Cue buyer etiquette?

O yeah, if you really want to learn patience order a Southwest and try waiting 10 years. I've been tempted to order one even though I don't want one, because in 10 years who knows maybe I will! :p
 
bsarlo said:
How often is too often to call a cuemaker?

Here's why I ask...(and please bear with me)

I used to shoot pretty regularly when I lived in Phoenix. I didn't know too much about cues. My first cue was a Players because that's all I could afford. I started shooting better and started spending more time (a lot more time) at the pool hall near my work. I met a lot of good players and one of the older guys had a buddy who was kind enough to make me a deal on his old Meucci. It's a pretty nice cue, but I always envied my friends who had custom cues because I couldn't afford them.
Then I moved and stopped playing altogether for four years. I recently started playing again here in Washington. So I decided to save up for my first custom. (whew...thanks for reading this far. I'm getting there...)

I found a cue online that I absolutely fell in love with. The lady selling it was very kind and helpful. She actually taught me a lot about different joint types and woods. I did not have enough for her asking price and, from shopping around a bit (which led me to this amazing forum), I thought she may be asking too much. She was super nice still and lowered her price, but it was just more than I could afford. So...I called the cue maker to see if he remembered making the cue and if it was worth it to save up and pay her price. He did not sound happy that I called him. I explained my situation. (You could probably imagine from the length of this post so far that his patience was pretty thin listening to my story) When I told him who was selling the cue and gave him the cue's details, he told me that the lady selling it was a thief and a liar and that he would just make one for me. I was amazed and overwhelmed. So we started discussing different woods and inlays. He got really excited about the cue. At one point he called me four times in one afternoon to tell me his ideas for the cue. That sold it for me. If he was that excited about my cue, I would let him do whatever he wanted and pay him whatever he thought it would cost. Eventually we agreed on a price and the estimated completion date was some time in June. This was in December.

So now I'm super excited. I want to call every day to find out what he's done, but I have forced myself to wait one month between calls. I don't mean to be annoying or impatient. I truly am just interested in what he's done, how he did it, what else he is planning on doing. I wish I could sit and watch him work. I know the cue will be done in June and I don't expect it earlier so I am not calling to see if it will be finished ahead of schedule. My last call, last week, was because I couldn't remember how many points he was putting on the cue. I was not wanting to change the cue at all. Just couldn't remember if it was four or six points.

He seemed really annoyed.

Was I way out of line to call so often? Do you as cuemakers ever call your customers to let them know how things are going? Or is it customary to give a due date and then call when the cue is done?

I want to emphasize that I understand where he is coming from and can see how it would be annoying to answer silly questions from some impatient kid. I feel like he's gone out of his way for me by calling me with his own ideas for the cue design at the start. He even agreed to take pics along the way for me, which he assured me he never does. I believe him since he has no cell phone or computer. He's an amazing guy who builds amazing cues and I don't want to piss him off any further.

I also don't want to make the same mistakes with my next cuemaker.

Any and all input is appreciated. I want to be a great customer. I want my next cuemaker to be glad to do business with me.

Thanks for reading.
Brian
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Brian,

If the cuemaker was very personalbe and excited every other time you called it could be that something just went wrong on the day you called and he was preoccupied with what happened and how he was going to solve it. I have had ivory points crack for no reason, silver veneers tear out for no reason, inlays chip and anything else that can go wrong for no reason than it just happened. If your cuemaker sounds busy or short with you there is more going on in his life than you. Please just tell him it sounds like your busy can I give you a call latter or tomorrow. Most likley he will tell thanks I am just to busy to talk right now please call me latter.

Thanks,
Pete
 
OMG....there have been a few occasions where you get on the phone with a maker who is just as passionate with making cues as you are to talk about them. It is not uncommon in these situations for the conversation to last and hour or more...you both just kinda lose track of time. To be sure, it's a very cool experience when it happens.

Then I realized that if this was happening x amount of times a day....not many cues...let alone mine....were being completed. I quickly learned to leave the maker alone. :sorry:
 
skierlawyer said:
To the OP, I know exactly how you feel.
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Thank you for the reassuring post!

skierlawyer said:
With Ernie Martinez I am talking to him weekly, and visiting him in the shop to see the progress about 2x a month. The best experience you can imagine, I've been lucky enough to get and that is actually watching the cue maker work on your cue.
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You are so lucky!! How can I get on Ernie's list?

skierlawyer said:
I am curious who is building your cue? If you want, just PM me.
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PM sent. I will definitely post pics!!

[hilarious side note: I have Swype on my phone so I just draw out the words by Swyping my finger through each letter. I wanted to say, "your post is reassuring" but it typed "your pu$$y is treasure". Thank goodness I proofread! LOL.]
 
skierlawyer said:
O yeah, if you really want to learn patience order a Southwest and try waiting 10 years. I've been tempted to order one even though I don't want one, because in 10 years who knows maybe I will! :p
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I feel the same way about SW. I worry if the cues made ten years from now will still have the same value as today's cues. Probably, but ten years is a really long time.
 
Odd Coincidence!!!!!!!!!!

Well in the very strange small world that is pool the OP of this thread and I are both having cues made by the same cuemaker of the same woods at the same time! We have never met and do not know each other but somehow ended up ordering strikingly similar cues at the same time. They are also both segmented wrapless handles. Delivery time is also very close WTF!!! I feel like I have entered the Pool Cue Twilight Zone..
 
Segmented wrapless too?!? What are the odds? Aside from the woods and the style, I think they'll be vastly different since you have more ivory and probably a different design. If they end up being really similar, you and I should meet up and play some time. You definitely have good taste!
 
Just got off the phone with the cuemaker and my cue is almost done!! I am really excited and am glad that it is slightly ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, he said he couldn't take the progress pics. Oh well, I'm just happy he is almost done.
 
Thats exciting, please post pics and a review when you get it.

bsarlo said:
Just got off the phone with the cuemaker and my cue is almost done!! I am really excited and am glad that it is slightly ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, he said he couldn't take the progress pics. Oh well, I'm just happy he is almost done.
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Ahhh!! It's here. It's at my house...I'm at work. Do I leave now? Arg. Pics soon...

42577068-4ab6-d797.jpg
 
Funny I got a package that looks very similar yesterday too. Although mine was not quite as banged up as yours the contents is amazing! Someday I may even figure out how to get pics up on the internet....
 
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