At what cost?

[MrTea]

On 22/10/2024 at 14:47, ButcherBill said:

my question is basically how much you willing to pay for 'THE' right kit for your loadout?

I used to pick up boneyard AEGs of different varieties such as a FAMAS, L85A1, AUG, P90 etc because it helped me learn how to fix stuff myself and was a cheap way to have a larger variety of RIFs but I recently slimmed down my collection by five or six RIFs to fund my move into HPA. I think i've only ever bought two RIFs at retail - A Krytac LVOA-C and G&G L85A2.

As for kit, it's pretty much the same. My helmet, eye/face protection, gloves and clothing are probably the only things I bought new - just about everything else has come from the forums, ebay or selling sites.

Pyro is where I expend a fair amount of cash (outside of BBs) just because I like things that go bang. I'd use my BFGs more often but I don't want to lose them when outdoors

Edited October 23 by MrTea

[TrooperX]

15 minutes ago, MrTea said:

I'd use my BFGs more often but I don't want to lose them when outdoors

I sprayed mine bright pink, haven’t lost it yet 😆

[GiantKiwi]

1 hour ago, TrooperX said:

I sprayed mine bright pink, haven’t lost it yet 😆

 

I had a bright pink TRMR multishot at an AI, it still went on a walk of its own - pink means nothing 

[TrooperX]

2 minutes ago, GiantKiwi said:

 

I had a bright pink TRMR multishot at an AI, it still went on a walk of its own - pink means nothing 

I sprayed it to make it easier to spot after it had been thrown and it’s worked in that respect countless time.  Granted it won’t stop someone nicking it if they’re determined but not a lot you can do about that.

[Cannonfodder]

One of the things I like about our hobby is that folk can choose to spend as little or a much as they like without a huge gap in performance. Whether you like them or not a large part of this is down to the Chinese clones getting better quality, a great example of this is magazines, 20 years ago a single AEG magazine was around £30.

 

3 hours ago, mirinjawbro said:

edit-   is there any science why we get this? almost everyone says the same. cars. clothes. watches. whatever

It's from a neurotransmitter called Dopamine.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-dopamine

[MrTea]

17 minutes ago, TrooperX said:

I sprayed it to make it easier to spot after it had been thrown and it’s worked in that respect countless time.  Granted it won’t stop someone nicking it if they’re determined but not a lot you can do about that.

Another reason why I don't use my BFGs outdoors and mainly paper pyro.

I don't think anyone at my regular site(s) would steal anything but there's always that chance that some less than decent person attends one day. I've often left my rifle unattended during games when I need to sprint to and from an objective.
 

[Madhouse]

Kit is all pretty generic inexpensive stuff - apart from PPE, I never skimp on that.

 

The MWS is my most expensive pew, but it'll get used plenty and probably outlast my playing days. It's still cheaper than cycling, especially when you discover you need to replace two frames in the space of about 6 weeks! (luckily the main bike was the second one or I'd never have got the replacement of both signed off by Mrs M!) I also took 'I suppose you'll just get one anyway' as approval, which - PSA incoming - it isn't 😂

[TheFull9]

A tale as old as tiiiiiime..

 

I was mulling it over and wondering whether people with more expensive hobbies also have these same conversations; motorsport is the main one that comes to mind as something that's not too uncommon but very pricey to be involved in.  From what little I know, even the cheapest forms will cost a person a fair bit more than being involved in airsoft and if you get in to really fast cars/bikes and racing them the costs go bonkers.  Real firearm competition is probably a bit different in that there aren't that many types of weapons we can own in the UK and a normal person will be legally limited on how many firearms they can own, however the cost of ammo and range fees can be pretty high when you attend the different events.

 

'Airsoft' is such a blanket term that asking 'how much does it cost?' is literally the same as asking the length in centimetres of any given woven braid of cordage.  There are folks who've got 1 or 2 guns, a set of gear sufficient to play and that's it; but they'll regularly travel around the country paying for hotels near to 2-3 day events plus all the extra food and fuel costs and using loads of pyro etc.  Then there's the opposite kind of person of course, and there's everything between as well.

 

Some people have 3-4 amazing PTW/MTW/NGRS, some people have 30+ stock budget line CYMAs.  Personally I like gucci kit (clothing and LBE) and furniture for RIFs, but I currently draw the line at high end real optics like EoTechs and ACOGs.  I could elaborate on my thought process as to why, but there are a few airsofters out there who love those types of optics and own a few of them, highlighting the fact that what makes sense within your own personal lump of grey matter won't make any sense within the grey matter of many other people.  Long as you make peace with the fact people like different things and then actually act as such then it's all gravy.

[Rory]

This is a great read, with good responses so far. 
it reminds me of a similar thread in an MTB forum I was on, and there was an American website, that for $15 dollars ‘Admin fee’, would send you an invoice/bill for whatever you agreed with them. That way significant others wouldn’t find out how much you spent…..

[Jaylordofwaargh]

A proclaimed poor softer/bargain hunter here and I'd give my right nut for an SLR...but then cold War games will do that to a nato player, especially the mighty fine examples there were last weekend. 

 

[Cannonfodder]

5 hours ago, Rory said:

This is a great read, with good responses so far. 
it reminds me of a similar thread in an MTB forum I was on, and there was an American website, that for $15 dollars ‘Admin fee’, would send you an invoice/bill for whatever you agreed with them. That way significant others wouldn’t find out how much you spent…..

I'm sure I heard of at least one Asian shop offering something similar years ago. From what I remember it also comes with the risk that if customs stop it and double check the price the buyer could be charged tax evasion.