[paintballsuperstore]

every sale grows the sport, but excellent fields are where the most gain will come from

[andyschein]

no not really people near me are stupid idiots and buy stuff from there to shoot cars and mail boxs..(Monster balls)

[i_luv_strats]

It helps in my area. there is a walmart 1 mile down the road from the field I work at. granted the quality of those products isn't the greatest but it get's players into the game. being a field paint only field with a custom shell design i explain to customers that just got a case of monster ball why they can't use them here and why they should not even shoot them at people then educate them on fresh quality paint. they either understand and notice the difference or just don't care and go shoot at themselves in their back yards. It get's them in the game and hopefully the people buying walmart stuff will go to an organized field and get properly educated on the sport.

[rivrfreak]

I think it helps the sport.
Helps more of those who just go out there once a month or so and just shoot around with their spyders and ****. But other then that, it's not hurting proshops because... well, they don't even fill up nitrogen... haha

[ShockVVave69]

Walmart, Dick's, and other non-pb oriented stores help the industry as a fact. I myself got started in paintball when my friends and I decided to go out and get some cheap brass eagle talons from our local walmart, some 12 grams, and paint. We started off playing backwoods games in a friends "forest" of a backyard. Sure it was unsafe, and illegal. But it's what made us want to go to a larger field and experience the real thing. After my first trip to a real field I got hooked on the sport.

Without Walmart being there to introduce the idea to myself and my friends we would have never gotten started with the sport in the first place. Walmart and other such stores give new players a taste. Nothing more. I for one know that once I got into paintball I never bought a paintball form any other locations other than my local field or my local pb store. The quality you get at walmart just doesn't compare to a real selection, period.

[shenaniganz]

i have to admit,
i got my gun from mc sports (spyder victor)
and the rest from wally world back in 04

they do help in ways

[raehl]

Originally Posted by Wolverine82

So do the stores get the good quality stuff and the box stores get the crap stuff?

I think the paint pretty much starts out the same, but the time between manufacture and consumption, as well as the storage conditions, of paint bought at a big-box store means the quality you get is necessarily lower.


As for the rest of your post, you run a business. It is your responsibility as a business owner to operate your business in a way that makes sense. If the big box store down the street is "taking" your sales, find a way to take them back. YOU have to find a way to deliver value to the customer that makes the customer want to give you their money instead of giving it to someone else.



- Chris

[venice empire77]

Originally Posted by raehl

I think the paint pretty much starts out the same, but the time between manufacture and consumption, as well as the storage conditions, of paint bought at a big-box store means the quality you get is necessarily lower.


As for the rest of your post, you run a business. It is your responsibility as a business owner to operate your business in a way that makes sense. If the big box store down the street is "taking" your sales, find a way to take them back. YOU have to find a way to deliver value to the customer that makes the customer want to give you their money instead of giving it to someone else.



- Chris

Im going to chime in on this, even though i am not a store owner. But on the fact that your saying he would have to find a way to get the customers to pay him, instead of these big box stores, is much harder said than done. Considering that these customers only want as much as they can get for their dollar doesn't make it any easier either. Walmart, Dicks, and Sports Authority are all getting this garbage paint, that they are going to be making a profit off of right? Whats an average case of paint cost at one of these stores, about $30.00 or so i would say. Now let me ask you this, have you ever seen a pro shop sell a case of paint for $30.00 before? Cause i sure haven't, and thats because these paint companys are only allowing them to buy there good paint(evil, marbs, allstar, formula 13 ,you get the point). And i would also expect that they are paying more than $30.00 wholesale a case for those paints.

So how do you expect the local pro shops to compete with these big box companies, who are selling paint that they can't even get, cheaper than they are buying the paint they can get?

[Wolverine82]

Originally Posted by raehl

As for the rest of your post, you run a business. It is your responsibility as a business owner to operate your business in a way that makes sense. If the big box store down the street is "taking" your sales, find a way to take them back. YOU have to find a way to deliver value to the customer that makes the customer want to give you their money instead of giving it to someone else.



- Chris

Unbelievable

You think I dont know that? I already offer people FREE tech services and FREE gun cleaning for as long as they own the marker and they still go down the street and buy it from wal-mart, Dicks or Sports Authority for the same price or $10 bucks cheaper. What your saying is obvious, however it is so much easier said than done. Even offering the services that save these people money doesnt work because for some reason because they still think their getting the same quality or better quality product from the big box stores. I show people how much money their going to spend having me fix or clean their equipment if they buy it somewhere else and it still doesnt work, trying to show brainwashed people the light isnt as easy as you think.

Venice empire77 also brings up a good point. Its extremely hard for a store front to compete with big box stores that sell a $30 case of paint all day everyday. This may shock some people on hear but (brace yourself) we're in this to make money too. My store and many others cant survive if im making $1.50 to $2.00 a case of paint, and thats if the customer pays with cash. If they pay with a credit card Im more likely to only make 70 cents a case.

I have no problem with competition as long as its fair competition and when Im dealing with big box stores that have brainwashed our society, then Im dealing with unfair competition. There is nobody at the big box stores that has the knowledge that I and other store owners have.

When are we going to wake up and stop making excuses for places like wal-mart? their is no excuse. Paintball needs to stay in the places that specialize in it in order for it grow the "right way". If we continue to allow it grow based on wal-mart then were allowing it to grow in an extremely counter productive way. Tell me how exposing people to garbage products with no education on how to use it safely helps grow the sport. There is absolutely no exuse for people to be buying stuff at wal-mart even if there isnt a store nearby. Store fronts are always only a phone call away and they can ship whatever you want directly to you, theres no excuse for buying paintball stuff at wal-mart anymore. Support store fronts, its the only way to properly grow paintball. Too many companies were so pre occupied with weither or not they could sell paintball at wal-mart, dicks or sports authority that they didnt stop to think if they should.

[raehl]

I think you missed my point.

No one needs to make any excuses for wal-mart. If the people making purchases would rather buy their stuff there, then they would rather buy their stuff there.

You can complain all you want that people don't want to pay for the product you're selling, but it's not going to change anything. Either find a way to make what you are selling more attractive or do something else - expecting someone else to step in and say "No, you *HAVE* to buy from this guy because he wants to run a paintball store and thinks that just because he wants to run a paintball store we should make everyone buy from him" is just not a realistic expectation.


- Chris

[crookstr]

Its so wrong when u run into a "BIG BOX" store & there selling paint cheaper (off the shelf with tax & no shipping cost) than what the "Vendor" will sell it to u for before tax & shipping charges (even @ skid price).

Walked into Dunams last week & bought 20 cases & still had $$ left. (yes the exact "same paint" i would have gotten from vendor)
Makes U say WTF!!!!
Remember Vendors are there to rip u off (i mean make money 2) In these times there is no one working with you. There all in it for themselves!!

NOT HAPPY WITH THE SUPPORT FROM OUR SO CALLED SUPPORTERS!
NOT LOOKIN FOR A HANDOUT JUST AN EDGE!

[Trips]

I have said for years like since the 90's that the most damaging thing that could ever happen was for the mega stores to sell gear and paint.
Not that it was bad...but dangerous. A marker is not a toy obviously, but parents often treat it as such. Marker safety should be taught, just like safety is taught in handling a real gun.
The paint sales at the big stores is just a shame, Monsterball and the other "bucketed paints" are being banned across the country at fields. It is not because of the price but because of the damage it causes. Look at street sign or traffic signs with splats on them, if the splat is black after drying it aint quality paint, it is the cheap stuff. But the public only sees the splat and makes the connection between the sport and vandals.

I know I have tried to fix a Brass Eagle Paperwieght to get Little Billy back in the game with his birthday gun, while he was using one of my rentals more times than I care to think about...it has also resulted in the parent buying a decent starter marker from me on the same day and their going back to the mega mart to get their money back.

[CraigAL32]

Like many before me posted its a two edge sword.

You have to take good with the bad.

My area has seen the kids buy a $70 paintball gun at Walmart then go paint the town red. I am lucky and have developed a relationship with the officers so now they will bring me paintballs and ask if its mine or Walmart or Sport Authority. So far its been wally world balls . But the home owners still think I breed these trouble makers.

In another situation I have a Bass Pro Shop not far from me where a fair number buy markers. They then come out to the field and more times than not the guns do not work. Usually a parent is there and asks me to help. I will give general help to these kids knowing if I do not then they will end up at another field who will. This past year I have had no less than 6 different kids who bough what they thought was a new gun at Bass Pro only to find out it was one of the other broken ones that were exchanged. I know this because it still had my paint on the inside of the gun. Two times I was able to sell them either a mini I had or a PMR.

So yes if you have a little luck and some patience you can sell against the big stores. The key is to get them to the field and show them how things should be run and how responsible paintball retailers conduct business.

[FrmrSpecialist]

I see that this thread is a little outdated however I have to voice my opinion just a bit. To validate myself I will tell you a little about me. I worked as a marker tech and became a right hand man at a store I worked at for about 3 1/2 years and worked for two paintball shops prior to that. So I do have knowledge of what your costs are (depending on your purchase tier) and I am a manager at a Sports Authority. To the guy that said you never see 30.00 paint at a store is a flat out lie. When I worked at a paintball shop we usually carried 3 different brands of 30 dollar paint, At sports authority, we carry 1 brand of 30 dollar paint, and that is only when it is on sale (usually 35.00). I can also tell you that cost per case of paint (not including shipping and redistribution fee's) is damn near EXACTLY what you guys are paying for your paint. Also depending on how close you are to a distribution center is the biggest factor in the quality of paint you receive. I know that most the paint in my store is within a month old of when it was shipped from the vendor. How long the vendor had it, no clue. But guess where your paint came from as well . I actually got into a debate with my old Paintball store owner about this same exact point. He was suprised at just how "fresh" the paintballs we carried were.

And for those of you saying that big stores are bad because it doesn't teach the kid the value of the sport, or will sell to anyone. Then your full of it, because if I came into your store with a wad full of 100 dollar bills you would gladly pull the biggest best thing off your wall to take every cent out of my pocket and never think twice about it.

I always figured that it is your JOB as a store manager/owner to allow yourself to be successful. You have to have some insight in the industry to carry the items that are needed and competitively price your stock. Now if you can't keep your lights on with just the foot traffic of your local area then venture out to ebay, or an online shop. These are things that will bring you revenue with very little overhead.

One thing on a positive note I will say is, don't be afraid to reach out to those big box stores. Tell employee's they will get field discounts, or item discounts for working there. Then whenever a customer comes into thier stores looking for a specific item they will defer them to you. I know I have no problem recommending my local proshops to a person that has needs that we cannot accomodate. Because in the end those kids on the floor don't care about thier stores sales numbers, to them it's a minimum wage job to pass thier time. Give them a reason to send people to you. Gritting your teeth and hating the associates because they don't know better just will give you poor teeth and an ulcer. My old store developed this kind of relationship with the associates at the local Sports chalet, and Sports Authority were we would regularly get people coming to us saying that an associate over there sent them to us.

Agree or Disagree but I probably have the most diverse view of this whole situation.

[Wolverine82]

http://vimeo.com/1138907

http://vimeo.com/818407


These two videos show the prime example of the kind of people who buy paintball equipment at big box stores, morons playing paintball in their back yard without the propper safety equipment who are eventually going to hurt themselves and others and then blame the industry instead holding themselves responsible.

I have a rule in my store, I will not sell anything to anyone who is not going to play at an organized field that is run by people who are looking out for you and your safety. I have pissed off a great many people who wanted to buy things from me and use them to hurt people, and at the same time I would like to think that in doing so I also saved an innocent person from being assulted, unfortunately though I know all too well that the same person I wouldnt sell to will just go to any big box store and get what they need because the big box stores rarely if ever ask questions and the person or people I thought I was protecting will still get hurt. I turned away at least half a dozen people last week who wanted to use paintball guns on trick or treaters, I dont even want to think of the carnage that those same people may have inflicted on innocent children with stuff that they probably bought at a no questions asked big box store after I turned them away.

Wake up before it is too late and there is nothing left of this industry to salvage. Every excuse for box stores is another nail in this industrys coffin, we are already laying in that coffin and all thats left is for those final nails to be driven in and the dirt to be poured over us. Have fun playing while you can cause Im afraid its coming to end sooner than anyone wants to admit.


Watch these videos very carefully and keep in mind that these arent the only people nation wide doing this, they just happened to be the ones who taped themselves doing it. There are plenty more people out there doing the same thing right now as you read this and they are putting themselves in danger, their children in danger and this industry in danger. Step up before paintball goes the way of the pog.

[OhIoCoNtRActKilLa]

Has no one brought up the fact that these Wal-Marts, Dicks, w/e are moving a lot more paint as a whole, compared to your local shop.. so they're getting a lower price because they can move more paint. There is literally no way for a small shop to compete with that.

Now what?

[FrmrSpecialist]

Originally Posted by OhIoCoNtRActKilLa

Has no one brought up the fact that these Wal-Marts, Dicks, w/e are moving a lot more paint as a whole, compared to your local shop.. so they're getting a lower price because they can move more paint. There is literally no way for a small shop to compete with that.

Now what?

You would be suprised how little the cost difference is between a big box store and a paintball shop..

Also you have to realize that big box stores will not cut thier prices like a shop can. So a shop can easily undercut a big box store and be able to live off the sale.. big box stores don't care about the end person so they won't cut thier prices.

[Commander_Cool]

Originally Posted by OhIoCoNtRActKilLa

Has no one brought up the fact that these Wal-Marts, Dicks, w/e are moving a lot more paint as a whole, compared to your local shop.. so they're getting a lower price because they can move more paint. There is literally no way for a small shop to compete with that.

Now what?

Merge or Expand?

[fAllout_oMen]

If my local sporting goods store (Dunham's, just like dick's) and walmart did not exist, I wouldn't be playing paintball right now. And how much money have i put into this sport? Playing once/week, buying a case or more each time. These stores are the reason everyone in my town got into paintball. We don't have a local paintball shop. So instead, we progressed from "walmart guns" to purchasing our own gear online. So, if these stores didn't exist, less kids would be out there playing, period.

[Franklyn Gardiner]

Does a dog bark annoy you? Yes, but it doesn't hurt you.