...confused

poohkiller

poohkiller

Still life.
Silver Member
Hello,

I am making this thread to hear advices, opinions on what should I do...

My problem is that I love cues more than playing the game itself. I mean I read much-much more about cues than I play with them... I am in the middle of taking my final exams now so that's easy to understand as I don't have time to go away from home and practice, however even when I do have the free time to go and practice I rather draw cue designs, read this forum - I read this forum at least 3-4 hours each and every day - and try to gather as much information as I can no matter what part of a cue's construction it is. So I can say that I play about 3-4 hours once a week and I think about cues (read about them, draw them, etc.) at least 20 hours a week and that is what's been going on for more than a year now.

I assume that owing to all that I want a cue made by a custom cuemaker like Travis Nicklich, Tad, Skip Weston, Richard Harris, Mottey, Scruggs, Bryan Fisher, Nitti... those are the names whom I have considered by now and who could be in my budget... I think I'd spend about $1,300 on a cue.

But - and this is a big BUT -, I don't feel like my game is up not even to these craftsman but to my Schon. When I am at home and looking at the Cue Gallery or FS section of this site I feel like I MUST get a cue like those... I am fond of plain ebony 4 pt 4 veneer cues of (for example) Paul Mottey. But when I am down at the pool hall and play with my Schon I feel like I do not deserve those cues...

I mean I can run two or three tables in a race to 7 in 8 or 9-ball on my better days but I would not use my cue more than 3-4 hours a week. The other side of the coin is that I have read about these cues so much and I admire these men so much that I feel like I must have one of their works.

This is why I am so confused... What do You think, should I get one of these cues or not? Any opinion or advice is greatly appreciated.
 
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think you might have some self image issues.

"deserve" has nothing to do with anything. Can you afford it? do you want it? Will it make you happy? - Buy it.
 
You don't have to be a great player to collect pool cues.

In addition, you sound like a better shooter than most, even by AZ standards. In fact, most of the better players I've seen don't really care what your or their pool cue looks like.
 
Buy it. But I can tell you now that you're not gonna touch a Mottey, Scruggs or Tad for 1300 bucks. Not ordering one new that is. A plain 4pt Mottey starts at around 1800-2000. I would imagine the other 2 do too.
MULLY
but yeah, buy the cue. It's a wonderful feeling.
 
Gregg said:
You don't have to be a great player to collect pool cues. In addition, you sound like a better shooter than most, even by AZ standards.
Click to expand...

It's good to hear that...

Gregg said:
In fact, most of the better players I've seen don't really care what your or their pool cue looks like.
Click to expand...

That is what I was told by many locally... however for some reason I still care a lot about how my cue looks like :confused:

Mully: I am mostly looking at the secondary market... I have seen a few Plain Jane tad cues for sale at around $1,300 and a couple 4pt Motteys too. I totally agree with you that I will not be able to get a cue brand new from any of these makers though, but I have seen so many cues here at AZ that were matching my taste (and budget...) very well. That is why I thought about those cuemakers.

Thank you all for your replies!!
 
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poohkiller said:
It's good to hear that...



That is what I was told by many locally... however for some reason I still care a lot about how my cue looks like :confused:

Mully: I am mostly looking at the secondary market... I have seen a few Plain Jane tad cues for sale at around $1,300 and a couple 4pt Motteys too. I totally agree with you that I will not be able to get a cue brand new from any of these makers though, but I have seen so many cues here at AZ that were matching my taste (and budget...) very well. That is why I thought about those cuemakers.

Thank you all for your replies!!
Click to expand...


Actually there is a plain Jane Tad for sale at that price, brand new, right now in the for sale section. If it's not sold by June 11th it's mine so if you're serious about grabbing a high end cue for a good price you better jump now. Like I said, this Tad is brand new, never been chalked. No grudges held if you buy it out from under me, I'm looking at resale value in Japan for it so either way it's not going to be with me.
MULLY
 
if you want it, buy it. when you buy a new car, you have a choice, value (chevy) or luxury (mercedes). buying the mercedes doesnt mean you drive any better than the guy driving the chevy.
 
Mully: thank you for the hint. I'll try to settle everything here and then if I have the chance pull the trigger on that one. It was up for sale months ago too and even back then I put that page into my favourites and I couldn't stop dreaming about that... Even my girlfriend knew mostly everything about Tad Kohara :o Thank you once again.

Ant812: Good point you have there, thanks!
 
poohkiller said:
Hello,

I am making this thread to hear advices, opinions on what should I do...

My problem is that I love cues more than playing the game itself. I mean I read much-much more about cues than I play with them... I am in the middle of taking my final exams now so that's easy to understand as I don't have time to go away from home and practice, however even when I do have the free time to go and practice I rather draw cue designs, read this forum - I read this forum at least 3-4 hours each and every day - and try to gather as much information as I can no matter what part of a cue's construction it is. So I can say that I play about 3-4 hours once a week and I think about cues (read about them, draw them, etc.) at least 20 hours a week and that is what's been going on for more than a year now.

I assume that owing to all that I want a cue made by a custom cuemaker like Travis Nicklich, Tad, Skip Weston, Richard Harris, Mottey, Scruggs, Bryan Fisher, Nitti... those are the names whom I have considered by now and who could be in my budget... I think I'd spend about $1,300 on a cue.

But - and this is a big BUT -, I don't feel like my game is up not even to these craftsman but to my Schon. When I am at home and looking at the Cue Gallery or FS section of this site I feel like I MUST get a cue like those... I am fond of plain ebony 4 pt 4 veneer cues of (for example) Paul Mottey. But when I am down at the pool hall and play with my Schon I feel like I do not deserve those cues...

I mean I can run two or three tables in a race to 7 in 8 or 9-ball on my better days but I would not use my cue more than 3-4 hours a week. The other side of the coin is that I have read about these cues so much and I admire these men so much that I feel like I must have one of their works.

This is why I am so confused... What do You think, should I get one of these cues or not? Any opinion or advice is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

It's simple. As with most things, if you can pay for the cue, you are worthy of owning it!

The interest you have is exactly how one should feel about purchasing an expensive custom cue as an upgrade. Otherwise, a Schon is a fine playing cue, so why pay more? You should have a respect for and a healthy knowledge of a cue maker before you pay your money. There is a certain mystique and pride of ownership that accompanies the purchase of a Scruggs, or a Tad, or Mottey or the others you've mentioned - as well there should be.

Concerning customs, I see players of all abilities using them. I don't think pool players judge another by the cue they use. That would be a very superficial assement.

Collecting cues and playing pool have little to do with each other. I have a large collection of older cues, but I don't play with them. I collect as a separate hobby. My playing cue is primarily a tool, Although I like it a lot, there is no real ego connected to owning it and although it's a precision built JossWest. the mystique of ownership long ago faded into a respect for it's performance as an instrument.

Chris
 
TATE said:
It's simple. As with most things, if you can pay for the cue, you are worthy of owning it!

The interest you have is exactly how one should feel about purchasing an expensive custom cue as an upgrade. Otherwise, a Schon is a fine playing cue, so why pay more? You should have a respect for and a healthy knowledge of a cue maker before you pay your money. There is a certain mystique and pride of ownership that accompanies the purchase of a Scruggs, or a Tad, or Mottey or the others you've mentioned - as well there should be.

Concerning customs, I see players of all abilities using them. I don't think pool players judge another by the cue they use. That would be a very superficial assement.

Collecting cues and playing pool have little to do with each other. I have a large collection of older cues, but I don't play with them. I collect as a separate hobby. My playing cue is primarily a tool, Although I like it a lot, there is no real ego connected to owning it and although it's a precision built JossWest. the mystique of ownership long ago faded into a respect for it's performance as an instrument.

Chris
Click to expand...
well said.
 
I'd say if it makes your pool hobby (i.e. playing, practicing, learning about cues) more enjoyable on the whole, then go for it. I'm maybe a B- player if I'm playing really well, but I wouldn't be ashamed if I got spanked by some sneaky pete-toting shortstop who notices my fancy custom cue. I would just say I like cues and it helps me enjoy the game more.

P.S. there are plenty of average players own high-end cues
 
Chris,

Thank you for your reply! In your thoughts I could find the main reasons why I would like to have one of these cues: "mystique and pride of ownership". It's strange how I could never gather these two words to describe my feelings. I believe I am looking for that pride and feeling which comes with owning such an instrument that contains so much persistency, experience and knowledge - and although there can be a couple others looking more or less similar to it what I have in my hands is something that could not have came true without one single man's proficiency --- and this is what makes that particular cue unique.
 
Beware_of_Dawg said:
think you might have some self image issues.

"deserve" has nothing to do with anything. Can you afford it? do you want it? Will it make you happy? - Buy it.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Some of the biggest collections out there belong to guys who couldn't get out of a table with ball in hand.

Hell!!! One of the biggest custom cue dealers on this very site is a friggin' D player who couldn't run out of a burning building!!! (I won't say who though ...unless you ask nicely!)


If it makes you happy, buy it. Don't worry about what others think.

Take it from me. If I worried about what others thought of me, I'd have killed myself a long time ago.

-B
 
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Cue collection has nothing to do with your game.
It has to do with your taste.
Collect wall hangers and players.
Wall hangers stay in your closet.
Players? You grow with them.:)
 
poohkiller said:
I mean I can run two or three tables in a race to 7 in 8 or 9-ball on my better days but I would not use my cue more than 3-4 hours a week. The other side of the coin is that I have read about these cues so much and I admire these men so much that I feel like I must have one of their works.

This is why I am so confused... What do You think, should I get one of these cues or not? Any opinion or advice is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

If you run 2 or 3 out of 7 you are a heck of a player.

Buy a stick you love and play with it. Forget the collection.
 
poohkiller said:
Hello,

I am making this thread to hear advices, opinions on what should I do...

My problem is that I love cues more than playing the game itself. I mean I read much-much more about cues than I play with them... I am in the middle of taking my final exams now so that's easy to understand as I don't have time to go away from home and practice, however even when I do have the free time to go and practice I rather draw cue designs, read this forum - I read this forum at least 3-4 hours each and every day - and try to gather as much information as I can no matter what part of a cue's construction it is. So I can say that I play about 3-4 hours once a week and I think about cues (read about them, draw them, etc.) at least 20 hours a week and that is what's been going on for more than a year now.

I assume that owing to all that I want a cue made by a custom cuemaker like Travis Nicklich, Tad, Skip Weston, Richard Harris, Mottey, Scruggs, Bryan Fisher, Nitti... those are the names whom I have considered by now and who could be in my budget... I think I'd spend about $1,300 on a cue.

But - and this is a big BUT -, I don't feel like my game is up not even to these craftsman but to my Schon. When I am at home and looking at the Cue Gallery or FS section of this site I feel like I MUST get a cue like those... I am fond of plain ebony 4 pt 4 veneer cues of (for example) Paul Mottey. But when I am down at the pool hall and play with my Schon I feel like I do not deserve those cues...

I mean I can run two or three tables in a race to 7 in 8 or 9-ball on my better days but I would not use my cue more than 3-4 hours a week. The other side of the coin is that I have read about these cues so much and I admire these men so much that I feel like I must have one of their works.

This is why I am so confused... What do You think, should I get one of these cues or not? Any opinion or advice is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

I would say that you should check into a career in cue building. Find someone to apprentice with and go for it. It sounds like your school work is taking a back seat anyway if you can look at and dream about cues for 20-30 hours during finals.

I own and play with a collectible cue, and it does have a great feel and the pride of ownership that goes along with it feels good. The down side is the worry that goes into having it with you in the pool hall, and always having to be aware of it while there, not to mention not wanting to ever leave it in the car on that quick errand on the way there or back. Can't leave it for a second or it may be gone. If you get to the point where you don't feel comfortable bringing it to the hall, then it becomes a trophy cue and just sits around. After a while those kind of things can lose a lot of their luster. A trophy in the closet isn't good for much.

I would say hold off for a good long while since you have a great cue already. Those dollars may help to get your career on the right path, and if you're just starting out in a career that should be your priority. JMHO

Good luck. :)

td
 
Think about it this way...

There a million and one art collectors out there who can't draw a stick figure.

There a countless coin collectors out there who don't do anything in the financial field.

I once knew a girl whose father had a baseball by just about every major leaguer who ever hit a home run and I don't think he even played little league.



Collecting has nothing to do with your passion for a game. It has to do with your passion for the item you collect.
 
TATE said:
It's simple. As with most things, if you can pay for the cue, you are worthy of owning it.
Chris
Click to expand...


Unfortunately, some obsessed with a cue can't pay for anything else. It is like carrying diamond encrusted vise grips in the glove box of a Yugo.:D :D :D
 
Thank you all once again! You all made great suggestions!!

axejunkie: you said pretty much what I feel when it comes to explaining why do I have such a cue - as what I did not say yet is that my Schon is many times considered to be a "magic stick" that is "sooo expensive" and "there's no need for it", etc here, among Hungarian players... Slowly I am getting to a point where I don't care about this but still.. I'd like to convince people that a good cue with very much knowledge put into it does make playing pool more enjoyable.

pharaoh68: that burning building stuff is real funny :) I wish I could translate it into Hungarian but we do not say "run the table".

Joey: I wish I'll have the opportunity to grow with my dream player's cue. I am not ready to collect cues, however - naturally - I have a list of a few cues / style of cues which I would like to get.

Fragged: Thanks but nowadays my game got worse due to these damn exams. However after 16th of June - I have my oral exams on that day - I'll be back at the table... hopefully with a beautiful BEM Tad cue.

Grindz: thank you for your suggestion as apprenticing a cuemaker. If there was at least one cuemaker here I probably would be sleeping in his shop, but there is not. There is a Hungarian "cuemaking brand" (big words but it's nothing serious, their most expensive cue costs less than $45) and I was told that it cannot be visited - however since they said that I gathered many great acquaintances with a lot of power in the pool word so I'll try again and I'll probably make it there. It should be fun but they do not have spliced points, inlays or anything. They use only stickers and (very) cheap wood, nothing else...

I have been thinking for quite some time now about getting a shop together and perhaps I will look into wood sources. I don't know in what quality could I get woods... However I could not stop myself from working on cues so I think I'll get into tipping cues with a durometer, stocking tips, etc. and maybe I'll do leather wrap jobs also this summer. No one does such a thing in this country so I have a rather good market to work with. It is amazing how much a nicely done wrap enhances the appearance of a cue.
All that being said I am in a new dilemma... getting the cue of my dreams or investing into the upper cue works. I'll have to think that over but meanwhile I should put my heart into my exams to gain entrance into a college. Wish I could take my exams of cues.

Thank you all once again so much,
 
hay man most of the cues that get posted on here look so good they should be considered art as well as a tool. maybe you should look into getting into making cues after you;re done with your school
 
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