We're coming up on the end of 2009 and I must say that it's been an interesting year in the paintball world.  From the collapse of the NPPL to end of countless local stores and fields, the paintball industry has been hit hard.  Despite the financial insecurity, the paintball industry is moving forward.  New fields are springing up and there's always room for a new manufacturer to step in and produce a better paintball gun.  While many players have quit playing the sport this past year,  thousands of others have taken it up.

It's been a roller coaster ride of a year, but paintball is still a fun, exciting sport that is not going anywhere.  Whatever happens to the industry, I know that I will still be playing it next year and during years to come.  Here's to an exciting 2010.

Many paintball players complain that the cost of guns and equipment is simply too high. Store owners, though, complain that they are not high enough and the small profit margins are forcing fields and shops to close. The manufacturers, though, don't seem to be making a killing, but they're still going forward. The end result is that the sellers think prices are too low, buyers think they're too high and manufacturers (at least those that are still in business), think they're about right.

My question for the players, then, is what is the right price for a paintball gun and what do you realistically want to get for your money?  Do you have an idea of what a fair price is for equipment and what is it?  I know this will vary by the type of gun, but, in general, do you think the price of guns is fair or is it too high?

For about a week now there's been a rumor going around that Smart Parts will be closing its doors at the end of the year.  Similar rumors have popped up in the past, especially when they laid off numerous employees earlier this year.  Previously, though, Smart Parts released an official statement that discounted the rumors, but nothing has come up this time and store owners report an inability to order products.  If Smart Parts has an official statement to make about the status of their company, I'd be happy to publish it - just contact me.

Whether or not Smart Parts is dying, the fact that the rumor seems so plausible is just another indication of the current troubles of the paintball industry.  A few years ago it would have been unthinkable for one of the largest and longest-lived paintball companies to close its doors, but now I almost expect a major manufacturer to announce plans to end its operations.   When Smart Parts released the Ion a few years ago, it really was at the top of the paintball world.  Of course, at that time, GM was also still the world's largest auto producer.  Times have changed.

Many paintball guns are created with the idea that they will later be customized to suit the individual user's preferences.  Each person, though, has different reasons for customizing their gun as they do.  Now you have a chance to share your customized paintball gun with the world and explain exactly what you did to get the results you did.  Additionally, feel free to share advice and tips to people who might want to copy some of your work.  It's cool to look at customized guns, but it's even better to know the story behind them.  Share your customized gun with others or view what others have done with their guns.