Be loyal to the local shop or buy online?

[Micewheelz72]

The nearest store to me is 2 and a half hours away. Theres no way my parents are gonna drive me 5 hours for paintball stuff. Its cheaper online anyway. Thats the way I see it. Oh yeah, the store owner hates mags, unless hes trying to sell one.

[Timmee]

Originally posted by irbodden
Paintball stores don't care about you, they just want your cash. Why stay loyal to them?


..go for the online shop

I brought my PMI 1 to the local shop when it was on it's last legs (my PMI 1, that is), and the shop owner took it completely apart and tried to match up seals to get it to stop leaking. When he couldn't find seals to fix it, he put it all back together, and didn't charge me for the labor he put into it. That was because I'm a steady customer. I've bought 3 markers from him, and would be glad to buy another from him once I'm in the market for one again.

[mrhooie]

I'd tell the local guy your dilema and give him a chance to either match it or come close...

The internet guys won't come through for you on a long weekend or stay open late for you. Most local guys do

[TRIAD]

I say be loyal to your store to a certain degree. I bought my autococker from my local store because the owner will time it(only needed when parts replaced), and help me with problems. Also, i buy all my paint at the local store, because it's not worth it to buy online. It depends on the item, barrels, probably gonna go online, depends though, and when you buy stuff from a store, they give you stuff with the gun, like I got 25 dollars off the gun price(it was the used cocker in my sig, plus a tank cover. Also, before I learned the trigger to my cocker, back in the day when i used to break paint, I thought there as something wrong with the gun, so the owner took it outside and shot like 500 rounds through it, let me shoot some, and didn't charge me anything. I think this is very good service and this is what keeps me coming back. It depends on the store, my store doesn't give my GREAT deals, so I buy some stuff online. If the store was a little better to me I'd buy more from them. It all depends. But, on a gun like a mag, I say get it online. If I get another cocker, I'll buy it from my store because I can't fix a cocker, but if I buy a mag soon, I;ll have Jah871 fix it because he's real good with mags, so there will be no point to buy it from my store (besides the fact that my store owner goes through stages, buying all he can from one company, then selling it, then buying other stuff, and so he's out of the mag stage.) So, that's what I say, if the store is good to you, go for them, and see if you can get a deal, you can barter at a store, but not online . So, see what happens, if they say no deal, just WALK AWAY, then maybe come back and see if they'll change their mind, take your time, scout it out, and you won't make a bad choice.

[joeyjoe367]

Personally, I have no loyalties. Whoever has the best price, I will go to.

[Aranarth]

Pretty much with everybody else. $70 is quite a bit for local support. I will go to my shop first. Heck, I'll even drive an hour to the nearest other shop. But if I don't like what they have, its to the net.
Support your local shop as much as possible. It sucks when they close due to lack of business. Used to have two fields within half an hour's drive. Not enough people supported the other, now down to one.
-AranarthX

[845]

$70 is a lot of money. I would go online.

[Kevmaster]

i would stay local. i am the manager for a field, and i know how hard it is to compete with the internet stores, and i no longer even try. our business is dismal on the store, but somehow we keep getting players with their own guns. we do OK, but it would do wonders to make my upper level bosses think higher of keeping us open if we got more net sales. I sell everything around 10% off the listed MSRP and then offer with that price 1 year on labor AND PARTS, and then 1 more year on labor(you pay parts wholesale cost). thats just how we do things here to keep the customer. once i know the customer, he feels a little better because i call him by name at the field, joke around with him, etc. its a good relationship we have between us. however, i do know that most people will go for the lower price. the stores are not trying to compete with the internet. we know htat Paintballgear.com ordering 1000 cockers will get a better price for them than me ordering 2, and that to stay alive, i need to make more off each of those 2 cockers than PaintballGear does. they can sell the stuff at virtually wholesale cost. I think this is why you see companies such as CenterFlag and MacDev(the two i know of) who set a "lowest" price for all their stuff where NOBODY can sell anything lower than that cost. if they catch you selling it below that price, then tey revoke dealership. this is usually quite a bit above wholesale cost. i wish that all the companies would start such a system so that people would be encouraged to go back to the local stores....just my $.02



just FYI, i am VERY biased on this arguement

[ben_JD]

I shop local. I use Paintball and More in Euless, Texas without reservation on all of my purchases. I don't get free stuff (except for the occasional soda) and I don't get the "insider" price. What I get is the know-how of a store owner who knows his guns (all of them); he's a long-time tournament player that knows what works and what doesn't. He's quick on repair turn-around (I own an Automag, so I have to testify to this fact by my observance of others) and really good prices. I pay local to keep him in business and so that I don't have to wait weeks for my stuff.

Works well all the way around.

When the Extreme finally ships, it will be through his store that mine is purchased.

[InfinatyBPS]

My local shop, which is I&I Sports which is a pretty big company with alot of stores around America, charges way too much for everything, I could see if they were a small store that might go out of buissness if they don't get enough money but omg they charge $9 to fill my 3000psi tank, and their price on a Stock VF cocker is around $500 and online you can get them for $340. Their ANS Chaos Cockers are $800 and you can get them for $550 online... PF Mags are still $400 from them, the prices are Crazy, paint prices aren't crazy but not that good. Its $60 for BigBall $65 for Premium, $75 for marbs and $90 for Diablo Hellfire...

[TRIAD]

I get Big Ball for 50, Premiums for 65, Marbs for like 70 or 75, can't remember, and I don't know about the other stuff, like the Slam, etc. I only shoot Big Ball. Used to shoot Marbs, too expensive, went to Prems, and then to Big Ball because Big Balls are premiums with no color shell, exactly the same thing, oh, and they don't have a fancy box, that's it. Big Ball is my favorite paint, it never breaks, I love it.

[RT pRo AuToMaG]

see, but if you don't give them buisness they will close down, and if they own the field, the field will close too. i do most of my shopping on the net but occasionly, i go to my proshop when buying oil, mask, harnesses, ect. but really it's up to you. I mean do you have $70 that will help the store stay in buisness?

[rudy]

what are you buying? see I make my call based on the store itself If i go to a store and feel like the techs no less then me then they cirtainly dont deserve my 70 bucks. in my expirence most local small shops arent really very good at servicing more expirenced players they are really there to be the AOL of paintball. They no little more then putting aftermarket parts on cockers and angels and selling whatever gun they own. jsut there for those sho dont know any other choices. but some shops are pretty good and worth it. But there is also a point where stores are just plain ripping people off.

[DDC]

store if u get discounts on like air tanks .if not online

[ben_JD]

I think that is the first person to make it to my "Ignore" list in only 8 posts. Good job, DDC!