It's as much as reflection of the economy and job market as anything else. The economy is still heading for rock bottom and unemployment numbers don't count people after a certain period when benefits run out or they give up looking, or when such a large number of people are under employed that's not counted at all. True unemployment or underemployment numbers aren't even known, just guessed at. Many previously middle class are now scraping by on one or two very low pay crap jobs instead of their previous carrer level earnings. The money isn't there to be spent.
People like to say the worst is behind us and that we were in a recovery somewhere along the way, but I think that's all a load of crap. I think the stimulus and endless borrowing has just prolonged our inevitable downward spiral and will probably make the final death throws worse.
Our economy always was very flimsy and based on feelings and trust and neverending growth and it's finally becoming pretty clear neverending growth will just lead to our own demise and is and always has been unsustainable.
Just like the laws of physics where what goes up must come down, we are still learning the true laws of economics to this day rather than a lot of previous false info and beliefs people have always put their faith in.
Even those still making the same as they always have are in the mind set of not spending like they used to, and really holding on to every penny and watching what they spend a lot closer, or putting it all into digging their way out of past debt. Getting prepared just in case it does get worse.
Then there are others who do have dispoaseable income and are out of debt, or those who make a living buying and selling stuff, but even they know there are better deals and better places to put your money with better profits and easier turn around in other areas to make money faster and easier than in cues.
Lets not forget that even aside from the economy the sport really is barely holding on at all any more, it's lost any hold on tv and pool halls across the country are going out of business at record rates these last few years. Because of that it's a good time to look for that classic collector table you've always wanted, and that's what I've been doing myself. Got a gold crown for pennies and looking for an anniversary near me at some of the good prices I've seen elsewhere. Cues on the other hand I think are just an expense, expensive cues a needless wasteful expense, not an investment at all like a good deal on a great table might be. But even with a classic collectors market type table that's a long term investment that just may never pay off and should just be considered a treat more than investment.
The classic and collector car/motorcycle etc markets are all taking the same beating. I've seen many things that were guaranteed money now selling for half their previous value or not selling at all. Even some things that are way down being a nearly impossible sale even at half price lately. It's hard to sell anything when people don't have money or aren't buying even if they do much of the time, and we should probably just get used to it... I think it's a great time to buy many things that are priced right now if you have cash, but expensive cues wouldn't ever even make my list and probably will never see good days again, at least not in many of our lifetimes for those of us that are older. If I had a collection of high dollar cues I'd have dumped them already, or would be in a race to get out at any cost regardless of the loss.
Even when a generation does come out the other side of a full on depression, should we go that way, they just never do go back to their old spending ways... Many of us had grandparents that went through it, and they came out very spend thrifty at the very least.
