How in the world does Dale Perry DO IT!

dsoriano

dsoriano

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been pondering this question for quite some time. I've been following cues for sale on E-bay for years on a somewhat of a daily biases. Dale Perry has an average of twelve (12) cues listed daily on E-bay with an average of six (6) being sold each day. He’s been doing this for years now. So do the math! Six a day equals to 42 a week multiply 56 weeks a year and that totals to 2352 Cues in one year and he’s been at this for a few years. He’d have to make an average of 40 cue s a week, How is that possible! Now before some of you start questioning my numbers, keep in mind it’s an average and give or take a few, it’s still an insurmountable number of cues. Not to mention he’s a genius! 2300 cues at an average of $130 a piece equals to a grand total of $299,000. Wow! Go figure.

P.S. I have to add I was a little on the conservative side, keeping track of his listings it's more like an average of 7 cues a day with an average closer to $140
 
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coxcol15

coxcol15

AzB Silver Member
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i own one

i bought one of those cues on ebay about 2.5 years ago, shoots great. 12.75mm shaft 19.5oz weight. the original tip is holding up great too. ive been shooting in league 1-2 nights a week since i bought it and only have to scuff the tip every now and then, doesnt glaze much and is not mushrooming at all. holding a nickel curve very well. ill probably buy another one some day
 
brechbt

brechbt

AzB Silver Member
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dsoriano said:
I've been pondering this question for quite some time. I've been following cues for sale on E-bay for years on a somewhat of a daily biases. Dale Perry has an average of twelve (12) cues listed daily on E-bay with an average of six (6) being sold each day. He’s been doing this for years now. So do the math! Six a day equals to 42 a week multiply 56 weeks a year and that totals to 2352 Cues in one year and he’s been at this for a few years. He’d have to make an average of 40 cue s a week, How is that possible! Now before some of you start questioning my numbers, keep in mind it’s an average and give or take a few, it’s still an insurmountable number of cues. Not to mention he’s a genius! 2300 cues at an average of $130 a piece equals to a grand total of $299,000. Wow! Go figure.

P.S. I have to add I was a little on the conservative side, keeping track of his listings it's more like an average of 7 cues a day with an average closer to $140
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Well, you weren't conservative when you added an extra 4 weeks to the year, but your question is a good one nonetheless. I have two DP cues myself; they're well made and good-playing cues. I've had them for several years and the shafts have stayed straight and the construction on both has remained tight and true. I've often wondered how he can make money on these things at the prices he gets.
 
leehayes

leehayes

AzB Silver Member
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It certainly makes you wonder why anyone would pay more for a cue doesn't it?!
 
JB Cases

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
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dsoriano said:
I've been pondering this question for quite some time. I've been following cues for sale on E-bay for years on a somewhat of a daily biases. Dale Perry has an average of twelve (12) cues listed daily on E-bay with an average of six (6) being sold each day. He’s been doing this for years now. So do the math! Six a day equals to 42 a week multiply 56 weeks a year and that totals to 2352 Cues in one year and he’s been at this for a few years. He’d have to make an average of 40 cue s a week, How is that possible! Now before some of you start questioning my numbers, keep in mind it’s an average and give or take a few, it’s still an insurmountable number of cues. Not to mention he’s a genius! 2300 cues at an average of $130 a piece equals to a grand total of $299,000. Wow! Go figure.

P.S. I have to add I was a little on the conservative side, keeping track of his listings it's more like an average of 7 cues a day with an average closer to $140
Click to expand...

Figure out how long it takes to make a cue and do the math and you have your answer. I mean making cues has long been a process that is easy to set up for manufacturing.
 
B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
I wonder how he can make a living with only $300,000 in revenue. I've heard he's got one helper but I suspect it's probably more. Two people would have to work 24 hours a day to produce that many cues (remember someone has to source and select materials, finish coat, pack for shipping, keep the books, update ebay listings, etc).

Material costs, utilities (lots of electricity for those CNC machines), ebay fees and so on, takes a big chunk out of $300K real fast.
 
dsoriano

dsoriano

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ooops

Ooops! My bad.
Ok, so here is a revised calculation
7 cues a day
49 cues a week
52 weeks a year
2548 cues a year

That's a heck of alot of cues for being hand made. Well so he states
 
Chopdoc

Chopdoc

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dsoriano said:
Ooops! My bad.
Ok, so here is a revised calculation
7 cues a day
49 cues a week
52 weeks a year
2548 cues a year

That's a heck of alot of cues for being hand made.
Click to expand...

Really?

So....the other option is that they are made by robots?

Even shops that turn out many times that many cues have people standing at lathes.

Just more lathes and more people.

Ultimately all cues are "hand made".


I'm really not sure what you might suspect or imply. Really. I have seen discussions on such matters numerous times and really just don't get what people must be thinking.





.
 
dsoriano

dsoriano

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ok Im reading everyones coments and regardless of all the logistics, 2500 cues is a butt load of cues to sell in one year!
Does any other cue maker custom or production, sell that many? Just wondering
 
Chopdoc

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
bdorman said:
I wonder how he can make a living with only $300,000 in revenue. I've heard he's got one helper but I suspect it's probably more. Two people would have to work 24 hours a day to produce that many cues (remember someone has to source and select materials, finish coat, pack for shipping, keep the books, update ebay listings, etc).

Material costs, utilities (lots of electricity for those CNC machines), ebay fees and so on, takes a big chunk out of $300K real fast.
Click to expand...

Indeed. It's not a great deal of revenue. But one should conceivably be able to make a living.

But I disagree that two people would have to work 24 hours a day to maintain the output that DP has. Efficient turning and assembly processes would be needed, that's all.

JB commented that one should just consider how long it takes to make a cue. Indeed. But that might be misleading as well.

It does not take 11 years to make any cue, not even a southwest.

I recently ordered a custom from one of the legendary makers. He said it would take about six months. It certainly will not take him six months of work to build the cue. Nowhere near it.

Once a maker has their stock of wood in various stages of aging and turning, and a standard construction method, it's just about keeping the supply going on the front end of the process and the turning and assembly going on the other. It's not magic by any means nor should it be mysterious at all.



.
 
Chopdoc

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
dsoriano said:
Ok Im reading everyones coments and regardless of all the logistics, 2500 cues is a butt load of cues to sell in one year!
Does any other cue maker custom or production, sell that many? Just wondering
Click to expand...


LOL! Hell yes!

And I don't see people questioning it or making accusations about it!



.
 
Sloppy Pockets

Sloppy Pockets

AzB Silver Member
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bdorman said:
(lots of electricity for those CNC machines)
Click to expand...

Really? How much? We're talking about seven cues a day. Those four-shaft CNC machines I've seen take just minutes to cut shafts, and they have pretty tiny motors with low draw.

I have friends who turn bowls all day long on big 5HP wood lathes and sell them commercially for about $10 apiece (materials and finishing included), and they do OK. I've heard them gripe about a lot of shit, but I never heard one complain about the electric bill.

JB is right, operations like cue building are custom made for mass production. I think Dale's pretty smart to do it like he does.
 
P

putt-putt44

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Eddie Taylor and Dale,,,,,

I have a shaft that Dale crafted for ''Eddie Taylor's'' 1961 ''Rambow''....it came with the ''Rambow'' and it's just as good, if not better than the 2 original ''Rambow'' shafts,,,,

Dale puts out a great product in my opinion,,,,,

Alan,,,,,,
 
JB Cases

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
dsoriano said:
Ok Im reading everyones coments and regardless of all the logistics, 2500 cues is a butt load of cues to sell in one year!
Does any other cue maker custom or production, sell that many? Just wondering
Click to expand...

Production? I think I once saw an article where McDermott said they made 150,000 cues a year at the height of the boom in the 90s.

I live here in China and have been in a few factories and I would say that it's highly likely that more than a thousand cues a day are finished.

There is a video out there on Gina cues. Ernie has set his shop up essentially like a factory would do it with a specific machine for each task.

I can imagine that such a set up can be used to produce plenty of cues per day.
 
D

david(tx)

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Chopdoc said:
Really?

So....the other option is that they are made by robots?

Even shops that turn out many times that many cues have people standing at lathes.

Just more lathes and more people.

Ultimately all cues are "hand made".


I'm really not sure what you might suspect or imply. Really. I have seen discussions on such matters numerous times and really just don't get what people must be thinking.





.
Click to expand...



I'm really not sure what you might suspect or imply. Really. I have seen discussions on such matters numerous times and really just don't get what people must be thinking.




Doc , you don't get curiosity ? Don't think he was implying anything . My brother is a house painter/kitchen and bath remodeler /cabinet refinisher. I can remember him telling me how incredulous people would be when he gave them a bid . They had all his costs figured up for him prior to that.

All his material costs , what he should make an hour . They didn't figure his gas money , tool cost , children's dental bills etc . Some people are satisfied with a certain income , Florida is a relatively cheap state to live , unless you have a extravagant lifestyle . Dale may be satisfied clearing 90,000 a year personal income . I'd be satisfied with a third of that
 
MahnaMahna

MahnaMahna

Beefcake. BEEFCAKE!!
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So would it be safe to bet that Dale is making about $100K a year in profit after all overhead, supplies, paying employees, etc etc? Closer to $50K? I'm curious. I guess this # doesn't include health care, retirement, savings (if there are these things).
 
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