largest retailer?

cloves · June 13th, 2009, 14:27

i often peruse the Warstore website just to see what's new...and I always see that text that says "one of the largest reailers" on the east coast.
So...who IS the largest retailer in the US?

AngelusNex · June 13th, 2009, 14:33

Not sure about in the US, but www.redwolfairsoft.com and www.wgcshop.com are the biggest I know of. I always check em out to see whats new.

cloves · June 13th, 2009, 14:36

yeah i have some vacation coming up...and was wondering about walking around in an actual showroom. Preferably on the east coat.

Tex · June 13th, 2009, 15:00

Hot spot airsoft in Oceanside NY has 3000 sq. Ft show room. They say that's the largest. Don't know if it is.

Karnage · June 13th, 2009, 15:39

Evike is pretty huge

L473ncy · June 13th, 2009, 16:01

Evike is huge but they'll screw you.

There is a guy from the Warstore on ASC here, I'm sure he'll chime in eventually.

Also I believe Airsoft Extreme is pretty big in the US but may just have stores in Western US only.

I'm not 100% sure but I have heard that it is the biggest in NY or something like that, and the 3rd biggest in the US. Can anyone else corroborate that?

Farmboy · June 13th, 2009, 16:27

Quote:

So...who IS the largest retailer in the US?

Retailer of what? That would help answer the question.

Daiviet · June 13th, 2009, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farmboy

Retailer of what? That would help answer the question.

airsoft... what else?

Styrak · June 13th, 2009, 16:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karnage

Evike is pretty huge

Evike is also pretty horrible.

Styrak · June 13th, 2009, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by L473ncy

Also I believe Airsoft Extreme is pretty big in the US but may just have stores in Western US only.

I'm not 100% sure but I have heard that it is the biggest in NY or something like that, and the 3rd biggest in the US. Can anyone else corroborate that?

Airsoft Extreme is only in California.

L473ncy · June 13th, 2009, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styrak

Airsoft Extreme is only in California.

I meant Airsoft Extreme is pretty big in Western US.

Warstore is 3rd biggest in US and largest in NY. Sorry I should have explained more clearly at the time I thought it was implied I was talking about Warstore after the paragraph break.

cloves · June 15th, 2009, 09:47

thanks for the info...yeah hopefully a warstore representative will chime in

Scarecrow · June 15th, 2009, 10:23

In my experience with Airsoft "large" and "retailer" should not be used in the same sentence.

Airsoft is growing in popularity, but it is still not large enough to support any 'super-retailer' yet. There are dedicated enterprises, some here, some in the US. The US is large enough that in some places you have brick-and-mortar operations (Airsoft Knoxville is one I have been to) but almost all of them rely in good part on an internet presence and internet sales. There also seems to be an ebb and flow to their success and failure, which is usually linked to the amount of interest that is shown in the operation by the principals involved, or, the financial state of the business. Many are hobbyists that have found a fun niche and are trying to make a business out of it (do what you know) and make it work until they get bored with it or it costs them too much personally. Some are paintball operations that have diversified. Others have businesses that work for a time and then fail because they were not financed properly. And some seem to go on forever, despite repeated bad experiences documented by customers (Evike for one). I suppose if you're around long enough and are large enough, you're bound to piss people off - but thats not necessarily a measure of success I would use.

Actually, my theory is that once Airsoft reaches a certain level of acceptance, you'll see it rival paintball in the way that it is retailed and you'll see more big-box stores selling popular airsoft 'brands' that they can stock on a shelf (witness the Kracken and Bass Pro for instance, or Canadian Tire and paintball guns).

The flip side of this is that some of the best retailers out there with the best prices and customer service, are not always the largest ones. When it comes to parts and specialty items, I think the smaller specialists have a leg over the big guys (guys like MadMax and Illusion for instance have YEARS of expertise in specific areas of airsoft and their customer service is based on a personal ethos, not a company policy.)

cloves · June 15th, 2009, 12:15

Scarecrow...cool thanks for your insight. And I gotta agree...some of the best retailers of airsoft products are right here in Canada, and they aren't the biggest by any stretch.
Take airsoftparts for instance....that guy's service is stellar!!

anyway..let me clarify what I meant in my original post......
From time to time, me and my partner drive to the US for a week of vacation during the summer. Since airsoft is all perfectly legal down there, I was wondering where the best actual bricks and mortar stores were in the US. Specifically on the east coast.
I want to walk in and have my jaw hit the ground when i enter because of all the "stuff."
I've been to a few stores in Maine, however they only carry Palco/cybergun stuff and never have any extras. I'm not really in the market for a whole new gun, (not into smuggling much anyway) but I thought if I could incorporate a stop at a quaility airsoft shop into my vacation i might be able to pick up a few mags and maybe impress my girlfriend enough to get her to give the sport a try.

Scarecrow · June 15th, 2009, 12:41

Well, I've been to Airsoft Knoxville and they had some nice stuff, but it didn't knock me off my feet - small inventory, but a lot of specialty pistols and stuff. Lots of parts.

The Warstore in NY State is probably closest to those in southern Ontario.

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June 13th, 2009, 14:27	#1
cloves Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Charlottetown, PEI	largest retailer? i often peruse the Warstore website just to see what's new...and I always see that text that says "one of the largest reailers" on the east coast. So...who IS the largest retailer in the US? __________________ Inside me is a thin woman, screaming to get out. But I can usually shut the btch up with chocolate.*

June 13th, 2009, 14:36	#3
cloves Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Charlottetown, PEI	yeah i have some vacation coming up...and was wondering about walking around in an actual showroom. Preferably on the east coat. __________________ Inside me is a thin woman, screaming to get out. But I can usually shut the btch up with chocolate.*

June 13th, 2009, 15:39	#5
Karnage Trader rating Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Sauga	Evike is pretty huge __________________ http://www.torontoairsoft.com : Free shipping on Orders over $300! Sorry I can no longer keep up with PMs. Please use the contact form on the website to reach TorontoAirsoft.com staff.

June 13th, 2009, 14:33	#2
AngelusNex formerly Sepulcrum Trader rating Join Date: May 2007 Location: Kingston,ON, aka Funkasia	Not sure about in the US, but www.redwolfairsoft.com and www.wgcshop.com are the biggest I know of. I always check em out to see whats new.

June 13th, 2009, 15:00	#4
Tex Trader rating Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Abbotsford, B.C.	Hot spot airsoft in Oceanside NY has 3000 sq. Ft show room. They say that's the largest. Don't know if it is.

June 13th, 2009, 16:01	#6
L473ncy Trader rating Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: 11-30-24-1W5	Evike is huge but they'll screw you. There is a guy from the Warstore on ASC here, I'm sure he'll chime in eventually. Also I believe Airsoft Extreme is pretty big in the US but may just have stores in Western US only. I'm not 100% sure but I have heard that it is the biggest in NY or something like that, and the 3rd biggest in the US. Can anyone else corroborate that? __________________ ಠ_ಠLess QQ more Pew Pew READY TO >> RACE

June 15th, 2009, 09:47	#12
cloves Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Charlottetown, PEI	thanks for the info...yeah hopefully a warstore representative will chime in __________________ Inside me is a thin woman, screaming to get out. But I can usually shut the btch up with chocolate.*

June 15th, 2009, 10:23	#13
Scarecrow A Total Bastard Trader rating Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tottenham	In my experience with Airsoft "large" and "retailer" should not be used in the same sentence. Airsoft is growing in popularity, but it is still not large enough to support any 'super-retailer' yet. There are dedicated enterprises, some here, some in the US. The US is large enough that in some places you have brick-and-mortar operations (Airsoft Knoxville is one I have been to) but almost all of them rely in good part on an internet presence and internet sales. There also seems to be an ebb and flow to their success and failure, which is usually linked to the amount of interest that is shown in the operation by the principals involved, or, the financial state of the business. Many are hobbyists that have found a fun niche and are trying to make a business out of it (do what you know) and make it work until they get bored with it or it costs them too much personally. Some are paintball operations that have diversified. Others have businesses that work for a time and then fail because they were not financed properly. And some seem to go on forever, despite repeated bad experiences documented by customers (Evike for one). I suppose if you're around long enough and are large enough, you're bound to piss people off - but thats not necessarily a measure of success I would use. Actually, my theory is that once Airsoft reaches a certain level of acceptance, you'll see it rival paintball in the way that it is retailed and you'll see more big-box stores selling popular airsoft 'brands' that they can stock on a shelf (witness the Kracken and Bass Pro for instance, or Canadian Tire and paintball guns). The flip side of this is that some of the best retailers out there with the best prices and customer service, are not always the largest ones. When it comes to parts and specialty items, I think the smaller specialists have a leg over the big guys (guys like MadMax and Illusion for instance have YEARS of expertise in specific areas of airsoft and their customer service is based on a personal ethos, not a company policy.) __________________ LIKE us on Facebook!! Last edited by Scarecrow; June 15th, 2009 at 10:29..

June 15th, 2009, 12:15	#14
cloves Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Charlottetown, PEI	Scarecrow...cool thanks for your insight. And I gotta agree...some of the best retailers of airsoft products are right here in Canada, and they aren't the biggest by any stretch. Take airsoftparts for instance....that guy's service is stellar!! anyway..let me clarify what I meant in my original post...... From time to time, me and my partner drive to the US for a week of vacation during the summer. Since airsoft is all perfectly legal down there, I was wondering where the best actual bricks and mortar stores were in the US. Specifically on the east coast. I want to walk in and have my jaw hit the ground when i enter because of all the "stuff." I've been to a few stores in Maine, however they only carry Palco/cybergun stuff and never have any extras. I'm not really in the market for a whole new gun, (not into smuggling much anyway) but I thought if I could incorporate a stop at a quaility airsoft shop into my vacation i might be able to pick up a few mags and maybe impress my girlfriend enough to get her to give the sport a try. __________________ Inside me is a thin woman, screaming to get out. But I can usually shut the btch up with chocolate.*

June 15th, 2009, 12:41	#15
Scarecrow A Total Bastard Trader rating Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tottenham	Well, I've been to Airsoft Knoxville and they had some nice stuff, but it didn't knock me off my feet - small inventory, but a lot of specialty pistols and stuff. Lots of parts. The Warstore in NY State is probably closest to those in southern Ontario. __________________ LIKE us on Facebook!!

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