Whether getting into paintball for the first season, or continuing your veteran career... Knowing what to look for and when to buy it can save you a lot of money and a lot of time. You should alwayse shop in the off season for the best deals. Items arent in high demand at this time and arent needed "right away", so sellers cant get outrageous prices... Also, do some of your own research. Learn what kind of marker is right for the type of paintball you play. If you play woodsball, dont buy a speedball gun. Vice versa, you dont want some big scenario gun for speedball... For speedball, the best all around guns are Autocockers, Intimidators, Angels, DM4, DM5, DM6, etc. Anything that can put your paint on target, quick and repeatedly. It also helps being able to put a lot of paint down field without chopping paint for those times when you just need to put heads down... For woodsball, Tippman makes some of the best markers out there. But heres a catch... Smart parts has a marker called the "ION". this is one of the most woodsball customizeable guns on the market and they arent that expensive for how good a gun they are. They will keep up with whatever your going against, right out of the box. But another well known killer is the Tippman A-5. This gun with some personal mods will anhialate ont he woods fields. This gun is so versatile and dependable. But as I stated earlier, wait until late Fall up until latye winter to buy. You will save yourself a lot of grief. Also, used doesnt alwayse mean, abused or crap. You can find a lot of things used for cheap and pay a very small amount to get them rebuilt or back into "ship shape" condition and still spend less than buying brand new. Thats all I have for now, I hope this helps those of you in the market for paintball gear. And remember, when your out there palying against newbies, treat them with courtesy and respect, they will have more fun and be more willing to return. Just as you would...