Custom and High End Cues on the Decline?

L

Logandgriff

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is it my imagination or do the younger (say under 40) pool players in general not care about custom or high end cues? My experience in Atlanta is that most anyone under 40 has no idea of Szamboti, Balabushka, Joss West etc. etc. or handmade custom cues in general. Most seem delighted to have any cue that comes in two parts. Decal points? No problem. Valhalla or Lucky etc. etc. cues no problem. The high end of their aspirations may be a painted Predator with a rubber grip.

If custom and high end cues were stocks on the NYSE, I'd short them.
 
Most Pool players are recreational players, and league players. They don’t collect Cue.

Remember Steve Pissner, aka TIKKLER, he was a true collector.
 
I think many popular cues are barely wood or completely wood free, thinking about Cuetec and Predator sport models.

If you don't have any wood, why would anyone care about a cue handmade with well aged and cared for wood.


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MitchAlsup said:
Most young adults do not have the kind of income (or wealth) that would allow them to buy a high end cue.

And you don't fix that problem by making high end cues lower priced--
You fix the problem by making low end jobs pay more--
{{OR make lesser gamblers win big more often}}
Click to expand...
Yes, in addition to this, I would say good luck finding a good mechanic to do tips.

People see the wisdom of playing with a cue set-up that allows you to place an order on the internet and be playing in days. What happens when my holy cue from "Magic Cuemaker" gets screwed up and I want a new shaft...oh, I can wait nine years and send a search party of bloodhounds and indian scouts out looking for the cue maker.

kollegedave
 
kollegedave said:
Yes, in addition to this, I would say good luck finding a good mechanic to do tips.

People see the wisdom of playing with a cue set-up that allows you to place an order on the internet and be playing in days. What happens when my holy cue from "Magic Cuemaker" gets screwed up and I want a new shaft...oh, I can wait nine years and send a search party of bloodhounds and indian scouts out looking for the cue maker.

kollegedave
Click to expand...

I am lucky we have a local Retired Guy who has small shop in garage, he does Tips, his prices are reasonable, and last he does good work.

Think 50% of Player love grind, sanding reshaping Tips. Seen guy with as Tip Pick obsessed with pricking their Tips, they are Tip Destroyers.
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
I am lucky we have a local Retired Guy who has small shop in garage, he does Tips, his prices are reasonable, and last he does good work.

Think 50% of Player love grind, sanding reshaping Tips. Seen guy with as Tip Pick obsessed with pricking their Tips, they are Tip Destroyers.
Click to expand...
Why are tip picks tip destroyers? I use one all the time...I never noticed any negative consequences.
 
fjk said:
Why are tip picks tip destroyers? I use one all the time...I never noticed any negative consequences.
Click to expand...

A tip pic can be a problem if your using a layered tip. As the Layers get thinner with use it becomes very easy to puncture a layer and hit glue or another layer. Better off using a tapper.
 
there are just too many custom makers out there now. wanting huge money for decorative work.

that market is slowing fast.

the true collectables will always be in demand from those looking for them.
 
MitchAlsup said:
Most young adults do not have the kind of income (or wealth) that would allow them to buy a high end cue.

And you don't fix that problem by making high end cues lower priced--
You fix the problem by making low end jobs pay more--
{{OR make lesser gamblers win big more often}}
Click to expand...
Sorry, but that's silly.

Just because young people without a great deal of accumulated wealth can't afford ultra luxuries doesn't mean they need to be paid more in their relatively entry level jobs...
 
The cues people aspire to own now are Predator and Cuetec. Those are by far the most common cues and shafts I see people use, and there is really not much research past those two done for what else is out there. Probably due to how easy it is to do web searches and see ads online now. Years ago, you went by word of mouth, friends, TV or AccuStats videos, so you ended up hearing of many more makers. Custom cue makers don't have ads on YouTube or TikTok.
 
David in FL said:
Sorry, but that's silly.

Just because young people without a great deal of accumulated wealth can't afford ultra luxuries doesn't mean they need to be paid more in their relatively entry level jobs...
Click to expand...
When I was growing up (50s and 60s):
a) an auto mechanic could buy a house and support 4 children without his wife having to work.
b) a post office worker could afford a home, raise a family, and retire ...
c) a truck driver could afford a home, ...
d) a school teacher could ...
e) the CEO earned less than 100× that of the lowest payed worker ...

The thing is:: these are no longer possible--and that is the problem!
 
MitchAlsup said:
When I was growing up (50s and 60s):
a) an auto mechanic could buy a house and support 4 children without his wife having to work.
b) a post office worker could afford a home, raise a family, and retire ...
c) a truck driver could afford a home, ...
d) a school teacher could ...
e) the CEO earned less than 100× that of the lowest payed worker ...

The thing is:: these are no longer possible--and that is the problem!
Click to expand...

Silliness

None of which are the equivalent of youngsters paying thousands of dollars for a freaking custom pool cue.

And FWIW, mothers were cooking from scratch, a dinner out was for special occasions only, the family had one car, there might have been one small tv, or not, vacations were a family trip to see the largest ball of twine, the kids didn't have $1,000 cell phones, etc...
 
Last edited:
Well... Guess I'm in the over 40 crowd 😆.
Back in my younger years when I started playing pool I just used house sticks until I bought a Chinese 10 piece cue at a garage sale for pocket change. Sure i looked at those fancy cues for sale but never really wanted to spend 200-300.00 bucks for one as i was not that serious of a player, and neither were my friends.

Fast forward 30 years....

It wasn't until I joined the local moose lodge and started playing with guys that were serious players that I spent $140.00 on a Rage. Then after playing with it for almost a year and becoming an " above average " player I decided to treat myself to a nice Joss in the $1K range.
I can really appreciate the feel and balance of a well built cue now that I have been playing awile. Im not certain that I would have noticed this as much if I had not developed my skills as a player first.
Now Im looking at building my own cues, and this rabbit hole sure goes deep... 😆 So I hope there is still a market there when I'm ready to sell a couple... Time will tell....
 
MitchAlsup said:
Most young adults do not have the kind of income (or wealth) that would allow them to buy a high end cue.

And you don't fix that problem by making high end cues lower priced--
You fix the problem by making low end jobs pay more--
{{OR make lesser gamblers win big more often}}
Click to expand...

Wrongo. The low paying jobs are always for teens and the poverty class. Eliminating the poverty is done by going to true socialism...and nobody gets luxury items. Increasing the lowest paying jobs eliminates the middle and upper middle class who buy things like custom cues.

Szamboti's were never for people who relied on minimum wage to live.
 
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