Why the hate for the price of some tips?

Actually it's a bargain, I can remember paying $50 for original Moori's back in the 90's. You are correct, it's a small price to pay.

If you're on a tight budget, I can see that $25 for a piece og leather seems high.
But when you're playing with a $3000 cue, 25 bucs for a tip is a drop in the ocean!

It would be different if there was a tip on the market that is priced at 25-30 bucks and worth it. It just doesnt happen for me. I am playing with a 3 dollar tip that should be priced higher and would gladly pay 25 bucks for it.

$3...........wow

New2Cue said:

It seems that many posters refuse to try a tip because its "overpriced". $20 or $25 for a tip just doesn't seem like a big deal to me even if I had to replace the tip twice a year. So much money is spent on a cue but without a great tip it's worthless. What's $50 a year when you love the game so much???

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Totally agree. If it plays wells and can be afforded ....get it. Money well spent. The shooter gets something for their money to use for a while. If a .50 tip works for the shooter that's ok also. I have been using Predator tips lately.

I think laminated tips in general are overpriced.


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This has very little to do with cue tips specifically, for me. I don't like someone pissing in my hand and telling me its raining.

Its a piece of leather the size of my pinky nail. It ain't worth 20 bucks and I have no intention of giving handouts to crooks, be it for cue tips, cue chalk, cue sticks, toothpaste,scotch tape, toilet paper or anything else that is obviously over priced.

Now if you enjoy paying 25 bucks for something that's only worth 5 bucks because you enjoy telling people what kind of tip you use, then thats different. At least there's a logical reason for spending the money. That's how I see it.

3andstop said:

This has very little to do with cue tips specifically, for me. I don't like someone pissing in my hand and telling me its raining.

Its a piece of leather the size of my pinky nail. It ain't worth 20 bucks and I have no intention of giving handouts to crooks, be it for cue tips, cue chalk, cue sticks, toothpaste,scotch tape, toilet paper or anything else that is obviously over priced.

Now if you enjoy paying 25 bucks for something that's only worth 5 bucks because you enjoy telling people what kind of tip you use, then thats different. At least there's a logical reason for spending the money. That's how I see it.

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You are not paying for just the leather sir. In order for a company to turn a profit they have to pay for employees and the initial research needed to make the tip. Then they have all of the other bills a company accrues. A product needs to cover all these expenses and still leave room for some profit. The profit margin is different for each company but there is no way for us the consumers to know whether a tip is actually overpriced or is priced correctly to keep the company afloat.

Because of that you have no idea if 'someone is peeing in your hand.'

zpele said:

You are not paying for just the leather sir. In order for a company to turn a profit they have to pay for employees and the initial research needed to make the tip. Then they have all of the other bills a company accrues. A product needs to cover all these expenses and still leave room for some profit. The profit margin is different for each company but there is no way for us the consumers to know whether a tip is actually overpriced or is priced correctly to keep the company afloat.

Because of that you have no idea if 'someone is peeing in your hand.'

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Ya, ya. The fact that there plenty of fine tips available for less than 5 bucks apiece is enough info for me, and... the fact that there is a sucker born every 5 minutes is enough info for these tip manufacturers that charge 20 or 30 bucks a tip.

rtbbf said:

$3...........wow

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Yup... same here. I have a self-installed $3 milk dud on my Schon, which has proven itself to be my primary player cue.

I have a dozen cues that I rotate with in my home room. Some have tips on them which I have no idea what brand they are, but I also have some where I know the tip is a Tiger Everest, an older 90's era Moori, old 80's era Le Pro. and a couple with cheap $2 layered tips I got from flea market seller and installed myself.

No joke, the milk dud has set itself apart as my overall favorite since I started really paying attention... It holds chalk long, doesn't mushroom or flatten out (even though I break with the Schon, too) and it imparts consistentl cue ball spin. You really can't ask for more than that from a cue tip.

Oh, and the $2 layered tips I bought at the flea market are actually pretty damn good, too... I installed one on a good friend's cue as a favor and he is exceptionally happy with it.

I started playing in an age and place where you had to do that kind of maintenance yourself... So, with all of that said, I don't see the need to ever spend $25 on just acquiring the tip. Now, if that were an installed price, or if I didn't have the ability/resources to change a tip on my own then I'd probably take a different stance.

How do you go through two tips in a year?

I average about 2.5 hours playing time per day and my tip is well into its second year with almost no sign of wear. In that time I've shaped it twice, although not a real aggressive shaping.

I suspect that chalking has a major effect on tip life since the chalk granules are abrasive. If you chalk like a nervous chipmunk I guess you could wear a tip down pretty fast.

Price is meaningless: if you like it and can afford it, buy it. If you can't afford it, find something you can afford. Bi#ching about price is a waste of time. (...although it is pretty entertaining to hear a guy who spends $2,000 on a stick of wood, complain about the price of a tip )

zpele said:

You are not paying for just the leather sir. In order for a company to turn a profit they have to pay for employees and the initial research needed to make the tip. Then they have all of the other bills a company accrues. A product needs to cover all these expenses and still leave room for some profit. The profit margin is different for each company but there is no way for us the consumers to know whether a tip is actually overpriced or is priced correctly to keep the company afloat.

Because of that you have no idea if 'someone is peeing in your hand.'

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Not to mention the big companies are using part of the money for future research costs to use on other projects and make their equipment better. I play with a Kumui and love it. I still can't justify spending the 25 dollars on a piece of chalk though. So to each their own.

New2Cue said:

It seems that many posters refuse to try a tip because its "overpriced". $20 or $25 for a tip just doesn't seem like a big deal to me even if I had to replace the tip twice a year. So much money is spent on a cue but without a great tip it's worthless. What's $50 a year when you love the game so much???

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I can get an Elkmaster for less than fifty cents. A Kamui Clear Black costs >$20.
I don't play with Kamui Clear Black tips, so I don't complain about the price.

I do, however, think that >$20 for a gimmick tip is just that... a gimmick. If the price were any lower, people would question the quality.

because a triangle tip works great, I can do anything i want to do with that tip, so no need to spend $25. $10 installed.

Dont ask about the price of chalk!

One thing I think is interesting in comparison is the cost of golf balls. Golf balls, at least for me a luck to last a hole or two before the head for the woods, bounce off the cart path, etc. I did a quick check online and a big name ball (Pro V1) is $50 a dozen. I could go through $20 of those in a single afternoon!

The only problem I have ever had with the price of tips is that I have felt at times like they took my $50 for tip and install, and I might have asked for a Kamui or a G2 or a Moori or some kind of premium tip and I have the distinct feeling that the installer gave me a rotten $3 ebay special or something like that. So I bought a lathe and found direct access to some of the tip companies and I taught myself to do my own installs. I buy directly from the companies and I no longer have a problem with the price of tips. I know exactly what I'm getting and from who. I always carry a spare tip with me in case I have to have someone do the install on the fly, if I'm out of town at a tournament (or something like that). If you're not careful you may run into an unscrupulous installer and end up not getting what you pay for.

Celophanewrap said:

The only problem I have ever had with the price of tips is that I have felt at times like they took my $50 for tip and install, and I might have asked for a Kamui or a G2 or a Moori or some kind of premium tip and I have the distinct feeling that the installer gave me a rotten $3 ebay special or something like that. So I bought a lathe and found direct access to some of the tip companies and I taught myself to do my own installs. I buy directly from the companies and I no longer have a problem with the price of tips. I know exactly what I'm getting and from who. I always carry a spare tip with me in case I have to have someone do the install on the fly, if I'm out of town at a tournament (or something like that). If you're not careful you may run into an unscrupulous installer and end up not getting what you pay for.

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I was the same way and ran into the same thing then I found someone that would do my cue with the tips I bring him, so I buy my own tips and he installs. I really need to learn to do my own though. I would love to try new stuff on some storage cues.

New2Cue said:

It seems that many posters refuse to try a tip because its "overpriced". $20 or $25 for a tip just doesn't seem like a big deal to me even if I had to replace the tip twice a year. So much money is spent on a cue but without a great tip it's worthless. What's $50 a year when you love the game so much???

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Price does not mean quality!!

New2Cue said:

It seems that many posters refuse to try a tip because its "overpriced". $20 or $25 for a tip just doesn't seem like a big deal to me even if I had to replace the tip twice a year. So much money is spent on a cue but without a great tip it's worthless. What's $50 a year when you love the game so much???

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f a $20 tip does not make the player play any better or feel any better than a $5 tips, then the tip is overpriced. I don't think that many people complain about tip prices much though, most have tried the premium tips and some just don't like them or not enough to switch.

Now chalk is a different matter