Airsoft Canada - View Single Post

Drake · September 14th, 2012, 08:26

Having been around for about 15 years, I can see how it may look that way, I also have a pretty good idea of what's good and whats crap, and I generally know what people are running on the field.

The main problem with your (OP) observation is that you're drawing a conclusion by combining several distinct issues:

1. The advice is usually given by experienced players: they already have most of their gear and aren't buying that many new guns in most cases; when they do they're usually looking for something more specific based on their experience;

2. You presume noobs actually follow the advice they're given;

3. Typically, new players want to get in for cheap and play a bit before they invest a large sum into the hobby. Because there's usually a lot of other stuff to buy when starting out, the gun budget usually takes a hit unless the player has very deep pockets. So while they may know a different brand gun is a better choice, they just can't afford it out the gate;

4. We get a lot of new players every year and there's also a fairly high attrition rate for new players, too (a large segment of players don't last more than 2-3 years). It's generally those that stay longer that invest in the better equipment;

5. Last but not least, experienced players generally know how to work on their guns (or have found someone to doc their gun), and for many the criteria change a bit since everything doesn't have to be fawesome right out the box. The CYMA AKs, for example, have a great body and can be vastly improved by swapping out a few gearbox parts (or assembling a new box from scratch). This makes it a great value.

So for retailers who have to keep an inventory, the high end guns aren't as appealing since they may not move as quickly while the steady (and even growing) influx of new players looking for budget-friendly entry level guns means the cheaper guns usually will move.

You also need to take an extra step back and look at the cheap guns being offered (by retailers whom, most of the time, have experience as players) versus all the cheap guns available on the market: the really crap guns aren't being offered by most, save a tiny handful of generally ill-reputed retailers.

September 14th, 2012, 08:26	#5
Drake E-01 Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Montreal, QC	Having been around for about 15 years, I can see how it may look that way, I also have a pretty good idea of what's good and whats crap, and I generally know what people are running on the field. The main problem with your (OP) observation is that you're drawing a conclusion by combining several distinct issues: 1. The advice is usually given by experienced players: they already have most of their gear and aren't buying that many new guns in most cases; when they do they're usually looking for something more specific based on their experience; 2. You presume noobs actually follow the advice they're given; 3. Typically, new players want to get in for cheap and play a bit before they invest a large sum into the hobby. Because there's usually a lot of other stuff to buy when starting out, the gun budget usually takes a hit unless the player has very deep pockets. So while they may know a different brand gun is a better choice, they just can't afford it out the gate; 4. We get a lot of new players every year and there's also a fairly high attrition rate for new players, too (a large segment of players don't last more than 2-3 years). It's generally those that stay longer that invest in the better equipment; 5. Last but not least, experienced players generally know how to work on their guns (or have found someone to doc their gun), and for many the criteria change a bit since everything doesn't have to be fawesome right out the box. The CYMA AKs, for example, have a great body and can be vastly improved by swapping out a few gearbox parts (or assembling a new box from scratch). This makes it a great value. So for retailers who have to keep an inventory, the high end guns aren't as appealing since they may not move as quickly while the steady (and even growing) influx of new players looking for budget-friendly entry level guns means the cheaper guns usually will move. You also need to take an extra step back and look at the cheap guns being offered (by retailers whom, most of the time, have experience as players) versus all the cheap guns available on the market: the really crap guns aren't being offered by most, save a tiny handful of generally ill-reputed retailers. __________________