Why are mag parts so expensive?

[Corbet]

I look at today's paintball industry and its a shame. Smart Parts is huge and the ION is becoming the next model 98. Almost everyone uses an electro and mechs seem like a thing of the past.

Which brings me to my next point. Is anyone else having issues putting so much money into their mags when they can purchase whole electro guns for even cheaper? I've been slowly building a mag from scratch and I just can't talk myself into buying a ULE Mainbody for $145.00 when guns like the ION are only $200. (Yes I know they arn't the highest quality but they seem very popular and are selling like hotcakes).

This is by no means a flame towards AGD, I love the community and AGD's products.

[Aeronautica86]

they are expensive because the market for them is small, and they must be priced higher in order to cover costs and turn a profit

of course you already mentioned that obvious difference in quality; you get what you pay for

[Automaggot68]

Lol.

[etjoyride]

Also, ule bodies are only 130 at TMS....but i get your meaning, the USED makret is your friend(unless your trying to build a mint condition mag)

[Vex]

I've got a brand new black ULE body I'll sell you for $100 shipped.

--Edit--Mag parts are so expensive because the AutoMag is pretty much a niche market. You don't just buy a Mag for the hell of it. You either like them or you don't.

[LinearGoose]

I look at today's paintball industry and its a shame. Smart Parts is huge and the ION is becoming the next model 98. Almost everyone uses an electro and mechs seem like a thing of the past.

Which brings me to my next point. Is anyone else having issues putting so much money into their mags when they can purchase whole electro guns for even cheaper? I've been slowly building a mag from scratch and I just can't talk myself into buying a ULE Mainbody for $145.00 when guns like the ION are only $200. (Yes I know they arn't the highest quality but they seem very popular and are selling like hotcakes).

This is by no means a flame towards AGD, I love the community and AGD's products.

Hey bro I know what you mean.Im thinking of gettin an Ion also.I got a z-grip mag but Im looking for something faster and I really dont got to much money to spend and I don't get cash fast enough.I love my mag but I just cant afford puttin about $300 more into it right now.I want to play paintball and would like to have some fire power.I will finish my mag sometime or get an emag or xmag someday.

[RogueFactor]

I look at today's paintball industry and its a shame. Smart Parts is huge and the ION is becoming the next model 98. Almost everyone uses an electro and mechs seem like a thing of the past.

Which brings me to my next point. Is anyone else having issues putting so much money into their mags when they can purchase whole electro guns for even cheaper? I've been slowly building a mag from scratch and I just can't talk myself into buying a ULE Mainbody for $145.00 when guns like the ION are only $200. (Yes I know they arn't the highest quality but they seem very popular and are selling like hotcakes).

This is by no means a flame towards AGD, I love the community and AGD's products.

Couldnt that be said of almost anything besides the Ion? Why are Dye Matrices so expensive? Or Egos? Or Cyborgs? Or Shockers?

Why is anyone paying $700 more for one of those markers than an Ion?

Why would anyone pay $300 for a pump marker when they can buy a $200 Ion?

The Ion isnt the next model 98. Those are robust, reliable markers. The Ion is more like the next Spyder Imagine.

Mech markers are the largest segment of the paintball playing community(recballers). Contrary to popular belief.

[Duzzy]

You don't have to put "parts" into your 'Mag. Just like people don't have to spend $500 to upgrade their Ion. You're making a choice to build a scratch 'Mag which entails spending money, most likely quite a bit. You could buy a used Classic for a $120 and call it good.

If you choose to cool, if not then I guess you'll have more money in the bank. But you don't have to do anything.

[grEnAlEins]

You're making a choice to build a scratch 'Mag which entails spending money, most likely quite a bit.

That is so true... For what am put into my (yet to be completed) mag, I could have and 06 Speed or DM5 or Minion (or even 2 Nerves ) etc NIB ( )! And more money is going in once I get the last of the parts I need from Tuna. A small amount of anno/plating and this baby will be ready to rock!

[Lohman446]

The valve and intelliframe I picked up in a lot quanitity, so didn't really pay for them. Most of the parts on that mag are used (barrel, rail, sear the exceptions). If I had paid fair market value for all the parts guess which one would have cost me more (and thats even considering I built the mag myself).

[teufelhunden]

Couldnt that be said of almost anything besides the Ion? Why are Dye Matrices so expensive? Or Egos? Or Cyborgs? Or Shockers?

Why is anyone paying $700 more for one of those markers than an Ion?

Why would anyone pay $300 for a pump marker when they can buy a $200 Ion?

The Ion isnt the next model 98. Those are robust, reliable markers. The Ion is more like the next Spyder Imagine.

Mech markers are the largest segment of the paintball playing community(recballers). Contrary to popular belief.

This is simply speculation, but maybe he's trying to figure out why his $4/5/6/700 mag will be outperformed by a $200 Ion, yet parts for said mag are still expensive.

The "get what you pay for" argument goes bye bye when, if something on an Ion breaks you can throw out the entire marker and get another one while still spending less than a 'Mag.

[ABTOCMEPTb]

Parts are always expencive than complete product.

I am pretty sure if you build ION from scratch by buying parts brand new it would cost more than 199.

I can see at AGD store they sell ProClassic for $229. Priced ALMOST like new ION. I am sure Tunaman will be able to give you even better price.

But as people said look for "used" parts. I know I sold my brand new ULE body for $75.

[RogueFactor]

This is simply speculation, but maybe he's trying to figure out why his $4/5/6/700 mag will be outperformed by a $200 Ion, yet parts for said mag are still expensive.

The "get what you pay for" argument goes bye bye when, if something on an Ion breaks you can throw out the entire marker and get another one while still spending less than a 'Mag.

The only thing that outperforms is "rebound", and has nothing to do with the cost of the parts.

The equivalent parts on a mag will outlast those on an Ion. Then the "you get what you pay for" argument holds true. Since mags have been around since the early 90's in their original form, we have evidence that the mag will last. We only need wait to see if anyone in 10 years will have their original Ion still in tact

As previously stated, a $200 Ion will also outperform a $300 Phantom Pump. So why are pump parts so expensive?

This is pretty simple. The only thing that "outperforms" is a rebounding chip. Make that chip true semi-auto, and the Ion is just another toy

[going_home]

Ions dont outperform mags at all

I played a couple moths ago at Gator Paintball
on their hyperball field.
There was a whole fleet of Ions on the opposing team.
The refs wouldnt let me use my Ego because they said
it was on ramping, and I didnt feel like fooling with it
so I just pulled out my blue Xvalve/ult/Logic vert frame mag.
There was about 20 on each team and 3 guys were left on my team when it
was all over, and all 3 of us were shooting mechanical markers.

You can get a well tuned Xvalve doing 10 bps easy.
And lets face it, its 5 to 10 balls shot and then pull back behind the bunker
or you get hit with the paint coming your way, no matter what marker you shoot.

So I dont agree that mechs cant compete with electros.
Its all how you play the game.
The victory is all the sweeter when someone thinks they have you outgunned
and woops, all of a sudden they are the one wearing paint.

This game is like a game of billiards in one way, its all in the angles,
and like chess in another way, its all in the moves.

If a marker makes the player why do you keep hearing stories about
pump teams taking out other teams with high end spray and play markers ?

[teufelhunden]

The only thing that outperforms is "rebound", and has nothing to do with the cost of the parts.

The equivalent parts on a mag will outlast those on an Ion. Then the "you get what you pay for" argument holds true. Since mags have been around since the early 90's in their original form, we have evidence that the mag will last. We only need wait to see if anyone in 10 years will have their original Ion still in tact

As previously stated, a $200 Ion will also outperform a $300 Phantom Pump. So why are pump parts so expensive?

This is pretty simple. The only thing that "outperforms" is a rebounding chip. Make that chip true semi-auto, and the Ion is just another toy

I beg to differ. BPS is performance as much as reliability and longevity. You can talk about 24bps bouncing on a mag, but the fact remains that is not field legal. Ramping is. Maintain an Ion as much as one would a 'Mag and I don't doubt it will last a decent amount of time [note, I'm not arguing an Ion would outlast a 'Mag, that's absurd. However, basing the entire argument of an Automag's superority on the longevity of it is pretty silly given the turnover in the game both in players and in guns]. And, hell, parts will be cheaper. Plus the throwaway-ability of the Ion.

Ion vs Phantom is invalid, it's like comparing an AR15 to a Remington870; in the end, they serve the same purpose but go about them in very different ways.

Furthermore, if you'd like to compare true semi to true semi, the Ion will win again; until you bring in another $2/3/400 part in a pneuframe.