FPO, EPO quality and pricing

[Smakman]

The BYOP thread sparked another subject so let's discuss that here. Paint pricing. I see prices quoted from $65 up to as much as $90 per case for event paint. The player needs to keep in mind that paint sales are very important to the field. Large events are very expensive to produce and a field has to make a profit in order to be able to host the game and paint sales are where that profit is at. You also have to keep in mind that different fields have different amounts of overhead, meaning that it will sometimes cost more to host a game at one field vs. another and the entry and paint pricing has to reflect that. As long as the paint is QUALITY paint, though, most players don't seem to have a lot of problem with FPO/EPO.

My field is in a rural area where I already own most of the property on which my events are held so I am able to sell quality paint at $50 to $55 per case. A game hosted in a location near a major city, on the other hand, where land prices or leasing land is much more expensive will have to charge higher paint prices and entry fees.

I am able to offer package deals in which the cost of entry, paint, air, food, ect. is still less than a single case of paint at other events, but a lot of players have to travel a ways to get here. The bottom line really seems to be whether or not the player HAS A QUALITY EXPERIENCE. If so, they don't seem to mind paying the price for it, where ever the game is played and whatever they have to pay for it.

[fallout11]

Yep, that's absolutely correct.

I'd gladly pay twice the price and travel half again as far for a quality experience, over a so-so one.

[TheTramp]

I honestly find that if the paint is $100 (or more some places) per case I have less fun. I'm not kidding. I'm so disgruntled that it can actualy make the day less fun. ~$60 give or take is fair to me.

When you add crappy paint to the mix it can completely ruin the day. When I first started in tournaments my team went to a newbie event (could not have ever played in a "real" tourny or on this event before) the paint was $100 per case for REALLY crappy brown box stuff that was so big it wouldn't even feed properly. It ruined the whole day.

If I had paid $40 per case (it wasn't really even worth that) I wouldn't have be half as pissed and probably still could have had a good day.

[badinfo]

Ok, Im curious about the numbers here. I used to do a lot of reenacting, every time period from Vikings to WW2. The average event fee was $25 for the weekend. WW2 events tended to be the highest, but we also got to stay in barracks most events.
That was it though, since it was bring yer own ammo the events were funded purely by the event fee of $20-35 per person. Granted, Civil War events make extra money on spectators, but most of the other time periods dont have spectators.

Average WW2 event was maybe 500 people, assume the worst case and a $40 event fee, thats $20,000. For that we often got to stay in a barracks, and usually one or two meals.

Now here is a typical scen game: $50 reg, $80 paint and like $15 or so for air.
Figure 500 participants, even if they all only buy one case of paint that comes to like $72,000!. Where does the difference come in?

Is it because most reenactments are held for the love of the thing by the reenactors themselves and most paintball scen games are held by commercial ventures to make a buck? (most not all :D)

Curious, have wondered about this in the past and would like to hear others opinions.....

[fallout11]

Badinfo, I believe you have hit the nail on the head.

There are slightly higher operating expenses associated with a big paintball game, over a re-enacting event, which show up in the registration fee.
Insurance, and the need for certain "safety" protocols (referees, chronographing stations and personnel), for example.
But the rest is profit.
Especially on paintball prices. That's where the promoters make their margins.

Ahh, capitalism!