I have to disagree with these two points. I bought one of the late DP eBay cues (about a year before he stopped selling them) and it is my favorite playing cue, replacing a mid to upper level Pechauer. In the approximately 4 years I've had it the only flaws that I've noticed are a slight raising of the finish at one of the rings and a very slight shaft warp when the air is really dry during a Wisconsin cold snap. This is in-spite of my keeping the cue in my car 365 days a year since I bought it. I'd say that's excellent performance for a cue that I paid $180 plus $20 shipping for.
As far as screwing over his early buyers, in order for a screwing to take place in this context, there has to be an intentional screwer and an unwilling screwee. There is no evidence that Perry intended to screw anybody with his change in business practices. His early buyers got well made, great playing cues for a price that was acceptable to them. Those that were buying them to play with or collect for aesthetic enjoyment certainly were not screwed by his later change in business model because the cues still looked and played fine.
I do agree that those that bought the pre-eBay cues to flip or hold for investment lost out when they dropped in value. However, that's the nature of speculative investing (or gambling) - sometimes you win and sometimes you lose due to unforeseen conditions or events. Saying Dale Perry screwed these investors is similar to saying that a football coach who runs the clock out although well within field goal range when ahead by 2 but favored by 3 is screwing those who bet on his team. The bettors that laid the points lose out, but the coach's choice was strictly a business decision that had nothing to do with them. The bettors may feel screwed, but in reality they were not. The coach has no obligation to them, and in fact would be making an illogical decision if he included their interests in his reasoning.
