At what point is a cue too expensive to play with?

Retail1LO

Retail1LO

Pass the sugar!!!
Silver Member
I was wondering if most people have a threashold for how expensive a cue they'll use as their daily cue. At what point do you look at a cue and say "I can't play with that...it looks to good, and cost too much?"

To that end...are you really just buying a work of art, not unlike a Rembrandt or a Picasso? A cylindral canvas upon which a masterful piece of art has been rendered?

I dont' know, personally, if I could ever shoot with a cue that cost me much more than $2000. I find that with my wrapless Scruggs, I already walk around the table like I'm in a glass museum...constantly making sure I don't whack my cue on anything.
 
I used to play with a $3000 dollar cue in my local pool hall. I dont think I ever would in a bar though. I personally wouldnt buy a cue that I wouldnt shoot with. I dont have the funds to buy a $3000 plus cue but if I did I would shoot with it in a comfortable enviroment. That Black Boar for example that went for 14000 plus I could never shoot with out of my house.
 
My 2 cents, for what it is worth

Don't own a cue in that range, but not because I wouldn't play with it. Just don't have my finances for that right now. I have a 3 1/2 year old, and and wife and that is where my money goes. So no $2000 cues for me. But that is another story for a different forum. But if I buy a cue, I will play with it. I personally do not feel that buying a cue to display is what a cue is made for, though others might disagree. The most expensive cue I bought cost me a grand in 1994, and I played with it immediately (before the wife and kid was around). Traded it, but never stopped playing with it, because that is what cues are supposed to do. If I spent $2000+ on a cue, I better play with it, or I would rather buy a piece of art to hang on the wall, or hang the cue on the wall. But it would tempt me, and it would eventually find its way onto a local table during league.
This reminds me of my car sales days. Had a customer wanting to buy a porsche, but wanted to make sure the gravel on the road wouldn't damage the car's undercarriage. I am talking repaved road in the area at the time. Not boulders!!! I told him what I see is the answer to this same question, FOR ME!!!
You can't afford a Porsche, plkease go check the Honda dealership, they might have something in your range. If you can't afford to drive the car and take the damage that driving it will cause, then you are not in the financial area to BUY this vehicle. Invest your money in something else, that you can afford.
So if you can't play with a cue, because of its $$$ value, then maybe you can't afford it.

Michael and his 2 cents
 
Test this theory?

If anyone would like to sponsor me by sending me a $2000+ cue, to see if I would actually play with it, I would be more than willing to put myself to the test. Please PM me for shipping information. I will even pay for the shipping.
With this great opportunity, I will send pics of me and the cue hanging around the bar pool scene, playing weekly league, and just chillin wherever a pool table or poolplayers might be. It would be great research.

Please respond quickly, because I will only be able to help out the first person who responds, since I do not have much time to play pool - Remember I have a 3 1/2 year old son and a wife.

Thanks for your interest,

Michael
 
Retail1LO said:
I was wondering if most people have a threashold for how expensive a cue they'll use as their daily cue. At what point do you look at a cue and say "I can't play with that...it looks to good, and cost too much?"

To that end...are you really just buying a work of art, not unlike a Rembrandt or a Picasso? A cylindral canvas upon which a masterful piece of art has been rendered?

I dont' know, personally, if I could ever shoot with a cue that cost me much more than $2000. I find that with my wrapless Scruggs, I already walk around the table like I'm in a glass museum...constantly making sure I don't whack my cue on anything.
Click to expand...

hyperbole aside, almost every cue is playable. some cues were MEANT not to be played with and people would look silly playing with them. i can't see a person buy an expensive cue, and grappling with the thought of playing pool with it....he either bought the cue to play with,,,,or not. if you can't shoot with a +$2k cue, then you won't buy one to shoot with...am i right?
 
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Somewhere right around $2000,i start being conscious fo the cue and i don't like that feeling.i did have a Kikel that codt $3800 and had about an elephant and a half in it with the most beautiful piece of Koa i have ever seen for a forearm.anyway i did get used to playing with that cue after a few months.wished i hadn't sold it.
 
Our eyes are sometimes bigger

I purchased a cue in the $1,200 range, fully intending to play with it. When I received it, however, it was so perfect, I just couldn't bring myself to use it. So I take it out every once in a while and look at it. Maybe some day ...
 
Too expensive

A cue becomes too expensive to play with, only when something unwanted happens to it.

Best Regards,
Hal
 
I know 2 people with Barry Szamboti cues and they both shoot with them all the time. One is about worth about $5-8 thousand and the other is above $15000. Its all a matter of taste because both of those guys aren't rich by any means but they haven't played with anything that will perform as well as their Barrys. I personally say that if you don't collect cues don't even consider something too expensive.

Thats just my opinion.

Dave
 
DiamondDave said:
I know 2 people with Barry Szamboti cues and they both shoot with them all the time. One is about worth about $5-8 thousand and the other is above $15000. Its all a matter of taste because both of those guys aren't rich by any means but they haven't played with anything that will perform as well as their Barrys. I personally say that if you don't collect cues don't even consider something too expensive.

Thats just my opinion.

Dave
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Very well said.
In my case, it is too expensive to play with if you cannot keep your eyes off the cue when you put it up waiting your turn to shoot.

Myron
 
if he is not rich how would you classify a guy who plays regularly with a$15000 pool cue.i hope he is at least middle class.i just realized i am poor.
 
The most expensive player I had was about a $4,000 cue . I wasn't the least bit nervous about shooting with it, as it had no fancy inlays so it didn't stand out and if I damaged the finish, it wasn't going to kill the value.
 
Do you drive your new car?

One of my colleges bought a new Corvette 3 years ago and the the only time he drives it is to his church. He has put ~2000 miles on it in the past 3 years and it looks brand new just like the day he got it ...... But the sad thing is, his well cared car only worths 2/3 of its original price. That being said, if you know your cue does not go up in value, you should probably use it to its fullest.
 
Well, unlike painting or sculpture, cues are functional art, they are meant to be used, they are meant to be played. In fact, the decoration ( which is what adds the hours and expense ) is secondary to the playability to most of the cue makers I've talked to. Luckily, they can make the perfect playing cue and dress it up as much as you like.

In my opinion, George Balabushka, Gus Szamboti, Martin, Rambow etc. would be disappointed if they knew their cues were not used. Comparable to a musical masterpiece that could not be heard.
 
Retail1LO said:
I was wondering if most people have a threashold for how expensive a cue they'll use as their daily cue. At what point do you look at a cue and say "I can't play with that...it looks to good, and cost too much?"

To that end...are you really just buying a work of art, not unlike a Rembrandt or a Picasso? A cylindral canvas upon which a masterful piece of art has been rendered?

I dont' know, personally, if I could ever shoot with a cue that cost me much more than $2000. I find that with my wrapless Scruggs, I already walk around the table like I'm in a glass museum...constantly making sure I don't whack my cue on anything.
Click to expand...

At what point is a cue too expensive to play with?

That's simple. It's when you ask yourself the question.
 
jdelcue@emory.e said:
...at the point when you ask yourself this question, I'd say...
Ought to be a good benchmark. :D
Click to expand...


Wow. Good minds think alike. I was typing my response when you answered.
 
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