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I was planning on a vacationing in California and I was thinking to myself what do I want to see?!!! Duh, the nearest airsoft store. I decided find the closest one on where I was staying in Antioch, CA. I was lucky and found one actually in Antioch itself. I picked up a rental car and went down. The owner wasn't there so I spoke with of the guys behind the counter. As requested, no names or pics were taken of the person giving the interview. Please note, I had to transcribe the video I took so there might be some things that may not sound right but that is how the conversation went. In any case, here is what we talked about:
1. What kind of services do you offer?
We offer all services for airsoft. We sell and fix, upgrade, whatever you do with airsoft we can do that. We are the only airsoft center in this area. We are the only store in this area. As you know if you look in the phone book. The next one is a few miles away which is AEX which on the other side of town. So we are actually the only central one in this area. Again our services are it all depends on what you want to do with your gun and pretty much anything you wish legally or whatever. As long as it is legal we can do it. We are in the Bay area and only one close in the Bay area.
2. So out of all that you offer, what would you say is your specialty?
Our specialty, we don't have any specialty. We specialize in everything. Fixing, customizing, depending on your airsoft needs, we take care of it. No problem. Um...we have some weird requests sometimes. But we get it done. As long as it is legal, we'll do it. And if it makes you happy and you want to try something out, we test it out ourselves on a lot of stuff and if it works, we bring it out to the public. Uh...anything good we hear, we tell the public. Check out our website, any place you want to go, tell the public. So in regards to a specialty, we really don't have one.
3. You have been around the Airsoft community for a while, what changes have you seen?
More people. We started in the early 80's, back in, I believe in LA. We start out with guys having fun from Japan coming up from Japan. Uh...it grown to a big thing. It is like any other sport, it is just a time to come together. But again people like to act like military, police, you know. People who like to like doing those kind of stuff, playing military on the weekends. Hey have fun, shoot each other...without hurting each other. And a sport that has become so good that they have competition now between teams, that has become a sport where people can have a good time to enjoy.
4. What has changed with the AEGs, Psitols, & TAC Equipment?
So far, the only change they made is well...they have gotten better. They don't break as they use to. There are more upgrade parts then and stuff, part for it now. You can go around and buy upgrade parts unlike before. They carry more different weaponry...more styles...more equipment. Again, it is all what your mind puts your imagination to. They're still coming out with more stuff.
5. Do you guys deal mainly with Echo and....
No we deal with all of the companies. We just mainly carry what we can get. But we carry stuff that we tested ourselves so we know they work. Um...as you can see we have some no brands here, it is because some brands are not as popular as others. I cannot say the brand names because we don't want to put any of them down. But all brands are good. Um...we carry mostly Echo1, G&G...we also carry Classic Army, TM but again it depends on what we can get. We can get it if you wish. That is no problem there.
6. Any good experiences? Bad?
It is pretty cool. There is a lot of stuff out there. Uh...people have a good time. It is a good time to hang out with your buddies...to shoot the breeze with...a good time to hang out with especially since it is out doors. They have indoor fields too. We can play without getting dirty which I like the most because I don't have to clean my equipment. Bad side, I don't know. Everything has its good and bad side. You have the good players, the bad players. It is all how you look at the game. If you are there to have fun, have fun, who cares about what everybody else thinks, just have fun as long as you are not hurting anybody, your fine. So really, I never really had a bad experience. To tell you the truth, "I haven't had so far." Everything has worked out for me so I am one of the lucky ones.
7. How do you contribute to the community?
Well the store here helps out Antioch...business wise, financially. Community-wise, kids come in here. Of course you cannot be under 18 to buy anything but come in with their family, friends and learn about firearms in the way where unlike real firearms, they cannot shoot and learn. But these things are like toys but they can also learn because they have the specialties like the real ones. They work like the real ones so we actually teach them stuff. They learn tactics, they'll learn how to be safe with firearms, they learn how to shoot firearms without having to use the real thing. It is safer and cleaner.
a. I noticed you sponsor a team...
Yes, we sponsor different people. Uh...we don't really sponsor just a team. We actually take care of the teams around us, we give them a little bit of help, whatever we can do. Nothing really major but guys, actually guys who hang out with all the time so most of the teams that come here, if they like, is just to hang here. As to be like, as you can see the people here, themselves, just hanging here all day. Look there are guys from different teams. It is just a place where we want people to feel comfortable. We try to make it sure that everything that is happening it what they get. If you don't buy anything we don't care as long you ask for info, we'll help you out. If you buy from somewhere else, you bring it to us, we'll still take care of you. You know we don't do like that kind of stuff what other stores do to you, they don't take care. We don't care, we don't mind if you call us on the phone, if you find something you like on Craigslist, I don't know if you something like that in Hawaii, or if you going to buy a gun used, we don't mind if you call us ask us about the gun, we'll tell the truth about the gun. We'll look at it before you buy it. So, that is how we contribute to the community.
8. Where do you see the "sport" in 5 years? 10 years?
I don't know. This is California. Laws are passing everyday about firearms. As you know California is one of the States that they don't like firearms. So again, the sport is growing a lot. Unfortunately, so is the people who don't like guns are growing a lot because they see people buying these things that look real. So again, I don't know what is going to look like 5 years from now. Hopefully it will grow. I hope it stays around for a long time because it is fun because it good for kids, families, good for men who were in the military. Those who were in military, it is having fun again. Ah...it keeps you busy. You know...you own what you want to own but can't own the real thing but you can own the copy, which is good. 10 years from now, again, I don't know. With the grace of God, with all these laws coming out, it stays.
9. How often do you get on the field?
I go every weekend. Because I run the store in CQB City, I'm there every weekend. I play once in a while. Everyone who comes with me I play. So almost every week I'm there. No matter what I'm there. I'm here as you can see all the time...hah. Uh...I've been here but this is you first time here so I'm still here. But again, I get to the field all the time. I try to go to other fields to see how they are. Test them out. We actually have people go out as a team. Our own team...you can say our own home team are the guys who work here [are a] team, they go out and test other fields to make sure everything is okay. We sponsor most of them now. We give [out] prizes, we give...uh...incentives for people to go there. Stuff that so again...stuff like that.
10. What fields are there in Northern CA?
There is a few actually. There [are] several opening up because of summer time. We have Fair Field Area, Medesto, actually there are all over California now. It is growing so big that people are openning their own fields on farm land. You hear guys are just opening it up for the weekends, their own lands. So again, it is word of mouth, on the internet, but again mostly word of mouth now that the little fields are opening on the side. People have their own games at night, on their own farms like 5 people...again, they do it legally, hopefully. Again, I don't know. Hehehehe...people play at the parks when they are not suppose to but happens.
11. Milsim vs Speedball? What is your definition?
Well, Milsim...speedball is like paintball...is that correct?
Animaniac, "Well, Milsim depends on...it is because it is like...for Hawaii...our definition of milsim is BB limitation, objectives, you have a set amount of...of respawns. Um...usually it is by a medic or you have to head out to a location..."
Gamepod guy, "yeah...A respawn area...it is the same thing here. We do have chrono, you cannot go over 400 which is good so people don't get hurt. Uh...they do have some objectives for some game. CQB is not all day domination. They have objectives there in which you get briefed like a really military situation. Most of them do that. We have a briefing first, then the game, the game ends at a certain time or them achieve their objective. You have another briefing for the next game. So again, same as Hawaii."
Gamepod guy, "What is speedball?"
Animaniac, "Uh...you have two peoples who are facing off on a field and you guys just go at it."
Gamepod guy, "Yeah, that is domination. We call it domination...Whoever gets out 1st can respawn...or whatevers..."
Animaniac, "No...no..."
Gamepod guy, "Oh...it is when you get out, you're out..."
Animaniac, "It is like when you have a 5 man team and your go out at each other. Whoever survives...."
Gamepod guy, "Yeah, that's domination. We call it domination."
12. What's the next event/thing coming up that people should know about your shop?
We are starting to have a swap meets coming up. We also have a range built/fixing up right now. We'll have a pistol competition like IPSC stuff...like with rifles and pistols. Um...swap meets, BBQs which people can come out and hang out, that kind of deal. There's a lot of things coming out because its Summer, we are allowed to do that. People are out of work, schools out, stuff like that so we do our best to help out the people out here.
13. Is there any place people can look up what kind of events and stuff?
Yep, take a look at our website. We update the website as much as we can and we try to give people at least a month ahead of time to see about things of that nature. We also come up with special sales sometimes in our shop. Surprise sale one day. Even I don't know when it comes on. He just tells us this week, "we are going to do this...", for people who need it and stuff like. Like this week, we have RAZZ and DAZZ for graduate people and for people's Father's Day specials so all week is 10% off. Of course we have the July 10th Tent Sale coming up...I don't know. Surprise me, that is how is it for me.
13. Services: What type offer?
a. Tech work - what kind of servicing repairs or customization do you offer?
We do all that stuff here.
b. Is there a price list for those services?
Unlike other shops that charges by the hour, we charge a $35 fee for labor, depending on what it is, of course. Mostly, if we have to open the gear box, do major work, is $35 flat fee and plus parts, of course. We don't charge by the hour, $35 flat fee is something, however, if it is something small, we don't charge. If it is something we can do on the spot, uh...on the spot things, we don't charge for. Look at your gun, we don't charge for. And again, it depends what we have to charge for or charge for that day.
c. How long have you been servicing/customizing guns?
The store has been around here for 10 years. We've always had someone on duty to tech, something like that to take care of the business...so again, we've been doing it for over 10 years. The guys who've been playing since the 80's have been teching themselves. Before that, the owner himself...he's real old...he has been playing since the 80's since it came out so. Now for the older guys, who are not here as much anymore, the old school guys, they still hang out here once in awhile, but they are not as agile as they were back in the 80's, you know. The Van-Halen type deal...the long hair. You can see them, you start laughing because they had the long hair and tight, tight pants playing airsoft. But they got old so new generation is coming up with new tactics, new stuff. So everything is working out, it is computerize. We have blow backs that shoot like the real deal, look a likes. We have video gear, cars with cameras. Like the real deal, again, we have other things like computer stuff that can go on. It is ridiculous on how this place is go to. It is outrageous on what is going out there now.
d. Best and worst stories?
I don't really have any worst stories. Best stories, I have the time to spend with my family. My boys like the game because we spend the weekends with them. I'm retired so I spend all my time with my kids. But it gives us something that we all love to do. My son is a paintball pro so he plays on a paintball team professionally. He loves airsoft to relax. Cus, airsoft is not competitive because we don't play competitive. We're out there to have a good time so to him, it is relaxing. To go shoot out, to have fun shooting with friends. For competition wise because of friendly fire so he likes it a lot. If it makes him relax then to me, being ex-military, I don't play as much so being old but I like playing as much because I can fun at it. So it is pretty cool.
e. How long does it normally take to service/customize a gun?
Well right now, since we are the only one in the area, we have about a week or 2 for now but now it is less because the big games are coming. Like for Fort [Ort's - ?] is a big one. It is the biggest one like one in Modesto. We use to have a 2 weeks waiting but now is it is less than a week. Depending on what has to be done. Because, unfortunately, some of the parts that breaks, we don't have them in stock so we have to wait until they're in stock. But uh...if we can get it done in a week, we try to do the best we can, with what we can do while we're here. But again a week or two wait depending on what the gun is and how much we are backed up depending on the games that are coming up. You know people are always coming back to upgrade their stuff or something broke. And again we are at the mercy of our distributors so sometimes we tell the customers, "Buy the part and we'll put it in for you." Because sometimes we cannot get the part from the distributors but they can get it from somewhere else. But because we cannot go out of our distributors because they might get mad. Business is business so we cannot do that. Uh...but again 1-2 weeks at the most.
13. Any words to the readers?
Come by Gamepod, if you are in Antioch. We take phone order. Look at the website at Gamepod.com. Our number is 925-755-GAME. So come by, look at our website. We have updates on everything we have. We do have mail order everything. We can order anything or if you have any questions about anything, no matter where you are at. If you just need some advice, feel free to help you so give us a call 925-755-GAME. Thank you very much.
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