Brass Eagle went Bankrupt....

[banzaimf]

years ago. They were bought out of bankruptcy by Daisy Airguns. I assume this was for the patent on the nightmare valve. The Stingrays came out shortly thereafter. Then everything went downhill (imo). Daisy marketing ability and there placement in the marketplace helped them make Brass Eagle into the behemoth that it is today.

Here's my question to you. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that they can put paintball equipment in most sports stores.


banzaimf

who still laments that Vents went to Scott and as far as I can tell, Scott has been bought by either leader or 32 degrees.

[Scooter/Cootie]

IMO, I'd have to say that its a good thing. Although they make less than quality paintball gear :p Brass Eagle is introducing John Q. Public to Paintball and that it's real and out there.

Brass Eagle really isnt making tournament level gear (I dont care what you say about the rainmaker :) ) but they are allowing easier access to our sport for the newbie's; and newbies are the meat and potatoes of paintball.

Just my .02.

[Cha0tic]

back in the day......be was alright.....

[Hasty8]

Originally posted by Scooter/Cootie
IMO, I'd have to say that its a good thing. Although they make less than quality paintball gear :p Brass Eagle is introducing John Q. Public to Paintball and that it's real and out there.
I have to take the negative here. I have a very large Sports Authority near my house where most fot he items sold there are BE along with some Tippmann. (Are Sypders BE cause they are sold there too.)

I used to go there to get some of the cheap paint for when I was working on my marker but I found it to be a waste of my money.

Anyway, the few times I was in there I often heard the totally clueless counter help (we are talking Cher from "Clueless" fame here) saying some of the most ignorant things possible.

"No. I wouldn't say that you have to have a facemask. The peelts don't go to fast."

"Yeah. I would definately say that the Spyder is better than the Tippmann." (Okay, matter of personal taste so I'll give you that one.)

"No, these guns don't have that great a range of velocity. They pretty often stay constant."

These gross fallacies and more I have heard and had to stop my shopping to correct the uneducated fanzanoon behind the counter.

My point is this. I think BE does more harm for the industry then they do good. They produce mass produce, low quality junk. They are the Mc'Donalds of the paintball world and we all know what happens if you eat there every day.

I think paintball would be better served, at this stage in it development, if paintball products stayed in the paintball store.

I know even those guys don't know it all but most of them have to know more.

[eskimo]

I am fairly new to paintball, but have been doing competition level car stereo systems for quite some time. There is definately a mirror in the markets. I would tend to agree that a low quality product doesn't deserve a place in the market, but I have grown to see that is what the public wants.
Most people don't spend more than a couple hundred on paintball, likewise, if I told you that I did a stereo in a truck that cost over $40,000, most people don't do that either. Each has its place, and I would have to agree that the "Big Box Stores" do, in the long run, help to introduce people to newer and bigger things, and for those who are happy with their spyders and tipmans, more power to them. The "Big Box Stores" as bad (and I agree they are not the best things in the world) will help to make things progress, and push development of new products. Just my 0.02.

[OldSchoolMag]

LOL Scooter!

...meat and potatoes...

At first I thought you meant "meat for the grinder", but it's all good!

We all know the carrots ROCK! Woot! Carotene helps you see in the dark and makes your skin orange! Potatoes suck! Yeah....

I like what BE does. Their products, however... Meh.

OSM

[Cardinal_Biggles]

Sadly, I can honestly say that if it wasn't for BE I would have never gotten into the sport I love. My first gun was a stingray II. My brother and I used to go out to public parks at midnight and have gun fights, without any protective gear :eek: ! Looking back, I'm lucky I still have my sight. What we did was totally illegal and is unfortunately how most people who are introduced to the sport through BE start out. If people are going to take the time to find a field to play at legally, they're probably also going to find a real pball store. Regretably, most people introduced via BE are the very ones (at least when they start out) to give pball a negative image to the public. "Dem dern miscreants goin' round wit dem plastic walmart guns shootin' up our parks! Dat der sport is nuthin' but trouble!" You get the idea. Fortunately my brother and I quickly found more info on the sport and changed our status. We now severely stress how unsafe it is to play in the manner which we were. We try to guide any newbies to honest info and absolute safety to evenly spread the true glory of the sport like so much I can't Believe It's Not Butter over the hearty wheat-enriched crust of society. :D