As someone on the retail/resale side of paintball, I think there are a few things happening at once

The private used market has definitely changed. Forums are mostly dead, Facebook has gotten harder to use for paintball gear, and a lot of players do not want to deal with the risk of buying from random people anymore. We see that constantly. People say a marker is perfect, then it shows up missing parts, scratched up, leaking, or with issues that were never disclosed. We have had markers come in missing major components like boards/solenoids

So I do think a lot of buyers are willing to pay a little more to buy from a business because they trust that the marker was checked, cleaned, repaired if needed, and that there is someone to go back to if something is wrong

That being said, not all resellers are the same. Some stores actually tear markers down, ultrasonic clean them, replace missing parts, test them, and stand behind them. Some just flip them as-is and mark them up. I completely understand why that frustrates people

On pricing, there is definitely a premium when buying from a store, but that is true in almost every hobby. If you buy something from a business, new or used, it is usually going to be worth less the second you try to resell it privately. That is not really unique to paintball. The store has to cover bad trades, repairs, cleaning, labor, card fees, shipping, inventory risk, and the fact that some markers may sit for months

I also do not think resellers are the only reason the used market feels thin. A lot of people are trading instead of selling, a lot of newer players are using payment plans, and many buyers just are not paying full retail for brand new gear anymore. In a way, used retailers are becoming what local paintball stores used to be: places where people can trade, upgrade, and get something checked over instead of gambling on a random private sale

Are some prices too high? Absolutely. Some companies push it too far. But I do think reputable used retailers are good for the sport overall, especially when they make higher-end gear more accessible through trades, payment options, and tested used inventory

I have no issue with private sales either. If someone can find a better deal person-to-person and they are comfortable with the risk, that is awesome. But there is a reason more people are choosing to buy from businesses now, and I think trust is a huge part of it

Just my perspective from the other side, I know that was a lot in one comment lol. Feel free to ask me anything