Fields that rip you off with expensive crummy paint

[NoobieDood]

The field I play at uses RPS "Big Ball" paint with a GREEN fill. Of course they make you buy their field paint, you are not allowed to use your own. Then, they charge roughly double what the paint is supposed to cost. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN BUY BIG BALL PAINT ON THE INTERNET WITH GREEN FILL?? I have looked all over and they only seem to sell orange, white, and yellow but no green... what is the deal does RPS make some paint that they only sell to the fields but not to players so that the fields can totally rip you off or what...

[NoobieDood]

So what is the deal does anyone know the answer to this question or what... does RPS just make special paint to sell to the the fields so they can give ya the royal screwing or what... my field charges $70 for 2000 rounds of Big Ball that is highway robbery...

[death]

they will boot you if you do that. and hey, they gotta make money too.

[Chad51]

My local field charges 9 bucks per 100 balls! I was told they aren't very good but I haven't checked them out myself. I buy Zap Sport Series Paintballs for 8 bucks and get 200! That is less then have the price and I never chop a ball in my Tippmann!

[NoobieDood]

No way Death, they are charging 75 percent more than normal retail price for that paint... you can buy 2000 rounds of Big Ball anywhere on the net for $40... so they aren't just making money, they are giving ya the royal screwing...

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN BUY RPS BIG BALL PAINT WITH A GREEN FILL?

[moodydoody]

man they have to charge that much to make money so quit your whining and pay up. the field might have to close if they cant make money and if everyone did like you want to do then they would make no money. i am sick of people complaining about fields charging to much when its only like 20 more. i pay 70 a case for PMI premium and i don't complain because i want the field to stay in business.

[Metalix901]

Odds are Noobie that your field has those balls special made for them. My indoor arena does the same thing but with diablo blaze. they have a special blue/white shell with white fill ball made for them and then they change around $70 a case (i can find them for $40 a case elsewhere). ive looked online for this color combination and cant find it anywhere, im assuming you wouldnt find the green fill on the big ball if you really tried. sorry to hear that, i hate when fields do that and i dont think people would be so angry if they didnt charge around $30 above average cost.

Metalix

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by moodydoody
man they have to charge that much to make money so quit your wining and pay up. the field might have to close if they cant make money and if everyone did like you want to do then they would make no money. i am sick of people complaining about fields charging to much when its only like 20 more. i pay 70 a case for PMI premium and i don't complain because i want the field to stay in business.

I can understand your point about wanting your field to stay in business, but there's no way I would pay that much for PMI Premium, and I would never pay more Than $50 for a case of Big Ball. I guess I've got it lucky, the field where i play let's you bring your own paint, you just have to pay an extra $10. I don't mind doing that to use something I prefer over field paint.

[ss115]

Thats funny, my field uses the same type of Big Ball, and charges $80 for it! I don't mind though, the guys there are really friendly and try to help me out with my Shocker a lot.

Maybe we play at the same field. I play at Headrush paintball in Rome and the indoor field in Syracuse (down the street from me! I am sooo lucky!)

[NoobieDood]

Hey Moody, if I wanted any crap out of you I would have squeezed your head, so give me a break with that garbage... the field gets a field fee, they get rental fees, they get CO2 and compressed air fees, and they get fees from people who are too stupid to buy equipment on the Internet... so they don't need to gouge people by charging $70 bucks for a case of Big Ball Paint that is worth $40... the people on the Internet selling that paint for $40 are not selling it wholesale... they are making money off it too... so the fields are just freakin greedy... maybe you just like getting bent over but I don't... I am going to find another field near me that lets me bring my own paint if I can't find Big Ball with green fill someplace else... then the field owners can whine and complain how their business failed... what the hell is the overhead on a paintball field anyway??? You need land and an insurance policy... period. The rest of the stuff you buy and rent out... at $10 per rental they pay for those guns pretty quick I'll bet... what a bunch of greedy freakin dirtbag field owners...

[death]

noobie, they field you play at probably has 30 guns for rental. if each gun is a tippy, thats 3750. then they have to pay for netting thast probably 4000. then air. thats 30x15=450. then the field, maybe 20000 for the land. then the store(if it has one) is probably 50000 for the building. then the stuff in the store. thast probably 20000. and then insurance. then staff. etc. i hope you get my point. thats 100k and i'm not even done. i even think i'm under guessing on somepoint and leaving some stuff out.

[NoobieDood]

The field doesn't pay what you or I would pay for the guns... they don't pay retail... I would be surprised if they paid more than $75 per gun... $75 x 30 guns = $2250... if they charge $10 to rent the gun, that means after 225 rentals, the guns are paid for... if the field was renting 8 guns a day, they pay for the guns in a month... OK... my point was simply the field doesn't need to gouge people for cheap paint.
I doubt that netting costs $4000, by the way. And where did you get $50,000 for a building? I doubt that they'd own their own building anyway... they would probably pay rent... an outdoor field doesn't need a building anyway... and you said $20,000 for land... you can rent land you know... I think their major costs are like I said, insurance policy and land or building rental.

[TheSickness]

its $80 a case of pmi premium where i play my tournies at. the paint sucks to.

[Valadian]

1. Buy a paint you like with a green fill (marbs for instance)
2. Buy standard waterproof paint.
3. Stay up night before going to field, and painstakingly paint each marb or whatever paintball you bought to look like Big Ball paintballs.
4. Now armed with your new "Big Balls" you can go to your field secure in the knowledge you got the better of em.

Go get em tiger!
:laugh: :crazy:

[NoobieDood]

See what I mean Sickness? That's a freakin rip off... even Circle K doesn't jack up their prices 75 percent to 100 percent like these fields do... I don't mind paying $50 for a $40 case of paint... but the field operators are just greedy... plus these are CASE prices we're talking about... if you buy 100 or 200 rounds it's an even worse markup...

And as for Valadian... maybe I'll just go play at a field where I can bring my own paint... and all the greedy field operators (including you probably... just guessing) can whine and cry about why they had to close down their fields because no one was playing...

[brveagle]

Okay, just be glad that there is a field near by to you. So you have to pay more for paint, no-one likes it, everybody dislikes it, but we all pay. It's called a business. Do you think car dealers sell the car for what they paid for it? Just go and have fun. Welcome to paintball.

[brveagle]

good point Valadian. I like that!.....lol

[NoobieDood]

Eagle what does that have to do with anything... of course a car dealer is allowed to make a profit... apparently the Internet store owners make enough money selling the paint at $40 a case to stay in business... the argument is that we're being gouged by a bunch of greedy field operators selling paint for twice as much as it's worth... So my advice is to go play at a field that lets you bring your own paint... and that's what I plan to do...

[NoobieDood]

Maybe eagle and valadian are too young to understand the concept of fair and ethical business practices... you guys probably just have Mom and Dad pay for your paint, huh?

[Valadian]

Nah, sorry hun, I aint one o dem dar fancee paintballer field operaters.

I's just a simple ****ry boy with mah E-Mag playin at that thar local field we gots around these parts. It aint no FPO field, no siree!

[Valadian]

You obviously are taking this way overboard.
How about you open up your own field and sell your paint at a "fair and ethical" price and put the other field out of business?

Otherwise I recommend you get outta paintball right now cause you're gonna have a coronary over something so trivial, if you dont like paying the prices at that field, go to a different field, play outlaw ball with friends, or quit.

Even though they don't, would it piss you off if I said that my parents pay for all my stuff? If it will, I'll say they do ;)

Kisses and hugs!

-Valadian

[brveagle]

Pretty sure, i pay for everything......I have a job. I get no finicial help from my parents

[RcPhatty]

I just gotta say that it sucks for you guys. The fields that play at are actually pretty cheap for paint. For instance, at this one indoor field, there is a 10$ field fee, which is expected because the place is indoor. They have Kickn paint, because it's the Kickn field and the paint is like 60 a case. Plus we get all day air for 5$. The other fields that I play at are reasonable too. 55 for Proball Platinum and the othe place has RPS premium for around 50 I think.
I know I didn't have to type all that, but I just thought I'd make your day.

[NoobieDood]

I am just saying that there are several paintball fields where I live, and the ones that charge REASONABLE prices for paint or allow you to bring your own paint will be the ones that get my business. They get a $15 field fee, a $10 rental fee (if you rent, which I don't), Co2 fees... they don't need to bend you over by charging 2x the normal price for paint... that's all I'm saying...

For all you kids out there (ie Valadian and Eagle) who have parents that buy you paint or you "pay" for it out of your allowance, this obviously will be of very little interest to you.

[Valadian]

How old are you Noobiedood?
And if there are fields nearby that you can play at that charge "reasonable" prices, then why the b*tchin?

[NoobieDood]

I just like to yak and complain a lot. I have therefore appointed myself as the Paintball Players Consumer Advocate for the United States of America. If you'd like to file a grievance, just let me know.

[Valadian]

Dodgin the ol question eh?
Get back here you little whipper snapper!

[NoobieDood]

I'm older than you are you young punk. You punks today, you're all the same. I'm going to roll over you with my wheelchair.

[Valadian]

Ok thanks for answering my question, you're response says alot!

Off to dinner, I'll talk to you later dear!

Kisses and hugs! ;)

[NoobieDood]

Really? What did it say? I'm 29, if you want to know that badly... sheesh... I think Valadian is the owner of the paintball field near me that charges twice as much as they should for a case of Big Ball... are you trying to figure out what I look like so you can check my hopper next time I visit, Valadian?

[kr8er]

my field charges 7.50 for a day of play and they have byop for no extra charge if its your own gun so its only 7.50 for me to play there. its 80 bucks a case there they have 5 choices of paint. oh well not really a point to this reply just get over it

[MuckRaker]

I agree with Noobie ... I'm 37, work fulltime, make good money, and I have to budget like crazy to afford one case of paint. I don't have the bucks to pay $70 for a case of PMI or Bigball ... as it is I pay about $15 for air fills in one day, plus a field fee, and sometimes I have to buy things like O-rings, cup seals, ect. if I want to play.

By far Paintballs are the cheapest thing to manufacture, but the most expensive thing to buy. if I have to buy field paint, one day of paintball can easily cost me more than $100. Where I play, you can bring your own paint, but you have to pay a $10 surcharge to do so.

Last week, there were about 50 players on the field, the owner was there strictly enforcing the FPO rule ... so with the exception of three players who brought their own paint and paid the $10 fee, 47 had to buy field paint. On the conservative side, let's say they all bought one-half case of PMI Premium (field paint) for $45 (that's right, $45. A whole case costs $75.) That's more than $2,100 for one day, not counting field fees, which would be another $500, and air fills which I can't begin to calculate.

Since the field owner doesn't pay any of the refs at the field (they get discounts on paint) and has only one paid employee at the field, who's probably only making minimum wage, you can figure he's toting home a lot of cash, even after making his rent payment at the end of the month.

I guess what really irks me about this situation is that he has two fields in the area, and practically no competition, so why not give us a break on the cost of paint. It's not like he's going to be hurting anyone elses business, and he'd probably get more business at his fields.

[Richy_C]

Originally posted by RcPhatty
I just gotta say that it sucks for you guys. The fields that play at are actually pretty cheap for paint. For instance, at this one indoor field, there is a 10$ field fee, which is expected because the place is indoor. They have Kickn paint, because it's the Kickn field and the paint is like 60 a case. Plus we get all day air for 5$. The other fields that I play at are reasonable too. 55 for Proball Platinum and the othe place has RPS premium for around 50 I think.
I know I didn't have to type all that, but I just thought I'd make your day.
Yo, i'm playing intense on saturday, i'll where my RichyC jersies, look me up if you are there. Has Intense changed since september?

[Quasi_evil]

noobie u obviously asked a resonable question but when people started answering u started to Flame the S*** outta them WTF is up with that..........If u don't like the prices at your closest field then go to a different one........




p.s all this assuming u have a car...........









evil:pissed:

[Magnus55]

Well NoobieDood, you as the consumer have the power to make the field change their ways. First you should talk over reasonably with the field owners about the prices of the paint, and the fact that the high prices may drive people away, as opposed to lower prices meaning people will probably use more paint and play more often and probably end up spending more money in the long run. If you come across to them angry and demanding, then they aren't going to listen to you at all. If you're calm and collective, offering them advice to make their business prosper, then they'd be more willing to listen to you. If that doesn't work then you petition. You get all the local players and other players in the paintball community to sign a petition asking (not demanding) for lower paintball prices. The fact that you have a request on paper with people behind it shows the owners that you are serious. But, the moment the owners feel they are being forced into a decision to lower the prices, rather than coming to a decision of their own, they will push back. So make it come from the stance of a humble request, but with the power of the people behind it. Finally, if asking nice doesn't work, then it becomes time to actually force their hand. Get the people who signed the petition and all other paintball players to boycott the field until they lower prices. Surely you can go without paintball for a few weeks right? But the field probably will go out of business if they have absolutely no paintballers visiting their field for a few weeks. If the owners are smart they will lower the prices and meet your demands as soon as possible. If they refuse then yes, you lose your local paintball field, but if the owner wasn't shrewd enough to see that he was fighting a losing battle, then it probably deserved to be close down. And that's how you lower the prices of paintballs. :)

[NoobieDood]

Hey, all you have to do is just do the math like MuckRaker did... the whole point of this post was to vent my feelings about greedy field operators, that's all. I know that I can go visit a different field or start a petition or write my local congressman or whatever. I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where I have five or more fields within a 45 minute drive from me. I just think that it's sad that there are greedy field operators out there that make this sport more expensive than it has to be and therefore cause the sport to be less popular than it could be. That's all. If you enjoy getting ripped off, by all means, please continue to visit the fields that make you buy expensive crummy paint at inflated prices. And don't bother to ask me, "Well, why don't you just open your own field then?" because I just might do that someday. Don't worry, my field will allow you to bring your own paint with NO extra fee, and I'll sell paint at NORMAL Internet-type prices.

[Cerberust]

this place in dayton ohio, XPAINTBALL lets you bring your own paint, but if you dont your ROYALLY screwed, having to pay 100 bucks for 2000 paintballs thats 20 cents a shot...

[Magnus55]

But if you're just venting, then you're no different from the people who just go back and get ripped off time and time again. You are still feeding the beast like the rest of them. You willingly decide to go and willingly part with your hard earned money on paint that you know is a rip off and, yet you are content with venting on an internet site? Words accomplish nothing if there is no action behind them. If you aren't going to do anything to fix this problem for you and your local paintballers then you have no real reason to complain.

[UTLadiesMan]

Originally posted by Cerberust
having to pay 100 bucks for 2000 paintballs thats 20 cents a shot...

100/2000 = .05

[^Psycho^Skillz^]

Noobie is right. Yeh the fields need to make money, but those businesses charging $40 a case are making a profit. The damn fields are charging nearly DOUBLE. Any basic sense would tell you that they are ripping you off....

My local field sells Great Americans (these things are practically as bad as seconds if you've never heard of them) and you can get them for about $35/case. But my field sells them at $80/case. Thats MORE than double online price...now add in shipping and tax blah blah its still a huge chunk more.

If my local field charged $50-60 for a $35 case I wouldnt complain, they need to handle it and store it, not to mention make a profit, but the ONLY reason they charge so high is because they know you have no other choice. You're at the field, paid your fees, etc and your ready to play but you have no paint? Looks like your screwed and they can charge as much as they want for it because you simply don't have a choice...

But for those FPO fields, they are GUARANTEED that EVERY player there is buying paint, they shouldnt be charging $40 more for a case of paint when they have guaranteed sales like that. However, what most FPO fields do is see that the consumer is basically in the position I previously mentioned, ready to play with no paint...they can charge $100+/case (I have seen a field offer a case of marbs for $115) and people really don't have a choice, either pay insane paint prices or find another field...and many WOULD go to another field but they CANT.

That is basically known as a monopoly if you guys havent caught on...and thus it explains easily why they charge it, cause they can. It's not ethical business, but then again no business is, so we gotta live with it, you wanna play you gotta pay...or drive an extra hour for a better field.

But I can nearly guarantee you if a field opened up close to ANY FPO field, with same quality fields/prices/etc but they charged $40-50 for a case of paint that cost that much, the other field would be FORCED to lower their paint prices or go out of business..

Basic Economics

[NoobieDood]

:pissed: Anyone who thinks it's OK to charge $80 for a case of paint that retails for $40 is being a little silly. I realize that some of the people on this website might be field owners, or real tight with some of the field owners, and I just wanted to post this message to say "Suck my Spyder you greedy overcharging bags of monkey filth."

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by ^Psycho^Skillz^

But for those FPO fields, they are GUARANTEED that EVERY player there is buying paint, they shouldnt be charging $40 more for a case of paint when they have guaranteed sales like that. However, what most FPO fields do is see that the consumer is basically in the position I previously mentioned, ready to play with no paint...they can charge $100+/case (I have seen a field offer a case of marbs for $115) and people really don't have a choice, either pay insane paint prices or find another field...and many WOULD go to another field but they CANT.


I tell you, the ones I feel sorry for are the folks who come on the field, rent equipment, pay the field fee, pay to have their rental tanks filled, and then buy only 100 or 200 rounds. They're actually paying more per ball than the folks who buy a half case or whole case. Then, throughout the course of the day, they go back and buy several more 200 round bags. I know the price structure at our field, if you buy three 200 round bags of paint, you pay almost what it would have cost to buy a half case of paint.

[RcPhatty]

To RichyC,
Nah man, it hasn't changed since then, unless it changed in the month since we've been there. The only things that they need to change is the fact that they can't fill over like 2800 psi, their lighting sucks and the fact that they need more woodchips on the floor( I learned this when I was running off the break, damn concrete is hard). So enjoy. I'll PM you or something next time we head up there. We all where the Yellow JT jersey's or black JT power jerseys. Peace

[death]

Originally posted by NoobieDood
my point was simply the field doesn't need to gouge people for cheap paint.


ok then, why are barrels 200 plus? they're round tubes. i don't think it costs the company even 15 dollars to make a total freak barrel set. why don't you complain about that? and why are nitrogen tanks so expensive? they're bottles. 200+?! this can go on and on. basically, the people that sell you the paint, don't give a damn about what you think, because basically, you whine and say thats so unfair, but damn, you still buy it. if you got a job, i don't see how its hard to shell out 70 dollars a month. (you can make do with playing paintball once a month)

[UTLadiesMan]

It's the people with jobs that have the most problem. They have bills, groceries, car payments, and other expenses. After all of that, they have to say to themselves "I have to work for an hour and a half to buy this crappy paint??"

[Quasi_evil]

it's cost alot to get your own field started and newbiedood u will prolly have to triple up on the price of something else at your field if u are gonna let people everyone B.Y.O.P.unless u have a really rich mommy or daddy at home waiting for u to ask them for $$$...............let's face it nothing is cheap in the world of paintball , u get what u pay for



:crazy:i hope you prove me wrong though:crazy:
because i'd hate to see us lose another paintballer just cause he had to sell all his gear and everything else to barely break even from bills...........




-evil:pissed:

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by death


ok then, why are barrels 200 plus? they're round tubes. i don't think it costs the company even 15 dollars to make a total freak barrel set. why don't you complain about that? and why are nitrogen tanks so expensive? they're bottles. 200+?! this can go on and on. basically, the people that sell you the paint, don't give a damn about what you think, because basically, you whine and say thats so unfair, but damn, you still buy it. if you got a job, i don't see how its hard to shell out 70 dollars a month. (you can make do with playing paintball once a month)

There is a thread for that in this forum ... however, the point in this thread is that paintballs are the cheapest thing to produce, yet they are the most expensive thing you have to buy. Let's face it, you buy a Freak kit for $200, well, you won't have to buy another barrel the next time you go to the field. That's not the case with paint. It is the only recurring expense in the game.

I played two consecutive weekends in December, my paint bill was about $200 because I was having to buy field paint. $200 bucs for two weekends, just on paint. That's a car payment.

[NoobieDood]

Hey Quasi, the whole friggin point of this thread is that you DON'T get what you pay for. That's the whole problem. If you are paying $80 for a case of $40 paint, how are you getting what you pay for? Your arguments about barrels makes no sense... if I was forced to buy a "field barrel" for $200 every week in order to play then you might have a valid point... but since that's not the case I don't see the comparison.

[Magnus55]

I don't apreciate that kind of language Noobiedood. If you have an arguement to make, then fine make it--but theres no need to be vulgar. :finger:

[death]

why do you still play if the price of paint is so expensive? if you can't afford it, i would rearrange how i spend my time and money.

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by death
why do you still play if the price of paint is so expensive? if you can't afford it, i would rearrange how i spend my time and money.

That's simple, I'm addicted!:D

[UTLadiesMan]

Originally posted by death
why do you still play if the price of paint is so expensive? if you can't afford it, i would rearrange how i spend my time and money.

Cocaine and heroin are much more expensive, and much worse for you. Yet most people that start continue no matter what the cost. Like Muck said, once you get hooked, they can charge anything they want :) . Unfortunately, unlike drugs, the first one isn't free here.;)

[^Psycho^Skillz^]

Payin $200+ for a barrel or a tank is completely different from paying it for paint. First off, those thigns are precision honed. to the THOUSANDTHS, and that equipment is expensive, so obviously they will be expensive to buy.




But the high paint prices are only being charged because most fields have a monopoly over their paintball business in the area. From what I have seen all the fields where I live (Southern CA) are BYOP. Why? There is a ton of competition out here and if you force people to pay high prices for crap paint, they will simply go elsewhere.

However, for many people living in less populated places there may not be so many parks to play at, and so they are being charged insane prices for crap paint. Noobie is right that they dont NEED to charge it, but its BUSINESS. He CAN charge it so he will.....and you WILL pay, you have no other choice....


and not playing isnt a choice :)

[ClockworkMiller]

Skillz, for once, is right.

Most small populated ares, such as the midwest, have one paintball field to serve a large area of people. Because of this, people who play will be forced to go to these fields. A good example of this is Tucson.

When the first field, Desert Fox, opened, they forced you to buy one type of paint. Since it was tied to the only local paintball store, they could charge insane mark up prices on paint and gear, because most people didnt know any better or couldnt go anywhere else.

The Sudden Impact opened. All of a sudden, Desert Fox couldnt stay competitive. So they lowered prices, and allowed people to bring their own paint, just to stay competitive. The problem is, the fields still suck, so people still go to Sudden Impact.

When a field has a monopoly, people will pay as much as they can afford to play. This sucks, but it is basic business.

[MuckRaker]

Monoply markets have a lot to do with it, but I think in some areas, where there are only two or three fields, that field owners go in together and set prices. they may be friends, or former partners or maybe they far enough from each other that don't really draw from the say customers, but, the rub is if one of them dropped prices significantly it would possibly put the other out of business. I really confirm that that's the case, but I've talked with field owners who have, in roundabout ways, said that.

[Egrape88]

I have to drive an hour to get to the closest field i play at, and i dont complain. Lucky they sell pmi premium for 60$ a case and 500 for 17$, but if some field opened up close to me and sold paint for 80$ a case i would still play there. Im just trying to say that some poeple dont have the opourtunity to play very often so even if the prices are high they play anyway, for the love of the game

[Blacksheep]

hmm, well, what I'd do is just find paint that has a green fill. All paint looks sort the same if it has the same color. I mean, while some have thicker fills, refs don't look real hard. The field I got to charges about $80.00 for a case of Zap Preformance Plus. I just go out nad buy some Diablos that have the same color fill or something and use that. THey don't check my bag, and it's not hard to sneak in with a bag of 500 rounds. Tha'ts bout all I shoot with my pump
________
COLORADO MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES (http://colorado.dispensaries.org/)

[Richy_C]

heh, cool thing for me is, i can go to an indoor, pay 73, for air, entry, and a case, leave half of it their, and play for 13 dollars next time. How cool is that?

[Killer Kat]

Stop whinning and find a new field. Chances are they'll charge the same there too. You yourself said there alot of extra costs associated with running something like that. Insurances alone make it tough for any business to stay in business. Why not just get several friends (if ya got any) to go in on cases with ya when you do go there.

[UTLadiesMan]

Originally posted by MuckRaker
Monoply markets have a lot to do with it, but I think in some areas, where there are only two or three fields, that field owners go in together and set prices.

OMG, THAT IS SO ILLEGAL!

Seriously, if you find absolute proof that the people in your area are doing that...

[ClockworkMiller]

UTLadiesMan,

Its not illegal. Technically they are forming a partnership. There are so many simple ways to get around the legalities of this. They can set prices for paint, but it wouldnt make any sense too. If one of those fields started lowering their prices, by say 10 dollars a case, they would bring in more business than the 10 dollars they dont make per case. This business would come from players not playing at the other fields. Therefore, it would start a price war, and competitiveness would lower the prices at all 3 fields until one of them decided it would be cheaper to just allow people to bring your own paint. Some fields avoid this all together by allowing you to bring your own paint when they first began.

[UTLadiesMan]

Clockwork, in a perfect Capitalist world that is how it's supposed to work. However, if competitors get together to discuss and fix prices, it is called 'price-fixing' and is a felony. Actually just a few months ago, the owner of Sotheby's was convicted and given like 3 years in jail and a 300k fine for price-fixing with the owner of Christie's on comission. This all goes back to the trust busting cases, as it was a form of monopoly.

[UTLadiesMan]

Oh, and if someone lowered their prices, they probably aren't price fixing. Price fixing is me and my competitors getting together, and raising prices because if we worked together we would own a trust. Not many people are going to commit illegal activities to make less money.:laugh:

[^Psycho^Skillz^]

Well what I meant by monopoly wasn't price fixing or any of that, more in the "economics" sense of it...

Like a natural monopoly...much like many power plants orr the like

[ClockworkMiller]

Originally posted by ^Psycho^Skillz^
Well what I meant by monopoly wasn't price fixing or any of that, more in the "economics" sense of it...

Like a natural monopoly...much like many power plants orr the like

Exactly

[Model98]

When I started playing, I went to a field which charged $125 for a case of Powerball...now the paint wasn't bad, never chopped/broke in my barrel, but that was outrageous price wise.

Since then I got wise and now play at a field which is BYOP (No Fee involved either :D), and their price for a case of paint is a lot more cheaper.

[MuckRaker]

Actually price fixing is very illegal because it stifles free trade and competition ... however, what I should have said in my last post is that I can't confirm it's happening, but I've heard things from different field owners that makes me think something is there.

What you have to look at is this ... say three fields in the same area agree that they'll charge $85 per case for paint. then someone opens a fourth field, and charges $60 a case. Well, the other three fields can then use their combined purchasing power to buy the paint at a cheaper cost and undercut the fourth field's price. Eventually the fourth field would have to go out of business because he cannot compete the other three fields that are fixing prices.

[kvilleboy]

Have any of you ever just gone to the field owner and asked why the prices are so high. If they can give you a straight(sp) answer right away and not give you the run around, they probably have a legitimate reason for charging what they do. If they do give you a bunch of bs, then you know that they are the greedy people that you make them out to be in this thread. So, why not just ask that simple question?

just my 2cents

Hope you can resolve your problem some how.

[spyderman13]

you guys are talking about going to another field if you don't like the prices, I sure wish I had that luxury! here in minneasota, there are about 4 fields in the entire state! the nearest one to me is a half hour drive from my house, if not 45 minutes. the prices are insane! 90 bucks for a case of bigball, and $16 for 98 rentals and air, and a 9 dollar entree fee.:mad:

[giblit]

my feild is pine rigde paintball in fortuna california and they are the friendllyest bunch of people ive ever met. the guy running it isnt greedy as some people say. i pay 5 bucks entrance fee then 15 bucks for 500 rounds of marbs. you guys just need to understand that some feilds make more money then others and the ones that dont make much money have to jack up there prices becuase they have to make money somehow. if my feild charged 70 bucks for a case of paint that isnt that bad if you really think about it. i dont know i think im just lucky but you never know when your feild my start jacking up there prices

[Smakman]

I keep reading "internet prices, internet prices". I haven't seen anyone mention that those who sell paint on the internet don't have anywhere NEAR the overhead to pay as a field owner has.