What would you do? Custom 24 month wait or instant Gratification?

If you could get a custom cue built to your specs for $3500 prepaid w/ a guaranteed delivery time of 24 months, would you take it over any 5k worth of completed cues listed on AZ now, for the same $3500. $3500 being the actual realistic Build cost from a current cue builder. Or for that matter you could extrapolate it, ie 7k for a SW w 2 shafts in 24 months vs 10k worth of listed prices in your hands tomorrow? WWYD?
If I were in that same exact situation I would save up for a few years more and buy a $50000 cue and say hey baby look at my $50000 cue.

In all seriousness, I'd just buy a solid cue (you can get one for $20) and play with it 'til my bad boy arrives.
 
My friend put it in perspective for me.

Think of all the things you can do when I told him what I was quoted for my build:

-new living room and dining room sets. We’re talking high end furniture. sofa and seat.

-complete audio sound system

-home bar

-new bathroom

-I’m almost completely debt free. Twhther then get the cue I have the ability to finally eliminate all debt.

My love for the game and this place has skewed my perception and cost of a cue. It’s essentially a wooden stick for thousands.

We're not paying for the wood, we're paying for the cuemaker's time, skill, and creativity. Custom cues are functional art.
 
We're not paying for the wood, we're paying for the cuemaker's time, skill, and creativity. Custom cues are functional art.
Yes I understand that and I never looked at it as just a piece of wood but I’m starting too.

I’m also planning to get one build but wait time is going to stop me. I can’t wait that long because I need something to shoot with.
 
My friend put it in perspective for me.

Think of all the things you can do when I told him what I was quoted for my build:

-new living room and dining room sets. We’re talking high end furniture. sofa and seat.

-complete audio sound system

-home bar

-new bathroom

-I’m almost completely debt free. Twhther then get the cue I have the ability to finally eliminate all debt.

My love for the game and this place has skewed my perception and cost of a cue. It’s essentially a wooden stick for thousands.
The right thing to do.
 
A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.
Tell um
Screenshot_20240415-082130.jpg
 
I think custom cues are very nice and if you want something nice to play with then go for it. Price isn't so much of a factor but those wait times are brutal. Two years?
 
24 months usually turns into 48-60 months, lots of phone calls, and you have no idea how it will play. You are buying pretty, that's it.
 
Has anyone had any good luck ordering a custom build? I know Bob Owen has a great reputation for on time delivery. Is there really nobody else?
 
Has anyone had any good luck ordering a custom build? I know Bob Owen has a great reputation for on time delivery. Is there really nobody else?
I got extremely lucky twice. Contacted Mike Gulyassy to see what he had & ended up with a nice full splice.

Did the same with Josh Treadway, he was almost done with a build that was not spoken for.

Message some cuemakers on your radar, might find what you would like to have without the wait.
 
I'm glad you got a custom cue, but that is not ordering a custom cue. Has anyone ordered a custom cue to their specs and received it on time from any builder other than Bob Owen?
 
I'm glad you got a custom cue, but that is not ordering a custom cue. Has anyone ordered a custom cue to their specs and received it on time from any builder other than Bob Owen?
It was way better than ordering a custom cue. I got what I was looking for(style, wood choices et) within my spec range without starting from scratch and waiting who knows how long. Josh Treadway was at the stage where inlays could have been added.

Don't confuse getting a custom cue with ordering one. They in some cases be one in the same. Mike Gulyassy even made me two brand new shafts to my specs even though he had two done to go with the cue already.

Now if you are hell bent & fully committed to ordering one from scratch, then that is a different story altogether. From what I have seen over the years there is no such thing as a guaranteed delivery time of 24 months.

So yeah you are better off buying something already completed and listed for sale imho.
 
If you could get a custom cue built to your specs for $3500 prepaid w/ a guaranteed delivery time of 24 months, would you take it over any 5k worth of completed cues listed on AZ now, for the same $3500. $3500 being the actual realistic Build cost from a current cue builder. Or for that matter you could extrapolate it, ie 7k for a SW w 2 shafts in 24 months vs 10k worth of listed prices in your hands tomorrow? WWYD?
Do both - go ahead and order the custom cue - 2 years will go by faster than you think. I waited 2+ years for a custom Mezz Exceed cue and I’m glad I did, as they no longer are even taking any orders.

In the meantime, go ahead and get a good playing cue within your budget that’ll get you by until then.
 
I got extremely lucky twice. Contacted Mike Gulyassy to see what he had & ended up with a nice full splice.

Did the same with Josh Treadway, he was almost done with a build that was not spoken for.

Message some cuemakers on your radar, might find what you would like to have without the wait.
My buddy got a killer cue made by Gulyassy, no problems. Same here with Kelly Peterson aka MVP Cues, though Kelly's website says he is not taking orders right now unfortunately. If I ever have another custom built, Kelly will be my pick hands down.
 
This thread went totally off the rails of what I was trying to find out. Not one person answered the way I intended. I would like these now (10k of cues already built) vs that (Ordering a hypothetical cue for $7000 and actually being guaranteed to receive it in 24 months) for 7k out of pocket now. So I guess it is clear, people would rather pay a 30% premium to have a cue now they like vs waiting 2 years for what they really want made specifically to their taste. Does that sound about right?
 
This thread went totally off the rails of what I was trying to find out. Not one person answered the way I intended. I would like these now (10k of cues already built) vs that (Ordering a hypothetical cue for $7000 and actually being guaranteed to receive it in 24 months) for 7k out of pocket now. So I guess it is clear, people would rather pay a 30% premium to have a cue now they like vs waiting 2 years for what they really want made specifically to their taste. Does that sound about right?

Why not both? Pay the deposit to the cue maker and buy the other cue now. When the time comes, sell the first cue and pay the remainder. You'll have to eat any depreciation, but you'll have two years to rob liquor stores, snatch purses, or whatever it is you do for money.
 
Custom means one built exactly how you want it.

It can also mean only one built. So if you bought a "one of one" cue then it is considered a custom cue. Regardless of whether you had any hand in designing it or not. I know it sounds strange but for this industry I consider one of one's custom.

Now I know famous makers will build you a cue that they previously built and I know some won't build the same one.

I even went as far as hunting down the owners of these cues and ask them for permission to replicate a cue that the cue builder made. I tell them I got owner's permission and they will oblige.
 
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