$10K Cues................

haystj

haystj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a serious question.......

Are the days of high end cues done?????????

Specifically, I don't see many cues over 10 grand moving,,, and as much as I like them, I can't see spending that kind of money on a cue.

Is the market for high end cues done???? (I realize there are the few buyers, but I am asking about the market in general)
 
there will always be a market for the top of the line in any thing for sale. those that cant afford it will not understand.
 
When

When a person is going to spend 10k on a cue in most cases it has to be exactly 100% what he is looking for, if not there are plenty of Cuemakers willing to make him his cue.

There are always exceptions but that is pretty much how it is in today's market. With certain venues changing like Derby City that has had a big impact on cues.

I doubt we will ever see the frenzied buying , selling and trading that took place at the Executive West from 98- 08. You had Joe Salazar, Bill Grassley, Scot Murphy and Don Sherman all within arms reach of each other and cues and big money were flying all over. A friend of mine sold and re bought and then re sold his John Showman cues all in one evening. Selling on line does not create that excitement . There is no where today you can walk in to cue show or Pool tournament and sell cues like the old Derby City.
 
haystj said:
I have a serious question.......

Are the days of high end cues done?????????

Specifically, I don't see many cues over 10 grand moving,,, and as much as I like them, I can't see spending that kind of money on a cue.

Is the market for high end cues done???? (I realize there are the few buyers, but I am asking about the market in general)
Click to expand...

The answer is no, there are cues over 10k that sell easily with no problem. Depends on what it is, who made it and condition. Certainly the market is more narrow at that price point than 1K. The cue market is not unlike guitars, fine watches or cars. There are lots of folks who can afford what they want when they want and that isn't going to change.
 
The cuemakers with the biggest reputations will always have a select set of customers
That will have no problem paying 10k+ for a custom cue. Its like every other luxury category. There r select producers of extreme quality for select buyers in the category.

U wont see me spending that much money on a cue for quite awhile yet. But if i find myself with 10k extra laying around doing nothing else then i could see buying something special for a 1 time purchase. But i would limit the purchase to a select group of cuemakers. There r only about 6 that would get my consideration.
 
Friend of mine dropped 9k on a cue at the Expo just last year. Sure, its not 10k, but it's still a lot.

I dont think high end really starts at 10k, I think it starts much cheaper then that... Id say around 2500.
 
From what I have seen the market for higher end cues has been picking up lately. I do agree with what others have said in that there will always be a market for expensive cues but its a smaller market. Just like ultra-high end cars, homes, etc. Less people can afford to engage at that level.
 
I agree.

franko said:
I doubt we will ever see the frenzied buying , selling and trading that took place at the Executive West from 98- 08. You had Joe Salazar, Bill Grassley, Scot Murphy and Don Sherman all within arms reach of each other and cues and big money were flying all over. .
Click to expand...

I brought and sold cues to Scott and Joe and there were always deals going on at their booths or shops, cues moving everywhere.

Now its Lucasi and Predator. I seldom see a young player with a high end cue.
 
haystj said:
I have a serious question.......

Are the days of high end cues done?????????

Specifically, I don't see many cues over 10 grand moving,,, and as much as I like them, I can't see spending that kind of money on a cue.

Is the market for high end cues done???? (I realize there are the few buyers, but I am asking about the market in general)
Click to expand...

Simple answer is: No

Trading is not always out in the open and being broadcast on the internets.
 
Type79 said:
Simple answer is: No

Trading is not always out in the open and being broadcast on the internets.
Click to expand...

Exactly, because the last thing you want is unscrupulous people knowing you have a $10K cue at your home or taking it to the local pool hall...
 
haystj said:
I have a serious question.......

Are the days of high end cues done?????????

Specifically, I don't see many cues over 10 grand moving,,, and as much as I like them, I can't see spending that kind of money on a cue.

Is the market for high end cues done???? (I realize there are the few buyers, but I am asking about the market in general)
Click to expand...

The $10,000 and up cues are not usually sold in the way the public sees them. High end collectors, cue makers and dealers are have connections and move expensive cues through networking. You really don't want to over expose a "for sale" expensive cue in public advertising if it can be avoided. I don't know how the market is recently, but in the past I have been surprised at the vigor of high end cue purchases.

The masterpiece cues like the TW shown below (from Cuezilla) will always command and attract high dollars from wealthy collectors over the world. No clue who owns it but I know I would love to.
 

Attachments

  • cue479.jpg
    cue479.jpg
    119.4 KB · Views: 722
  • cue479-6.jpg
    cue479-6.jpg
    134.9 KB · Views: 693
Last edited:
It's all real simple,

The $10K cue of today will be the $20k cue of tomorrow.

Just like a well built home, they keep going up.

Just like the 67 - 69 Camaros.

Just like the classic cues of yesteryear, some bought before the maker was well known and today the cues are very valuable.

Inflation pays.
 
CuesDirectly said:
It's all real simple,

The $10K cue of today will be the $20k cue of tomorrow.

Just like a well built home, they keep going up.

Just like the 67 - 69 Camaros.

Just like the classic cues of yesteryear, some bought before the maker was well known and today the cues are very valuable.

Inflation pays.
Click to expand...



I get what you are saying, but disagree a bit. There has to be demand for the price to increase. While there will always be some demand for the best of the best or luxury items in any market, I believe the cue market as a whole (high end cues included to an extent) is on a long term down tick.

They way I see it, pool's decline in popularity has lead to a big drop off in guys below the age of 40 who are into pool. Once the baby boomers are gone, I see a glut of cues coming and not a ton of buyers interested.

Add in the ivory regulations and you have more motivated sellers and leery buyers on top of this.

Then again, I have been wrong before.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
i could hve 10 or 15 of the most valuable cues in the world today but i got to thinking can they go up from here

Wilie Mosconi offered me his personal Balabuska for $2700 back in the 80s but I thought
it was too high then,i would gladly pay $50,000 for it now

during hard times people ask the same questions about gold or diamonds ,perhaps even art

It takes people with money and vision to enjoy these things and courage to buy when
every Tom ,Dick and harry is saying"It can not go on forever"

With China appearing to be on the bandwagon,banning Ivory along with the liberals in control over here perhaps Ivory will take a temporary hit,but it might just cause cue makers to get creative with other materials

Incase you are wondering,I am not one of the ones ho buys and hold these high dollar cues,i lack all of the courage,vision amd other traits that i praised earlier.,


When i got a Szamboti with an Ivory butt,I spent a year hiding it.under the piano,behind the books,in an unusual cubby hole, then here then there.It drove me crazy,at last I though t of mom and dad and how their house needed remodeling so I sold the cue and bought mom a new kitchen with the proceeds


I told her the remodeling was a trade of just one pool cue.

Mom said is that all" and allowed me to do it,whereas before she said"you
hold on to your money son.you never know when you will need it"

ICue collecting,art collecting,rare guns,knives,fountain pens,autigraphs,old carsl ike the Shelbys that bring over $1,00,000 now are things that please those who enjoy them and amaze the rest of us when we hear of great profits
 
The difference to me with gold, diamonds, art, and cars is that there is that way more people are into those things. In fact, everyone is or would like to be. The same cannot be said about pool cues. I see the same guys on the forum here and at pool events wheeling and dealing. When that generation of collector is gone, what is left of the market will suffer in my opinion.

I do like the idea about cue makers getting creative with other materials, and your story about the Szamboti. Also, I wanted to ship you 1500 for your last blind sale, but was too late. I was sick when I saw the cue was a 360 tribute by JR. That was nice of you.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
franko said:
When a person is going to spend 10k on a cue in most cases it has to be exactly 100% what he is looking for, if not there are plenty of Cuemakers willing to make him his cue.

There are always exceptions but that is pretty much how it is in today's market. With certain venues changing like Derby City that has had a big impact on cues.

I doubt we will ever see the frenzied buying , selling and trading that took place at the Executive West from 98- 08. You had Joe Salazar, Bill Grassley, Scot Murphy and Don Sherman all within arms reach of each other and cues and big money were flying all over. A friend of mine sold and re bought and then re sold his John Showman cues all in one evening. Selling on line does not create that excitement . There is no where today you can walk in to cue show or Pool tournament and sell cues like the old Derby City.
Click to expand...

Agree 1000% with everything Franko said here.
 
I think Tate nailed it very well. Privacy in very important to most people buying expensive cues. As for China...they can have laws. Enforcing them is another issue. Frequently, buying your way out of a problem can be business as usual.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top