Save Paintball
Okay, I did a thread recently talking about the "death of paintball" and it got some good volume of respondants. So I thought about it some more, and thought I would ask a similar question...
...What idea do you have that you feel would most help the sport of paintball become more popular, profitable, better, etc...? Please feel free to post whatever you want, but try to at least come up with an idea before flaming other ideas.
I'll start...right now...you go to a field and the prices are reasonable...$15-20 for all day play. Some fields provide free air, some don't, sometimes it's dependant on events. But the real problem I have noticed has been paint. Many fields, especially indoor, charge outrageous amounts of money for a case of "their" paint and don't allow you to bring your own. I've heard different reasons for this, but generally...it's the amusement park/movie theatre philosophy that once a person is in your area, you can charge them outrageous amounts for things they'll want/need and require that they not be allowed to supply themselves (i.e., ya can't bring candy to the theatre).
Many fields/stores feel this is the best way to make themselves profitable because it gets players to the field with low entrance fees but makes that money back in paint sales.
Here's my alternative proposal: Make paint at the field cheap. Charge an extra $10 entrance fee, let $5 of that increase go to raising the pay of the refs (in an attempt to get better quality refs with better attitudes) and use the other $5 of the increase to offset the losses you'll incur in paint costs. Essentially, instead of marking a $40 case of premium paint up to $60 at the field...mark it down to $25 or $30 IF that person pays the entrance fee and buys it at the field. Charge $50 or $60 for it in the store, but have the salespeople point out that they could get the paint cheaper if they go to the field and play one weekend.
The plus side is that many players that currently are limited by $$$, and it's alot of players, will play more often. Rec players that have to decide between playing in their backyards or at the field...will be more likely to go to the field...especially if they need to buy paint. They may even buy EXTRA paint to use behind their house rather than losing that sale to Wal Mart. You may lose a few new players that are concerned mostly with the entrance fee...but once they go and realize that it is a fair fee for the amount of play and quality of play, they'll come back. You can still use field paint only! But here's the second part of the suggestion...offer multiple grades! Why continue to lose low-end paintball sales to Wal Mart? Offer three levels of paint...you could even buy Brass Eagle paint and give some of it away with registration (if the player wants it). Then offer an intermediate brand for $20/case and the premium for $30. In the store, they'll bay $35 per case of intermediate and $50 per case of premium...but they get their discount at the field.
I also mentioned paying the refs a little more. Listen, one of the most common complaints of most people I talk to have to do with ref performance. The refs are the guys that make your day good or bad, safe or not safe. If giving them an extra incentive helps improve their performance...do it! A good field is great, but if the refs don't enforce rules or get people hurt...the players will play somewhere else. Refs will say that don't get paid very much and that's why they are unmotivated...well, maybe pay them a tad more. Maybe not...maybe make it an incentive...for every player that comes to the field...$5 goes into the general fund...at the end of the day...that gets divied up between all refs...sort of an incentive for them to encourage people to return.
...What idea do you have that you feel would most help the sport of paintball become more popular, profitable, better, etc...? Please feel free to post whatever you want, but try to at least come up with an idea before flaming other ideas.
I'll start...right now...you go to a field and the prices are reasonable...$15-20 for all day play. Some fields provide free air, some don't, sometimes it's dependant on events. But the real problem I have noticed has been paint. Many fields, especially indoor, charge outrageous amounts of money for a case of "their" paint and don't allow you to bring your own. I've heard different reasons for this, but generally...it's the amusement park/movie theatre philosophy that once a person is in your area, you can charge them outrageous amounts for things they'll want/need and require that they not be allowed to supply themselves (i.e., ya can't bring candy to the theatre).
Many fields/stores feel this is the best way to make themselves profitable because it gets players to the field with low entrance fees but makes that money back in paint sales.
Here's my alternative proposal: Make paint at the field cheap. Charge an extra $10 entrance fee, let $5 of that increase go to raising the pay of the refs (in an attempt to get better quality refs with better attitudes) and use the other $5 of the increase to offset the losses you'll incur in paint costs. Essentially, instead of marking a $40 case of premium paint up to $60 at the field...mark it down to $25 or $30 IF that person pays the entrance fee and buys it at the field. Charge $50 or $60 for it in the store, but have the salespeople point out that they could get the paint cheaper if they go to the field and play one weekend.
The plus side is that many players that currently are limited by $$$, and it's alot of players, will play more often. Rec players that have to decide between playing in their backyards or at the field...will be more likely to go to the field...especially if they need to buy paint. They may even buy EXTRA paint to use behind their house rather than losing that sale to Wal Mart. You may lose a few new players that are concerned mostly with the entrance fee...but once they go and realize that it is a fair fee for the amount of play and quality of play, they'll come back. You can still use field paint only! But here's the second part of the suggestion...offer multiple grades! Why continue to lose low-end paintball sales to Wal Mart? Offer three levels of paint...you could even buy Brass Eagle paint and give some of it away with registration (if the player wants it). Then offer an intermediate brand for $20/case and the premium for $30. In the store, they'll bay $35 per case of intermediate and $50 per case of premium...but they get their discount at the field.
I also mentioned paying the refs a little more. Listen, one of the most common complaints of most people I talk to have to do with ref performance. The refs are the guys that make your day good or bad, safe or not safe. If giving them an extra incentive helps improve their performance...do it! A good field is great, but if the refs don't enforce rules or get people hurt...the players will play somewhere else. Refs will say that don't get paid very much and that's why they are unmotivated...well, maybe pay them a tad more. Maybe not...maybe make it an incentive...for every player that comes to the field...$5 goes into the general fund...at the end of the day...that gets divied up between all refs...sort of an incentive for them to encourage people to return.
Do you realize that I've seen a case of Blaze for less than $40 online (free shipping)? All that is, is a field trying to make more money...the cost of 2000 rounds of Blaze is probably <$25...probably closer to $21-$24 depending on store volumes. That means you are paying a 400% mark-up. Margins like that will only discourage players by making a day of paintball $200. You can join a bowling league for that and play for months...a hockey season runs $300-400. $200/day is unrealistic and rediculous...shame on them. 
They're only hurting themselves in the long run... 
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