chalk vs unchalked with respect to price

E

enzo

Banned
Someone recently informed me that after a cue has been chalked it loses value. This was news to me, although I personally disagree, but wanted to see some discusion on the topic to hear all sides.

I guess my question is, if a cue is chalked and then immediately loses value.... why is that??? The good cue shops I have been to let you hit and chalk the cues, and when you do so the value doesn't drop of course. Further, one could easily "erase" the evidence of chalking by sanding or shaping the tip, so, what would you rather have: a guy who chalks a cue and lies to you by sanding off the chalk, or a guy who just tells you look, it has been chalked but its a new cue. and one last note, when cuemakers finish cues i'm sure many times they chalk up, hit a few balls with them, and then "shape" off the chalk. would the value supposedly go down in this case too? or would you rather have your cuemaker test hit your cue to make sure everything is kosher?

any thoughts are appreciated.
 
I think the implication is that once it is chalked, it is used; therefore, it doesn't command the premium a new (unchalked) cue would. You're right though. The terms are kinda vague and only imply whether a shaft has actually been used.
 
just wanted to add...

Once you start to see signs of usage (dings, chalk in the shaft pores), i totally agree that the price should drop. but if you touch a piece of chalk to the tip the price goes down??? that seems absurd to me.
 
we finally agree on something!

Enzo,

Whoever told you that was probably trying to fleece you out of a couple of bucks! A custom cue is very different from say- a used car- where, once the car leaves the lot it depreciates.

As a matter of fact, I believe the opposite to be true. My custom cues have all appreciated over time. Condition wise/ Used but not abused is the only issue.

Any cuemaker worth a damn can clean up most cues to appear brand new so I don't see the problem.

JMO of course

Rob
 
Ken_4fun said:
Drive a car off a dealers lot then try to sell it back.

Same deal.

Ken
Click to expand...

one thing that stands out to me as wrong with the above logic is this:

if i drive a car off a lot and i own it and nobody else can get there hands on one for 6 months (unless they buy a used one from someone else), then i think the price just went up a little as you drove off personally.
 
Ken_4fun said:
Drive a car off a dealers lot then try to sell it back.

Same deal.

Ken
Click to expand...

Not the SAME DEAL, as Chalking could be FIXED with a New Tip, or Run in a Lathe, and some Fine Sand paper IMO....:rolleyes:
 
I have always thought that the no chalk rule was a ploy by sellers to not have cues returned. I mean who is going to get a cue and not try it. I have been selling production cues for 9 years. I always try to shape and chalk and test hit the cue before I ship. Of course I use brown chalk so most won't notice. But this way I know it is prepared right and ready for play. You would be amazed at how many people will chalk right over the shelac with no shaping and wonder why the cue will not hold chalk.
 
rackem said:
I have always thought that the no chalk rule was a ploy by sellers to not have cues returned. I mean who is going to get a cue and not try it. I have been selling production cues for 9 years. I always try to shape and chalk and test hit the cue before I ship.
Click to expand...

Great Comments:)
 
Ken_4fun said:
Drive a car off a dealers lot then try to sell it back.

Same deal.

Ken
Click to expand...
I cant agree with this logic.

Taking a car out for a test drive and not buying it will not lower it's price for the next buyer.

Chalking a cue at a pro shop to hit balls with it and try it out is the same way.

I wonder how many dealers at valley forge share the "chalk it once and the price goes down" idea. If they do Im going to every booth to chalk them before I buy them.
 
Icon of Sin said:
I wonder how many dealers at valley forge share the "chalk it once and the price goes down" idea. If they do Im going to every booth to chalk them before I buy them.
Click to expand...

Good Point:rolleyes:
 
Jut FYI, every Schon cue is hit with and tested by Evan Clark, so essentially every cue is "used" in that sense.
 
TX Poolnut said:
I think the implication is that once it is chalked, it is used; therefore, it doesn't command the premium a new (unchalked) cue would. You're right though. The terms are kinda vague and only imply whether a shaft has actually been used.
Click to expand...


so, a car that has been test driven is now used and should be at least 5-10 thousand off the retail price right. it is not used till someone buys it. if you it is used because someone test hit with it then i wouldn't let anyone test hit any of the cues in my store anymore. people will just have to buy on looks alone. that kind of attitude sucks. people want the best but don't want to pay for it, then try to find any reason they can to get a discount. man, i hate the general public, more then ever in vegas. if ya'll don't like the price or the fact someone test hit the cue........don't buy it. simple, i hate it when people act like i owe it to them to give a discount. to hell with that. i give discounts to cool people, who act like they should. if someone comes in and demands a discount......they need to go to a different store.........cue is used because it was test hit with, shit. how many of you chalk up a cue and test hit with it, and not buy it........that is the dumbest thing i have heard in awhile.
 
The secret is simple just use brown chalk for all test hitting. Heck I use it myself anyway. Keeps everything so much cleaner looking.
 
cuesrus said:
Enzo,

Whoever told you that was probably trying to fleece you out of a couple of bucks! A custom cue is very different from say- a used car- where, once the car leaves the lot it depreciates.

As a matter of fact, I believe the opposite to be true. My custom cues have all appreciated over time. Condition wise/ Used but not abused is the only issue.

Any cuemaker worth a damn can clean up most cues to appear brand new so I don't see the problem.

JMO of course

Rob
Click to expand...

Hey Rob-
The only reason I would disagree with you here is because of the quoted sentence above that I highlighted. I took a look at your signature and noticed that perhaps the reason you have experienced appreciation over time despite play is because the cues that you own are all 'collectible' cues. They are highly sought after, collectible cues which are limited in in supply. Anything that is in extremely high demand and extremely short supply is going to appreciate in value rather rapidly.

However, for the less collectible cue, ie those that are not as high in demand and abundant in supply, they have a lower value. When a customer wants something to be in the best condition possible, that customer tends to think "New". Anything with chalk on it is an idication that it is not new.

As someone else in this thread posted, any cuemaker worth his salt can make a slightly used shaft look new again. The operative word here is 'again'. The cue is no longer new. If I wanted to pay 'new cue' prices, I'd rather know that some cuemaker didn't take someone's already-played cue and just make it look new again. If you ask me, the drop in price for a chalked tip can be justified in most cases.But in the cases of Rob's cues (Showmans, Herceks, Szambotis, etc.) it should NOT affect the value at all. Its the condition of the shaft and the butt section that should dictate the value here. JMO.
 
(QUOTE)However, for the less collectible cue, ie those that are not as high in demand and abundant in supply, they have a lower value. When a customer wants something to be in the best condition possible, that customer tends to think "New". Anything with chalk on it is an idication that it is not new.
If you ask me, the drop in price for a chalked tip can be justified in most cases.(QUOTE)



ever try on a pair of shoes, maybe shirt or pants. If that is the way you think, then every store that sells a product....is selling USED goods. why are you so special that you get everything at a discount, and expect it!!!!!. dude, you are a hypocrit(sp)
 
enzo said:
Someone recently informed me that after a cue has been chalked it loses value. ...
Click to expand...
There is a cue store in Gresham, Oregon (Billiards and Bagels?) that has hundreds of cues and they want you to chalk whichever you are interested in and try it out. If it takes you four hours to decide on a cue, that's fine with them. I've seen another store with a similar policy. This is the right way to do things.

You can't tell how a stick plays without spinning the cue ball. Different sticks hit the ball differently. Players have widely differing preferences in how their sticks should hit the ball.

I suppose you could take your own set of SmartShaft adapters to the store and try the stick with your own shaft, but it's mostly the shaft that determines how the stick plays.
 
Bob Jewett said:
There is a cue store in Gresham, Oregon (Billiards and Bagels?) that has hundreds of cues and they want you to chalk whichever you are interested in and try it out. If it takes you four hours to decide on a cue, that's fine with them.
Click to expand...

Heard of that Place. Heard good thing about it...
 
wakuljr said:
so, a car that has been test driven is now used and should be at least 5-10 thousand off the retail price right. it is not used till someone buys it. if you it is used because someone test hit with it then i wouldn't let anyone test hit any of the cues in my store anymore. people will just have to buy on looks alone. that kind of attitude sucks. people want the best but don't want to pay for it, then try to find any reason they can to get a discount. man, i hate the general public, more then ever in vegas. if ya'll don't like the price or the fact someone test hit the cue........don't buy it. simple, i hate it when people act like i owe it to them to give a discount. to hell with that. i give discounts to cool people, who act like they should. if someone comes in and demands a discount......they need to go to a different store.........cue is used because it was test hit with, shit. how many of you chalk up a cue and test hit with it, and not buy it........that is the dumbest thing i have heard in awhile.
Click to expand...

I have to assume that the quote in your post (my first post in this thread) is what you're referring to as "the dumbest thing i have heard in awhile." I am no cue expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't mind inserting what I've heard about the topic of this thread into it.

Insulting other posters here really isn't neccesary, however if you're keeping track of dumb things you come across, perhaps your display of bad grammer, punctuation, capitilazation, and usage should beat my post handily.
 
TX Poolnut said:
I have to assume that the quote in your post (my first post in this thread) is what you're referring to as "the dumbest thing i have heard in awhile." I am no cue expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't mind inserting what I've heard about the topic of this thread into it.

Insulting other posters here really isn't neccesary, however if you're keeping track of dumb things you come across, perhaps your display of bad grammer, punctuation, capitilazation, and usage should beat my post handily.
Click to expand...
Luckily, you did not mention spelling. ;)
Capitalization
Grammar
Necessary

Tracy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top