Can O' Worms Better Left Unopened?

ridewiththewind

ridewiththewind

♥ Hippie Hustler ♥
Silver Member
Okay, so in July or August of 2010 I had a young guy who was in the Army and had just returned from a tour in Iraq approach me about one of my cues where I play. He really wanted his own cue, and he really wanted the one I happened to be playing with that evening:



It was a Prather blank that Paul Allers, a cue maker on Whidbey Island, completed flawlessly for me. I wasn't super keen on parting with it, but the guy kept bugging me about it, and since I had lost my job a couple of months previous, I said okay. He never gave me a chance to come up with an asking price, and flat-out offered me $600 for the cue, providing I threw in a case for it, which I did...an original Instroke 1x2. He was a very happy camper.

Six or seven months later, he comes to me one night all upset about the cue. Says his 'friend' borrowed it, and brought it back to him complaining the points on one side are poking through the finish. Complains that whoever made it used faulty glue or something in the cue's construction. I told him that that was rather unlikely, as I know the folks at Prather build a solid blank, and Paul certainly would have done nothing to compromise that. All this, and he fails to bring the cue in so I can inspect it.

Over the next 6-8 months, whenever I see him, I ask if he has brought the cue in for me to inspect, and he just doesn't. After a while, I just put it out of my mind...as I am not his mommy, and should not have to run around after him to get the situation resolved. Mind you, I did explain that I had no obligation in this matter to him, as the cue was flawless when I sold it to him, and I had played with it for a year and a half with nary a problem arising...cue and shafts were straight as a rail the entire time I owned it, and Paul did any tip and/or conditioning of the shafts work on it exclusively.

I did offer to help him out with regards to getting it to Paul for an inspection, and to see if it was repairable or not...as I had already spoken to Paul about the cue.

So, today I get a FB message from the guy asking me if I wanted to buy the cue back. Well, first I don't have any cue-buying money available, and I know the cue is in bad shape, according to his account. He says he feels he over-paid for the cue originally, and that he'd let me have it for $100-200. I ask him as to who is going to pay for the repairs, if it is repairable. I got nothing.

I have no problem taking it to Paul for the inspection...even tho' his shop is about an hour away from me these days with the traffic on and off the island. I might even be able to work it out with Paul if in fact it can be repaired. I am just conflicted at this point if I even want to get to much further involved. However, I will allegedly get to see the cue tonight....almost 2.5 years after the initial complaint. I may well be out of it the minute I view it...may well be nothing more, sadly, than firewood at this point.

Any thoughts?

Lisa
 
oldplayer said:
2.5 years? you are kidding me, right? :shrug::thud:
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I completely agree! While I am/was very fond of the cue...unless it's worth the repair, it's a moot point. Almost afraid to see the cue after all this time. Makes me a little sick to think about it. I keep hoping it's no where near as bad as he describes...since he knows nothing about cues.
 
Not your problem.
The guy pestered you to buy it, has played with it for how long??? and now wants you to buy it back for what he paid?

Not in this lifetime!
I was born during the day but not yesterday.
 
Koop said:
Not your problem.
The guy pestered you to buy it, has played with it for how long??? and now wants you to buy it back for what he paid?

Not in this lifetime!
I was born during the day but not yesterday.
Click to expand...

No, he doesn't want the $600 back.....because that wasn't going to happen in even the most remote way...lol! But I think he wants $100-200 for it, plus I have to pay for the repair....if in fact repairable. I may well take a look at it tonight and hand it right back to him. I'm certainly no dummy when it comes to cues...I'll know if it's worth the trip to Paul's shop pretty immediately.

Pisses me off tho'....it was a really nice playing cue, that someone with a bit more responsibility could have perhaps enjoyed. Bonehead.
 
You have ZERO obligation the minute he bought it seeing as it was given to him in person. 2.5 years later, the guys nuts if he feels you own him anything. Not your problem.
 
ridewiththewind said:
No, he doesn't want the $600 back.....because that wasn't going to happen in even the most remote way...lol! But I think he wants $100-200 for it, plus I have to pay for the repair....if in fact repairable. I may well take a look at it tonight and hand it right back to him. I'm certainly no dummy when it comes to cues...I'll know if it's worth the trip to Paul's shop pretty immediately.

Pisses me off tho'....it was a really nice playing cue, that someone with a bit more responsibility could have perhaps enjoyed. Bonehead.
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Tell him you'll give him $50 for it if it's repairable. Put aside until you can afford the repairs and you've actually made yourself a few hundred bucks and get your cue back.
 
Banks said:
"The car you sold me a few years ago has too many miles on it, I'd like you to buy it back." :confused:
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Same example went through my mind...

Lisa why don't you report on the condition if and when you see it. Send me a PM.
 
I agree with Koop, offer him $50, then just store it until you have the money to do something with it.

Even if you never have the money to get it repaired, put it on the wall with the good side facing out.
 
Ghosst said:
Same example went through my mind...

Lisa why don't you report on the condition if and when you see it. Send me a PM.
Click to expand...

I'll do that. Hopefully I will get some pics of it as well to post here.

Thanks, Koop...I will definitely keep that in mind. If it were a short-splice, then the forearm could likely be replaced. I am just not sure how easy it is to fix a full-splice forearm. I am guessing I will know exactly the nature of the damage when I see the cue. I am betting either someone banged it really hard against a table, or I know for a fact he stored it behind the seat of his pick-up truck, and since this happened in a very cold winter that year, it may have just warped to the point of popping the points on one side from leaning behind the seat too long.

It may well be one that I just have to forget about, and let the guy learn his lesson.
 
Lisa, good luck either way.

Just remember....I have first dibs on that Helmstetter if you ever decide to part with it :grin:
 
I think the cue is beautiful...I would buy it back for $100.
I'd think about the repairs later....the shafts alone make it a good deal...
....assuming even one of them is straight.

And I wouldn't feel guilty about it....
...my experience says the cue was mis-used...maybe left in the car for
a few days or something like that.
Woods and metal expand and contract at different rates....
...I've told people to keep a wool blanket or a comforter in their car
to wrap their cue in.

pt..<'68 Joss, still straight
 
Koop said:
Lisa, good luck either way.

Just remember....I have first dibs on that Helmstetter if you ever decide to part with it :grin:
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I have so many people that want that old cue...it's almost silly. I have one friend that tells me all the time...."quit playing with MY cue"...lmao!! It's all I have right now, but am hoping, fingers crossed, to have another cue coming home in the next couple of months or so.
 
pt109 said:
I think the cue is beautiful...I would buy it back for $100.
I'd think about the repairs later....the shafts alone make it a good deal...
....assuming even one of them is straight.

And I wouldn't feel guilty about it....
...my experience says the cue was mis-used...maybe left in the car for
a few days or something like that.
Woods and metal expand and contract at different rates....
...I've told people to keep a wool blanket or a comforter in their car
to wrap their cue in.

pt..<'68 Joss, still straight
Click to expand...

I totally get what you're saying. I even told the guy how to take care of it. Told him I would kick his a$$ if something ever happened to it...like I actually would, all 125 lbs of me...lol! Just makes me sick to even think about it.

And yes, I am totally including the condition of the shafts in the equation. So, I agree...if I have to incur the cost of repair and to replace the shafts....$50 is ALL he is gonna see for the cue...maybe another $40 for the case....maybe.
 
You are an experienced cue buyer. Check it out carefully and you will know for sure if it is a good buy for $150 (using your $100-$200 range). Trust your judgement and decide how much you are willing to spend. Once you make your decision, feel good about it regardless of the outcome.
 
jockey said:
nice wood, great layout, good photo.
what does prather charge for a blank like that one.
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Seems to me like it was pretty close to $400 for that one. According to Jeff Prather, the wood is called Lauro Preto, which upon my research is basically a Brazilian Bocote. The whole butt of the cue is covered in little birdseyes. The pics don't even do the wood justice in this cue.

I was just on Prather's site the other day, and they are going to be limiting the species of woods available for any future blanks. However, you can always call and ask...just ask for Jeff Prather, as he builds the full splice blanks there.
 
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