Airsoft and the Irish Economy

hrta

Airsoft and the Irish Economy the way it is, i was just wondering how many airsofters are out of work, or at school, or are finding it hard to get out to play airsoft any more, i have put up a poll to see how things are looking, i'm just looking for statistics and numbers.

Paul.

horgan_p

TBH Paul airsoft is one of the cheapest days out going. it costs me and the missus almost €50 just to go to the cinema for crying out loud :eek:

Stercus Accidit

Aye, a weekend or night out is a rip off.

Airsoft is great value for money.


Edit: There may be a drop off in buying kit for some, but once ye have the basics I'd say most players will keep playing.

gerrowadat

imho, the leisure industry is one of those strange industries that seems to do better during a recession. People have more free time, aren't working crazy hours, businesses are less....busy. It just takes a wee while to adjust.

hrta

horgan_p wrote: »

TBH Paul airsoft is one of the cheapest days out going. it costs me and the missus almost €50 just to go to the cinema for crying out loud :eek:

Over the last few months i have seen a lot poeple that have been laid off from work, so if i can help out poeple out that are out of work, that are finding it hard to get out and play, i will try, as they have helped to surport me over the last 2 years.

Irishmaster

50 in Cinema??? Lol. They dont call it rip-off Ireland for nothing. Popcorn 6euro coke 10euros(Slight Exxag)!!!:pac: My friend used to work in a cinema selling these and he felt guilty and ashamed he was charging those prices. Popcorn is worth 50cent a bag and watered down coke is worth like 20 cents! How can they justify their prices???? Anyway rant over! Just lost my job too so will be going to hrta some day soon! Recession what recession?:)

Turncoat

I have limited my night outs to twice a month but havn't cut down my skirmish days. I still go for a skirmish at least 2-3 times every month. It maybe due to the fact that my next job is already waiting for me but if I was in a tight position I would still skirmish but wouldn't buy too many AEG's, etc.

G3-Nut

Well im out of work and i live in carlow, so it might be cheap for you lads to play but its not that cheap for me, especially food, diesel money etc..one whole day of skirmishing for me involves much more than just 25 quid....regardless of other costs, 25 squid for a full day is fek all and i wont complain about that, especially for hrta as i had a chat with paul before and i know how much he cares for his players, and you can clearly see that by this thread...things could be worse, hrta could knock the village and go back to pallets and planks:p

Fyr.Fytr

Full time student and ive a part time job to boot. This means i often cant get out for a skirmish, due to the fact midweek im tied up with college then working weekend nights means i cant get up early to skirmish and cant play half days as my shift starts mid afternoon.

Like the others i will skirmish when i can but wont be buying as much stuff.


I've found out its almost the same price at movies at swords to go to the mezz vip bit, as the €19 ticket price includes large drink and large popcorn, regular ticket is the guts of a tenner and the large popcorn and drink would set you back the same. Go figure

As for going out, i work in a bar and trust me i know as much as the next man how much of a rip off it is. €5+ for a pint is day light robbery, and publicans blame everything but their prices for the fall off in trade. January is a bugger for nights out as myself and a couple of close mates have our birthdays in jan, so a fair few nights out, but as per standard now we get half tanked before we go near a pub.


Airsoft has to be the most valuable day out anyone can spend. Let alone those your skirmishing with are 9 out of 10 times a sound bunch, good craic before during and after games. Its a laugh with all walks of life involed. Plus its a decent bit of exercise, let alone the most important fact you get to play soldiers

Theres no hidden costs involved, just transport, bit of grub, walk on fee and maybe a few bb's.

Think of a night out or a trip to the cinema, bit of food before and possibly after, maybe a taxi home, that extra box of smokes cause your tanked and smoke like a trooper etc etc.

With airsoft there is never any hassle afterwords like with going to the pub, no fights, stupid queues in a take away no waiting an hour for your jacket of a taxi.

Airsoft or pub.....airsoft wins hands down. We will see cutbacks, those gucci feckers will be a bit more savvi so will the rest of us but it will keep going.

Turncoat

gerrowadat wrote: »

imho, the leisure industry is one of those strange industries that seems to do better during a recession. People have more free time, aren't working crazy hours, businesses are less....busy. It just takes a wee while to adjust.

I completely agree and another would be the fast food industry as people tend to eat at burger king, mcdonalds, etc. more often these days. So if any students have found themselves out of jobs. I would suggest trying looking for work in these places. It would still be minimum but in hard times every little bit helps.

moggser

well im self emploted not had work for god knows how long but if i couldn go shoot some bb's at folk idgo bananas so i think i might speak for most any way even if they was flatbroke i still think some and if not most would flog their grannys for the price o a skirmish i know i would lol:D:D:D

senordingdong

Forget money.

Time is what's really precious.

I can't find the time to skirmish most of the time.

steinone

I'm in college at the moment and don't have any sort of decent income, I work perhaps every month and then it takes another month to get paid, I have tried finding decent stable work for the guts of the last year with no avail.

Days out Skirmishing are a large treat for me, being without a car it cost me roughly 40 euro to go out and skirmish, that's without transport. I try and go, but I seem to only get out once a month.

DisasterIRL

Apologies my brothers profile again^^^^^^^^^

moggser

do you not have mates that go split the cost or offer lift maybe

DisasterIRL

I try get lifts as much as possible and fletch has been very helpful there, but as I said it costs me near 40 without transport, it's 25 for the day, 10 for pellets and 5 for food.

Spetzcong

I'm still grand in my job, except for the fact that I hate it and was trying to get out of it before el credit cruncho hit us. Obviously I'm thankful that I have a job at all, but it's still a bit of a kick in the stones to be stuck working somewhere that you hate, better than the alternative though I will admit. Airsoft gives me a much needed outlet for the frustrations of everyday life and I'd gladly pay more than €25 for a day of that much needed release. Airsoft is by far one of the most affordable days out I can think of, €25 for a full day? Now think of how much it would cost ya to get that same sort of exercise in a gym.

moggser

Spetzcong wrote: »

I'm still grand in my job, except for the fact that I hate it and was trying to get out of it before el credit cruncho hit us. Obviously I'm thankful that I have a job at all, but it's still a bit of a kick in the stones to be stuck working somewhere that you hate, better than the alternative though I will admit. Airsoft gives me a much needed outlet for the frustrations of everyday life and I'd gladly pay more than €25 for a day of that much needed release. Airsoft is by far one of the most affordable days out I can think of, €25 for a full day? Now think of how much it would cost ya to get that same sort of exercise in a gym.

now i have to stop ya there ssssssssshhhhhhhhhh on the "

I'd gladly pay more than €25 for a day

lol i know what your thinking am i realy sayin that out loud ha ha ha
any way its by far well worth 25 sheets for the day

bullets

I just dodged the bullet for the 2nd time when it comes
to my Job. In my section where I work there was always
only 3 people. twice one of us as been left go.
At the moment were down to 2, me and another lad.
They cant reduce us to 1 due to holidays/sickdays/cover or
if one of us leaves etc etc etc. So we are going by business
1/4 by 1/4 to see if our jobs are still safe.

With that said......with the current economical climiate
I find my self spending more money than ever.
Things are becoming cheaper to buy from England and USA, prices in Ireland are dropping...........Hey My Mortage on my house is cheaper than it was 8 years ago!!!!!!!!

As long as I keep my Job! I'll still be spending.
(And I also HATE my job)

~B

moggser

I find my self spending more money than ever

you too huh lol ive not worked in a while and im spending it like i have it lol suppose some would say its aving the econemy

Shiva

moggser wrote: »

you too huh lol ive not worked in a while and im spending it like i have it lol suppose some would say its aving the econemy

It is.

Everyone needs to spend like theres no tomorrow. Its your civic duty

moggser

it is the truth but
everyones hidin the money in there floor boards or something when they should be spending it

G3-Nut

bullets wrote: »

I just dodged the bullet for the 2nd time when it comes
to my Job. In my section where I work there was always
only 3 people. twice one of us as been left go.
At the moment were down to 2, me and another lad.
They cant reduce us to 1 due to holidays/sickdays/cover or
if one of us leaves etc etc etc. So we are going by business
1/4 by 1/4 to see if our jobs are still safe.

With that said......with the current economical climiate
I find my self spending more money than ever.
Things are becoming cheaper to buy from England and USA, prices in Ireland are dropping...........Hey My Mortage on my house is cheaper than it was 8 years ago!!!!!!!!

As long as I keep my Job! I'll still be spending.
(And I also HATE my job)

~B

lol i dogded the bullet 6 times before i was let off...put it this way, try not getting laid off when the company you work for was going from 115 employees to 35...and about 50 of the guys there had been working in the place longer than i am in this country lol

moggser

longer than i am in this country lol

so your folks imported ya then i guess?

G3-Nut

moggser wrote: »

so your folks imported ya then i guess?

nah i slipped in the bath tub and landed in the toilet, next thing im talking to you folk lol..


i joke i joke this place aint a toilet:D

moggser

carefull Bora ya might upset the natives

Sod'o swords

Times like these I'm happy being a blight on society.

For now, collage next year, then i suppose i should really try out this "work" malarkey i keep hearing about.

moggser

well if you do stay away from a spanish lad called manuel labour he's tough lol

G3-Nut

moggser wrote: »

carefull Bora ya might upset the natives

the natives are already upset! im just happy i dont work in the politics sector!:pac:

Sod'o swords

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Airsoft or pub.....airsoft wins hands down. We will see cutbacks, those gucci feckers will be a bit more savvi so will the rest of us but it will keep going.

But for realism the pub is better..

No where can replicate a war zone better than main street on a Saturday night...

TheDoc

Have to admit id rather splash money on airsoft then drinking.

As a heavy drinker, id go through on average 80-100 euro in a nights drinking. Granted that the age group I hang with love going into clubs etc that you have to pay €20 in too, it easily pushes a night to €120. I'm on a firm strike now though with my mates, im not paying into places when I can go across the road for free.

I used to play alot of paintball and its an awfully expensive sport to play regularly. A midrange marker would set you back nearly 1k and then you have to buy paint on sites etc. Was a pain in the whole.

Airsoft is a well affordable day out, mainly due to the ability to bring your own kit and ammo.

An AEG is a once of investment. We can all agree, you only need one aeg, but we buy more because its a want rather then a need.

BB's are extremely cheap considering the length you should be getting out of them. A 6000 round bottle would do me 3 weekends.

Entrance fees to sites are extremely reasonable across the board. A great days physical and social activity for 25 blips is nothing in fairness.

In relation to other social activities like drinking, cinema etc, airsoft is one of the most cost effective and engaging activities you can partake in.

And it is great to see a site owner showing genuine interest and care for his players and customers.

I brought it up before, dont know if it took off. But a carpool is such a clever idea for people to do. Theres alot of people that commute from the same area, and rotating lifts saves a few bob for everyone.

Snowie

I lost my job and wnet a buaght a gun simply because being unemployed sucks.
I decied that with the fact a I may not get a job for the forseeable future, I may as well have something to look forward to at the weekend insted of being inside.. I've played everyweek for the past four weeks and its enjoyable to get out so no i think its a good thingto buy one and its an interest to....

I think it's a good thing, even if your unemployed keeps you busy and could help make more jobs/maybe. so yeah it wont affect me just means i gotta save up to buy stuff and if im playing at a site and not on private property I gotta buget the price of the site into my week, and i mena the 20 quid for your bebe's for an afternoon of running around having fun is far better then sitting on a bar stool feeling missrabel....

Gizmodeon

just became unemployed. might go airsofting......
lol :P

Killinator

Well I work for Zavvi:((HMV soon, fingers crossed:rolleyes:) with college(full fees) and hopefully some part time work my airsoft time is likly to be cut down, but i'll still go every cahnce i get and i'll still buy guns and gear i dont need regardless,
hell if i had to leave college becasue i couldnt afford the ridiculous fees, I'd still find some way of getting new gear and getting out airsofting

Snowie

Gizmodeon wrote: »

just became unemployed. might go airsofting......
lol :P

nah man id played once before but like I lost my job and i was like il need somthing to look forward to because its not easy getting work and airsoft is cheep enough you need very little gun amo spare mags camo geat and a mask... So i decied on the fact that Ive not many other sports i can do that maybe airsoft would be ideal giving my present situation....

Gizmodeon

dont get me wrong, I was being serious
Airsofting is sometimes better when your unemployed, gets rid of all sorts of aggression

Snowie

Gizmodeon wrote: »

dont get me wrong, I was being serious
Airsofting is sometimes better when your unemployed, gets rid of all sorts of aggression

yeah man like you get out meet new people have a laugh ru n around the place your being active etc which is really important.... ..

When your unemployed you do nothing you meet very few people you live with and things turn a little crap.... Airsoft gives you some enjoyment...:)


EDIT: did i say some enjoyment I mean LOADS.....

trentf

I think the more important question is what is airsoft contributing to the economy and lets be honest it contributes a lot. Most of the irish owned airsoft companies saleswise seem to be doing ok..judging from the boards so that is a definite plus and counterargument for the whole ban idea the government had in mind for airsoft.


Agree with the above posters seems to be one of those industries doing well at the moment despite the recession and hey if it keeps people in jobs and adds more taxpayers, businesses and employment then thats a very good thing. We really need to start diversifying our industries here anyway and stop looking outside large multinationals for providing our employment. Its the reason we're the worst economy in europe at the moment recession wise. Too much reliance on outside industries.

Irish owned Airsoft equipment companies and airsofting venues located here are a perfect way to get the ball rolling. It's actually one of the very few things at the moment i will spend my money on.

I mean no one is immune from the recession but diversifying industry and sources of revenue in hard times can keep us afloat.