… I still regret not getting some balltop handles from butteroj while he was open for business. I definitely will be in the market soon to get balltop handles once I get my financial affairs more in order.
…
If people complain about the prices on ANY of the balltops from Paradise Shop or butteroj, they ain’t seen nothing yet pricewise. I’ve seen $60 and up from some websites on balltop handles; frankly, a lot of those custom handles really don’t look that nice. Even 4 years after SFIV debuted, there are a lot of websites with less-than-knowledgeable vendors (and some who know better) selling product at price levels that I don’t think many people will pay…
Heh… and we all thought $15 for a plastic bevel was highway robbery!
I would totally get back in it if the demand was there. The cost of getting the blank stock & inserts just is too high when I have so many balls that go unsold and sit around for months at a time.
Now imagine that $15 just ported straight across the Atlantic into £15 ($23)…
(Well, I say £15 - that would qualify for free shipping, so they charge £14.99 and add another £3.50 for postage…)
I had a feeling that’s what happened… 
Still, those Pearl balltop handles looked very nice!
I’m surprised nobody else has picked up on the idea yet… I guess there are only enough “crazy” people amongst us for the meshballs??? ( ==> “Me” being one of the “crazy ones,” too!)
Issue was custom ball tops was too niche of a market. Also people do not understand that Customs = More Money.
It is why I pulled out of the replacement TE screws business. The only way I can get the bolts at a low price was to buy in bulk, but buying in Bulk ties up alot of cash with little return coming back.
When toodles went into TE screws, although I have a wider selection I gave up. My only complains was I only took payment via Paypal, shipping costs and why I lack certain colors.
People fail to realize customs aren’t cheap and more customization = more money. People also should realize we don’t make huge profit margins off our customs.
The more unique or obscure something is the more it will cost. Anything (and I do mean anything) hand made can triple to 10 times the cost of said time depending on the time spent on labor.
Hell; depending on who wants to know, I will let select people know where I got my supply of TE screws from.
Seems to me that a lot of custom stick stuff has quieted down in the last year or so. We need a new SF game to get the noobs riled up again so folks have a reason to create stuff. 
Sorry to revive an old topic, but now I’m in the market for some custom balltops. Anyone know if that daverocket guy is still around making those balltops (or if those were even legit)? I’d love to order something like that if anyone has any recommendations for custom ball tops.
I haven’t heard from daverocket since his last post, which was two years. He disappeared as quick as he appeared.
Paradise Arcade Shop and Arcade Shock that do Custom Ball tops.
At the moment Paradise is close until August as they are moving locations (across country).