Buying Super Soakers in bulk

[Jim likes SS's]

Anybody know any sites in the UK that sell big boxes of super soakers? i need some for my scout group. thanks

-Jim

[isoaker]

Not sure about buying a lot of soakers, but if you ask local large retailers, they may be willing to sell you an entire case or pack of soakers as opposed to just the ones on their shelf for easier transport. However, if you're looking to try to get bulk prices, unless you're planning on buying a LOT (probably on the order of a few hundred to thousands), you likely won't get a bulk discount unless you manage to make a deal with a local retailer for a smaller, yet sizable quantity. Some might give you a partial discount for, say, 20 soakers at once, but that all depends on their willingness to make such deals.

[Jim likes SS's]

okay, might pop down to my local woolworths or argos (dont know if you guys have them in the US0 and ask about buying 20 or so at a time, and if any discounts are available. Anybody got any tips on buying second hand soakers?

Thanks Isoaker!

-Jim

[cobralex297]

During this time of year, Ebay is my recommendation. Individually shipping each of them may be a pain however, with the cost I mean. I don't think that individual retailers have the authority to give you a discount even if you buy bulk, I would recommend going to their suppliers if that is possible.

[isoaker]

During this time of year, Ebay is my recommendation. Individually shipping each of them may be a pain however, with the cost I mean. I don't think that individual retailers have the authority to give you a discount even if you buy bulk, I would recommend going to their suppliers if that is possible.

Cashiers cannot give discounts, but if you talk with a store's manager, it really depends on the store's policy. At worst, you'll hear a "no" for an answer, but they won't/shouldn't be angry since they would still want to make the sale and hope you'd be willing to still buy at full price even if you end up buying a little less due to cost.

[Jim likes SS's]

hmm, i wonder who supplys the shops that sell soakers in the UK? Might do some digging around. Even if i dont get a discount, buying multiple soakers at the same time would save a lot of time searching around.

-Jim

[SSCBen]

Ebay's definitely a good place to buy right now. I did a little study and it showed that water guns sold during the winter often sell for as little as half the average summer price. The only problem with buying in bulk on Ebay is the limited amount of water guns on Ebay in the winter, but I think that's offset by the low prices.

Similarly, some stores might be interested in selling their stock of water guns right now because no one's buying. That might increase your chances of getting a good deal.

[Jim likes SS's]

hmm, what do you guys think would be the best soaker to buy lots of for my scout group? theres around 26 of us, and we always have a water fight at the end of the summer term, and i need to organise it. gonna to it now to save hassle. any ideas?

thanks guys

-Jim

[SSCBen]

Given what's available in stores, I would go for the Arctic Blast from Super Soaker or the Orca or Tiger Shark from Water Warriors. All are at least decent water guns. The Orca or Tiger Shark would be more versatile in my opinion though due to the variety of nozzle sizes. Though, if you modify the Arctic Blast you could make it more versatile, but even then I don't think it's as good as the Orca.

With that being said, I've only used the Arctic Blast. What I say about the Orca and Tiger Shark come from what I've read about them.

You'll get a variety of opinions about this certainly. You might want to ask some people in your group for what they want.

[cobralex297]

If you can get Flash Floods, those seem to be the best of the easily accessible guns. The same or similar is the Arctic Blast. The performance review in the database differs for each of them, but I forget in the favor of which. They're compact, powerful, and versatile.

[isoaker]

When it comes to stock soakers, it ends up being a question of how much are you willing to spend, how much do various blasters cost, what's the average age of those who will be using the blasters, and, of course, what are locally available. You'll get loads of general recommendations, but if you can give us a little more detail about what water blasters you know you've seen, a rough idea on their local retail price, and the approximate age of the eventual user, I believe we, as a group, can offer even more insightful suggestions.

As an aside, when I've done purchasing for larger groups of people, I usually get a mix of approximately equal-power water blasters just so that not everyone is using the same thing. A little variety is also nice to have so long as users are willing to share and trade throughout the water war game.

[Jim likes SS's]

iSoaker: its scouts, so it will be 10+, up to a group of 6 of us who are 14 and 15. The average is approx. 12 or 13 yrs old. around £10 to £15 per blaster, which is $20 to $30. May be willing to spend more on the Heavy Forwards blasters (as I am using the very useful team organisation article on this website) because they will need to be bigger than the blasters for the Forwards.

cobralex297: I was thinking about Flash Floods for the heavy forwards, as they are a rip off over here. If i can get a crate from a toy store's supplier for a discount, i will give the Forwards flash floods and find something bigger for the more uncommon Heavy Forwards, maybe a Monster.

Ben: Me and a friend who is helping me organise this water fight were thinking about Artic Blasts, and my brother has decided to purchase one nearer the time. I'm wondering whether this would be a good weapon for all the forwards, maybe with some variety depending on what the scouts already have, and what they would like

Thanks for all your help guys! It's much appreciated.

-Jim

[isoaker]

Super Soaker Arctic Blasts and Flash Flood perform similarly, though I do have a slight preference for the Flash Flood if you can find those. As well, for that age range and prices, you should see if you can find the Water Warriors Orca or Tiger Shark. I do, personally, also like the lighter Super Soaker Sneak Attack, but since it's a pump-action water blaster, its performance is affected by user strength. One other blaster to keep in mind is the Water Warriors Steady Stream. While pump-based (i.e. no trigger), it has the ability to produce a solid water stream if you pump it quickly enough.

[Jim likes SS's]

I think i'll probably end up with a mixture of:

Flash Floods
Arctic Blasts :darnnopicture:

and some small sidearms : got any suggestions?

sorry about all these questions, im new to this sort of stuff

-Jim

[isoaker]

For really small side-ams, things like Super Soaker XP215s or Water Warriors Kwik Grips/Kwik Grip XLs are good. I also consider things like the Super Soaker Sneak Attack of the Water Warriors Steady Stream as side-arms, though a little larger and, consequently, a little pricier. Of course, those have better performance compared to the little blasters.

Do let us know what you end up picking up in the end. Pics of your purchase as well as any battles you end up having would be more definitely appreciated! As for asking questions, no need to apologize. That's what the online forums are for!

[Jim likes SS's]

I searched around for the XP 215s, but i can only find Xp 220s, are they any different/better/worse/less powerful? 2 for £7.50 on Amazon.co.uk. Only two available though. May see about the Sneak Attacks. It all depends on what the scouts already have. I'll get them to bring them in one week and have a count up of the different types etc.

Cheers for all this.

Jim

EDIT: Just found an aquapack on Amazon for £3.40. :O ($6 ish)