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Match Fee's


amac45

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I can't be the only one that thinks some of the match fees out there are getting way to out of hand. Call me cheap but paying $150 and up for a one day match is on the verge of rediculous. For example the recent Bug gun nationals came in at $150 and the 2014 Winter nationals is going for $175. Yes you heard me right $175 for a one day match and banquet if you can make it. No discount if you can't make the banquet. With the gov't taxing the hell out of us everyday and the price of everything going up some things need to be kept reasonable. Oh well thanks for letting me vent.

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Have you ever put on a match? Do you know what it costs? Bill Gates didn't make his Billions putting on matches and I don't think anyone one else is doing more than covering their costs. As for taxes those are a result of elections.

Edited by TerryO
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It's a National Match.. You always pay more for a National match then you do for a weekend down the road match where you can most likely get reshoots on a stage if you bitch enough. The National type matches are more glamorous with spotlighted shooters and you get to see and listen to all the higher management at a National match at the banquet..Also, you will notice all of the nice and neatly starched vests and colored shirts there, and it's always fun to see who can put the most sponsors on their shirts.. It's an experience you should try at least 1 time..

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the state and regional IDPA matches i have been to all cost between $85-$125, so an extra $50 for a national level match with the best shooters is not to expensive to me.

when you compare it to Single stack national, S&W revo nationals at $200 a pop, Bianchi cup starts at $275, Steel Challenge starts at $195 and does not include a shirt, given the big picture for all of the shooting sports national level events, IDPA seems to be in line with the rest.

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If you think it's expensive, then you should work the match. Most matches you shoot for free if you work it.

If you don't have time or energy to work the match, then you are the reason the match fees are expensive, so just enjoy it.

If you add everything up, the match fee is pretty insignificant compared to travel, hotels, ammo, time off work, guns and ammo for practice, etc....

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I'm not a cheap guy, and I help at matches when I can. I travel to matches and classes, and it is expensive. It is expensive to run a top tier match. However, in my opinion, $175 for the IDPA S&W Nationals is expensive. I've been competing at that match since their first one. $150 for a BUG Match is ridiculous. S&W is entitled to profit, but they'll see a decline in participation as they keep raising the entry fee. Despite the increased fee this year, they had no problem filling this match.

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With the gov't taxing the hell out of us everyday and the price of everything going

I like how you include this in your post, and assume cost are only going up for you and not going up for the people putting on the match.

Bravo!

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I can't be the only one that thinks some of the match fees out there are getting way to out of hand. Call me cheap but paying $150 and up for a one day match is on the verge of rediculous. For example the recent Bug gun nationals came in at $150 and the 2014 Winter nationals is going for $175. Yes you heard me right $175 for a one day match and banquet if you can make it. No discount if you can't make the banquet. With the gov't taxing the hell out of us everyday and the price of everything going up some things need to be kept reasonable. Oh well thanks for letting me vent.

You need to consider everything that goes into it... like little things such as feeding (30-50) people, pasters, targets, props and then the prize table organizing that has been going on for the past 6-8 months. It all adds up way to quick. I really don't think this is all that ridiculous considering the time it takes for the people running the match to get everything set up. Almost all the money goes into the prize table with with the remaining going to the club that put the match on. I'm sure going to the national competitions costs more because of the prize tables, the raffles are usually stacked with nicer things.

Just something to consider.

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If you think it's expensive, then you should work the match. Most matches you shoot for free if you work it.

If you don't have time or energy to work the match, then you are the reason the match fees are expensive, so just enjoy it.

If you add everything up, the match fee is pretty insignificant compared to travel, hotels, ammo, time off work, guns and ammo for practice, etc....

^this..... I worked the BUG Nationals, and the Winter Nationals....... giving up over a week+ of vacation time between the two events (not to mention the daily commute from another state), it's a massive effort to put on an event like BUG. You really should work one national or large event to see the absolutly massive amount of work that it takes. ....entry fee probably wouldn't seem so bad afterwards!

~g

Edited by safeactionjackson
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Yak, yak, yak.

I'd like to see the balance sheet for a sanctioned match and see where the money actually goes.

Back when I shot ATA Trap instead of IDPA, I was the cashier for several state championships. All funds accounted for, the club was making substantial money off of it. We plowed it back into maintenance and capital improvements.

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Yak, yak, yak.

I'd like to see the balance sheet for a sanctioned match and see where the money actually goes.

Back when I shot ATA Trap instead of IDPA, I was the cashier for several state championships. All funds accounted for, the club was making substantial money off of it. We plowed it back into maintenance and capital improvements.

You do realize that your Trap model is not making money. using the profits from a particular match to repair or upgrade a facility is the whole reason these matches exist.

If a club could not recover the wear and tare from the match and make subsequent improvements why would they hold a match.

Volunteer sport, if you don't like the match fees step up to run a sanctioned match at your club and see if you can do it $20 bucks a head.

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  • 6 months later...

If you think it's expensive, then you should work the match. Most matches you shoot for free if you work it.

If you don't have time or energy to work the match, then you are the reason the match fees are expensive, so just enjoy it.

If you add everything up, the match fee is pretty insignificant compared to travel, hotels, ammo, time off work, guns and ammo for practice, etc....

This exactly! The match fee is one of the smaller expenses in going to a big match.
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I definitely don't shoot major matches for the prize table. Knowing the overall expense of attending a major match I try to keep them local enough that I don't have to spend more than I need to.

It's definitely a great time to be had. I've only been shooting IDPA for a year but attended a tier 2 and 3 match so far. It's a great learning tool.

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I dont mind the fees. At the last few S&W indoor Natls they raffled off 20 guns, gave out bags with logo and a challange coin. Not to mention cocktail parties and an awesome dinner. These add up. In my opinion it was well worth it. Plus that match was held over 5 days so the fees to use the facility are greater.

If I do pay that much, I expect nice awards. I shot a state match in the NW the last few years and the DC plaques were nice, but all of the other awards were paper certificates. If I pay $100 and get a paper certificate that you printed at home, thats BS.. The new rule book addresses this though..

At this years CA State match our fee is $100. We are giving away 5 guns and 3 Dillons (2 650s and 1 550) that we had to pay for .. Every shooter will get a door prize (some are gifts worth sev hundred dollars), a dog tag, and the awards are really nice, so the shooter is going to recoop most of their fee.

Edited by Sac Law Man
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At this years CA State match our fee is $100. We are giving away 5 guns and 3 Dillons (2 650s and 1 550) that we had to pay for .. Every shooter will get a door prize (some are gifts worth sev hundred dollars), a dog tag, and the awards are really nice, so the shooter is going to recoop most of their fee.

Not to mention 11 (I believe) great stages and a great staff!

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