buying blanks

cueman said:
Are you in business for your self?
If so, will you tell your customers your wholesale sources?
Since you seem to be educated in blanks already, your can probably look at any of those above and tell the other five did not make them. Each have their own design techniques, and they look different. So if the cuemaker says he did not make it, then you should be able to make a good guess where it came from by how it is built. And if you do not know enough about the various blank makers construction techniques to judge whether it is their blank or not then it should not matter.
Giving your wholesale sources away is a good way to create a competitor and hurt your business. But to ask a business owner or manufacturer to reveal his wholesale sources is bordering on rude. And I also mean that respectfully.
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I guess if you're really concerned that your potential cue buyers are going to compete against you in your cuemaking business, then you make a very good point. Sorry I missed this. Otherwise, I'm not real sure why you would object to discussing the differences, as you pointed out, in blankmakers with your customers. I'm not a cuemaker, but I do buy custom cues and if something matters to me I would prefer to not be guessing about it, and prefer to be able to have an open and honest conversation with the expert cuemaker that I may, or may not, hire to build my cue.
:p
 
cueman said:
I know my following comments might not be very well received but here goes anyway: :)
I really feel some on here are trying to hold cuemakers to a standard that no other field I know of is held to.
Full Disclosure????
I have read that the customer expects to be told where the guy bought his blank. I can understand if the customer wants to know if he made it himself or if he had someone else do some of the work. But a simple "yes or no" answer is all that is owed. How can it be someone's business who the cuemakers gets any of his parts from?????? That is like asking for the cuemakers wholesale parts sources.
Now it might be to the cuemakers advantage to tell the customer if he has a blank from a famous maker or if it was from a Titlist. But to think the cuemaker must disclose his sources is unreasonable.
Did he do it all himself or did he have help? That is about all the information I can see he owes anyone. Once that fact is established the product speaks for itself.
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Your pretty much right on spot as usual Chris, If some ask the question of Did you build this or was the blank supplied, the only other question that would make sence would be, WHY, and not who.
 
So most sneeky petes made from house cues like Duffrin and valley. We should disclose that it was a house cue before conversion was done. Didnt richard black buy most of his fore arms from adams, wic, national, prather and several other cue makers. So a prather cue should state which employe used who's blank from Prather they used since they grab parts out of bins in the back .

I would someone else's blank if the construction, colors and wild grain was right for what i was looking for some woods are hard to find in great grain patterns, density or maybe inlayed pattern.

Knock offs of famous cue makers I think would be more of an argueement for who or why they did it and not disclosed it.


Craig
 
cueman said:
rayjay said:
Are you in business for your self?
If so, will you tell your customers your wholesale sources?
Since you seem to be educated in blanks already, your can probably look at any of those above and tell the other five did not make them. Each have their own design techniques, and they look different. So if the cuemaker says he did not make it, then you should be able to make a good guess where it came from by how it is built. And if you do not know enough about the various blank makers construction techniques to judge whether it is their blank or not then it should not matter.
Giving your wholesale sources away is a good way to create a competitor and hurt your business. But to ask a business owner or manufacturer to reveal his wholesale sources is bordering on rude. And I also mean that respectfully.
Click to expand...

The customer needs to know something. Since you are in the business you will know the cues I am talking about. K-mart was selling some cheap import cues with real veneers. They were like $15.00 to $30.00. They looked really good for what they were. I know at least two guys who would buy them and rework them with a new wrap, better butt cap and finish and sell them for a few hundred as custom cues..
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n10spool said:
So most sneeky petes made from house cues like Duffrin and valley. We should disclose that it was a house cue before conversion was done. Didnt richard black buy most of his fore arms from adams, wic, national, prather and several other cue makers. So a prather cue should state which employe used who's blank from Prather they used since they grab parts out of bins in the back .

I would someone else's blank if the construction, colors and wild grain was right for what i was looking for some woods are hard to find in great grain patterns, density or maybe inlayed pattern.

Knock offs of famous cue makers I think would be more of an argueement for who or why they did it and not disclosed it.


Craig
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Richard Black I am sure can speak for himself but I had one of the first cues he ever made. The whole cue was constructed by him. He did try to do a small line of production cues once, maybe that is what you are referring to.
 
hey

If you paid $5,000 for a custom made cue....would you be upset to find out that the builder bought almost the entire cue and put it together and then signed it as his??????/

how about a $10,000 cue

How about a $2000 cue

Was just curious at what point some of you would think its wrong, and you should have been told before you made the purchase.
Steve
 
rayjay said:
I guess if you're really concerned that your potential cue buyers are going to compete against you in your cuemaking business, then you make a very good point. Sorry I missed this. Otherwise, I'm not real sure why you would object to discussing the differences, as you pointed out, in blankmakers with your customers. I'm not a cuemaker, but I do buy custom cues and if something matters to me I would prefer to not be guessing about it, and prefer to be able to have an open and honest conversation with the expert cuemaker that I may, or may not, hire to build my cue.
:p
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I've gotten my share of flack for making blanks for people. I certainly don't ask to be recognized as the "maker of the blank". It is up to the cue maker to decide that. It is his business to provide "full disclosure". If it matters to you that much as a buyer then limit yourself to the list of guys that you are sure make their own blanks. That way there is no grey area to worry about.

Mark Bear
 
hey

Fullsplice said:
I've gotten my share of flack for making blanks for people. I certainly don't ask to be recognized as the "maker of the blank". It is up to the cue maker to decide that. It is his business to provide "full disclosure". If it matters to you that much as a buyer then limit yourself to the list of guys that you are sure make their own blanks. That way there is no grey area to worry about.

Mark Bear
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I agree that you are under no obligation to anyone. And that is the best advice on how to handle something like this.......thanks
steve
 
cueman said:
I have read that the customer expects to be told where the guy bought his blank. I can understand if the customer wants to know if he made it himself or if he had someone else do some of the work. But a simple "yes or no" answer is all that is owed. How can it be someone's business who the cuemakers gets any of his parts from?????? That is like asking for the cuemakers wholesale parts sources.
Now it might be to the cuemakers advantage to tell the customer if he has a blank from a famous maker or if it was from a Titlist. But to think the cuemaker must disclose his sources is unreasonable.
Are you in business for your self?
If so, will you tell your customers your wholesale sources?
Since you seem to be educated in blanks already, your can probably look at any of those above and tell the other five did not make them. Each have their own design techniques, and they look different. So if the cuemaker says he did not make it, then you should be able to make a good guess where it came from by how it is built. And if you do not know enough about the various blank makers construction techniques to judge whether it is their blank or not then it should not matter.
Giving your wholesale sources away is a good way to create a competitor and hurt your business. But to ask a business owner or manufacturer to reveal his wholesale sources is bordering on rude. And I also mean that respectfully.
Click to expand...
respectfully, if you're worried about competition coming from people just because they know your wholesale sources, you don't have much to protect.
 
Fullsplice said:
I've gotten my share of flack for making blanks for people. I certainly don't ask to be recognized as the "maker of the blank". It is up to the cue maker to decide that. It is his business to provide "full disclosure". If it matters to you that much as a buyer then limit yourself to the list of guys that you are sure make their own blanks. That way there is no grey area to worry about.

Mark Bear
Click to expand...
Well said!
 
icon2 said:
respectfully, if you're worried about competition coming from people just because they know your wholesale sources, you don't have much to protect.
Click to expand...
I really don't find the above comment to be very respectful.
Are you in business for yourself?
Would you provide your wholesale sources to potential customers?
 
tikkler said:
If you paid $5,000 for a custom made cue....would you be upset to find out that the builder bought almost the entire cue and put it together and then signed it as his??????/

how about a $10,000 cue

How about a $2000 cue

Was just curious at what point some of you would think its wrong, and you should have been told before you made the purchase.
Steve
Click to expand...
I don't think there is any point that it would be wrong. If you feel it is in any way wrong only deal with cuemakers who build it all themselves. The final product speaks for itself. Would you start going through a custom cue and ask the maker about each and every part in his cue whether he installed each ring, point or inlay? And want a break down on which parts he did and which ones one of his helpers did? Is there a difference between a helper in your shop or a helper that helps you from another shop? Are you implying that if a cuemaker signs his brand name to the cue that he should have done 100% of the work to the cue or else he is doing someone wrong?
 
cueman said:
The final product speaks for itself.
Click to expand...
this is a little bit of a contradiction . . .
if the value added by the producer, to the items from wholesale sources, 'spoke for itself',
then there would be no need to hide the identities of wholesale sources.
. . . again respectfully, and in a generic business fashion.
 
hey

cueman said:
I don't think there is any point that it would be wrong. If you feel it is in any way wrong only deal with cuemakers who build it all themselves. The final product speaks for itself. Would you start going through a custom cue and ask the maker about each and every part in his cue whether he installed each ring, point or inlay? And want a break down on which parts he did and which ones one of his helpers did? Is there a difference between a helper in your shop or a helper that helps you from another shop? Are you implying that if a cuemaker signs his brand name to the cue that he should have done 100% of the work to the cue or else he is doing someone wrong?
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What I am saying is that this is not like buying a refrigerator, or a lamp. We are talking about CUSTOM HANDMADE ARTISTIC POOL CUES. To me this is a much more personal purchase, and there are things I would like to know before I spend say $5,000 on an 19 oz. piece of wood.....LOL

Dont you think that the cue should at least come from the cuemakers shop that you bought it from.

I clearly asked about the blank because that is a huge part of the cue. And because I know some people are buying them and not telling anyone. Some are buying a lot more than that. What I am talking about is integrity, honesty, pride, craftsmanship

I also agree with Jeff, I would have no problem telling a customer where I got anything that I use in my business. My belief is the customer has the right to know whatever they want....WHATEVER.
Steve
 
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tikkler said:
What I am saying is that this is not like buying a refrigerator, or a lamp. We are talking about CUSTOM HANDMADE ARTISTIC POOL CUES. To me this is a much more personal purchase, and there are things I would like to know before I spend say $5,000 on an 19 oz. piece of wood.....LOL

Dont you think that the cue should at least come from the cuemakers shop that you bought it from.

I clearly asked about the blank because that is a huge part of the cue. And because I know some people are buying them and not telling anyone. Some are buying a lot more than that. What I am talking about is integrity, honesty, pride, craftsmanship

I also agree with Jeff, I would have no problem telling a customer where I got anything that I use in my business. My belief is the customer has the right to know whatever they want....WHATEVER.
Steve
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I agree completely, Steve. Well spoken.
 
Fullsplice said:
I've gotten my share of flack for making blanks for people. I certainly don't ask to be recognized as the "maker of the blank". It is up to the cue maker to decide that. It is his business to provide "full disclosure". If it matters to you that much as a buyer then limit yourself to the list of guys that you are sure make their own blanks. That way there is no grey area to worry about.

Mark Bear
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You are absolutely correct, but sometimes the only way to know is to ask. I've never seen the "list", but if I am considering a certain cuemaker and I ask questions and get the runaround, I will probably not work with him. I don't think there's anything wrong with using a blank as long as I know what I am getting and have agreed to it. Your blanks, Mr. Bear, are superb, and no doubt there are more than a couple of cuemakers who would like their customers to believe that your work is their own.
 
This thread was designed (probably unintentionally) to start an argument. I apologize to all for being foolish enough to take the bait.
 
hey

cueman said:
This thread was designed (probably unintentionally) to start an argument. I apologize to all for being foolish enough to take the bait.
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I really hate to disapoint you, but NO it wasnt put up to start an argument. It was started to bring up a clear problem in the world of cuemaking and to get others opinion on the issue.

Its very easy to make a staement like yours if some people arent agreeing with you.

Isnt this what the entire forum is about......"POOL THINGS" lol
Steve
 
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