Paintball: Too Expensive

[Bartleby]

actually i've heard from a few well-credited people that the paintball industry has lost money upon introducing the sport to the general public. bare with me because i don't know how much of this is true or not, it's all word of mouth:

the military is the true reason for paintball's existence. i'm sure you all can imagine the training programs and excersises that paintball is used in. but the government is really the largest purchaser of paintball equipment. when the industry decided to attempt to open the "sport" to the general public, the industry as a whole began to lose money and thus the prices need to be increased just to make ends meet.

if you'll notice, AGD for instance didn't start out with paintball, and when they finally began to produce paintball equipment it was for simulation excersises for the military and police.

[Croix71]

For the past 10 years paintball has remained an expensive hobby. High end markers have gotten more expensive and but paint has gone down in price.

Can anyone here who played stock in the 80's state how much it cost to play back then? Paint was probably expensive but how much did it cost to use all those 12 gram cartridges?

[than205]

http://www.pcri.net/history.htm

I could not disagree more.
The first official "game" was played by those 12 souls in southern New Hampshire. They played recreationally.
While in fact the police and some others may train with paintballs. The origins are rooted in non-military fun.
I do not believe the government is the largest purchaser of paintball equipment for same reasons as this thread. The military would not have thousands of troops in daily execises consuming paintballs and whatnot. When they allready have investments in real firearms and electronic attachments for simulations. Why buy a paintball when you can recharge a battery?
The industry has been always rooted in a somewhat garage/shop enviroment. It has grown to the multi-million dollar market that it is in the last ten years and things have become more professional.
I believe that Predater hit it on the head, there is a substantial markup on paint. Not that there isn't on everything in our world. But also, the price for paint has gone down over the years. Meanwhile, field fees are going up. Likely insurance, more professional fields and accomdating any variety of things have driven this. The days of a rec field consisting of a co2 cylinder and few acres of land has gone.
The way I understand it is that AGD did start out in paintball. AGD ventured into the military/security biz to diversify a bit. There are to many ground breaking accomplishments to not recognize AGD as one of the many forefathers of paintball.
If someone is telling you that the industry is losing money on paintball, then why are pro teams getting cars and other high dollar stuff as prizes. Why are there so many magazines for a losing proposition? Why is there a new paintball being released every few weeks? Please. There is money being made here.

If you don't like it, I go back to my original post.
Shoot less paint. Or perhaps it should be waste less paint.

[Bartleby]

first off, Tom stated that he did NOT start in the paintball industry, rather, his company began with firearms. that's not to say that AGD was not a major determining factor in the course that the industry would take, just that they did not produce paintball products from the getgo. and second, how do you know that the paintball industry is making money? you know just as well that it is making money as i am told it is not. there is not hard evidence of either unless Tom Kaye himself shows up on this thread and discloses the over so documented information. As for the magazines, they mean absolutely nothing. "please" there is a magazine for everything. and jsut to affirm my point that the industry may be losing money, i do know that Brass Eagle has lost money upon its construction of the new Challenge Park. Paint needs to be expensive in order to cover the costs of everything else and just because there are advances in the sport being made all the time, doesn't have anything to do with funds.

[Snooky]

only price i cant handle is the field paint. i mean 100 bux for 2000 paintballs? you say this is for refs and expenses but most of the fields i goto that have field paint can't compare to the field i goto that is byop. that field is apocalypse paintball and is best field in existence im aware of.

[Bartleby]

actually snooky, i have been meaning to try out apocalypse, i heard it's great. but to account for the loss of income on the field paint, what's the field charge?

[nastymag]

buy bolk fool.
around here.
75 dollers frequent player pass ( last one month )
includes
discont on paint.
free entrence ( open four days a week)
free air fills.

then spend 120 bucks on three cases of paint. and your set

by the way im 16 too.

[Kaiser Bob]

First, not to flame, but learn to spell before you call anyone a fool. Second, its not like every field has a program like that. Anyway, as far as paint goes price has gone down quite a bit, while the consistancy has gotten a great deal better. And for many fields, there are lots of expenses to deal with like compressors and/or boosters which can be tens of thousands a pop, rentals and their maintenance, insurance (a big one) and the required upkeep of the fields. So, as was said before the prices are what they are. I cant afford to play as much as I'd like either, but hey what can ya do?

[nastymag]

lol .. my bad.

lets just say im not to well learned in the way of grammer ... grew up on slang.

but if you really want to save money, buy off predator paintball. the got this deal goin, two cases of team colors and one of blaze for only 99 bucks. thats not bad at all.

play pirate ball.. though be sure to get a chrony before because you wanna make sure you dont blast some ones eye out.

lay low on the upgrades ... more playing time is more skill. more upgrades wont get you that.

just helping
nasty

laterz f**l

[Restola]

i dont feel any sympathy for someone who shoots a case a day and complains about cost. the only time i ever shot a case of paint was the first time i played with my emag. even then i brought 300 balls home at the end of the day and shot them.

try hopper ball. or go on the field with your hopper and 1 tube.

or play stock class.

[irbodden]

Re: Paintball prices

Originally posted by zbody
Prices will continue to go down as more people get involved in the sport. But it's just like any of the "extreme sports." Have you priced snowboards, climbing gear, kayaks, surf boards, mountain bikes, etc. lately?

A very nice mountain bike can be had for about $1000 or less. (I really like my friends new Trek that only costed him $700) After that- biking is basically free. All you need is a state park permit, $10, that lets you ride in all state parks in that state. If your under 18 you dont even need it. If you go biking at ski resorts its usually like $5 a day.

Surfing is much cheaper, as is kayaking. The fact remains paintball costs alot of money even compared to other "extreme" sports.

[irbodden]

Originally posted by Predater
ive also got a pair of 800 dollar street agressive skates for grinding.

No need for lies, not ONE pair of aggressive skates cost more than $350. You could buy the Remedyz frame and boot, put ALL of the best parts on it and it wouldn't cost more than $500.

BTW- I have aggro skated for about 5 years now.

[shartley]

[Nitroduck]

Paintball isnt expensive.


Nice pumpgun with trimmings, and everything = $200

Paint = $5/100rds.......

If you think PB is too expensive, shoot less, or use a cheaper gun......Then it wont be as expensive. There are other things that cost ALOT more like guitar....You can spend as little as $30 for a gun in PB....and still have fun, if you wanna be whiney about a case of paint, shoot less! Thats what I have to do.

[Nitroduck]

Originally posted by Predater
ive got a pair of quad rink roller skates that cost 950 bux. they are top of the line but the price is nuts. ive also got a pair of 800 dollar street agressive skates for grinding. they look like crap but are top of the line.

with the guns you have to look at the r&d that went in to it not just the cost of parts. real guns are cheeper cuz most of the designs have ben around a while.

Not true.....The reason real guns are cheaper is due to MASS PRODUCTION. When you make more of a certain good, you open up cheaper deals on the parts that are needed to make it like aluminum, cast aluminum, steel, plastic, wood, ect as well as other costs per gun.

People need to remember, you can't whine about paintball when everything in life is like that, you know good and well a $50000 BMW has about the same ammount of aluminum, steel, ect a $10,000 Kia......Its all about our capitalist economy, we like making money, you do too.