Dale Perry Cue and service

[tom haney]

I hear you, Joey, but the hit is really subjective. I have 2 DP's
that I honestly love the hit better than my Mottey or Bender.
I love the craftmanship on the Bender & especially the Mottey
but honestly, I just shoot better & win more with the Perrys!

My point? The DP cue plays BETTER than the Southwest. The price paid for Southwests are truely premimum (very similar to DP cues a long time ago). What would happen if Laura started selling them at $500 a pop on ebay.



DP play better than SW?
For SW to do what DP does, they will have to core all their cues, cut the curing time for their woods to a fifth of the time ( at least ), cnc all points and inlays and hire more help.

I dont blame Dale for doing what he wants to do with his business. There wasnt a gun held to anyone's head forcing us to buy his cues, but understand resell of these older higher priced cues are gone.

What he's doing doesn't make sense to me at all. First, he alienated himself from the people who invested in his cues. Sure, it's his business but was it ethical?
He's making probably 5 times more cues than he did before but they are selling for a fifth of the price.

 

[BrooklynJay]

While buying a cue as an investment is a crap shoot Dale does try and sell his cues as collectable items - which is why every cue is signed and every cue is 1 of 1.

From his ebay ad:

One of a Kind cues are special. In the future; 5-10-15-20 years from now some cues will prove to be collectible, some will not. A signed cue is a personal statement by the cuemaker. Additionally, a One of a Kind cue is collectible from day one. In the future collectors will seek out signed and number cues. Please consider these factors when you purchase any cue.

 

[macguy]

While buying a cue as an investment is a crap shoot Dale does try and sell his cues as collectable items - which is why every cue is signed and every cue is 1 of 1.

From his ebay ad:

One of a Kind cues are special. In the future; 5-10-15-20 years from now some cues will prove to be collectible, some will not. A signed cue is a personal statement by the cuemaker. Additionally, a One of a Kind cue is collectible from day one. In the future collectors will seek out signed and number cues. Please consider these factors when you purchase any cue.

That's true but you are starting at a lower price making the possibility of it being a future collectable not such a risk should it never go up in value. That should not be why you are buying it. There is no fun buying collectibles from other collectors for top dollar.

The fun is having a small investment that may go up. My wife buys art, it's all over the house in stacks. Some of it is worth considerably more then she paid. There are not too many things you are going to buy in your life period that is going up in value. In most cases what you buy will at some point be worthless, I.E. the computer you are sitting at right now. Cues for the most part do retain a surprising amount of their original value, even production cues.

As an example you buy a cue for $700. play with it for a few years and sell it for say $550. You had the use of the cue for 3 or 4 years for like $35.00 a year and can now get back 78% of your original investment to put towards another cue. I wish everything was like that. You have to keep this stuff in perspective. Pool players are pretty lucky

 

[ChrisOnline]

Its real simple. He decreased the value of his older cues on a collectors standpoint by selling newer ones cheaper. If you want a cue for playing then no big deal if your buying a new one.

Its like this....I love GTO's! Lets say I buy a 2006 GTO for 32,000. In 2009 Pontiac makes a GTO identical to the 2006 in pretty much every way but they sell them for 10,000. Now I still have my 2006 which I love and I'm never going to sell but...shit man. It was worth 25,000 last year and now its only worth 10,000. Even though I'm not going to sell my 06 that just flat out sucks. It would kind of make me put on this face> or this face or maybe even this face> but I can assure you I wouldn't have on this face>

actually.. the used gto would be worth less then 10,000 because the new buyer would have the option to buy a brand new one for 10k.. so in order to get them interested in your 2006 used one.. you would have to ask less..

thats like trying to sell the used cue to a cue dealer who can buy a cue for cost.. so there would be no reason to buy a cue from a private person who wants little less what they paid for it...

what i think is that is wrong was that Dale was selling his cues to dealer at
"WHOLESALE PRICES" so they bought cues from him... now he is selling them on ebay at LESS THEN WHOLESALE PRICES, and now dealers are stuck with cues they cant even sale for what they paid.. its sad.. kinda like a Chuck Norris round house to the face.. just devastating..

what i dont get.. is that i follow dale auctions every so often and he will have cues sold and then relisted.. i dont understand how you can sell a 1of1 more then once???

 

[BrooklynJay]

That's true but you are starting at a lower price making the possibility of it being a future collectable not such a risk should it never go up in value. That should not be why you are buying it. There is no fun buying collectibles from other collectors for top dollar.

The fun is having a small investment that may go up. My wife buys art, it's all over the house in stacks. Some of it is worth considerably more then she paid. There are not too many things you are going to buy in your life period that is going up in value. In most cases what you buy will at some point be worthless, I.E. the computer you are sitting at right now. Cues for the most part do retain a surprising amount of their original value, even production cues.

As an example you buy a cue for $700. play with it for a few years and sell it for say $550. You had the use of the cue for 3 or 4 years for like $35.00 a year and can now get back 78% of your original investment to put towards another cue. I wish everything was like that. You have to keep this stuff in perspective. Pool players are pretty lucky

My computer isn't being sold as a 1 of 1 and it's not being advertised as a possible collectors item that may or may not go up in value.

Your initial point was that Dale Perry is making a quality custom cue which he's selling at production prices - this is fine and a great thing. It why I like Coker cues - nice designs and very playable custom cues for the money. Coker, like Dale Perry, also sells their cues on ebay regularly.

The difference is that Dale is advertising his cues as collectable while at the same time devaluing his cue by selling them for less than wholesale prices and "flooding the market" - making available 2 to 3 cues a week on ebay on average.

He's trying to make them seem more collectable by creating an artificial scarcity, making all cues 1 of 1, when the designs are actually repeated using different materials. (You could say that because the materials are different that makes it a 1 of 1 but then, technically, due to the nature of wood and wood grain patterns all cues are 1 of 1.)

Trying to sell it as a collectable while at the same time devaluing them by undercutting prices and flooding the marketplace...this is probably what people are having issue with as it seems very hypocritical.

 

[macguy]

My computer isn't being sold as a 1 of 1 and it's not being advertised as a possible collectors item that may or may not go up in value.

Your initial point was that Dale Perry is making a quality custom cue which he's selling at production prices - this is fine and a great thing. It why I like Coker cues - nice designs and very playable custom cues for the money. Coker, like Dale Perry, also sells their cues on ebay regularly.

The difference is that Dale is advertising his cues as collectable while at the same time devaluing his cue by selling them for less than wholesale prices and "flooding the market" - making available 2 to 3 cues a week on ebay on average.

He's trying to make them seem more collectable by creating an artificial scarcity, making all cues 1 of 1, when the designs are actually repeated using different materials. (You could say that because the materials are different that makes it a 1 of 1 but then, technically, due to the nature of wood and wood grain patterns all cues are 1 of 1.)

Trying to sell it as a collectable while at the same time devaluing them by undercutting prices and flooding the marketplace...this is probably what people are having issue with as it seems very hypocritical.

When you buy the cue, can you not play pool with it? That's why you bought it. Did you pay a premium because it may be is a future collectable, no. You get a good cue at a fair price and whose to say it won't go up in value?

No matter how you look at it, cues are a good investments in that they are a utilitarian product you use everyday that hold a high percent of their original value and some may even increase.

There are few things you can say that about. I am at a loss as to what this thread is actually about. One of the nicest cue makers out there, sells good cues at a fair price and people are complaining.

 

[dontscratch]

happy with cue

When I started this post it was to tell people how I liked the cue , and how pleased I was with the excellent service I received. I have owned many cues in my 50+ years, and have never sold one for more than I paid fot it. I buy them to play with! If I want to increase my net worth I buy stocks or cds.There are people on this board that want to do nothing but look for something to gripe about.Thanks to Dale for the great hitting cue and the fine service.Enough said!

 

[Fast Lenny]

Its real simple. He decreased the value of his older cues on a collectors standpoint by selling newer ones cheaper. If you want a cue for playing then no big deal if your buying a new one.

Its like this....I love GTO's! Lets say I buy a 2006 GTO for 32,000. In 2009 Pontiac makes a GTO identical to the 2006 in pretty much every way but they sell them for 10,000. Now I still have my 2006 which I love and I'm never going to sell but...shit man. It was worth 25,000 last year and now its only worth 10,000. Even though I'm not going to sell my 06 that just flat out sucks. It would kind of make me put on this face> or this face or maybe even this face> but I can assure you I wouldn't have on this face>

This is my point,all those people who bought his cues out of billiard digest when he advertised 1 of 10 and paid $2000 now have cues they would be lucky to sell for $500.I see people selling cues and Dale Perrys dont move out very well because alot of people know they can go through him on Ebay.Now there is nothing wrong with him selling his cues cheaply but there are alot of unhappy DP owners out there who have the same design cue they paid 4 times as much as the ones on Ebay now,i mean his rep is damaged by that. I am not saying dont buy a DP,i am sure its a good players cue,he stands behind his work,great value,but no collectibility.

 

[Ryan A.]

I can see that people would be upset if they purchased the cue at retail, knowing now that there cue isn't worth what they paid. However if you have never owned one and want to have the opportunity to get a really nice, custom cue for under $500. I would strongly recommend them. I have owned a lot of cues in my day, but I have never had one that I liked more than my DP. Someone earlier in the this thread said it best, "it is a players cue" If you want to sell it later, it is not the cue to buy. Dale gives great service, much better most others.

 

[Harvywallbanger]

When you buy the cue, can you not play pool with it? That's why you bought it. Did you pay a premium because it may be is a future collectable, no. You get a good cue at a fair price and whose to say it won't go up in value?

No matter how you look at it, cues are a good investments in that they are a utilitarian product you use everyday that hold a high percent of their original value and some may even increase.

There are few things you can say that about. I am at a loss as to what this thread is actually about. One of the nicest cue makers out there, sells good cues at a fair price and people are complaining.

I don't think the gripe is that his NEW cues will depreciate. The gripe is that his older cues have now depreciated because of his recent business tactics. And alot of people, (me included) like to have something that is still worth a pretty penny even if you don't ever want to sell it. I mean having a cue is like showing off art. You show people, you talk about it, you even brag about your cue. People like to have high dollar cues. Call it ego or what have you but thats just how it is. If all you care about is how it plays than just buy a plane jane cue. Now older Perry cue owners can't really pull out there $2000 cue and be proud of it. Sure it hits well but what do you tell people? "Check out my cue".

observer: " Oh yea thats nice".

"Yeah I payed $2000 for it".

observer: "Damn".

"Yeah well now its only worth $500".

Its just not the same and I feel the Perry cue owners pain.

 

[macguy]

I don't think the gripe is that his NEW cues will depreciate. The gripe is that his older cues have now depreciated because of his recent business tactics. And alot of people, (me included) like to have something that is still worth a pretty penny even if you don't ever want to sell it. I mean having a cue is like showing off art. You show people, you talk about it, you even brag about your cue. People like to have high dollar cues. Call it ego or what have you but thats just how it is. If all you care about is how it plays than just buy a plane jane cue. Now older Perry cue owners can't really pull out there $2000 cue and be proud of it. Sure it hits well but what do you tell people? "Check out my cue".

observer: " Oh yea thats nice".

"Yeah I payed $2000 for it".

observer: "Damn".

"Yeah well now its only worth $500".

Its just not the same and I feel the Perry cue owners pain.

The answer to that is "So what". I hope those people, if they even exist, didn't think they were getting some guarantee the cues would go up in value. No matter what business decisions are made some people may be effected negatively. Companies improve production methods and people lose jobs, mean time stock holders make profits, that's just how it is, there is always a plus and a minus.

A fast food place opens next to a mom and pop restaurant putting them out of business, tough, life doesn't come with guarantees. The number of people who probably actually paid $2000. for a cue must be really minuscule if any exist at all, I don't know any. Either way, Dale took his company in a different direction and that was his choice, he doesn't owe anyone any explanation and if it was your company neither would you.

Is he supposed to run his company the rest of his life in a way he doesn't want because like maybe ten people in the world may say, "Gee, my cue isn't worth as much as it used to be", when he could maybe make better profits, do better for his family probably be happier and satisfy many more customers with a great product at a good price? This may be one of the dumbest discussions ever on here, where did this holyer-then-thou attitude come from all of a sudden?

Want to get mad at someone get mad at the cue makers who take deposits and never return calls and after years you don't have a cue. Get mad at the cue maker, (This was actually witnessed by me personally by the well known cue maker often mentioned on here.) When someone asked about getting their cue he said it would be $300. more because that is what he is getting for the same cue now. They had been waiting for the cue for two years.

This same guy took cues that had been ordered for a long time and were being finished and sold them to more current customers because he could get more money and the people who had actually ordered the cues don't know it but they will never get a cue. He figures why should he sell a cue to someone ordered 4 years ago for say $500 when he can easily get $1000 for the finished cue today.
Forget this knocking Dale Perry he is one of the good guys.

 

[bsmutz]

It's not sudden, it happens every time Dale's name gets mentioned. People actually put him and his business down! It doesn't make sense to me. Sure, complain all you want about your bad decision (in retrospect) and how you paid $2000 for a $500 cue, but that doesn't mean Dale's product is any worse than it was. I think his decision makes sense and that we, the majority of his consumers, are getting a great product for a very reasonable price. I wish I could say that about all of my purchases. As a matter of fact, almost all products start out at a higher price than what they eventually settle down to. Almost any electronic device will cost an arm and a leg when it first hits the market, then takes a nose dive after a couple of years when the R&D and startup costs have been paid back, production is speeded up, and the competition starts duplicating. Do you then slam the manufacturer? Maybe this scenario isn't something that people are used to having happen in the cue making business, but it doesn't excuse them from attacking Dale or his product. My advice, if you don't like the way Dale did things, don't buy his stuff. If you want a good hitting cue and you like his designs, you can't really go wrong buying one. The product is very nice in most owners' opinion and obviously his customer service is excellent.

 

[Harvywallbanger]

The answer to that is "So what". I hope those people, if they even exist, didn't think they were getting some guarantee the cues would go up in value. No matter what business decisions are made some people may be effected negatively. Companies improve production methods and people lose jobs, mean time stock holders make profits, that's just how it is, there is always a plus and a minus.

A fast food place opens next to a mom and pop restaurant putting them out of business, tough, life doesn't come with guarantees. The number of people who probably actually paid $2000. for a cue must be really minuscule if any exist at all, I don't know any. Either way, Dale took his company in a different direction and that was his choice, he doesn't owe anyone any explanation and if it was your company neither would you.

Is he supposed to run his company the rest of his life in a way he doesn't want because like maybe ten people in the world may say, "Gee, my cue isn't worth as much as it used to be", when he could maybe make better profits, do better for his family probably be happier and satisfy many more customers with a great product at a good price? This may be one of the dumbest discussions ever on here, where did this holyer-then-thou attitude come from all of a sudden?

Want to get mad at someone get mad at the cue makers who take deposits and never return calls and after years you don't have a cue. Get mad at the cue maker, (This was actually witnessed by me personally by the well known cue maker often mentioned on here.) When someone asked about getting their cue he said it would be $300. more because that is what he is getting for the same cue now. They had been waiting for the cue for two years.

This same guy took cues that had been ordered for a long time and were being finished and sold them to more current customers because he could get more money and the people who had actually ordered the cues don't know it but they will never get a cue. He figures why should he sell a cue to someone ordered 4 years ago for say $500 when he can easily get $1000 for the finished cue today.
Forget this knocking Dale Perry he is one of the good guys.

Your right. Life isn't fair sometimes and Dale did what was best for him. Good for him and I think he is a great cue maker and from what I have heard he provides excellent customer care. A great cue maker and a nice guy. Good on him. I was only stating fact not knocking him. His older cues depreciated for reasons we already know. I'm not saying he made a bad decision really, just sticking up for the few that are pissed. I DONT EVEN OWN A PERRY CUE.

 

[Fast Lenny]

Your right. Life isn't fair sometimes and Dale did what was best for him. Good for him and I think he is a great cue maker and from what I have heard he provides excellent customer care. A great cue maker and a nice guy. Good on him. I was only stating fact not knocking him. His older cues depreciated for reasons we already know. I'm not saying he made a bad decision really, just sticking up for the few that are pissed. I DONT EVEN OWN A PERRY CUE.

Your right on about that,i also dont own a DP,wanted one a few years ago but dont now.