fjk said:

How close are the points?

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Really as perfect as I’ve seen.
What’s your cell or email? I’ll video it for you.
Mine is Dave 828-962-4545

hang-the-9 said:

The cues people aspire to own now are Predator and Cuetec. Those are by far the most common cues and shafts I see people use, and there is really not much research past those two done for what else is out there. Probably due to how easy it is to do web searches and see ads online now. Years ago, you went by word of mouth, friends, TV or AccuStats videos, so you ended up hearing of many more makers. Custom cue makers don't have ads on YouTube or TikTok.

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Brand recognition and how they are advertised to has change dramatically.

Tarheel said:

A quality custom cue by a top tier builder will never lose value. One just needs to have the discretionary income to afford it. I certainly didn’t have that ability in my teens, 20’s and 30’s. Which is where most of the production market resides. The good stuff is still in demand.

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Do you have evidence of people under 30 wanting and waiting for an opportunity to scoop up even a 3-5k cue?

MitchAlsup said:

Most young adults do not have the kind of income (or wealth) that would allow them to buy a high end cue.

And you don't fix that problem by making high end cues lower priced--
You fix the problem by making low end jobs pay more--
{{OR make lesser gamblers win big more often}}

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Don’t discount brand recognition. There are plenty of kids on the internet paying or claiming to pay thousands for Jordan’s that were released 25-30 years ago, but have been re-released in new colorways or in limited quantities/special materials. Why would they throw cash at a cue maker who might be in the hall of fame, but that they have never heard of. Even if many were to see names of famous cue makers, they would still likely opt for the most bang for the buck per the collective voice of people on their preferred social media sites.

I've always wanted to open my own place, but I do understand the risk. My plan is to first start a mobile repair business for tips, ferrules, bumpers on house cues and at tournaments. The idea here is also to get the lay of the land in my area to see where the hot and cold spots are geographically. There are plenty of bars and a number of good pool halls where I live, I can see it working out if there is a "live above" situation with an apartment attached. Then I'm not paying mortgage on my home and for a separate business.

I've thought of the self serve model based on membership. Byob, key card access, no food, no alcohol, just essentially a storage warehouse and members, but that's slim margins, and no real growth of the game. It's a tough road for sure. OP needs to wake up and see the reality of how hard it is to run a pool room.

Kindling, this cue was made to keep you warm...

skip100 said:

None of the euros would have failed to get out from that position.

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How about any 600 or above Fargo? I haven't shot any pool in a year and I would empty my pockets betting I can get out from there, with a house cue! And so would most of the guys/gals posting on here.

I want to say one more thing about that shot. The nine is in such an ideal position (very makeable) that he could have let out his stroke and played position above the side pocket. Still leaving him an easy shot on the nine, with no danger of scratching in the side. What we saw was a case of a pool player's mind going blank. He froze under pressure. That's a mental problem, not a physical one.

FeelDaShot said:

I saw a Facebook post today from Oscar mentioning how deflection is exaggerated at the Mosconi Cup due to the new slick cloth. I've never heard of this before. Can anyone explain what's going on here? I guess I don't understand how cloth can affect the amount of deflection.View attachment 867153
View attachment 867154

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Long answer: See the 6:55 point in this video:

Short answer:

HawaiianEye said:

If you don't play intentional fouls at some point, you aren't very wise.

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Agreed, and we’ll stated.

lfigueroa said:

Yes, but that case is something else!

Lou Figueroa

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Looks like a Fellini.

Johnson said:

Empire Falls is top notch even for HBO, I randomly found it 2 years ago when I last had HBO. Great all around cast too.

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Absolutely. The cast is great, Ed Harris, Dennis Farina, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt (she is fantastic in it, especially if you've read the book). Also it marks Newman's and Joanne Woodward's final screen appearances.

If you don't play intentional fouls at some point, you aren't very wise.

I just listened to the Billy Incardona interview on Legends of the Cue.

If you like pool and would like to hear what pool stories from the 1960s to the late 1990s it will be well worth your time.

This is the link to Part 1.

People have been saying this for years. All I can say is that plenty of people still seem to be buying a lot of high end custom cues, and that those markets were always small but strong. I like very high quality and often high dollar cues, and personally speaking I pretty rarely have any trouble selling them. I often even make a buck or two on them. I do think that the super cheap cues and the higher end stuff both have more robust markets than mid-range cues at the moment. The super high end stuff will always have rich buyers, and the low end stuff will always have league players. The mid-range customs are probably who's suffering right now.

And in case it wasn't obvious, I know custom cues won't make me play better. I just love the artistry of them, I love how they look and feel, and I love having a build come together - especially when I sourced the wood and other materials myself.

overlord said:

I think the aftermarket shafts chiseled away at the mythology of the custom cue hit.

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I don’t think there’s anything mythological about a custom cues hit. I’ve played dozens of aftermarket shafts. They all played really good, but hit like crap.

I think a lot of players care more about ld performance.