How do you guys do it?

Ok, this is directed mainly at the teenagers out there. I made a decision that i wanted the A&K M60E4, and am ready to order it. It is $318 with a sling that im also ordering, and my dad doesnt want me to have it. He says that "$300 for an airsoft gun is outrageous and a waste of money you don't have" I was a paper boy for 5 years and have over 2k in the bank. THis money isn't going towards college or anything, and i get my dads old truck when i turn 16.

I feel that if i have the money that i worked hard for, i should be allowed to spend it as i wish. I understand that parents can stop you from careless use of money, but i am a responsible teenager, not a rich kid who goes through 1 iPod per month.

So how do you guys convince your parents to let you buy airsoft guns that cost $$$? I have played for 5 years now and feel that it is time to make the leap from mpegs or lpegs into the big world.

My money my bank my debit card. No need to convince anyone

how old are you?

But yeah I mean if its your money in the bank why can't you just use it?...or do you live in on of htis shitty states were your parents have to withdraw your money till your 16

Well when I first started off, I went clandestine with the buying operation...then once I go into my teens they eased up a bit and I had better control over my finances. And once I got a job they pretty much said "whatever, it's your money".

Sit down with them and let them know the pro's of purchasing a higher end gun (ie: reliability, saves money in the long run, better efficiency, fitness because you have to lug the pig around haha).

Ask them whether it's better to buy toy guns or a few kilos of drugs every now and again.

Really now, don't say that. When i was a teen and buying paintball guns i got the same reactions from my parents. I didn't let them stop me from getting them since it was MY money but i did make them see that i was getting this stuff for something i enjoyed doing so they never tried to stop me.

Sit down with them maybe and try and talk to them about how there's worse things you could be spending your time doing or spending your money on. Point out that airsoft is an active game and you're getting exercise playing it while learning things like teamwork and responsibility which are good to have. Wouldn't play much into the whole better gun thing though since then you'd get into the whole 'what's wrong with the own you have' debate. A good way to maybe get your dad to understand better is to get him to come play with you if he doesn't or hasn't already. I have a teen friend who got his dad into playing and ended up liking it so much he went out and bought a CA SAR G3 and a A&K Mk43 for himself.

Great advice guys, i'm going to try and use it! Btw, i am 15, and my parents have to withdraw money with me....kinda sucks.

To be honest with you, I would find a better paying job in retail. Right now I would keep a setup under 400$ preferably $300. It is not like paying marching band fees, or football camps. If you get a good mil-sim group going, the advantages of leadership ops are there as well to put on your resume. Now argue that with your parents.

Guys........I am in shock. I had no idea that my parents felt this way.
So heres what happened:
Me: "I would like to talk to you about why a higher end gun would be benefical."
Mom and Dad: "Ok, tell us what you've got"
Me:- I basically list all points mentioned on here, and a few others i came up with.
M/D: "Those are all good points, you've put alot of time into this"
Me: "Yes i have, so what do you think?"
M/D: "Well, we feel that you are too old for airsoft. We thought it was a stage you were going through, and would be done with by now. it is a little rediculous to be spending money on toy guns, that you run around with in the woods playing war."
Me: "They are not 'toy guns' and it is not a stage. It is a hobby and a sport, as much as wrestling and robotics is.(i wrestle and am on the robotics team at school). If you look at the price of some of the guns, you can tell that it was targeted at an older group of the population, not just 10 year-olds."
M/D: "We will have to talk about this, and see what we think."


I just didnt realize that they believe airsoft is a game for children, dressing up in camo and running around with guns. My dad has played with me, and admitted it was fun. I also dabble in paintball, and i don't see how that is any less of a childrens game than airsoft, though they seem to think so.

What do you guys think of this development??
M/D:

Well it sounds like you did a good job of explaining yourself. Your parents are pretty cool for at least listening to that. Although that all ended when the brought up the "too old for airsoft" thing.

The guys I run with average out at about 25 years old...the oldest of them is 53.
Most have served at one time or another in military or law enforcement. Some use airsoft as a training regiment.
If you look online at any of the serious airsoft groups, 99% of them are adults.

Airsoft is an adult game...if anything.
The fact that we reenact combat is enough to turn most parents off of the hobby, which is understandable, and "kids" really shouldnt be playing.

They seem to be cool with the hobby itself, just not your participation in it.
In this situation, go ahead and compare us to paintball

Maybe show em some Scoutthedoggie videos...or pictures from some of the high-end OP's.

+1 to Durkee's post and here's what I've got to say.

You should try to empathize with them. Try too look ahead a few years and see a better thing you could have poured money into. If you still want to buy it, continue your statements.

Assure them that you know what you're doing and you've thought about this for hours, that you're sure you want to spend the money. Tell them money is money, it was made to be used. You will always be able to work more and gain an income. $300 in the "real world" is not very much anymore.

Why do they think you need to be 18 (or 16 in some cases) to buy airsoft guns if it's a game for children? 15 may be too old for the back yard, but airsoft in general can be a serious sport, in some cases much more serious than paintball.

Durkee: I know how much the age range varies in airsoft, having been to a few major ops myself. There was a man at the last op i went to who was 78 and had fought in World War Two!! My parents regard the adults who play rather strange for spending time and money on "toy guns." I tried to make the comparison between,say, airsoft and model planes or trains. Millions of adults use model planes or trains, and most of them run on the same cost line as airsoft..oh well.

Drummer: Believe me, i have looked ahead a few years, and see myself still playing. I feel that investing in a quality piece of workmanship will truly pay for itself in years to come. I start driving next year but i only have to pay for gas, as i will be driving a family vehicle. I work in the summer, and make money in fall, winter, and spring doing yardwork. It is not as if i do not have a concept of the value of money....and youre right. $300 just isn't what it used to be.

Omega: I understand where you are coming from. I even pulled out the box my L96 came in and said "look- THIS IS NOT A TOY" written in bold black letters. I get the feeling that they have seen me do backyard and semi-serious for years, and have grown used to lpegs and crosman shotguns. I believe that they are feeling a bit of a pricetag shock at the fact that i want to spend more than 100 on a gun.

How about this? The difference between back yard and mil-sim airsoft is like the difference between nerf footballs and high school football. Same game, different level, better equipment.

here's how I do it; if ya can't buy it make it.... meaning I have made a acilencer for a utgm324s a do it yourself duct tape ris fix(matte black) and painted whatever I needed for $5

It's not so easy to make an M60E4 from scratch, White Wolf...

Ok, so you're in the hole that many starting, or even seasoned players find themselves in if their finances are still controlled by their parents. What they need is a good talkin' to, but not with an attitude. With a professional attitude and enough information to make them think you know it ALL on the subject.

Undertaker wrote:

I feel that if i have the money that i worked hard for, i should be allowed to spend it as i wish. I understand that parents can stop you from careless use of money, but i am a responsible teenager, not a rich kid who goes through 1 iPod per month.

Make sure you let them know that. Make sure your parents understand the hobby of airsoft fully and don't misunderstand it as a childs game. To do tihs you gotta have all the facts, a lot of which you can learn here:
http://www.airsoftallies.com/general-airsoft-discussion-f3/portaying-the-game--long-but-please-read-t2566.htm
Alot of those points are VERY important when talking about the game (Don't use airsoft "fight", "battle", "war", etc) make sure you understand that these are NOT toys. Let your dad see how hard these replicas can really shoot and then ask if HE would want to be on the recieving end, just make sure he doesn't begin to think it's DANGEROUS. But this should show him that this ISN'T a childrens game (Although it can be with proper supervision.... shhhh) And let him know it takes a lot of responsibility to handle these higher-end AEGs.
Another good point is while most kids in America are spending hundreds upon hundreds on videogame consoles and games and hours upon hours inside playing them, you're spending YOUR money on replicas that the MILITARY and police force use for training (put that in there....THAT'LL get him) and you're out excersising when you're airsofting.

By the way your parents are reacting, it shows they will listen and understand. You're close, drive it home!!!

DrummerBoyz95 wrote:

It's not so easy to make an M60E4 from scratch, White Wolf...

he's asking though how we manage to get our stuff, I know a m60 is near impossible to make, and expensive too

Information FTW!!!!

Thanks for posting the link D-T, i had been looking for it and didnt think of lookin in the sticky's (dumb, right?).

My dad is also big on $$$ and proving that you can do it financially. I am a big number cruncher when it comes to purchases so i did what i do best. I find the best deal with the most quality, and then present it in an aesthically pleasing format (I even made a spreadsheet showing cost-benefit analysis and the projected yearly cost of buying a lowerend gun and maintaining it compared to a higherend gun.

My dad is gonna sleep on it, hopefully i will be ordering a gun sometime tomorow!! (It also helps that i have already shoveled the driveway 2x today

Nice, way to show responsibility

Haha i think that the spreadsheet reallly helped. I was prepared to make a powerpoint and project it on the wall to get my point across lol.

My mom doesn't care about my airsofting that much. Her stance on it is that as long as I don't get seriously injured and have the money, I can do it.

Lucky guy, my dad doesnt care so much as my mom. My dad thinks its great that i want to go out and play airsoft, he just doesnt like the financial aspect of good equipment. My mom is another story...........and she convinced my dad to not let me get a new gun X(

Not gonna lie, getting the money together can be pretty difficult, but it's better than sitting around playing video games, you know?

Undertaker, what's your status? You said your mom said no? Give me an update!

Status at the time: No Airsoft Guns coming in.

My dad doesnt care as long as im not borrowing his money to buy airsoft gear.
My mom feels that airsoft is a waste of time and that "i should be doing something other than running around in the woods with a toy gun playing war" Ive tied to explain to her that airsoft is not even remotely that, but she doesnt want to listen.

So i don't know, i might let it cool for a little bit before talking to her with some more info.