tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804718502406028481.post3814121976154879994..comments2024-01-19T00:21:36.058-05:00Comments on View from the Deadbox: Monday Poll in ReviewBaca Locohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13014510414015288907noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804718502406028481.post-12736060948333736362010-12-29T21:48:03.076-05:002010-12-29T21:48:03.076-05:00I've simply become too old to receive xmas gif...I've simply become too old to receive xmas gifts :(...houdinihttp://www.zoopaintball.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804718502406028481.post-27252483650384970852010-12-28T13:22:33.455-05:002010-12-28T13:22:33.455-05:00For me personally, one of the reasons I don't ...For me personally, one of the reasons I don't receive or send paintball gifts for the holidays anymore is the lack of brick-and-mortar stores in the area. There are a few, but the people that would be buying those gifts don't want to drive 45 minutes to an hour to pick me up a pair of gloves. The same demographic is older, and still aren't used to purchasing their gifts online (something to be said about purchasing a tangible product).<br /><br />When I first started playing, there were a myriad of brick-and-mortar stores, enough that when I asked for my first jersey my Aunt already knew where the store was (5 minutes from her house). Now, I'm the only one that does paintball shopping, I do it at World Cup, and I usually give the gifts the following week instead of holding onto them for a holiday.Joe Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16809732617619313155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804718502406028481.post-34625527205872125932010-12-27T13:23:04.646-05:002010-12-27T13:23:04.646-05:00My field just finished it's 15th season. I pu...My field just finished it's 15th season. I purchased the field 4 years ago, so I have no data prior to that. However, this year was a record breaking year for us. We had 4 record months, with one of those being our best month ever. <br /><br />While the sport of paintball may be struggling, the game of paintball is soldiering on just fine.TargetIndyhttp://paintballindiana.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804718502406028481.post-44665663828191300732010-12-27T13:09:49.944-05:002010-12-27T13:09:49.944-05:00I'm not surprised by the poll either.
Baca, I...I'm not surprised by the poll either.<br /><br />Baca, I have a feeling you are right for the most part about merchandise sales not being indicative of how much paintball is being played. Having attendance numbers would definitely be useful (maybe something the fledgling POA will be able to help with in the future). Merchandise sales have for many years been focused on speedball. We know speedball numbers are down and we know there is lots of used speedball gear out there. The shift by manufacturers focus from speedball to milsim came at a bad time, near the beginning of our recession. Milsim for the most part also focuses on high volume play, so the types of people who will be interested in that are limited (although the number is worthwhile pursuing). Then there is the fact that it simulates military combat, so that will further limit the demographics.<br /><br />If there are lots of people playing paintball but not purchasing gear, I would assume that many of those are renting. Even if rental business is up, it would only mean a slight increase in a few rental markers and rental masks. That wouldn't even make a bleep on industry sales radar. Increase in paintball sales would be more than offset by decreases in paintball purchases by speedballers.<br /><br />bronc, California has always had considerably less paintball fields per capita than just about anywhere else in North America. I assume it has to do with difficulty of acquiring land for fields, but that's only an assumption. The fact that California fields seem busier than the rest of the world is only logical. With 1/4 of the already low number of fields closed down, those new players that want to try out paintball are going to make the remaining fields even busier. Having less regulars and tournament players hanging out at the fields will work in favor of attracting more new players as well. Converting speedball fields into rec fields goes hand in hand. I bet there is much, much more opportunity for paintball increase in California with the right marketing and availability.Reiner Schaferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11735297279972068471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804718502406028481.post-903509629247910842010-12-27T10:24:58.492-05:002010-12-27T10:24:58.492-05:00The fields that are still open in NorCal have actu...The fields that are still open in NorCal have actually been booming in 2010, to my surprise. I know and go to almost all the fields in the area and the influx of recballers over the second half of the year was huge. <br /><br />But then again, about 1/4 the fields in the area (and almost all the stores) have shut down during the melt down in 2009-2010. At first I wanted to say it was just the players from the closed fields going else where, but upon talking to many of the field owners, it's actually new players trying it out, and the occasional player who are again starting to play. The owners love it (duh, rental players are where they make their money).<br /><br />At the same time, the tournament player is a much harder animal to find. To that point several fields have removed their air ball layouts and replaced them with more recball friendly fields.<br /><br />Currently I've been in Sweden the last several weeks, and shockingly in this one town I'm in (Gotenburg, the second largest city in Sweden), paintball is booming. They have 8, yes EIGHT, fields in this one city alone. That is almost as much as all of Northern California put together, and California is the mecca of paintball.<br /><br />What I have noticed about the fields here, 6 of the 8 are not just paintball. The facilities offer other attractions, from lazer tag to ATV's and BMX, to rock climbing. <br /><br />I've talked to one of Valkens distributors over here and they had to recently shut down their store, but not do to lack of players. He said their fields are doing "brisk business", but simply no one was going into the retail stores anymore.bronchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09178524480990245517noreply@blogger.com