Why not to buy from "Generic" retailers

[Ogre]

I am typing this for the good of Airsofters and noobs everywhere.

Well first let me let me explain what a "Generic Retailer" is. Generic Retailers (or what i consider them) are stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, Gander Mountain, Dicks, Dunhams and a few others. Guns from these stores may seem like a good buy, they may seem cheep but in reality they are usually overpriced and unrealizable. Walmart, Target and Kmart, along with some Dicks are most likely to carry Crossman brand guns. While not all Crossman guns suck (Walmart used to carry a good spring Famas) good ones are far and few in between. I wouldn't carry one to a Backyard war.

If you are getting into Airsoft and want a good starting springer, check on Evike or Airsplat. Evike I know carries a good Famas while more expensive than the Walmart Famas it is more durable, reliable and makes a good DMR. If you just want a side Arm to supplement your AEG and equipment you already have, or just need an extra mag for your USP 45 then buying from Walmart would be expectable.

Now to the higher end stores Dicks, Gander Mountain and Dunhamns. Dicks is somewhat in between Walmart and Dunham’s on quality. They will have Crossman... A lot of them actually but you will find the occasional low end AEG. Again any good guns you'll find here you can usually find cheaper or better versions on Evike or Airsplat.

Gander Mountain, they actually carry some pretty good AEGs.
I bought my CYMA AK-47 Kalish 60th Anniversary Edition and i swear by it. Metal Version 3 gearbox, everything on the gun is metal except the rails and the pistol grip, and the plastic parts are high quality so those aren’t gonna go any time soon, but again the gun is over priced. You can find the same gun on Evike, AirsoftGI, Airsoft Hero and many other websites. Why shell out $200 on a $169 gun? The economy is tough and every penny counts nowadays? Right?

Dunhams? Same deal as Gander Mountain overpriced but some AMAZING starter guns. You can't go wrong buying from either of the two, but I would only suggest it if your game is a week away and you don't want to order a gun and risk it not showing up in time for the game and being stuck with that hopper fed 200fps AEG that your grandpa bought you for Easter.

The point is noobs, before you just impulse buy, if you got the time shop around. It will save you money in the long run or get you a better gun. That Walmart g36c your thinking about picking up for $100 that’s gonna break on you in a week, JG sells one on Airsplat for $30 more that is twice as good as the Walmart one. Airsoft is an expensive sport but it doesn't have to be the pain on your wallet if you know where to look. I wish i could have learned this before i bought my AK. Don't make the same mistakes i did, shop smart.

[Mles]

First off,

Use paragraphs. I am going to be honest, I didn't read what everything you posted because it looks like one enormous block of text.

Second,

It is pretty common knowledge to not buy airsoft replicas from what you call "generic" retailers. But, if you try to make this a little more accessible, I'm sure some noobs will benefit. Good start, but you're going to need to put in a little more effort.

[Ogre]

Done, I thought i had used paragraphs when i typed this up in word, but aparently it didn't when i posted it up on here. I know this is pretty common knowledge, but i did figure it might help a noob or two if they managed to stumble apon this thread.

[Knief]

Marksmen,

Look, I know this was an honest effort on your part, but there is a lot wrong with this guide. Between the misinformation ("You can't go wrong buying from either [Dunham's or Gander Mountain]"), the unsupported and unfounded claims ("Now to the higher end stores Dicks, Gander Mountain and Dunhamns. Dicks is somewhat in between Walmart and Dunham’s on quality"), the newb sensationalism (holy smokes guys, a gun with a metal gearbox!), and the overall vagueness ("While not all Crossman guns suck (Walmart used to carry a good spring Famas) good ones are far and few in between"), you're not really contributing anything worthwhile. The whole post is underscored by the apparent and obvious fact that you have just enough experience in the game to think that you know more than you actually do.

I'm not telling you this to be hurtful, because I really do appreciate the effort you went through to try to contribute to the community. That's commendable. But the execution just isn't here. Spend a little more time reading these boards. Check out the different guides and FAQs we have posted around to get a feel for what it takes to write a good one. Then gather some more information on your subject (Do all Dunham's/Dicks/Walmarts/etc. carry the same guns? What specific models do theses places carry that are skirmishable (as a corollary, how are you qualified to determine what is and isn't a skirmishable gun?) What about smaller purchases like bbs? What's the average mark up over the major US airsoft-specific retailers? The list goes on). Then write yourself an outline to get your thoughts organized and start piecing it together. Do some fact checking to make sure you're on the right track. Tone down the excitement over common knowledge and widely accepted standards (again, the metal gearbox thing). Try to reserve judgement on subjects about which you're not qualified to be judging.

For now, I'm going to lock this because it does more to hurt than to help. If you decide to do a re-write or work on another guide, just start a new thread for it.