He is 1,000 miles from where I live. He's not exactly around the corner and things you escalate if I see him face to face.
Showman built me a cue a while back. My experience with him was somewhat different.
I met John at Ted Harris's shop. I honestly did not know who Showman was and at the time I had come up to Ted's shop with three old Titlist one piece cues. I was going to take one to Dennis and I wanted Ted to look at the cues and see what he thought about the each of the three cues suitability for conversion. John was sitting in Teds shop and Ted says to me...hey meet John Showman...hes an awesome cuemaker. Ted says to me ....hey you should get John to convert one of these for you. He does awesome titlist conversions. So I gave one cue to John. One to Dennis and the other I took home.
Fast forward about 18 mos or somewhere around there later. I get a call and its John. He says hey im going to start building your cue. Tell me what you would like done. I had even forgotten about this. I never called John one time while he had my cue. Now at the time John called me I still was not entirely well versed about his cues. Sounds ridiculous but its true. I was out of cue collecting largely and had not be following the wanted for sale section of AZ closely. Anyways when he called me and asked me what I wanted done, I said well can we keep the cue right around 1800-2000? He did pause a bit but he said sure, ok I can do that. Again, I had no idea what he charged, how long his wait was and it was only later that I learned that asking him to do a cue for the price I did was pretty much not his pricing.
So again fast forward many months later and he calls me when it was ready and told me he was shipping it and told me the price I still owed. Included in the bill was a case, one of those 1x2 Ron Thomas cases that has Showman cues engraved in the top. I told him could he please just ship the cue without a case and he said ok sure. The cue arrives and it has the case so I write him back and say John you sent me the case? He said yeah it didnt feel right shipping the cue without the case. Dont worry about it.
The cue was stunning. Here it is
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=183606
Again fast forward a year or so and my sons summer camp bill is in front of me. $3k for both sons. I decided to sell the cue. I told showman I had sold the cue and I had made money on it and I asked him to me at least take him out to a dinner. Just tell me where you like to eat in Tampa and Ill set it up. He wouldn't take that either.
To the original poster, I am not doubting your story. I am simply providing an alternative opinion of John that came from my own direct experience with him.
Showman built me a cue a while back. My experience with him was somewhat different.
I met John at Ted Harris's shop. I honestly did not know who Showman was and at the time I had come up to Ted's shop with three old Titlist one piece cues. I was going to take one to Dennis and I wanted Ted to look at the cues and see what he thought about the each of the three cues suitability for conversion. John was sitting in Teds shop and Ted says to me...hey meet John Showman...hes an awesome cuemaker. Ted says to me ....hey you should get John to convert one of these for you. He does awesome titlist conversions. So I gave one cue to John. One to Dennis and the other I took home.
Fast forward about 18 mos or somewhere around there later. I get a call and its John. He says hey im going to start building your cue. Tell me what you would like done. I had even forgotten about this. I never called John one time while he had my cue. Now at the time John called me I still was not entirely well versed about his cues. Sounds ridiculous but its true. I was out of cue collecting largely and had not be following the wanted for sale section of AZ closely. Anyways when he called me and asked me what I wanted done, I said well can we keep the cue right around 1800-2000? He did pause a bit but he said sure, ok I can do that. Again, I had no idea what he charged, how long his wait was and it was only later that I learned that asking him to do a cue for the price I did was pretty much not his pricing.
So again fast forward many months later and he calls me when it was ready and told me he was shipping it and told me the price I still owed. Included in the bill was a case, one of those 1x2 Ron Thomas cases that has Showman cues engraved in the top. I told him could he please just ship the cue without a case and he said ok sure. The cue arrives and it has the case so I write him back and say John you sent me the case? He said yeah it didnt feel right shipping the cue without the case. Dont worry about it.
The cue was stunning. Here it is
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=183606
Again fast forward a year or so and my sons summer camp bill is in front of me. $3k for both sons. I decided to sell the cue. I told showman I had sold the cue and I had made money on it and I asked him to me at least take him out to a dinner. Just tell me where you like to eat in Tampa and Ill set it up. He wouldn't take that either.
To the original poster, I am not doubting your story. I am simply providing an alternative opinion of John that came from my own direct experience with him.
I think people in the pool business, should not be rated on how good their product is. They should be rated on how likely they are to screw you over.
In this day and age, any cue one buy's is going to play jam up. Forget about playability... go with screwoverability.
I'm being selfish
You're not doubting his story? You should consider yourself extremely lucky. Your transaction with JS is the exception to the rule. Quite the aberration. The OP's is much more typical. JS is NEVER on time. He is ALWAYS lying. The fact he hasn't returned a $7000 cue is criminal. Charges should be filed. Until guys like this understand and experience real consequences for their actions, this will continue to happen.
This is a great idea.
The only problem in this instance is the OP is a lawyer.
Call it a push.
I'm not sure what is meant by "John converted the cue".
That is a beautiful cue, I hope you get it back soon.
This is a great idea.
The only problem in this instance is the OP is a lawyer.
Call it a push.
I'm not sure what is meant by "John converted the cue".
That is a beautiful cue, I hope you get it back soon.
Do you think John needs to take new orders? Do you think if he called any of the customers on his books tomorrow and told them that there cue is ready that any of them would turn down the cue? Not that what is going on with mike is right. Just the way it is
At the risk of adding fuel to the fire, are you certain that he's still in possession of your cue or is there a chance that perhaps it was reconditioned and sold to an unsuspecting collector, hence the reason for all the delays ......
I would have filed suit and criminal charges for felony theft long before this ... you're far more patient than most.
Do you think Mike is the first, or the first to speak up?
JV