Are high end predators hard to sell on the secondary market?

trob

trob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I’m over on market place and I see quite a few high end predators that have been sitting there for a while. They are the ones I believe made by Jacoby. I’ve had some high end cues (4k to 10k in price) in my time and I really love the look of the blk series and the old panthera but what my worry is is how hard are they to get out of. When I spend that much money on a cue I want to know that if I decide I don’t want it anymore I can get out of it at around what I paid but I feel they are a hard sell. First you cut down your customer base by people that just like predator since they have the predator boldly in the inlays in some cases. You cut it down more with people who like predator and will spend the money on a higher end cue. Which in more experience is a small percentage. As a dealer or private seller has it been more difficult selling these cues.. specially with what I hear as the cue market being down?

I ask because I just recently bought a beautiful p3 that was a special edition made in 2012 that was spotless ..butt only that I got for $800 that would haven been twice as much at best a year or more ago .
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a year or more ago. So I feel the market on these cues has changed.
 
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Most people looking for Predators aren't going to care who made it. To them it's a Predator. The guys who collect and/or play with "true" custom cues that are made by one guy or in a small shop are going to see it pretty much like any other used modern (post 2000-ish) production cue. So the market for used high end cues is small and the market for high end used modern production cues is even smaller. Add to the fact that discretionary spending is shrinking due to inflation and you've got a depressed used production cue market.

There are obviously exceptions to this. Old high end Meucci Originals and sharp point R Series Schons still do well. But Predators are kind of like golf clubs. Every year or so they come out with the latest and greatest thing touting the newest and best technology. So the guy who couldn't run out with ball in hand from the 8 or hit a 200 yard drive runs out to get the equipment that's going to do it for him. And I say this as someone who has no issues whatsoever with Predator. They make nice cues and their shafts are some of the best on the market.
 
Better yet lets purchase USA builds! USA USA USA.;) I know revo shaft that's it, is build here in states.
 
RADAR said:
Better yet lets purchase USA builds! USA USA USA.;) I know revo shaft that's it, is build here in states.
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jacoby is obviously american. but the thing with jacoby, pechauer, joss etc i would much rather have one of their own design and a predator shaft than a full predator cue, cat and all.

in the 314 days that was very common, real cuemaker butt + predator shaft.
 
HawaiianEye said:
What does a Predator cue do that any other cue can't do?
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What a stupid question.. what does any cue do that another can’t. Either you like the hit of something or you don’t. Either you have the money and will to buy a high end cue simply to have it or you don’t ..
 
trob said:
So I’m over on market place and I see quite a few high end predators that have been sitting there for a while. They are the ones I believe made by Jacoby. I’ve had some high end cues (4k to 10k in price) in my time and I really love the look of the blk series and the old panthera but what my worry is is how hard are they to get out of. When I spend that much money on a cue I want to know that if I decide I don’t want it anymore I can get out of it at around what I paid but I feel they are a hard sell. First you cut down your customer base by people that just like predator since they have the predator boldly in the inlays in some cases. You cut it down more with people who like predator and will spend the money on a higher end cue. Which in more experience is a small percentage. As a dealer or private seller has it been more difficult selling these cues.. specially with what I hear as the cue market being down?

I ask because I just recently bought a beautiful p3 that was a special edition made in 2012 that was spotless ..butt only that I got for $800 that would haven been twice as much at best a year or more ago . View attachment 934963 a year or more ago. So I feel the market on these cues has changed.
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Well they are selling them at retail price or more in the marketplace. I guess buyers have gotten a bit more practical and accessibility to buying a brand new Predator is now easy. So why would a sensible person would buy a used Predator at retail where he/she can buy it brand new online?
 
Jimmy_Betmore said:
Most people looking for Predators aren't going to care who made it. To them it's a Predator. The guys who collect and/or play with "true" custom cues that are made by one guy or in a small shop are going to see it pretty much like any other used modern (post 2000-ish) production cue. So the market for used high end cues is small and the market for high end used modern production cues is even smaller. Add to the fact that discretionary spending is shrinking due to inflation and you've got a depressed used production cue market.

There are obviously exceptions to this. Old high end Meucci Originals and sharp point R Series Schons still do well. But Predators are kind of like golf clubs. Every year or so they come out with the latest and greatest thing touting the newest and best technology. So the guy who couldn't run out with ball in hand from the 8 or hit a 200 yard drive runs out to get the equipment that's going to do it for him. And I say this as someone who has no issues whatsoever with Predator. They make nice cues and their shafts are some of the best on the market.
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That’s my point.. I just think the market for a high end predator is even smaller than the market for a traditional high end cue.
RADAR said:
Better yet let’s purchase USA builds! USA USA USA.;) I know revo shaft that's it, is build here in states.
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I don’t give a shit where anything is built. If I like it .. it’s built well.. and the price is right I’ll buy it.
 
Every time Predator puts out a limited edition cues, the dealer and flippers are grabbing them fast so they'll be out of stock fast which raises the prices on the secondary market.
But they got to be too expansive. At the end of it, a buyer must feel he gets a good value for his money.
Predator is a big brand but it's not an 8K cue brand.
Personally, beside scattered models over the years, I never liked anything past the Falcon days. After my first Predator cue (98-1), I just stayed with their shafts and matched them to better, nicer butts.
 
I've seen hundreds of predators over the years owned by local players. Super popular in my area. I don't think I've ever seen more than 1 of their models over 1500 retail (in today's dollars) actually owned by a local. The players who buy them just want the low deflection, imo. The high end cue players would match up the 314 shafts with their custom butts.

IDK who ever bought those high end predators?
 
iusedtoberich said:
I've seen hundreds of predators over the years owned by local players. Super popular in my area. I don't think I've ever seen more than 1 of their models over 1500 retail (in today's dollars) actually owned by a local. The players who buy them just want the low deflection, imo. The high end cue players would match up the 314 shafts with their custom butts.

IDK who ever bought those high end predators?
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Predator is the absolute king of pool marketing. Sometimes I think that they are a marketing company that uses the pool diaspora to make their profits.
I just don't see it.
Frankly, some of their production cues are more costly than some customs and the pool world eats them up.
They are great marketers for sure.
 
iusedtoberich said:
I've seen hundreds of predators over the years owned by local players. Super popular in my area. I don't think I've ever seen more than 1 of their models over 1500 retail (in today's dollars) actually owned by a local. The players who buy them just want the low deflection, imo. The high end cue players would match up the 314 shafts with their custom butts.

IDK who ever bought those high end predators?
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no idea. when their top model was like model 3k6 and costed around $800, yea i saw people here play with them. now they ask the equivalent of that, times two, for painted cues with big ugly cats on them.

and their freak colored break cues sells out because people are mental.
 
philly said:
Predator is the absolute king of pool marketing. Sometimes I think that they are a marketing company that uses the pool diaspora to make their profits.
I just don't see it.
Frankly, some of their production cues are more costly than some customs and the pool world eats them up.
They are great marketers for sure.
Click to expand...
Profit on their Chinese stuff has to be massive. The workers are probably making 1/5(maybe) of what pay is in US. I've never owned a single Pred product. Their cues have never done anything for me. They are marketing guru's, their diehard fans won't buy anything else.
 
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