Buying table in another state

Chopdoc

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi-


I am considering buying a table from another state. The issue is I am at a loss as to how to get the table packed up and shipped to me reliably. I can't even figure out how to get a lead on estimates to have it done.

Any advice on where/how to start looking into this?


Also, I live in Palm Coast Florida. Who should I talk to about setting up a table when I buy one?

After reading numerous horror stories in these forums about poor work on tables and only really hearing that there are one or two mechanics who should be allowed to even touch a table, I am honestly concerned about who I can trust to do the job.

I am looking for an old Brunswick by the way. Probably a Gold Crown, but if I can find a good deal on something like an Anniversary farther away I would love to be able to snag it, but I don't know what to do about getting it here.

My goal is to buy a table this year but the more I read up on the it the more intimidated and fearful I am of the matter. I imagine that is not the intent of the posts that I have read in these forums but that is certainly the result.

Any advice would be appreciated. :smile:

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Hey doc
I would try mark Gregory.
I'm sure he has leads on older brunswicks.
He can tune it up for you too!
 
bowiebill said:
http://www.freightcenter.com/quickquote.aspx
Click to expand...

Thank you.

There are numerous companies that will provide freight service, but I need somebody I trust to break down the table on the other end, don't I?

Can I trust just any old freight company to disassemble and pack an antique table?

That's assuming I can get somebody reliable to check out the table before I buy it too. I am concerned about that. Who can I trust to do that?

.
 
cuejo said:
Hey doc
I would try mark Gregory.
I'm sure he has leads on older brunswicks.
He can tune it up for you too!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I heard from him. I'll probably talk to him.


I am concerned though. I passed up what turned out to be a stellar deal on a table already because I didn't know how to handle this.

From what I hear he is great...but what about when/if I find a table in Oregon, Nebraska, Montana, Ohio.....? He isn't there.

Part of the point is I am looking for a good price on the table. If I look nation-wide there are amazing deals even when adding the freight in fact. Of course, the table would need checked out on that end before I would buy.

If I go to the leader in my region and buy an antique table and have it set up I can tell you right now I probably can't afford it. At least that's the impression I have.

I literally passed up a beautiful Anniversary for dirt cheap that didn't need restored, that I found out afterward was actually in top notch shape. That table was sold for a few hundred dollars. It was across the country. What could I do? Nothing. I missed a stellar deal.

Maybe I am just in too much of a twist over this and should just look locally?

I dunno...I am just frustrated.



.
 
If I were you I would rule out any table you can't see and deal with in person. It's a buyer's market and if your goal is this year you shouldn't have any problem. Nice gold crowns are so common these days that it would have to be free before shipping it would even be a consideration. You live in a populated state. I doubt you'll have to go far to find what you want if you're patient and diligent. My son was looking for a table up in Oak Harbor WA and was willing to go the 80 miles to Seattle to get it. Lo and behold a mint GC1 showed up on craigslist right in his small town for $700. Within 5 miles of his house. He had been looking for about 4 months by then. Site unseen is dangerous and shipping is expensive and risky.

JC
 
JC said:
If I were you I would rule out any table you can't see and deal with in person. It's a buyer's market and if your goal is this year you shouldn't have any problem. Nice gold crowns are so common these days that it would have to be free before shipping it would even be a consideration. You live in a populated state. I doubt you'll have to go far to find what you want if you're patient and diligent. My son was looking for a table up in Oak Harbor WA and was willing to go the 80 miles to Seattle to get it. Lo and behold a mint GC1 showed up on craigslist right in his small town for $700. Within 5 miles of his house. He had been looking for about 4 months by then. Site unseen is dangerous and shipping is expensive and risky.

JC
Click to expand...



Thanks.

Yeah, for a GC I shouldn't have any trouble locally.

But I got dreaming of things like an Anniversary.....which could certainly be a little more worthwhile to consider shipping!

I mean...if you land an Anniversary for a few hundred bucks, it's sure as shootin worth shipping.


But then there is the aspect of not being able to see it.

I would need to be able to call somebody to go check it out. Then if I buy it they need to break it down for shipping.

It would normally seem to make sense to call a dealer/mechanic in that area, pay them to check it out, and if it passes muster then pay them to break it down and ship it. But after reading these forums it seems the consensus is that the majority in the business don't know what they are doing and shouldn't be trusted. The way people talk there are less than a handful that can properly even re-cloth a table. So I can' just call the local dealer/mechanic. Can I? I would like to be able to do exactly that. Just have a local mechanic check it out and if it passes muster have him break it down for shipping.

Maybe I am being stupid and should just talk to people in my own region, like Mark...he's a bit North of me but comes highly recommended....highly recommended makes me afraid I can't afford it though...:o

Can you tell I am stressed out about this? :o
.




.

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Chopdoc said:
Thanks.

Yeah, for a GC I shouldn't have any trouble locally.

But I got dreaming of things like an Anniversary.....which could certainly be a little more worthwhile to consider shipping!

I mean...if you land an Anniversary for a few hundred bucks, it's sure as shootin worth shipping.


But then there is the aspect of not being able to see it.

I would need to be able to call somebody to go check it out. Then if I buy it they need to break it down for shipping.

It would normally seem to make sense to call a dealer/mechanic in that area, pay them to check it out, and if it passes muster then pay them to break it down and ship it. But after reading these forums it seems the consensus is that the majority in the business don't know what they are doing and shouldn't be trusted. The way people talk there are less than a handful that can properly even re-cloth a table. So I can' just call the local dealer/mechanic. Can I? I would like to be able to do exactly that. Just have a local mechanic check it out and if it passes muster have him break it down for shipping.

Maybe I am being stupid and should just talk to people in my own region, like Mark...he's a bit North of me but comes highly recommended....highly recommended makes me afraid I can't afford it though...:o

Can you tell I am stressed out about this? :o
.




.

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Click to expand...

Your question is impossible to answer since you dont know the current location of the table. For every area there is SOMEONE that knows what they are doing.
 
bowiebill said:
Your question is impossible to answer since you dont know the current location of the table. For every area there is SOMEONE that knows what they are doing.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't believe people when they tell you the table's in very good condition...sending pic's of the good parts on the table....I've had 2 or 3 centennial tables shipped in from pic's only...paid close to 4000 for 2 of them....and trust me the tables should've of been put in the dumpster.

Not saying everyone is trying to pull moves......but most of them truly don't know a good table from.....just and ok table....if I can't see it myself....I'm not interested in them anymore.

Most all the tables will need redone from top to bottom....if you want something that plays and looks great.....rare to find one ready to go as is.

Best way is to understand going in that most of the table's are going to need work done for a solid playing table.

Mark Gregory
 
perfectpocketz said:
I wouldn't believe people when they tell you the table's in very good condition...sending pic's of the good parts on the table....I've had 2 or 3 centennial tables shipped in from pic's only...paid close to 4000 for 2 of them....and trust me the tables should've of been put in the dumpster.

Not saying everyone is trying to pull moves......but most of them truly don't know a good table from.....just and ok table....if I can't see it myself....I'm not interested in them anymore.

Most all the tables will need redone from top to bottom....if you want something that plays and looks great.....rare to find one ready to go as is.

Best way is to understand going in that most of the table's are going to need work done for a solid playing table.

Mark Gregory
Click to expand...

you could find people at this site willing to go check the table out for you...
 
Searching for good table

Mark is right on point here...I have been looking for over 2 years for a used GC 1 -3 Model and have seen many a GC's...Not one was without need of Cushion/Calibration Job ...Dont get me started on the other issues...

I will wait and save to get a Diamond or a GC Pro done by Mark to current spec's and without issue's...

Listen to Mark or Glenn here on the forum....

Do not step over dollars to pick up a penny as i have done....


Thank you for your time

Richard

perfectpocketz said:
I wouldn't believe people when they tell you the table's in very good condition...sending pic's of the good parts on the table....I've had 2 or 3 centennial tables shipped in from pic's only...paid close to 4000 for 2 of them....and trust me the tables should've of been put in the dumpster.

Not saying everyone is trying to pull moves......but most of them truly don't know a good table from.....just and ok table....if I can't see it myself....I'm not interested in them anymore.

Most all the tables will need redone from top to bottom....if you want something that plays and looks great.....rare to find one ready to go as is.

Best way is to understand going in that most of the table's are going to need work done for a solid playing table.

Mark Gregory
Click to expand...
 
Chopdoc said:
Hi-


I am considering buying a table from another state. The issue is I am at a loss as to how to get the table packed up and shipped to me reliably. I can't even figure out how to get a lead on estimates to have it done.

Any advice on where/how to start looking into this?


Also, I live in Palm Coast Florida. Who should I talk to about setting up a table when I buy one?

After reading numerous horror stories in these forums about poor work on tables and only really hearing that there are one or two mechanics who should be allowed to even touch a table, I am honestly concerned about who I can trust to do the job.

I am looking for an old Brunswick by the way. Probably a Gold Crown, but if I can find a good deal on something like an Anniversary farther away I would love to be able to snag it, but I don't know what to do about getting it here.

My goal is to buy a table this year but the more I read up on the it the more intimidated and fearful I am of the matter. I imagine that is not the intent of the posts that I have read in these forums but that is certainly the result.

Any advice would be appreciated. :smile:

.
Click to expand...

einstein ran into this same problem. he devised a formula:

B x M - C + L - s = ?

budget x model - condition + location - spouse = value


hope that helps :)
 
I really appreciate the input and discussion on this matter.

I think I really got myself in a tailspin over it, and I did it to myself.

At this point I am hitting the reset button in my head and going back to all the solid great advice I have been given all along, some of which was repeated in this thread.


Thanks so much guys.

.
 
Doc, I'm assuming that by now you've gotten an offer for help via pm, but in case you haven't, let me throw this out there...

Rather than searching yourself, another option is to work with an established 'table restoration expert', most of which have a 'stock' or supply of various old tables on hand or in storage, that are ready to be brought back to life at any moment.

In doing so, you can skip much of the searching process, and at the same time, you'll be dealing with someone who absolutely knows the tables inside and out.

As far as transporting it is concerned, some of the table restoration experts also offer delivery and setup nationwide. The ones that don't can direct you to an appropriate shipper and will pack up your table properly.

You will probably pay a little more in the end, but it will be well worth it to have an expert handling your table at every step in its journey.
 
chopdoc
bob cunningham is a table mechanic and owns a billiard supply store
here in vero beach,fl
when i bought my gc2 he was the one to break it down from the sellers house and set it up for me including putting new super speed rails new simonis 860 on it
he recently got a bunch of gc4s from a closed down pool room
i know scott r bought a table had bob do some refinishing and is getting his table delivered in jacksonville tommorrow and being set up by bob
dont know how many tables are left but give him a call
tell him larry from vero referred you to him
(772) 978-1332
 
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