Or the easily butthurt. When an item regularly sells at what seems,to some anyway, to be ridiculous prices then those prices must not be so ridiculous. Free market baby.
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Can someone explain the price gouging business model?
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spin-right-round
Member
I understand that, but when you see resale posts for the USA commemorative BK Rush literally the DAY AFTER 4th of July, each listing asking $100 more than the previous, it’s a bit ridiculous. I swear there was a guy with a “for sale” post with his receipt in the pics, said he would ship it out as soon as he received it. WHILE the said cue was still available to buy online. Go figure.
spin-right-round
Member
Isn’t that a bit different? That SW can have that asking price because there’s probably nothing else like it, anywhere else.
Congratulations on your opinions, it is almost as if there are different strokes for different folks. You are quite emotional over this whole topic. Did a Predator player steal your girl or something?
Do you have any quantitative data to back up your claims that the Raven can do everything the Predator can do? I agree that the newest Predators are ridiculously over priced, but a few years ago you could get them pretty reasonable. I enjoy buying/selling/trading so I do try and stick to cues that are easy to sell if I do not like them. The world does not revolve around your opinions, plenty of ways to live life.
If you can not play well with a House Cue, with a decent Tip you worked over with sandpaper, and master chalk. Trust me you still will not be a DCC contender with a Black Boar.
JMHO.......
JMHO.......
Woodshaft
Do what works for YOU!
Cues are works of art, even the production ones. Many are also limited.
People are collectors and the value of collectibles is determined by the desire of the collectors.
Just because something cost $100 to make doesn't mean it's worth $100.
An item's "worth" is the price that people will pay for it.
And many people's desire for these cues is obviously worth the price they pay.
That's how economics work.
Now that said, many manufacturers (like Predator) severely underestimate the amount of people willing to pay huge money to buy their "limited" products, and thus lose literally millions of dollars by not producing enough of these products--- and scalpers thank them.
When you see items being constantly scalped, the original seller is severely underestimating their own product's demand/value.
Predator is a gold mine that has diamond mine potential, they just need to bump supply to meet demand.
People are collectors and the value of collectibles is determined by the desire of the collectors.
Just because something cost $100 to make doesn't mean it's worth $100.
An item's "worth" is the price that people will pay for it.
And many people's desire for these cues is obviously worth the price they pay.
That's how economics work.
Now that said, many manufacturers (like Predator) severely underestimate the amount of people willing to pay huge money to buy their "limited" products, and thus lose literally millions of dollars by not producing enough of these products--- and scalpers thank them.
When you see items being constantly scalped, the original seller is severely underestimating their own product's demand/value.
Predator is a gold mine that has diamond mine potential, they just need to bump supply to meet demand.
Zerksies
Well-known member
I work in a place that sells plumbing supplies. And the funny thing is people nickel and dime over the price of a water heater or boiler. I probably make $40-$100 tops. Which is alot for them things. But people don't question the pricing on fittings or anything else where i am charging 4-5 times on my costs.
Your points are valid but one not spend King Ransom for a Cue to Play Pool with. Learn to play on any Cue, or even a house Cue, then for find a Retailer that allows testing before you buy........Like Shoot the Bull/House of Cue in PHX.
I've hit both, that enough? We're not talking rocket science here. I never said the world revolves around my opinions, that being said Predator execs must get chubbies knowing consumers that drink the 'PredAid' are out there.
Cues cranked out like M-n-M's by $3/hr lackies running rows of CNC machines will never be regarded as 'art'. Give us a fkn break. Predator has done a masterclass grade of marketing to create addicts that would buy a dog turd if it said Predator on it.
Incorrect...and correct.
Good stuff. I still have a Mace J/B I ordered from him in 2005. Been my main breaker since.
Railbird-2026
New member
So I have been out of the cues market and playing in general, but got back a few weeks ago (and naturally the fudgebook algorithm starts bombarding me with pool related posts).
Anyway, what the @&%#!$ is going on with these break and jump cues from a well known manufacturer, available in more than 1076536 colors, and all claim to be “limited” edition and “rare” but they don’t have serial numbers or anything (XYZ of ABC) etc.. and the price gouging is just absolutely obnoxious. To be very honest, I was contemplating picking up one of the commemorative “USA” themed break cues for ~1k, but why spend that when I can get one for +50% higher? Literally every other post in my feed afterward was someone selling theirs for 1300, 1500, I think I even saw one for 1800Just because of this I didn’t pull the trigger because I’m sure I could get one for like 700 in an ebay auction when these scalpers realize they got got. And who tf is even buying this
? Have people become THIS stupid in just 2 years?
Rant over.
price gouging business model
For example, Gas, Groceries, Health Care, Housing, Restaurants, insurance, lottery, auto repair, Pharmacies. In US we believe in Monopolies and we are told that it is capitalism. We don't want socialism: for example roads...every rich person knows that all road should be toll roads, Public schools socialism, Fire department, socialism, Police department socialism, Defense Department, Air Traffic control, unions fair pay, access to health care....
I was stationed in Ft Walton Beach, not far from Rick's home/shop at that time. He was dating the waitress at Starcade Billiards who took a shine to me (like an older sister). Good players were using his break jump cues as their main playing cues. I was broke as a joke, making zero dollars as a 1 stripe Airman, and needing a cue. I don't remember all of the circumstances other than Rick was super cool, and pulled his personal break/jump out of his case and said, give me $175 when you can. And I did! I remember visiting his shop once, and seeing his big Rotty, MACE. This was the first cue maker shop I ever visited.
i didnt bother to read many of the posts,
as simply price gouging doesn't exist where there is any competition.
price gouging unless its someone selling water to a person dying of thirst coming out of the desert,
is in the minds of those that cannot or wont pay the going price of something they want and blame it on the seller.
as simply price gouging doesn't exist where there is any competition.
price gouging unless its someone selling water to a person dying of thirst coming out of the desert,
is in the minds of those that cannot or wont pay the going price of something they want and blame it on the seller.
It's one thing to price gouge on something essential to daily life like food, water, and fuel. But nobody needs a BK Rush. If somebody thinks it's worth more than what Predator is selling them for, let them pay it. Things are worth what someone is willing to pay for them.
To an extent, yes. But business growth is tricky. It's difficult to scale supply while maintaining quality. I deal with it every day and I work in a freaking sticker factory. For instance, lets say Predator wanted to increase their production by 10%. That means all of their suppliers would have to increase their production just for Predator by at least 10% as well. Most manufacturing plants are running so lean that any spike in demand causes ripples due to having to source more new suppliers with unvetted quality, more machinery, more employees (good luck with that one unless you're cool with hiring idiots,) more space, and just generally more overhead. So you very well could end up in a situation where you've increased your production by 10% but your costs by 50%.
that is exactly how a fair price is determined.