Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

Are you into paintball? AM I need your help.

LilPsychotic

LilPsychotic

Well-known member
Ok guys, I know this isn't the place for the most exciting threads, or threads that get the most views. But this is the only place I can put this off topic thread. I need to know if any of you guys are into paintball. Even if your not, you can still make any comments or suggestions.

I'm doing a project for school, and we are trying to figure out why the paintball market has dropped considerably over the last few years. Here are the facts: people who once played are not playing as frequently or at all, and new players are not joining. The market has dropped more than 20% since 2002. Why do you think this is?
1.) People have less disposable income due to the lagging economy?
2.) People are finding other hobbies? e.g. online forums, video games, ect.
3.) People are just uninterested in paintball. or uninformed on how to get involved in it?
4.) Other suggestions.

Any comments or thoughts would be extremely helpful! Thanks for the input.
 
I suggest you join this site:

Invalid Link Removed

What was the source of your data? I've been playing paintball since I was ten years old (almost 21 years), and to be honest I've observed the exact opposite trend than what you mentioned. It seems that the more "mainstream" paintball gets, the more readily available and affordable equipment becomes, thus the more people get involved. To me the sign of PB going mainstream was when Tippmann began selling things at WalMart a couple years ago.

Just my $.02, I could write a book on the subject but I will leave that for when I have more time...
 
I used to play alot and sold all of my gear due to:
1. no fields being close by
2. it is expensive
3. having a family takes alot of my free time away.
 
I've thought about playing. But what stops me is the money it takes to get all your gear and find a paintball facility.

Time is also a factor , gym time takes up at least an hour and RPN takes up all the rest!
 
For me, its budget and time.
I love playing, but am not sponsored, and a full day of play can cost $75, for paint, and air fees. My Angels love paint :)

And I'm busy with a lot of things too.
 
I'd go with your second suggestion..

The advances in video games are owning kids and drawing them away from physical outlets -- the newer technology is impressive and addicting enough to replace alot of activities and I see paintball as being one of them..

Also, people are so damn busy these days, its nearly impossible to find a time when you and all your friends arent busy and can get together.. atleast thats what happened to me
 
tattoopierced1 said:
I used to play alot and sold all of my gear due to:
1. no fields being close by
2. it is expensive
3. having a family takes alot of my free time away.
Click to expand...

x2. I've thought about why AirSoft hasn't really exploded, being it seems to be more 'real life' with the life like guns, and such.

It would get people off the computer, off the couch, and doing something active. Even if its something stupid like simulated warfare. It beats sitting on the couch smoking and watching tv or beating your wife.
 
Dr Packenwood said:
It beats sitting on the couch smoking and watching tv or beating your wife.
Click to expand...

Well I wouldn't go that far...those are 3 things that are just plain hard to beat in levels of fun.

just kidding...

My opinion...I've been playing paintball for about 3 years now. It's a great time and I love getting out there and running around and comparing bruises at the end of the day. In the last three years the guys that I play with has doubled in size.

I think a lot of it has to do with being able to get a group of guys together and finding the time and place to play. I'm lucky enough to have a friend with a wooded field in his backyard that we play at. The downside for me is the cost of paint. My son and I both play so I'm paying twice the amount for paint than everyone else. The cost of air for the guns doesn't hit me because I use compressed air and I have a hook up for filling them up.

As for going to tournaments, it just costs too much. For a simple weekend of play it costs me about $400.00 for lodging, paint, play, food and all the other stuff.
 
Not sure which part is lagging, the fields, or the equipment sales.

With anything that gains popularity quickly there is bound to be a "bubble", when paintball first came out the markers were not as good as they are now, so people were frequently upgrading, but the markers have become more reliable, and easier to clean, not to mention their performance has somewhat plateaued (where do they go from here?) people dont need to buy a new marker ever year or so anymore.

I never really understood why fields were so popular in the first place, being from where im from, we can find a field / forrest / friend with a large yard to play in. Since starting out and going to fields, renting equipment, weve all pretty much got our own gear, and have made a makeshift field, so aside from replacement parts / paint / air refills, i can really see how we dont contribute as largely to the paintball economy that we once did.
 
Since i was thinking about playing I have a question. How bad is the pain factor, what can you compare it to?
 
Gtarzan81 said:
For me, its budget and time.
I love playing, but am not sponsored, and a full day of play can cost $75, for paint, and air fees. My Angels love paint :)

And I'm busy with a lot of things too.
Click to expand...

Same here. I used to play almost every weekend when i was in HS but prices kept going up and once I started working and going to college and everything else, this hobby was the first to go. Plus you'd spend all this money only to play against others who spent more money and you'd get your ars handed to you every game.
 
zbtboy said:
Same here. I used to play almost every weekend when i was in HS but prices kept going up and once I started working and going to college and everything else, this hobby was the first to go. Plus you'd spend all this money only to play against others who spent more money and you'd get your ars handed to you every game.
Click to expand...

not necessarily.. I remember a group of us with some Tippman 98c's handed the Purdue Team their ass in Princeton one year they came down.. They had Bob Longs and Angels.
 
I used to be real involved in the tournament circuit in my area. I believe that playing paintball was the most fun I've ever had in my life. I quit because it just became far too expensive. I was only 15 when I was at the top of my game. I played Back-man and was usually shooting paint the whole game. It was easy to blow $300 on paint in a single tournament. Factor in team practice, recreational play, gun maintnence, gun upgrades...it was just way too much money for someone at that age. Once I am out of college and have a solid job that can pay for all of my hobbies, then I'll get back into it.
 
methusaleh said:
I suggest you join this site:

Invalid Link Removed

What was the source of your data? I've been playing paintball since I was ten years old (almost 21 years), and to be honest I've observed the exact opposite trend than what you mentioned. It seems that the more "mainstream" paintball gets, the more readily available and affordable equipment becomes, thus the more people get involved. To me the sign of PB going mainstream was when Tippmann began selling things at WalMart a couple years ago.

Just my $.02, I could write a book on the subject but I will leave that for when I have more time...
Click to expand...

Actually, my prof is on the board of directors at Tippman, and their analysis of the data suggests a decline in the activity. Thanks for your feedback!
 
tattoopierced1 said:
I used to play alot and sold all of my gear due to:
1. no fields being close by
2. it is expensive
3. having a family takes alot of my free time away.
Click to expand...

Great feedback, and thanks for all the responses. It seems like cost is the primary limiting factor so far. Please note that I have no experience playing and know virtually nothing about the sport.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top