1600 down the drain

[logamus]

rob i hear ya loud and clear, the problem is store owners dont. if they think they can keep selling equipment 25-30% higher than it can be had on the net part of their downfall is on them as well. i know its up to the paintball players to keep these local shops open, but the owners have to do their part too. i have no problem spending a few dollars more in the shop to help the owner out, but they have to be at least reasonable with pricing.

[bornl33t]

I was gonna say sometimes they got some pretty extreme mark ups, I don't consider it an excuse, but I was just recently looking at a few different spyders and I think it was 888paintball that had the spyder x-tra for 69$ plus shipping. And my local store wanted 109 plus tax. I mean that's a 40$ differance if you think about it. 40$ can make or break a newbie.

I'm also one that doesn't like buying markers new. i bought my first at my local store and wasn't very happy with the deal I got. So pretty much the only thing I NEED is small parts, fittings etc. and guess what? the ones I need are always the ones they don't have.

I pretty much just buy o-rings and cup seals from them anymore. And they are still 5 orings for a 1$ and 4.50$ for a cupseal. blah

[RobAGD]

Well you also have to understand that some web shops are seiing for a profit of $2. I cant do that. Bt what I can do is Give you life time labor on teh gun, good friendly service, a good place to play and good quality stuff and I wont sell you crap unless you really really want it.

The problem with spyders in general is the fact that use weird parts. The BL's and regs they use suck and nothing else will match it. Yes I carry the BL converters and I carry a few drops with the offset pattern. But because we sell less of these I dont get the better pricing like I get on "normal" drops that I buy in large quanties.

I keep most repair parts for guns I sell, if I dont sell it I MIGHT have a factory parts kit for the wallmart guns ( raptor, Avenger, Genisis, Stinkray )

Thing is I have to pay people to work to answer your questions, pay my rent, electrisity and operating cost. You have to have some thnings that are higher margin. I sell 5 tank orings for $2, thats a high marin item, Guns are not a high margin item. You typically see less than %10 depending on the volume you sell. And as I have 6 shops and a field I do a good volume, but guess what ? I dont do near the ammount NPS does do they can under cut my prices to teh point I could not compete.

If your local shop sucks or sells things for un realistic prices, then by all means dont buy from them. But also dont forget when you need some help at some point or you need that special widget that he may not have out for sale but might have on a gun or in personal stash, shop owners will remember who buys from them.

Just so you all know, I bought my first gun from Smart Parts because I got word from AGD when I called to ask some questions they just got a shippment, I didnt think my local shop could get them in as the guns were back ordered almsot 3 months out. That was mail order, my local guy never stoped giving me crap about that but he did end up paying for me to get certified at AGD because I got a ton of people to buy from him :) If you have a helpfull shop, support them, if you have a crap shop that just push junk then dont, but dont no buy just because of a few $$.

-Robert

[crankydan]

Rob,

You made some good points, but lets really look at something important. PAINT, PAINT, PAINT, is where every baller is going to spend their money. How many Newbs run through 2 cases a weekend? Not many that I know, and if they did they just spent enough money to buy themselfs a new Spyer(or whatever). The thing that kills me is the mark up on Paint, I mean come on now, how can shops justify 25-30% mark up. Here is a new concept, how about selling paint at cost and draw more customers into the store. You dont have to sell it all at cost, maybe just PMI Prem or Blaze. We get it at our field for 40 bucks a case and if you want marb or infern then you pay more. I think this is what started this thread and some of us just dont like it. I believe you run a good shop, you just have to think about us rec folks more often and hook us up. :)

[tony3]

Originally posted by DWill
50 acres in Illinois? Do they live on a farm? I wish I had 50 acres a scuba tank and my own field, I would be out there everyday, but I live on this little half a acre lot with neigbors who look at me funny and a bit worried when I take out my paintball marker. Must of been fun though I would love to do that.

Yes, its in Wilmington, its got a pond and a dock, and they have a house and a boat. 5 acres of it is nothing but flat land with no trees or anything, the other 45 or so is all forested, they bought most of this for riding motocross

[RobAGD]

I tell you what.

Goto your local store, and ask then to sell you Bread and milk for cost because that the best way to get people into the store ?

I never understand why paintball people seem to think that a paintball store is any differnt than a target, WalGrens or any other shop. You dont haggle in there about prices why should you in my shop ?

The margin on paint is what ever it goes for in your area. Just to give you an idea we are not the cheapest in teh area, I have 2 other shops that sell paint at cost or damn close to it. People still buy from me because they know I am not selling old paint. Also the only reason this guy is still in business is that his field. He runs enough private games to keep the store afloat. He isnt cutting into my walk ons or my team players. HE get a fair share of teh new people. In the long run we end up with those players as well because of your service, selection and to be honest we are better than he is.

There is a reason you dont see many Paintball shops that ahve ben around for more then a few year, you have to run it like its a real business not a hobbie or you will fail.

-Robert

[kutter]

Rob, I agree with everything you said except for one thing, grocery stores actually do sell bread and milk at cost or in some cases at a loss.

Think of it this way, what 2 items do most people go through the most, especially if you have kids. Operating under the premise that you will buy the rest of your groceries there if the 2 things you buy the most are the cheapest. Actually a good idea, but it does not work for paintball since food is not a discretionary item and the things that we use other than paint we don't purchase nearly as much of.

I support my local store whenever I can. I admit that I do not purchase things like air bottles and guns, but I do buy almost everything else. Its too hard to know if something will work/fit/feel right over the internet, thats why I go to the store. It benefits both of us.

Just my opinions, I could be wrong.

[bornl33t]

Originally posted by RobAGD
I tell you what.

Goto your local store, and ask then to sell you Bread and milk for cost because that the best way to get people into the store ?

I never understand why paintball people seem to think that a paintball store is any differnt than a target, WalGrens or any other shop. You dont haggle in there about prices why should you in my shop ?

The margin on paint is what ever it goes for in your area. Just to give you an idea we are not the cheapest in teh area, I have 2 other shops that sell paint at cost or damn close to it. People still buy from me because they know I am not selling old paint. Also the only reason this guy is still in business is that his field. He runs enough private games to keep the store afloat. He isnt cutting into my walk ons or my team players. HE get a fair share of teh new people. In the long run we end up with those players as well because of your service, selection and to be honest we are better than he is.

There is a reason you dont see many Paintball shops that ahve ben around for more then a few year, you have to run it like its a real business not a hobbie or you will fail.

-Robert

Oh yeah, I buy all my paint locally. For one all the fields are fpo and for two, I don't want to have to send it back cause a few got busted by the boys at UPS and ruined the whole batch and for three, i want to complain when I get a box of dimples. Oh yeah, and my local store has a a 40$ lifetime warrenty too. But I've never heard of a mag owner taking advantage of it

[RobAGD]

Just a quick nod about the milk and bread comment, I ran several grocery stores for about 7 years. Milk and bread are not sold at cost. Store brands ( bread ) are close but are not.

Heat, we have a lot of mag owner that use the lifetime labor deal now, the magic word is "Level 10"

-Robert

[SpongeBobSquarePants]

Well anytime I buy just about anything except well small parts and big parts and jerseys and pants and masks.....Ok so I don't buy anything other then airlines local. MEH

The store is 10 minutes but not ran by the same guy, the guy that runs one has a pre-99 annoed cocker with 2 tanks for 1,500 dollars. Little out ragious don't you think? The only other markers he carrys are spyders and a few tippmanns. Thats why I don't buy local, they can't supporrt my needs.

However, I do buy all my paint local, and to all those up there mitching and boning about 40 bucks for a case of paint be happy. Geez I remember paying 70 bucks for the same stuff 3 years ago so be happy guys.

Everything I do buy local is at my field, not really local bout 45 mins away.

[Major Ho]

Post whore-ish comment
Rob rocks my world...

[fdsovd]

rich people bah!

[RobAGD]

For all the kiddies that ahve never paid more than $100 for a case you missed out on all the fun.

1992 Master RPS FPO @ MAsters $175 a case for Junk
1993 2500 rnd case Nelon Red $125 and that was a damn good price
Late 1993 Team get a deal with NPS now pay $50 a case if we buy 100 caes a wack ( 2 skids )
Event paint at most fields ProBall or 68 Ultra $125 a case
1998 RPS Marb $90 a case ! RPS Premium $80ish a case ( still 2500 rnds )

NOw from Late 94 until 97 I paid $40 for pratice Brass Eagle paint and my event paint was $0 But that is teh wonders of sponcer ship. BTW the tournament BE paint once they got it dialed in was freaking awsome. The pink was nasty thick and marked like Inferno Pink.

Now you can get just to give you an idea around here ( Metro Washington DC )

White Box ~ $45
Blaze ~ $57
Inferno ~ $62
Hellfire ~ $68
Big Ball ~ $52
PMI Prem - $56 Pink is the only color to get its evil lite
Marb / Evil ~ $67

Our fields allow BYOP, only reason you HAVE To shoot our paint is if you have our rental gear. Or your playing a special event ( tournament ) and thats the only othertime we require Store ( pevs ) paints.

-Robert

[UltimatePaintballer]

shipping for paint online is insane. its like 20 dollars+. thats why i never buy it online. my friends dad bought them 8 or 16 cases once from online. i can't imagine what that costed them! also they went through that in like a month

[nastymag]

again .. i am lucky , because KAPP is big , they sell stuff pretty cheap.

case of Anarchy is 55

GAP i think was like 45-50

they had Nelson hotspot at 35 bucks a case.
and if you will defently find " KAPP " brand products cheaper then anywhere else.

they are great ..... the only thing that is kinda odd is that they have a bigger selection of girl clothing ( like street cloths) then mens.


in playing for 4 years now , i have never ever bought paintfrom an online store. im proud of that