Daniel Bacci
Daniel Bacci (also known as Dan Bacci) is an American paintball historian, collector and researcher based in California. He is the founder of Bacci Paintball, a business specialising in vintage paintball equipment and memorabilia, and PaintballHistory.com, an online archive documenting the history of the sport.[1][2]
Bacci's research focuses particularly on paintball equipment, manufacturers, players and organisations from the 1980s and 1990s. His work includes historical interviews, digitisation of original publications and video recordings, and documentation of discontinued paintball markers.[3]
Paintball history and collecting
[edit]Bacci began collecting historical paintball equipment and memorabilia before establishing BacciPaintball.com in 2012. According to his own account, he developed the website to make parts for older paintball markers available while preserving information about the equipment and its manufacturers.[2][4]
The website initially combined equipment sales with historical articles published through a blog called OldNews. Bacci subsequently expanded his research into photographs, advertisements, instruction manuals, magazine scans and interviews with individuals involved in the sport's development.[4]
In 2014, he began expanding his video documentation through the Bacci Paintball YouTube channel.[2]
Bacci is recognised by the General Paintball Museum as a paintball historian and collector specialising in the period from the 1980s to approximately 2000.[1]
Historical research
[edit]Interviews and archival preservation
[edit]Bacci has conducted interviews and corresponded with individuals involved in the early development of paintball.
During 2014 and 2015, he communicated with Bob Gurnsey, a founding figure of organised paintball and the National Survival Game. Bacci documented Gurnsey's recollections and assisted with questions concerning the historical significance and value of surviving National Survival Game memorabilia.[5]
In February 2015, Bacci published an article examining Gurnsey's collection and reproduced scans from a September 1992 Action Pursuit Games interview conducted by Randy Kamiya.[5]
Bacci also preserved historical video recordings. In January 2013, he published a digitised National Survival Game promotional recording for the SplatMaster, originally produced around 1989, with Gurnsey's permission.[6]
Pursuit Marketing Inc.
[edit]During the second half of 2022, Bacci interviewed Jeffrey Perlmutter, co-founder of Pursuit Marketing Inc. (PMI), while assisting with the sale of Perlmutter's historical paintball equipment collection.
The interviews formed the basis of an extensive article published on 31 January 2023, documenting PMI's development from its origins in 1982 through its subsequent involvement in paintball equipment manufacturing and distribution.[7]
The research incorporated historical photographs, advertisements, surviving equipment and information supplied by Perlmutter.
Paintball History
[edit]In 2017, Bacci established PaintballHistory.com as a dedicated historical research and archive project, incorporating material from his earlier publishing activities.[3]
The website documents paintball's development from 1981 onwards, covering equipment, manufacturers, teams, fields, events and notable individuals.
According to Bacci's published project description, the archive contains more than 2,000 articles and incorporates photographs, video recordings, historical documents and a chronological timeline.[3]
The project is supported partly through community contributions and Patreon crowdfunding.
Video and broadcasting
[edit]Bacci produces videos documenting vintage paintball equipment, including marker demonstrations, technical examinations and interviews. These are published through the Bacci Paintball YouTube channels.[4]
From 2017 to 2019, he also operated PBDNA, a paintball livestreaming project featuring broadcasts from studio and field locations.
For the project, Bacci developed a mobile broadcasting system using video encoders, Raspberry Pi computers and cellular internet connections. According to his project records, PBDNA broadcast weekly programmes and special events across YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.[8]
Bacci has also appeared in historical paintball media produced by other publishers. Paintball Media features an interview in which he discusses the AGA rifle and the origins of the Autococker.[9]
Community involvement
[edit]Bacci has participated in the Southern California stock-class paintball community, including assisting Sonny Phommarine with video production and promotional activities for the So Cal Stock group.[4]
His research and collecting activities are associated with online communities and historical resources including M.CarterBrown and VintageRex.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Paintball Historians and Collectors. General Paintball Museum. Profile identifying Daniel Bacci and his research specialisation.
- Bacci Paintball Project. DanBacci.com. Personal project history documenting the 2012 launch and subsequent development.
- Paintball History Project. DanBacci.com. Project description, archive scope and establishment in 2017.
- About Bacci Paintball. Bacci Paintball. Official account of the business, research and community involvement.
- Bob Gurnsey and Paintball Creator's Memorabilia. Paintball History, Daniel Bacci, 13 February 2015.
- SplatMaster Pistols Promo Tape (c. 1989) by NSG with added credits. Paintball History, Daniel Bacci, 11 January 2013.
- Pioneering the Sport of Paintball: The History of PMI. Paintball History, Daniel Bacci, 31 January 2023.
- PBDNA Live Streaming Project. DanBacci.com. Project documentation, 2017–2019.
- Paintball Films. Paintball Media. Includes an interview with Dan Bacci concerning the AGA rifle and Autococker development.