Smart Parts will be closed at the end of the month !!

[going_home]

Oh Noes !

Thanks. We do what we can to keep conversations mature. For what it's worth, the Gardners have absolutely no stake in PBNation. And, if there's any SP mod bribery, they've forgotten to add several of us to the list.

They're here

But they are as welcome here as anyone is

[Pump Scout]

Indeed, sir. And if you think I'm the only one, you'd be WAAAY wrong. Heck, I've been a member here as long as... well, most of the other forums I joined up back in the day. I enjoy many forums, and like to see all kinds of viewpoints on various topics. One of the best reasons to be at least a little part of many communities is that sometimes things pop up in places one doesn't frequent earlier than other places. This thread is a great example of that. The news broke here first, from what I can tell. What can I say, I'm an information junkie!

[Shirow]

'Fraid not. I do have a stock Vibe

Well, there's your problem. Need to get yourself a totally wicked upped Ion.

[Ando]

They were smart enough to copyright "pwnd" and "n00b"

Plz tell me this n00b is kidding. I'm so going to pwnd him if he is

[TheePsycho]

You could build yourself a 35bps ion. The only nice thing about ions is you can build one completely custom without having to support SP.

[BigEvil]

I just had an Epiphany

This one time I was playing paintball.. and this hot chick showed me her magic box


















True story.














It was black........











(I can do this all night)



:rofl:

[CatoRockwell]

Indeed, sir. And if you think I'm the only one, you'd be WAAAY wrong. Heck, I've been a member here as long as... well, most of the other forums I joined up back in the day. I enjoy many forums, and like to see all kinds of viewpoints on various topics. One of the best reasons to be at least a little part of many communities is that sometimes things pop up in places one doesn't frequent earlier than other places. This thread is a great example of that. The news broke here first, from what I can tell. What can I say, I'm an information junkie!

What's wrong with saying thatthe death of smartparts leaves hope for a brighter future in paintball?

It's true

or to tell a fellow pber that he can build a custom automag for under 1300 that is way better than any shocker out there?

I wasn't trying to be rude he asked if anyone could build as good of a marker for under 1500

in all fairness the whole comment about smartparts burning and why Automaggers hate smartparts was a little heated but it was all with a joking tone intended.

[Frizzle Fry]

Well, this just in, one of the banks looking to collect on loans may be seizing a patent portfolio that was borrowed against for a large loan that isn't being used for the company they claimed it was... That includes certain pieces of technology that many in the paintball industry would like to see free'd up. It's very likely that some of the more lucrative patents will expire before litigation is settled, and since the current holders will not be in possesion of them it will not be possible to re-apply for a patent extension. Also it appears that they will not have enough funding to make payments, fight it in court, or fight another well funded company (like KEE...) who may try to claim them.

[TheePsycho]

^ I like this.

Really it doesn't matter if Smart Parts dies in a fire. It's really their patents that need to be cast into the fiery depths of hell, but I can settle for one or the other but preferrably both would do nicely.

http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/e...-business.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/smart-parts-epip...item23043137db

[Pump Scout]

What's wrong with saying thatthe death of smartparts leaves hope for a brighter future in paintball?

It's true

Not much, really, other than where it was done. It'd be like someone coming in here and slamming AGD and the 'Mag. People get real defensive on their own turf about what they're passionate about. Some people really love their Shocker/Ion/Luxe/Impulse/whatever. Personally, while I'm not a fan of some of what SP has done in the past, I understand some of it (not nice stuff, but neither illegal nor poor overall business when it came to the legal stuff), and I see the downfall of ANY paintball related company as a bad sign for the industry in general. This could have just as quickly happened to Bob Long, DYE, Planet, or APS. Who really knows if this is the end of one company, or just the tip of the financial crunch for everyone?

in all fairness the whole comment about smartparts burning and why Automaggers hate smartparts was a little heated but it was all with a joking tone intended.

I can appreciate that, for sure. Again, with a hot-button topic though, people's senses of humor vanish so quick, you'd think they were investments with Madoff. I think the whole Shocker thread on PBN thing was closed to prevent the inevitible... which would have been bad for everyone involved. Putting out a campfire before it could burn down the park, so to speak.

It still bears noting that the Gardners are willing to let their Smart Parts brand, active since, what, 1989 or so?... die in order to move on with DLX and GI MilSim. I have to assume that the GI Nano internally is a Shocker, just as the Micro is certainly a Vibe. It's not like they're getting out of the game, they're shifting directions and likely playing the corporate shell game. Their patents are indeed personally owned, rather than corporately, so those will ride along to wherever they go, and they're not likely to give those up anytime soon. With the money those patents alone bring in, they'd be fools to give them up.

QUICK EDIT - just read about the bank possibly moving on the patents. If the Gardners put up their patents as collateral, then certainly it's possible the patents will become available in a bank auction at some point. I know the former owners of a company I worked for put personal property up with the bank when they'd wanted to expand. When things fell apart for them (ironically, another set of brothers), the bank not only took their business assets, but their personal property as well. Houses, cars, jewelry, everything they added to help gain a larger loan from the bank.

Once those patents are seized (if they are), the catch will be finding someone with the cash and timing to snap them up, and NOT play the game the way it's been played. Anyone know of anyone with deep, deep pockets and a philanthropic mindset as to this little sport we play?

[Shirow]

Once those patents are seized (if they are), the catch will be finding someone with the cash and timing to snap them up, and NOT play the game the way it's been played. Anyone know of anyone with deep, deep pockets and a philanthropic mindset as to this little sport we play?

I know someone who fills requirement #2, not sure about #1.

[going_home]

QUICK EDIT - just read about the bank possibly moving on the patents. If the Gardners put up their patents as collateral, then certainly it's possible the patents will become available in a bank auction at some point. I know the former owners of a company I worked for put personal property up with the bank when they'd wanted to expand. When things fell apart for them (ironically, another set of brothers), the bank not only took their business assets, but their personal property as well. Houses, cars, jewelry, everything they added to help gain a larger loan from the bank.

Once those patents are seized (if they are), the catch will be finding someone with the cash and timing to snap them up, and NOT play the game the way it's been played. Anyone know of anyone with deep, deep pockets and a philanthropic mindset as to this little sport we play?

Maybe someone interested in the sport could put together a group of affected individuals (IE ones that are paying royalties because the the Gardners electronic patent) that could as a group buy the patent and then make it open source/public domain ?
Its a nice thought...or maybe the group could setup a Paypal donation site if it looks like there will be a bank sell off of the electronic patent.

Or maybe its just a pipe dream

[TheePsycho]

I don't even want to know how much it would sell for.

[Frizzle Fry]

I don't even want to know how much it would sell for.

Considering that they have production facilities, material and patents against which they've borrowed, I'd guess that whichever bank is holding the portfolio will probably end up doing a fast 'n loose firesale to unload "electronic marker" "gasthru grip" and "hinge eyes" to quickly recoup the funds they'd be losing. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) banks don't tend know or care about the importance of what they're holding, and don't always hold out for as much as it's worth as long as they can make back a good part of their losses.

[going_home]

This one time I was playing paintball.. and this hot chick showed me her magic box
True story.
It was black........
(I can do this all night)
:rofl:

I've been trying to figure out how to fit EOS and ION into this thing but I cant and I'm about to FREAK out !