Can anybody sell a cue in the wanted section?

[barking4action]

I cannot sell anything here anymore. Maybe nobody wants a fancy tulipwood and turquoise Gilbert. I have it priced well at $410 shipped and not a bite. Maybe az is in a slump for buyers. I just saw a lambros sold with 3 shafts sold at the Reno bar championships for $1000. Not a sellers market

 

[Bishop]

I'm going to keep posting this in hopes that the higher ups haven't just thrown their hands up after the last rounds of change. There is a social aspect around cues that does fuel sales. With that said there was a very real problem with excessive bumping and friend bumps that made it difficult for everyone to benefit from the forum on equal footing. I think my suggestions promote the social aspect of cue the world while protecting the integrity of the forum.

Here is a post I made in another thread that I think would help fix things.

I personally hated the excessive bumping but also enjoyed the knowledge that came from legitimately informative posts that actually added something.

I don't claim to have all the answers but I think my ideas bring together the best of both sides.

1. Cue flippers, cue sellers, dealers and cue makers should be afforded their own subsection to advertise independently from the For Sale Forum.

IE - for 200 bucks a year you'll have your own subsection to post your items for sale, share your current work and post to your own gallery. This could be customized in many different ways. These "pay for" subforums have been successful on many other forums. Your own little retail/advert area.

They can still use the BST forum but this gives them another provenance here on the forum to showcase from.

In the For Sale forum -

2. Install a mod that allows posts but prohibits the posts from bumping the thread.

3. Install an autobump feature. Each thread will autobump every 72 hours for a limit of 90 days or until sold. Gold members and "pay for" subforum members will receive autobumps at every 48 hours.

4. If you wish to pay for your listing (a dollar or two a listing) it will autobump every 24 hours for a limit of 90 days or until sold.

5. Install a mod that allows the OP to change the thread to "SOLD". Which locks the thread.

These few changes will control the bumping without stifling the conversation. The subforums open up a stream of revenue and allow those who want to pay a place to showcase their work. I know I would pay for one.

 

[KRJ]

I cannot sell anything here anymore. Maybe nobody wants a fancy tulipwood and turquoise Gilbert. I have it priced well at $410 shipped and not a bite. Maybe az is in a slump for buyers. I just sold a lambros with 3 shafts sold at the Reno bar championships for $1000. Not a sellers market

Nah, cue market has been down for a long time. But, those now get to blame it on the new format.

Kinda like all those pool room closes during the very bad economy, but they blamed that on the smoking laws, not the economy or the pool climate. Everything needs a scapegoat, it has to be somebody else's fault

 

[skins]

I'm going to keep posting this in hopes that the higher ups haven't just thrown their hands up after the last rounds of change. There is a social aspect around cues that does fuel sales. With that said there was a very real problem with excessive bumping and friend bumps that made it difficult for everyone to benefit from the forum on equal footing. I think my suggestions promote the social aspect of cue the world while protecting the integrity of the forum.

Here is a post I made in another thread that I think would help fix things.

Not sure how much of the code is customizeable but your suggestions are in the right direction imo...

 

[Bishop]

Not sure how much of the code is customizeable but your suggestions are in the right direction imo...

Some specifics might need to be built but for the most part what I listed can be done with a simple vbulletin mod install.

 

[Hits 'em Hard]

I cannot sell anything here anymore. Maybe nobody wants a fancy tulipwood and turquoise Gilbert. I have it priced well at $410 shipped and not a bite. Maybe az is in a slump for buyers. I just sold a lambros with 3 shafts sold at the Reno bar championships for $1000. Not a sellers market

Well since you want to complain, I'll offer my insight. In the last few years I've noticed a trend. Cues with cheap looks don't sell. In your case, the turquoise inlays aren't helping sell it. I know Gilbert j/b's are high quality for not only breaking but playing as well. But you're hoping his rep is going to sell, in my opinion, an ugly cue. It's not a highly sought after wood or inlay design, don't demand primo dollar and it'll sell.

 

[Hits 'em Hard]

I'm going to keep posting this in hopes that the higher ups haven't just thrown their hands up after the last rounds of change. There is a social aspect around cues that does fuel sales. With that said there was a very real problem with excessive bumping and friend bumps that made it difficult for everyone to benefit from the forum on equal footing. I think my suggestions promote the social aspect of cue the world while protecting the integrity of the forum.

Here is a post I made in another thread that I think would help fix things.

Some specifics might need to be built but for the most part what I listed can be done with a simple vbulletin mod install.

The problem wasn't so much 'friends' of the seller doing unneeded bumping, but the mods inability to spend the time there as needed. When punishments did get passed out, they went for the whole thread as that was more time efficient. There has been a desperate need for more mods on here for a while. While there is a lack of mods to control everything, measures get taken to keep us in line so they don't have to do any unnecessary work by handing out warnings and bans that shouldn't happen in the first place. But no matter what, cue market up or down. Some cues just won't sell.

 

[CMarshall]

The only cues that sell now are Tim Scruggs cues that "hit like a monster." Everything else is just garbage.

/sarcasm

 

[TheBook]

They should only allow one item for sale per a 60 day period per member. That would eliminate a lot of clutter and help someone trying to sell a cue or anything else that is not dealer.

I look at the for sale section and see 5 to 6 or more threads in a row from the same seller.

 

[ceebee]

I sold a couple of Pechauer Break Cues... great customers.

 

[skins]

They should only allow one item for sale per a 60 day period per member. That would eliminate a lot of clutter and help someone trying to sell a cue or anything else that is not dealer.

I look at the for sale section and see 5 to 6 or more threads in a row from the same seller.

��

I completely disagree.... it's simple, less seen for sale = less sales... more seen = more sell ....selling 101

 

[barking4action]

Well since you want to complain, I'll offer my insight. In the last few years I've noticed a trend. Cues with cheap looks don't sell. In your case, the turquoise inlays aren't helping sell it. I know Gilbert j/b's are high quality for not only breaking but playing as well. But you're hoping his rep is going to sell, in my opinion, an ugly cue. It's not a highly sought after wood or inlay design, don't demand primo dollar and it'll sell.

I paid $650 plus shipping for it. I think $400 is fair. I'm not complaining. I've sold 10 cues on John Barton's Facebook group in the last two weeks. I've had the same cue here for cheaper and didn't get a bite. Wasn't complaining. Just trying to sell my wife's break cue because she uses her cognosenti. All my sales on my itrader are within the last year. Don't be a grumpy pants. Tulipwood isn't sought after but a plain cocobolo that everybody has is?

 

[MCP]

Sales

It does seem that way, the sales are slow and or down.
What I can say is the the public determines the market always has always will.
I have started to do more deals at the pool room selling directly to a player.
They can hit a few balls look at the merchandise and we can have a discussion/negotiation on the spot.
I like the forum, but doing business one on one live is much easier and faster.
Mcp

 

[Hits 'em Hard]

I paid $650 plus shipping for it. I think $400 is fair. I'm not complaining. I've sold 10 cues on John Barton's Facebook group in the last two weeks. I've had the same cue here for cheaper and didn't get a bite. Wasn't complaining. Just trying to sell my wife's break cue because she uses her cognosenti. All my sales on my itrader are within the last year. Don't be a grumpy pants. Tulipwood isn't sought after but a plain cocobolo that everybody has is?

Yes, a good piece of cocobolo is more sought after than tulipwood. That doesn't mean tulipwood isn't worth the money. It's just hard to make light woods work with inlays and such. Turquoise in tulipwood is far to gaudy for me to want, and I'm not the only one who feels this way. Complain about the market all you want, but ugly cues don't sell.

 

[Black-Balled]

Turquoise is something I also don't loke in a cue. Tell me it has floating points too...:barf:

 

[mortuarymike-nv]

I see it way different

The problem wasn't so much 'friends' of the seller doing unneeded bumping, but the mods inability to spend the time there as needed. When punishments did get passed out, they went for the whole thread as that was more time efficient. There has been a desperate need for more mods on here for a while. While there is a lack of mods to control everything, measures get taken to keep us in line so they don't have to do any unnecessary work by handing out warnings and bans that shouldn't happen in the first place. But no matter what, cue market up or down. Some cues just won't sell.

Sorry but both times these changes have taken place was Christmas time.......
Both times for a certain duration No NEW cues could be listed.................
The first time we were not allowed to even bump the new cues we already had listed.
The second time Mike H said no new cue to be listed until further notice.
I also noticed allot of sellers kept on listing new cues, I didn't because I dindnt like the fact I was getting Panjo shoved down my throat so I stopped bumping and stopped listing any new cues or billiard products In the wanted for sale section,
and I didn't want to deal with Panjo............


These changes have been made because of the companies who are buying the banner don't want the Competition.

Lets face it the wanted for sale section is like watching paint dry compared to the way it used to be.

The small time cue flippers are or will become a thing of the past just like allot of Custom cue makers.

Cue sales are down and that is a fact but there is no reason to make things worse by making the WFS section dead.

What does really burns me is every member who has done smooth and honest transactions that helped make the WFS section what it is, is being forced to list there products other places now because the WFS just is not what it use to be.
And that was fun, I use to enjoy reading all the ads about different cues being sold.
And really enjoyed it when someone was selling a fake and was getting tons of crap
because someone smoked them out as being dishonest.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

Yes, a good piece of cocobolo is more sought after than tulipwood. ugly cues don't sell.

this

im new at collecting cues
I dont like cues with points,butterflies,or splices,veneers,or 95 percent of the inlay I see done on them and most ring work doesn't catch my eye much

I like the plain janes with woods that I cant take my eyes off
but thats just me and what I like

 

[theluckfactor]

My opinion, based on a perspective of someone that has looked at the wanted section for some time now, is that the new rules have had an impact on the number of cues that I view. Having the links on the thread is too slow to browse through the listings and the thread loses its focus with too many links to have to go to. The old way was better even if the bumping was out of control.

From outsiders point of view, I also don’t think that you should solely pass blame on the modes but the poor sales and views is due to a small percentage of the users that use this site as a business. I personally feel after seeing so many cues listed for $700 and more that this site in general has lost its overall appeal. I mean how van cues over $600 be sold with one shaft?

Couple that with all the negative posts about cue makers, negative used cue sales experiences and sellers putting down customers, I don’t have any interest in even going to the for sale section or the site in general.

 

[Bishop]

These changes have been made because of the companies who are buying the banner don't want the Competition.

I have no idea if this is 100% true or not but its why I made a few suggestions.

The first was paying 1-2 dollars for a 24 hour autobump.

The second was that they should make subforums available for purchase. There's lots of great cuemakers that would like a place to show their work, be a bit more personal and help cultivate sales. A dedicated subforum would be cost effective compared to say...a website. This also helps bring the cue makers close to the buyer which has always been a big issue here. There is a certain apprehension or maybe invisible line in the sand here on the forum with a lot of cue makers. Gotta move forward not backwards.

These subforums/vendor forums can be valuable for flippers/dealers as well.

All in all if done correctly it should offset the money driven by banner ads in a much more productive way.

 

[theluckfactor]

Additionally, while speaking about modes why isn't re-posting threads enforced? How many Barry threads are out there... one thread people for each topic