Calling all old fogeys - What was your paintball shop like in the early 90's

[Hp_lovecraft]

I can remember in the late 80s, army navy surplus stores were usually the best place to get gear..... and they already had great wood ball accessories (ie camo, m16 pouches, 12gauge bandoleers, etc)

There were no dedicated pro shops, though the larger non renegade fields might have stone sort of “shop” on the weekend.

One oddball back then was woolworths. The large department store. The local one actually had a large section for paintball around 88-92. They also carried military surplus firearms, and crate ammo. Woolworths... weird

some firearms would sometimes also sell paintball gear. and some sporting goods. Sometimes they only carried specific brands based on what there wholesaler had. Ie only nsg or only pmi.

one fun change was around 90? Taso open a retail shop in New Hampshire.
it was the only full time shop in the area.... and we would pack the car and drive there just to “hang out”.

It’s funny because for much of the 90s, I worked at various fields and really hated those “shop kids” yet I started out as one

[Interl0per]

Shaggy Bros. in OKC, guy ran the original Dodge City field out in the boonies on my side of the county and had printed fliers with a staple would love to find that still in a box around my place. Bought my first gun a PMI Trracer from him when he was still running it out of the back room of his house. He moved several times over the years, eventually sold to another guy who kept it running for a few years before going out of business along with all the other early 00's upstarts several years ago. Avid Extreme Sports on the south side of the metroplex closed a couple of years ago leaving no pro shops in the area, though they still run the Shaggy Bros. guy's second field up around Guthrie and one down south around OU I think.

[Nectaris]

What paintball shop? Got my first gun and paint at Hilsons Home Center, a hardware store with a single counter in the back with paintball get. Bought a Rapide Comp off them. Everything else after that was mail order.

[grendal50]

Haha, brain fart! You're right! Nick's Sport Shop on Rt. 20. I haven't been there in years and only 2 times after they moved to the new location.

[ChoSanJuan]

I wasnt all-in like I became after moving out in 1994, so the best I got was a place called The Foxhole PX in Lansing, MI. Mainly Army surplus and collectables but there was a guy there that knew a thing or two about paintball at a retail level. I bought preloaded 10rd tubes from this guy and he was always about some DJ called Razor Reyes. (Always follows up with a cross body fist pump after he said his name.) There were probably others but I was such a filthy casual back then, I never knew of any others.

[iamthelazerviking]

Technically this is 2000's, but early 2000's! In Oregon, paintballonline.com was headquartered nearby. Their shop/warehouse was so awesome. The entity still operates today, but I recall them moving elsewhere and changing the name or getting bought out.

[BLachance75]

Dicks Sporting goods in Palmer, Mass. I believe X-Fire was open in Auburn, but I didn't have access until a couple years later when I had my license. Dicks had a couple pb guns and did co2 fills. 1 case of "Big Balls" paint 2500ct. was $80 and was enough for my whole summer.

It was Nick's Sport Shop. It is still open however I don't know if they still sell paintball stuff anymore. They have a new owner now and their guns and ammo are so overpriced that I don't go in there.

I remember going in there for co2 fills and to buy paintballs. I believe that I paid $60 for a half case one year and it lasted me the summer.

[Memornix]

I have totally forgotten about the Dicks runs before a game of outlaw ball to get Co2 fills. Frequently we would get questionable fills and they would run out of Co2 before getting to all the tanks.

[grendal50]

Dicks Sporting goods in Palmer, Mass. I believe X-Fire was open in Auburn, but I didn't have access until a couple years later when I had my license. Dicks had a couple pb guns and did co2 fills. 1 case of "Big Balls" paint 2500ct. was $80 and was enough for my whole summer.

[Flounder]

A gunshop in Norwich CT had a wall of PB gear and a catalog we could order from.

[Spider!]

I bought my first stuff from the local army surplus, which had a small selection in 88.

Around 95 I had been out for a few years. I stumbled into Brad Nestle's shop off of I-10 one day. The $1400 autocockers and $1200 mags hanging on the wall made me wonder what happened? I stumbled out.

[Rusty Brass]

Lol. No. I don't remember much about the shop really. Definitely wasn't aware of a connection to that trial. Just went a-Googling, a bit of a sordid tale there.

[forumreader]

I started playing in 94 at Warpaint when their field was right outside Silverton. I didn't play anywhere else for a couple of years, and by then there wasn't anything going in Newberg that I was a aware of. I just played the regulars like Splat Action and Sarge's Hit and Run (as well as plenty of Warpaint).

I don't know if you knew Mike Oakes who was part of Thrillseekers. He ended up working for Stiffi selling barrels until they pretty much stopped making barrels. Then he ended up killing a guy and going to jail. There's a tv documentary about it! The things that come out of Gresham....

[Paintslinger16]

The other big names store I went was past Rochester I think in Holley, Aerostar East. They piggy backed off Aerostar West. But I don’t want to say it was actually A franchise of.
Anyway I had friends in the area and I roped him in to going along. Followed the directions to a small subdivision, it was just a raised ranch style house, with garage on the narrow end. We went in through the garage which was filled with shelves and product the rest of the what was probably bedrooms was also product. It really looked like it was setup just to mail order. I did buy something but I don’t remember what.

[Dave Cameron]

Mine was the back corner of a swimming pool supply store. Just a handful of guns & supplies. Very much a not-very-profitable addendum to a successful business owned by an enthusiast. Something special about those garage/back room days.