Is airsoft getting too expensive ?

[warlord]

I agree to a point but I have found the more gear I get that fixes and issue allows me to focus on playing the game without worrying. A sling for instance so I can draw my pistol quickly or even just take the weight of the gun off my arms a bit, or a nice mag pouch that makes getting mags out quick and more efficient. Sure all that will add but I have found getting your gear perfect lets you focus on just having fun and shooting people and not worrying or feeling annoyed in certain situations. 

This, exactly. I'm a noob, not played a lot, but the best things I've done are cheap. Good set of eye pro for £9, face mask £15 and knee pads £15. Everything else was a bonus as once I had a gun with a high cap mag there wasn't any need to carry much else.

I added a plate carrier because I wanted to carry mid caps. That's the most expensive bit of kit I've bought. But now realise a belt may have been just as effective. The rest I've added out of personal taste, not practicality.

 

[skillfulmmd]

This, exactly. I'm a noob, not played a lot, but the best things I've done are cheap. Good set of eye pro for £9, face mask £15 and knee pads £15. Everything else was a bonus as once I had a gun with a high cap mag there wasn't any need to carry much else.

I added a plate carrier because I wanted to carry mid caps. That's the most expensive bit of kit I've bought. But now realise a belt may have been just as effective. The rest I've added out of personal taste, not practicality.

I also think that people think you have to have it all at once and may even buy things that aren't that useful. My advice is start with the minimum amount keep playing and see what annoys you and then work on buying things that would resolve that issue. Rinse and repeat and till you are happy with what you have and you may have even saved some cash in the long run!

 

[Jedi_Master]

I also think that people think you have to have it all at once and may even buy things that aren't that useful. My advice is start with the minimum amount keep playing and see what annoys you and then work on buying things that would resolve that issue. Rinse and repeat and till you are happy with what you have and you may have even saved some cash in the long run!

Some players will want to get everything at the start just because they see what others have.  There is so much kit out there to tempt you.  Most of us have bought things that are not useful or very good, although it is not until you own an item that you realise it is not what you need or good enough. We learn through experience. Buy cheap and buy twice; sometimes saving money by buying an item that has less quality is not cost effective in the long run.   There are items I have replaced when seeing a more Gucci piece of kit, not necessary just preference.

 

[warlord]

It's funny when you a noob and have "All the gear, but no idea"  I was fully kitted up in MTP for only my 3rd game and then some first timers were following me like I had a clue what I was doing.

If you have the $'s, buy whatever you want. But if you are having to save up a bit, don't buy anything. Play for a while to figure out what you like and make an educated choice on the load out you want to achieve. By then you'll realise you bought the right thing rather than just what you thought you needed.

 

[skillfulmmd]

Some players will want to get everything at the start just because they see what others have.  There is so much kit out there to tempt you.  Most of us have bought things that are not useful or very good, although it is not until you own an item that you realise it is not what you need or good enough. We learn through experience. Buy cheap and buy twice; sometimes saving money by buying an item that has less quality is not cost effective in the long run.   There are items I have replaced when seeing a more Gucci piece of kit, not necessary just preference.

Yeah this is a great counter argument too. Maybe its the way I look at situations but when I played I decided to buy a nice gun and just went in tracksuit and decided to see what I needed. To this day I can't see the point in Camo for CQB sites for example which is where I tend to play all the time. I understand that certain players have a different idea of what a perfect load out and gear list is so its each to their own. I've seen players drop hundreds on a pair of trousers where as I'm happy to run Viper stuff for instance and put more money into my gun or glasses. 

I think this is the reason I enjoy Airsoft so much its not just the banter between players or the adrenaline when you get in sticky situations but the variety in gear, kits and play styles that make every time you go unique. The only thing I wish we as a sport could improve on is making sure new players are able to fit in quickly and don't feel scared to ask questions, making sure we keep new players coming back and enjoying the sport is critical to the future of the sport for sure!

 

[Jedi_Master]

Yes, I did spend rather a lot on clothing but I justified that by it being used in real world not just hobby time.  I was like you, spend most on a decent gun and quality eye-pro (often overlooked), and then other bits. Cheap starter kit then replaced with better products, i.e. eBay gloves to Mechanics.

To answer the original OP, no I do not think the hobby is getting more expensive except for the increase in fuel to travel to sites, and that is pretty incidental.  Of course, we could just blame it all on Brexit  

 

[Sacarathe]

To answer the original OP, no I do not think the hobby is getting more expensive except for the increase in fuel to travel to sites, and that is pretty incidental.  Of course, we could just blame it all on Brexit

The pound losing value actually does affect us a lot as iirc 95% of airsoft produce or more is imported. But that would be brexit.

 

[TheFull9]

The GBP going from 1.4USD down to around 1.25 (last I paypal'd someone) has bumped prices up quite a lot.  I import my gear from the US and airsoft parts from Hong Kong, all shops I use charge in USD.  You can see the price differences in UK shops, I bought a certain AEG for around 330 a year ago and when I looked last month they were 390.

From my vague following of the graphs, the value was at its' lowest right after the announcement and has been slowly climbing back up since then.  That's obviously nothing to do with shops or sites gouging prices though that's global economics.  I spend about 40-60% of my salary annually in USD so I'm losing out massively but frankly I'm fine with it, though I won't turn this in to a politics thread.  When I got in to airsoft it was 2 dollars to the pound, that tanked right down to the 1.40-1.45 region as soon as the credit bubble burst in the late noughties.

 

[bladerunner168]

The original question posed by the OP is actually relative, in my view, Airsoft should be getting cheaper.

Let's assume that you start Airsofting whilst still in education or just started work.

You'll either be earning no money at all or your starting salary will be quite low.

As you progress in your career, you get more qualified, you get more responsibilities and you should get remunerated more.

Therefore, your Airsoft expenses should become smaller percentage of your net income, hence Airsoft become more affordable, relatively speaking.

This theory is only applicable until you take an arrow to the knee. 

 

[Samurai]

This theory is only applicable until you take an arrow to the knee. 

Or get married...

 

[L3wisD]

Or get married...

Or have a kid (with another one on the way

 )...

Does anyone know how long you have to wait after a vasectomy before playing airsoft again?

 

[Samurai]

The doctor says you have to wait until the next payday.

 

[PT247]

Dr PT says you should have flanked your misses and attacked from the rear!

 

[Seany.exe]

Expensive? Yeah can be, but sh*t this is a hobby. If you enjoy it then it's down to you. If you want a free hobby why not start collecting cans off the street for recycling or something lol.

For me the main constraint is shift work. Forever stuck on either Wed-Sat or Sun-Wed shifts. I work nights so it's either go play airsoft after working all night or go work after airsofting all day. I've done both, definately prefer the after work shift as I can get home and collapse after a hard days snipin

 

[MrMcG]

I came from 1/8th nitro rally cross racing ( google and you will get an idea) 

That was a ferociously expensive hobby cars, engines and radio equipment would put you past 1k then tyres fuel oils and other bits added hundreds on and you needed at least 2/3 sets off tyres per race day and the fee to race plus the license fee. 

All hobbies are notoriously expensive however the thing that drew me to airsoft was you didn't have to spend lots and lots to be competitive. 

One guy who plays with us has a £10 rig, £15 combats, £80 gun and loves it and plays well his only cost is the fee and BBS. 

It can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be. 

A £30 springer shotty is as good as a TM ksg in CQB. 

Most of us just like bling! 

 

[lemon191]

As above really you make it as cheap or expensive as you want it. I mean there's plenty of cheap guns on the market and sometimes some good bargains 2nd hand. Once your setup you could enjoy the hobby for under £40 a go.. that's not that much different to going out and drinking.

 

[Nicky blue eyes]

Now a days a lot cheaper than drinking also airsofts a lot less violent. Now that irony for you.

 

[lemon191]

I'm not a drinker and haven't bothered going into bigger towns nightlife since college so can't say what the costs these days are but I'm willing to bet 1 Saturday after drinks and taxis your looking at burning through a lot more than £40 ( unless your a good looking girl of course..) and like you say there's a lot less drama lol 

 

[warlord]

Actually airsoft is eating into my drinking funds  I drive down, go stay over at a mates the night before and then don't drink much the evening before as running about with a hangover is not appealing at all. I then spend the money I save from not drinking on fuel and game play. So in the scheme of things I end up no worse off.

 

[jcheeseright]

I agree to a point but I have found the more gear I get that fixes and issue allows me to focus on playing the game without worrying. A sling for instance so I can draw my pistol quickly or even just take the weight of the gun off my arms a bit, or a nice mag pouch that makes getting mags out quick and more efficient. Sure all that will add but I have found getting your gear perfect lets you focus on just having fun and shooting people and not worrying or feeling annoyed in certain situations. 

Youve missed my point entirely, buying a sling to enable you to draw your pistol quickly is a fix for a problem you have created for yourself by buying a pistol! 

That is how airsoft gets expensive. When you need to 'fix' something that isn't actually a problem in the first place.