[villagetinker]

JerryLBell,
As mentioned above, there are balls and shoes available at the bowling alleys. Personally, I never liked lane shoes, they seem to stick a lot. I agree completely about your needs changing, but the reason I suggested a USED ball is that this will give you a consistent starting point. Rob will try to give you a ball that will initially be suitable for the way you are currently throwing the ball. As you pick up your game, then you can change balls as necessary.
The are a large variety of balls, and Rob is very good at this. Please do not buy a ball on how it looks, you buy a ball based on the way it will move (hook) or not move (straight), depending on how you throw the ball.
PS I am up to the low 170's on 2 leagues, lower on the third, due to the different oil patterns.