Building Custom Cue with NO Shaft

Arnot Wadsworth

Arnot Wadsworth

Senior Cuemaker
Silver Member
Occasionally I get a request to build one of my cues with no shaft. The customer wants to fit the cue with an aftermarket shaft of some type. My answer is that I build a complete cue; i. e., a butt and a shaft.

My question is this. If you were to build such a cue and the cue the customer was interested in were to list for say $600.00 with one shaft, how much would you sell the cue for less the shaft?

If your extra shafts were to list for say $200.00 would you sell the cue for $400.00?

Just wondering what other cuemakers do in this case. :)

Good Cuemaking,
 
My opinion

If I were you I would sell the same 600 dollar cue shaftless for 600. If the customer wants to add his aftermarket shaft he can do what he wants. Sorry I am not a cuemaker. I probably should not have replied to this post. Just adding my 2 cent opinion.
 
Easy, price it with the aftermarket shaft you will supply .
Your regular price plus $100 should be fair.
$700.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Easy, price it with the aftermarket shaft you will supply .
Your regular price plus $100 should be fair.
$700.
Click to expand...

I agree... After all you would have to match the shaft and butt at the joint for proper fit and alignment.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Easy, price it with the aftermarket shaft you will supply .
Your regular price plus $100 should be fair.
$700.
Click to expand...

I carry Predator shaft blanks and offer them as a substitute for my normal shaft or as an extra shaft also as an upgrade shaft for any other cue. I charge 200.00 to fit a 314-2 blank to almost any cue, matching the deco-rings and making a perfect fit. I charge the same 200.00 if someone wants 314-2 as an extra shaft when ordering a cue and if some one wants just the 314-2 and no standard shaft I charge 150.00 extra. This, of coarse, means, that I am knocking off only 50.00 for not getting one of my shafts. This kind of insures that people who want a 314-2 with one of my cues that they also take a standard shaft. I think that it is smart for a person to have a standard shaft, even if not using it as if or when they decide to sell the cue it makes it easier to sell with a new, unplayed shaft to accompany it.

You can not knock off the entire price of an extra shaft as you are then also knocking off the profit from the cue.

Dick
 
I've done this a few times, and simply deducted the price of a shaft. I don't mind doing this at all. If I could sell ALL my cues without shafts, It would save me a lot of work. :D
I suppose if my shaft price was through the roof, it would be different. I'm sure I sell them too cheap.
 
as a customer i think it'd be fair to take off the price of the shaft off and then add in the price of the aftermarket shaft. the price should be about the same or a little higher.

i'm not a cuemaker though so take this for what it's worth
 
when i was buying cues i rarely had shafts made. -R- made me close to 25 cues and he only maybe made me 5 with shafts. i can understand both arguements. integrety of the maker vs customer demands.

i think if it effects the sale of a cue ... well money talks. deduct the price of a shaft.
 
I have done this occasionally to match a cue butt up to Predator Shafts and Schuler Carom shafts. I deducted $100 from the price of the cue. My extra shafts cost $150, but it is more hassle ot match my cue to their shaft than it is for me to match my shafts to my cue, so I don't deduct the entire $150.
 
Kevin Lindstrom said:
If I were you I would sell the same 600 dollar cue shaftless for 600. If the customer wants to add his aftermarket shaft he can do what he wants. Sorry I am not a cuemaker. I probably should not have replied to this post. Just adding my 2 cent opinion.
Click to expand...

I totally agree!!!!
 
I've read post's that even if the buyer supplies the wood my prices never change. The wood in a shaft is no different then the wood in a cue.
IMO my price should stay the same. Send me your favorite shaft and will fit it to my cue. With no extra charge I send a second shaft. If I do my job right they order their next cue with two shafts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top