Club membership

[Anthony123]

I’m just curious.
Has there been any type of Club membership census ever taken in NZ,
And if so, has anyone done a membership forecast for the Airsoft sports in NZ?
How was membership worked out, was it per club, per town?
Are the numbers something important to the NZ Government?

I live in regional NSW and I’ve been thinking lately, if Airsoft was legalized in Australia would we have the infrastructure and interested population to support this new sport?

[Bubby]

you do realise that these questions you're asking may just be too intellectual for the like of some around here?

:P

[Anthony123]

Well I thought I’d have a go anyway, I get the impression that even if Airsoft was legalized here tomorrow, it will still be some time, perhaps months turning to a couple of years before Aussies will start seeing Airsoft games on a regular basis.

[Bubby]

You'd still have that whole... "airsoft?... it's kind of like paintball" phase to go through

[Anthony123]

Please Explain?

[Sgt Ben]

The sport of Airsoft is not known by everyday citizens.
Most people know about Paintball.

So the best way to describe Airsoft is, Its like Paintball but better.

[Anthony123]

Ho, now I understand, I do get the feeling that it won't be as straight forward as some this side of the Tasman think, our Gov will no doubt bureaucratize and licence the sport to the hilt, with all the hoops we'll be expected to jump through we be luky to get anywhere in the first few years.
There are things I’ve since found out about our efforts, and the Australian Gov, very enlightening.

Just my thoughts.

[Sprocketman]

Oh Ben how true...

"Airsoft?? Whats Airsoft?"
"Uh okay its like Paintball but we used realistic looking guns and fire solid bullets... Aka much better"

[BLACKHAWK]

Good luck getting any gun laws laxed with a labour government in power.

[Sgt Ben]

If only we had the money, We could have Airsoft TV adverts around programs like Generation Kill. People who like such programs would possibly like Airsoft.

The sport would grow nationally with each club gaining new members.

[Anthony123]

So,...does anyone know how many Airsofters there are in NZ, and how they got that number?

[BLACKHAWK]

Friends of friends of friends

[Sgt Ben]

Originally Posted by Anthony123

So,...does anyone know how many Airsofters there are in NZ, and how they got that number?

You can make flyer's and put them on notice boards at Polytechnics, Universities etc.

[Anthony123]

Originally Posted by Sgt Ben

You can make flyer's and put them on notice boards at Polytechnics, Universities etc.

Mmmmm,...that still doesn't tell me any thing?

[Kronos]

Go through the members list and look for all the people with an avatar. Generally those are the ones that play. There's a few that aren't on the forums, but thats probably made up by the ones that are still on forums but don't play anymore. It will be a rough idea for you

[ADLER]

The Soc should have a fair idea of how many people are playing via the member clubs being billed on their membership level. You would at least have numbers from my time as President. I am pretty sure this was under 500 when we came out of the closet & went legal. I would imagine it would be at least double that by now.

I know with I have found membership numbers to be vexatious, as folk are far more 'casual' about playing now than when I started out 20+ years ago. (Mind you here was no internet & computers ran of tape drives back then, hell we played Saturday as most people still went to church on Sunday). We had almost 100 members after 6 months of opperation this time last year. But still would generally only get 33% out to a game, we play every Sunday. With some days getting to 50%. Folk are more picky about weather, plus many have the kids every second weekend etc. Not many folk commit to it every Sunday rain or shine, mud or snow.

[Anthony123]

So, would you say that the sport in the early days for NZ was sporadic?

Having to develop an infrastructure where there would be a dedicated Airsoft wholesale/retail system in Australia I think won’t be easy.
Convincing retail stores to stock all things Airsoft will be a mammoth task in itself. Would K-mart and/or big W pick up the mantle or would specialist sellers like Amart All-sports sell the equipment I wonder would Airsoft just be a niece market.
I can’t see us constantly send away to the orient every time we want another bag of BBs, or that tagger upgrade?

[terence12]

you could get them straight from nz? we sell most things here now from kit to airsoft guns, bb's and parts

[ADLER]

Originally Posted by Anthony123

So, would you say that the sport in the early days for NZ was sporadic?

Having to develop an infrastructure where there would be a dedicated Airsoft wholesale/retail system in Australia I think won’t be easy.
Convincing retail stores to stock all things Airsoft will be a mammoth task in itself. Would K-mart and/or big W pick up the mantle or would specialist sellers like Amart All-sports sell the equipment I wonder would Airsoft just be a niece market.
I can’t see us constantly send away to the orient every time we want another bag of BBs, or that tagger upgrade?

Well if ASNZ had been more keen on running in the right direction instead of fighting amongst itself & arguing over $2 annual subs, we could have rolled out our own shops & systems. Now it is snail pace progress & individuals starting up buisness to fill the holes.

Most of what you would need you could do yourselves. It just needs someone with a bit of drive & a clue, plus some dosh in the bank would help. You would find many advantages to controlling what is sold & too who. Getting a great discount system for bulk purchases & contolling the price of the products. Plus being able to promote your sport with the profits of such sales, buy venues, & build the sport up in a proffessional manner.

Unfortunately for NZ, the sport was pushed underground by Govt legislation, & it attracked some fuckwits & a redneck/dont give a toss culture as a result. Cowboys with not very sporting attiudes, & self interest still is far more prevelant in most than a real desire/ability to take it the next level. Thus progress here is normally small, elongated, & bloody.

My experience of Australians through gaming clans & living there for 8 years is that they will normally fuck each other more than Kiwis, so I imagine you will follow a similar road to us.... infighting, factions, politics... whilst the sport languishes & the anti-gun lobby organise.

The sport wasn't sporadic as such in the early days from my perspective. Guns where sold through gun shops, & in Christchurch at least, Gun City supported the clubs. Because they generated revenue from them. We had club cards, with discounts on all products, & without any internet back then Gun City was the hub of airsoft here in Christchrurch. I worked there which helped, so the airsoft purchasers where pointed towards the club & both sides where happy. I had converted 1/3rd of the Gun City shop floor to airsoft before I left to travel the world. When I came back, clubs had split, pricing had got out of control, & the relationship was a shadow of what it had been.

Different cities will have different stories, & even for Christchurch it depends on the time.

Almost everything revolves around the type of people you have & the events of the time. Some folk push for things to be done, some dont give a fuck, others take advantage; we had a gun smuggling cartel that charged you phone numbers for guns & you still ran the risk of losing it all if they where seized. 2 1/2 years ago we where all fully automatic & underground, paying $1000 a gun. Now we are kosher & pay $300+ Folk back then said we couldn't get guns in & nothing would change... folk now are the same & say we wont get fully auto back & nothing will change... People are the key, & unfortunately in a sport full of alpha males, any kind of progress is normally at a rediculous personal cost & unfortunately we have lost many good people/brains & direction as a result.

If you guys over there could learn anything from our butchered ordeal, it would be bury the hatchet, & work together, the results will be better for all in the end.

[Anthony123]

But surly it wasn't like that in the early days?

For Australia getting the capitol and investing real dollars in the sport I think would be a big ask initially.

That’s why originally I wanted to try n forecast club populations for Australia, say over the first 5 year period post legalization using NZ as a model.
All the while thinking of infrastructure, Capital, what type of regulations the Gov will impose on the sport, that sort of thing.
Personally, I think it’ll be a bit trickier than some this side of the Tasman realize.
E.g., if any of you guys want to play Airsoft, you just have to wait till the next weekend.
Post legalization for us Aussies I think it’ll be a different kettle of fish, the Gov will want its cake n eat it to. It’ll want its taxes n revenues as well as imposing strict regs on us as to how n where we play ect,ect.

I know what you’re saying about the Rednecks n Fuckwits, I fear that it already’s starting to happen over here in terms of the electronic media, forums that sort of thing.