Fields and Stores dropping like flies

[StygShore]

Any of you experiencing a lot of field and store closures?

In SE Michigan the following Paintball Facilities are now closed or going out of business.

Battleground's Paintball ( Like 15 years in business )
Hyper Sports
Lonewolf Store in Utica
Atomix Paintball Field ( 3 years in business )
The Plex (PBX) ( only lasted a couple of months )
UPC Indoor
Splattball City
Ace Paintball
P and P Paintball

These are still open -

Lone Wolf East and West are still open, even though the store has closed.
Hell's Survivors field is still up and running
The Bunker in Flint is an indor reball field

And thats all I know of. Any Michigan players know of any more in the area?

[quik]

Atomix is going out of business? Why?

[paullus99]

Well, the industry is hitting a pretty large plateau right now - insurance rates for fields are through the roof, profit margins are down (since stores are now having to compete with direct to consumer internet businesses), and total # of players have either topped out or actually fallen over the past couple of years.

[shartley]

[Cow hunter]

i agree with just about everyone, i too am noticing the hard times coming about stores and fields...... the price of everything is already climbing at my local price gouging store. the cost of a case field paint at my closest field is $100, and the place is always packed....... althought the best business ive seen is the field i most often go to, the owner has told me that since he owns the land, and all the staff are close friends or family, hes still making money. enough to open a huge indoor field.....

[grEnAlEins]

I am at Ferris State U, and there is no decent place within an hour. But I can say with confidence that BBT and Factory PB will not be closing anytime soon, which is good. BBT is the store I most often visit and I am gonna start playing Factory more, especially this summer because I know if I'll be working. Last summer I only played twice, because I was working about 50hrs on average, sometimes close to 60.

[muskratjim]

i heard that atomix's owner is getting divorced and the wife wanted half

[StygShore]

Atomix

No need to start the rumor mill on why places are closing...

The posted on their forums back in the end of December they were going to stay open as long as they could if people kept coming out

Basically... lack of people coming out to play. is what is killing a lot of places.

I did get a response back from PBX that they took over the Futureball Indoor in Livonia for any Michigan players looking for them.

A lot of fields just dont gett he advertisement they need. The Bunker in Flint has been there a while, they are 30 minutes from me, and I had no idea until I stumbled accross it ona site talkign abotu Reball.

Maybe we should get some state stickies going in the Meet and Greet section to just list paintball fields in their respective areas so people know where they can go play?


Styg

[Lohman446]

I am at Ferris State U, and there is no decent place within an hour. But I can say with confidence that BBT and Factory PB will not be closing anytime soon, which is good. BBT is the store I most often visit and I am gonna start playing Factory more, especially this summer because I know if I'll be working. Last summer I only played twice, because I was working about 50hrs on average, sometimes close to 60.

Fremonts not that far from you is it? You have Colors there (indoor now), there is a field in Mount Pleasant, as well as one in Manistee

[Ace12GA]

In Canada I have not seen many fields going down, but I have seen a recent increase in the number of indoor speedball fields popping up. I visited a new one this week to check it out, and was shocked by the prices in their pro shop. A 12oz CO2 bottle, without valve, for $35. Then another $35 for a pin valve. They had an old 68 classic on the shelf, no barrel, no ASA, no air fittings. Just a PF stainless body, valve, and carbon fiber single trigger frame. They wanted $250 for the damn thing. I am used to paying $50 for a mag like that. $60 for a bag of 500 field paint. Now there is a place I won't play at, ever. Its a shame too, because it looks like a nice indoor field.

[Aslan]

Fields are out there...

Any of you experiencing a lot of field and store closures?

In SE Michigan the following Paintball Facilities are now closed or going out of business.

Battleground's Paintball ( Like 15 years in business )
Hyper Sports
Lonewolf Store in Utica
Atomix Paintball Field ( 3 years in business )
The Plex (PBX) ( only lasted a couple of months )
UPC Indoor
Splattball City
Ace Paintball
P and P Paintball

These are still open -

Lone Wolf East and West are still open, even though the store has closed.
Hell's Survivors field is still up and running
The Bunker in Flint is an indor reball field

And thats all I know of. Any Michigan players know of any more in the area?

I know the indoor place in Pontiac closed some time back. And I heard another indoor went down last year, somewhere in Sterling Heights.

I'm not surprised about P and P. I went to that sore alot because they are close by but the staff is disinterested and the stuff is very overpriced. I don't mind supporting the local stores...especially if they're associated with a field I like...but when the prices are literally DOUBLE what they are on the internet...it just doesn't make any sense. Same with markers...you can get a used mag for $60, a used mech cocker for $50, and a upgraded RT for $250 or less. But when you go to stores you see very few guns selling under $400. I understand why the prices will be higher (rent, employees, etc...), but consumers can't just "donate" that money without some return.

As for fields, go to pbreview and look up fields near you...you'd be surprised! I have 8 outdoor fields within 40 miles of me...only one of which I ever played at...only 2 of which I ever heard of before. When you add indoor (which I don't play)...that number jumps to at least 12-15! And I'm not even including Hell Survivor's (where I usually play) because it's just over the 40 mile radius. The fields are there...they just need better advertisement. One field close to you that you didn't mention is RJ performance in Davison. I've never been there, but it's website looks like it's pretty cool and affordable.

I'm not worried...yet. If Hell Survivors goes under...then I'll worry...because that's a well known field that get's interstate draws and hosts huge events. But if Lonewolf West closes...it wouldn't be too surprising. I'm going to check out Lonewolf West this spring (of course their wesite is garbage and they still don't have upcoming events for 2006 up)...I've heard it's nicer than Lonewolf East...but I've also heard they have trouble getting many players. We'll see.

[ahellers]

from da UP

i live in the sault and there is not a field in MI at least an hour from me. but there are two crappy fields in Canada like 20min from me. but who likes shooting canadians?
anyway someone was telling me that a friend was planning to build a speed ball field between here and the MAC bridge.
t

[Aslan]

Other Fields

Oakland Yard Athletics Waterford
Atomix Paintball Walled Lake (you say closed)
Black Rose Oxford
PBX Paintball @ The Plex Sterling Heights (closed)
Killer Paintball Northville
Lone Wolf East Paintball Mount Clemens
Futureball Paintball (Indoor) Livonia
Mad Frog Paintball Eastpointe
Lone Wolf West Paintball Metamora
Ultimate Paintball Challenge Harrison Twp. (you say closed)
No Limits Extreme Action Park Taylor
Futureball Paintball (Outdoor) Whitmore Lake
RJ Performance Davison
The Bunker Flint
Pirates Park Paintball Flint
Hell Survivors Pinckney

These are additional ones within 60 miles:

Crossfire Creek Paintball St. Clair
RIP Radical Impact Paintball Owosso
Panek Attack Paintball Frankenmuth
Predator Paintball Laingsburg

I'm not sure which ones are closed...pbreview just lists ones that have been reviewed...I know that PBX closed because it closed like a week before I was going to go there and check it out.

[Aslan]

Two More

There are also two in Canada within 60 miles of you:

Diehard Paintball Cottam, ON

and

Paintball Wilderness Belle River, ON

I might check out Diehard later this year...both fields look affordable not to mention the exchange rate.

[ahellers]

There are also two in Canada within 60 miles of you:

Diehard Paintball Cottam, ON

and

Paintball Wilderness Belle River, ON

I might check out Diehard later this year...both fields look affordable not to mention the exchange rate.

really! have any idea if theyre any good. im kind of afraid to go to canada, i alwas forget to look at the other numbers on my speedometer.