Cost of a pool table

livemusic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I bought a new 7' Diamond pro am at the end of 2018. Table was $5,125.00 +250.00 set up, +$800.00 shipping. Grand total $6,175.00. Something to think about. I like my table but could have probably got into a very nice used gold crown for half the price.
Yeah, that's probably overkill for me. I love the Diamond look but unless I find used, that's out.

What about an old pool table from a 1960s pool hall? I know someone whose grandpa owned the pool hall and she still has the tables in storage. They were big tables in those days, had leather pockets. I wonder if that is worth looking into.
 

june-bug

Registered
Yeah, that's probably overkill for me. I love the Diamond look but unless I find used, that's out.

What about an old pool table from a 1960s pool hall? I know someone whose grandpa owned the pool hall and she still has the tables in storage. They were big tables in those days, had leather pockets. I wonder if that is worth looking into.
I would look into it for sure. Never know what you might find.
 

Lawnboy77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow, that is cool that you have that brochure! I see that my Windsor sold for $495. I didn't see price on Gold Crown. I also see that Windsor has 3-piece slate of 3/4 inch. I can hardly read the fine print and I downloaded the image and blew it up... does it say the Gold Crown has 2-piece slate, 1 inch or 3-piece, can't read it well.
The Gold Crown is a 1” 3 piece pinned slate.

That brochure is from the Brunswick website. You can go to their library and check out lots of cool brochures and catalogs from years past.
 

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think you should go to some local pool halls (not bars) in your areas and play on commercial tables. But, you want to find a "player's" room, where the equipment is well mainainted for a true representation. Commercial tables are like tanks compared to home tables. They weigh twice as much. The slate is thicker. The frame is thicker. This all translates into a better experience playing. There are less tiny vibrations that rob the ball of energy, and the balls roll further. The rails where you rest your hand are also much wider, so you can bridge better when shooting off the rail. The drop pockets are deeper, so they can hold 10 balls instead of 6 balls. The cloth is usually simonis, which is dead smooth and not nappy like most home table cloth. A lot of little things, that add up to a more enjoyable playing experience. All that comes with a commercial price however. A new Gold Crown is about $10,000 installed. A new Diamond is about $7000 installed (Diamond doesn't sell through dealers so there is no/less middleman markup). What makes the used market so attractive for both tables, is you can get them in your house for 3k range and have a table basically as good as a brand new one, for 1/3rd the price. It might just have some scratches or cosmetic blemish on it. But with new cloth and rubber cushions, it will play exactly like the brand new ones from the factory, even if its 50 years old. (some nuances here, but not relevant for this broad overview).

If you decide to keep your own table, a new set of balls will go a long way to making the table play better. The new balls roll nicer, and bounce better, and draw better. Right now, there is no better value than this set: https://www.amazon.com/Dynasphere-D...=tungsten+billiard+ball&qid=1607472033&sr=8-5 Its $56 with free shipping. A bunch of member here bought them (me included) and all rave about them. They are as good as the $300 balls from the Aramith brand. If you want more traditional colors, the same brand has a set for about $30 more. This is a super cheap and simple upgrade that you will immediately notice the difference, compared to the balls you have now, upon the first time you strike the new set.

The other thing you can do is replace the cloth. Simonis is #1. Figure on paying a mechanic about $400 to $500 to install it. There is no other cloth that compare to it.

The last thing is replace the rubber cushions on your table. Usually the home model tables use inferior rubber (compared to commercial tables) and it dries up over the years, becoming very hard. Figure maybe $300 to install them.

So now you have a few options:

1) get balls only for $56 and get immediate benefits, with zero effort, except clicking "buy now" on amazon.
2) Get balls, plus refurbish your existing table. Maybe $800 for everything. Plus the headache of finding and bringing the mechanic in, etc.
3) Get a used commercial table. $3000 for one with new cushions and simonis cloth installed. This comes with the headache of finding one, getting it installed, and also removing and selling/relocation to brother's house the old table.
4) Get new commercial table for 6k to 10k.

New home model table is no better than what you have now and will usually be more expensive than a used commercial table anyway. So that's not even an option IMO.

Good luck!
Oh, I'm not a table mechanic, just a player that loves pool and is picky about tables:)
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
Why does Gold Crown get so much mention, what does it offer vs. Diamond?
Affordability and classic lines. Diamond is a great table but the supply of used Gold Crowns is significantly larger and the prices significantly lower. I had right at $1300 in my first GC III including delivery, set-up and new cloth. My current table was harder to find, 5 states away but I did the set up and cloth myself...I am into this one for closer to $3500 all together. If I include the cost to finish the basement it cost about $75,000.
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ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I bought a new 7' Diamond pro am at the end of 2018. Table was $5,125.00 +250.00 set up, +$800.00 shipping. Grand total $6,175.00. Something to think about. I like my table but could have probably got into a very nice used gold crown for half the price.
You made the right choice if you were looking for a 7 foot table, based on your table preference or based on your limited room size. I’ve never heard of a 7 foot Gold Crown!
 

Lawnboy77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Whether a GC is pinned or not depends on the model.
Yes, and we were comparing the Gold Crowns from the same time frame as his 74 Windsor. I know the modern GCs are not pinned, but pretty sure they were pinned through the 70’s.
 

Type79

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I appreciate these discussions comparing and contrasting different brands and models but when it comes to a 9' table, a used Gold Crown is an easy choice. It's a buyers market and a good Gold Crown I can be found as cheap as almost anything else out there. So there is no point in compromising when you can have the best for the same or less money.
 

Type79

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes, and we were comparing the Gold Crowns from the same time frame as his 74 Windsor. I know the modern GCs are not pinned, but pretty sure they were pinned through the 70’s.
Only the slates on Gold Crown I's and II's were pinned. That would have been up to ~1975/76.
 

Lawnboy77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Only the slates on Gold Crown I's and II's were pinned. That would have been up to ~1975/76.
Thanks for the correction. For some reason I had it in my mind that the I, II’s and III’s were the pinned slates.
 

Lawnboy77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What does pinned mean and why does it help or hurt?
Pinned means the slate joints are held together with brass dowels that fit into female sockets in the opposing side of the matching slate. It’s theory is that it helps reduce the positive, or negative steps at the joints.
 

bignick31985

Life Long Learner
Silver Member
9' Gold Crown 4 w/ light
Mark Gregory reworked rails and pockets, new Superspeed cushions
New 860HR
U-haul trailer and trip to Georgia (for table)
Mechanic set-up

I'm at roughly $5k all in with a couple sets of balls and accessories the table didn't have. Only paid $2200 for the table.

New Pro-Am was running 8k delivered.
 

Rickhem

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm learning a lot from this thread.
My plan is to get a table once I move into a new place, and there is a lot of info here on WHY a GC or a diamond is better.
Keep up the discussion guys!
 

june-bug

Registered
You made the right choice if you were looking for a 7 foot table, based on your table preference or based on your limited room size. I’ve never heard of a 7 foot Gold Crown!
Yes sir I agree and have been very happy with the table. A 9' table wouldn't work in my room and everything we play on locally in leagues etc. is bar boxes so a 7' table made perfect sense for me.
 

Mike the Beginner

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I paid $1000 for my Gold Crown (this year). I paid a mechanic $175 to tear it down. I moved the table to my home (250 miles away). The cost of install with Simonis 860HR was $700, plus I added new drop pockets for another $80. So basically $2k all in plus some time and gas money. I’d say a $2-3k budget sounds fair.

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You got yours for cheap and it's a beautiful setup. That is how a pool table is supposed to look IMHO. Hope you play on it every day!
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
One thing not mentioned, is pocket shelf on the slate. A lot of home tables have pockets that eat balls, you think you are playing like Willie Mosconi! Then you go to the pool hall and play like Wally Mosconi, the guy that spends most of his time cutting hair down the street. Nothing wrong with cutting hair but it doesn't help your pool game!

I would get a commercial table and I wouldn't go with the current tight pocket fad. Four and a half inch corner pockets are moderately tight, anything less starts getting ridiculous.

A used Diamond would be fine but they are often difficult or impossible to find. The few around here demand a premium price since new tables are the price they are and the used market is near zero availability. Adding to the outcry, I would get a gold crown, a quality table that can be had ridiculously cheap since the supply often outruns the demand.

I passed on a very nice table for very cheap to buy a Valley for more. Threw it on the open back patio and went to hitting balls. If I compete locally it will probably be on Valley tables and there is something to be said for practicing on what you compete on. Valleys live for decades in bars which means they are fairly bulletproof. The Valley I bought appears to have already had the cushions replaced as the corner pockets are 4.25" without shims. On the smaller table this isn't a bad size for pockets but I wouldn't want them any tighter.

First and foremost, I would try to check out the tables from the old pool hall, might be a gold mine. I have very fond memories of pool balls thunking into leather pockets. Ditto on checking for any old cues stuck in the corner, even some big butt cues with bad shaft areas.

I would not spend $500-$1000 on the table you have now. Just too much difference between commercial tables and most home tables.

Hu
 
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