▁having ▁the ▁ball ▁fall ▁into ▁holes ▁in ▁the ▁rings ▁which ▁have ▁progress ively ▁increasing ▁point ▁values . ▁ ▁History ▁S kee - B all ▁was ▁invent ed ▁and ▁pat ented ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Four est ier ▁Sim pson , ▁a ▁resident ▁of ▁Vin eland , ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁On ▁December ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁Sim pson ▁was ▁granted ▁ ▁for ▁his ▁" Game ". ▁Sim pson ▁lic ensed ▁the ▁game ▁to ▁John ▁W . ▁Har per ▁and ▁William ▁Nice ▁Jr . ▁who ▁created ▁the ▁S kee - B all ▁Al ley ▁Company ▁and ▁began ▁market ing ▁the ▁thirty - two - foot ▁games ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁The ▁first ▁advert is ement ▁for ▁S kee - B all ▁appeared ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁in ▁Billboard ▁magazine . ▁About ▁two ▁months ▁later ▁the ▁first ▁al ley ▁was ▁sold . ▁Alle ys ▁continued ▁to ▁sell ▁slowly ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁Nice ▁died ▁unexpected ly , ▁leaving ▁Har per ▁without ▁the ▁necessary ▁fund ing ▁for ▁promotion . ▁The ▁company ▁strugg led ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁Sim pson ▁worked ▁with ▁Har per , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁having ▁difficulty ▁making ▁any ▁head way , ▁and ▁by ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁the ▁S kee - B