Dale Perry Cues
- Thread starter mckn13
- Start date
Allow me.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=152518
Should be more then enough info for you.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=152518
Should be more then enough info for you.
Several people have mentioned "attitude" or "bad customer service" when dealing with Dale Perry. I have one of his cues and have spoken to him on quite a few occasions and have NEVER had a problem with him. He may be busy in his shop, and not have a lot of time to talk on the phone, but he has always answered all of my questions about his cues and has given me some "FREE ADVICE" on some questions I had about restoring and converting an old Titlist cue (even though it wasn't him who I was going to commission to restore it).
I think his cues are a good product for the price, but I don't fall for the advertising hype on his e-Bay cues where it is listed that the MSRP for his cues are $1799. For that matter, I don't fall for that hype when I am looking at a cue from ANY cuemaker. I don't care WHO makes a cue...no cue is EVER going to sell for a couple hundred bucks, or less, if it has an "ACTUAL" MSRP value of $1799. In comparison, try going to a car dealer and see if they will sell you a $17,999 MSRP car for LESS than $2,000.
As far as the "market value" on his cues, I think it is whatever he can make them for and get out of them. If people bought his cues as an investment in the past for WAY MORE than they are selling for now, then they took a gamble, just like the stockmarket. I don't buy cues for investments...I buy them to play with. So, if you figured YOUR Dale Perry cue was worth $XXXX.00 when you bought it, do you feel it is a worse cue now? It is the SAME cue...if you paid TOO MUCH for it, then that is because YOU have fallen into the trap of thinking that "SO AND SO's" cues are worth 10 times the price of cues by lesser known cuemakers. I laugh when someone tells me a basic four-point cue, with no inlays, made by the "high and mighty" "Mr X" is worth 10 times more than an almost identical cue made by "Mr Y". This doesn't apply to makers, like Rambow, Balabushka, and Szamboti, because they are no longer with us and they were and continue to be "LEGENDS" in the cuemaking world and pioneered the way custom cues are built today.
The workmanship on the cue I bought from Dale Perry was EXCEPTIONAL. The finish, balance, and wrap were on par with cues that would cost WAY more. The only thing I think could be improved is the shaft, which seemed to be a bit "rougher" than my older and more expensive cues. I don't know if it was wood of a lesser quality or if maybe it wasn't sealed, waxed, and burnished enough before he sent it to me. However, he has a STANDING offer to retaper your shaft for free as long as you have the cue. The only cost you will incur is the shipping. To me, that isn't "bad customer service"...that is going above and beyond what you would get from many cuemakers.
My two cents worth.
Aloha.
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I bought the Enclyclopedia of Billiards, when the Ist Edition came out in the 90's. I moved to Jacksonville in early 96. There was a nice write up about Dale Perry in that edition which prompted me to visit his shop which was about a half hour from my ofice. Dale showed me around and we designed a 1 of 1 cue for me. It is Snakewood, Ebony and Ivory, 8 points, Ivory joint, ivory butt plate, ivory ferrules, 8 diamond point inlays on the tips, 4 arrowheads in the long points and 4 diamonds in the short points and 8 invory dashes above wrap, below wrap, 8 dashes of ivory, 4 long arrowheads and 4 diamonds, followed by 8 dashs above the butt. 48 ivory inlays in all, plus ivory butt, joint and Ferrules. The cue is signed under the butt plate 1/1 perry 96.
The workmanshiop is excellent but I never played the cue much because it was very stiff. I called Dale up and complained about the taper and he promply took the shafts and retapered them. By this time I had a Paradise and a Titlist conversion I liked and never really used the cue.
As I became involved recently here, I was made aware of Dale's downgrade to lessor prices and probably quality on ebay. Dale is much nicer in person and I believe he is pressed to get out cues and the phone calls never come at the right time. Dale knows how to make a nice cue and suspect his short cuts today are core cosmetic and should not affect the playability. Unfortunately, I paid $2700 in 1996 for mine, and it will only be used by guests with the cue collection I have aacquired.
I hope this is helpful.
The workmanshiop is excellent but I never played the cue much because it was very stiff. I called Dale up and complained about the taper and he promply took the shafts and retapered them. By this time I had a Paradise and a Titlist conversion I liked and never really used the cue.
As I became involved recently here, I was made aware of Dale's downgrade to lessor prices and probably quality on ebay. Dale is much nicer in person and I believe he is pressed to get out cues and the phone calls never come at the right time. Dale knows how to make a nice cue and suspect his short cuts today are core cosmetic and should not affect the playability. Unfortunately, I paid $2700 in 1996 for mine, and it will only be used by guests with the cue collection I have aacquired.
I hope this is helpful.
Since you were responding to my post about his customer service I can tell you about my fiance's case. She ordered an ebony cue with Turquoise inlays from his site (one he had to make not one available to just ship). When she got the cue there were multiple turquoise inlays that were messed up and not filled in. She contacted Dale and he said to return it and he would fix it. Things happen so no big deal.
She returned the cue and then weeks later when she follows up he says he is going to ship it Monday. About a week later she follows up again and he says he is going to ship it by the end of the week. This happens yet another time 2 weeks later. So after a month from when it has supposedly shipped she calls to see what the heck is going on. She gets ahold of an apprentice there that puts her on hold to go check on it. Low and behold he comes back on the phone and says Dale hasn't touched it yet. He is waiting for matching turquoise to come in so he can fix it. So WTF is he lying for saying it is done and shipping on X day leading her on several times on phone calls for a month when in fact he was just waiting for a good batch to come in to fix it. She and I would have no problem with the truth, but that is a retarded lie that wasn't needed.
As for the cue, she loves it and will probably never sell it. I will just never promote his cues due to customer service which I find just as important as the product itself.
hand made products
We make ladies shoes. We promise our customers delivery dates. We make most, however, each piece of leather is different and one hide may take dye different from another. When this happens we are delayed. We have to ship the entire order, so a problem with the red amy affect shipping of the black. In the case of the Turquoise, perhaps it was off color from existing or all pieces did not match. The difference here is we call the customer and tell them. The cue must look pretty good!
We make ladies shoes. We promise our customers delivery dates. We make most, however, each piece of leather is different and one hide may take dye different from another. When this happens we are delayed. We have to ship the entire order, so a problem with the red amy affect shipping of the black. In the case of the Turquoise, perhaps it was off color from existing or all pieces did not match. The difference here is we call the customer and tell them. The cue must look pretty good!
For the money, DP cues are a very good value. Just don't overpay. If you looking at the investment aspect at all I would advise it is probably not worth spending a lot more money on a fancier one as the $150 range price point that you can find on Ebay is pretty ingrained in people's minds regardless of how fancy it is (logically or not).
I have a DP cue that I use as my league stick. The hit is not overly stiff and the cue plays pretty well. While it doesn't play like my tournament cue, it plays better than its Ebay price point and I don't have to worry about it disappearing, getting dinged or having beer spilled on it.
If you do a search you will read some stuff about occasional loose ferrules. I have not experienced this, though for some unknown reason after a while I was able to vaguely feel a difference where the shaft ended and the ferrule began. One of my team mates put it on his lathe and took care of it for me.
As for customer service, I've never dealt with him so I can't help you there one way or another. I bought my cue new off a fellow AZer.
Still, for the money it's a good cue.
I have a DP cue that I use as my league stick. The hit is not overly stiff and the cue plays pretty well. While it doesn't play like my tournament cue, it plays better than its Ebay price point and I don't have to worry about it disappearing, getting dinged or having beer spilled on it.
If you do a search you will read some stuff about occasional loose ferrules. I have not experienced this, though for some unknown reason after a while I was able to vaguely feel a difference where the shaft ended and the ferrule began. One of my team mates put it on his lathe and took care of it for me.
As for customer service, I've never dealt with him so I can't help you there one way or another. I bought my cue new off a fellow AZer.
Still, for the money it's a good cue.
Good player for the money. Don't pay more than $125- $150 for his ebay cues. He will answer all and any of your questions. He's your best friend until you need cue service....at that point you will regret dealing with him and sorry you bought his cue.
Nothing fancy but it is nice looking or DP 6-5 from the site. Tulipwood, jet black ebony and lizard wrap instead of the leather in the picture. I am thinking he for sure did not have a matching turquoise, but just tell us and don't lie over and over again because you don't have the pieces in yet.
http://www.dpcues.com/new_cues.html
Dale Perry Custom
Based on what Dale has done with his cue business, my cue, which was not bought as an investment, just to be a nice playing cue, looks like a bad buy. It plays nice, but not to my personal taste, even after he retapered the shaft. There are some very nice cues here in the F/S section, by makers with great reputations, for thiwhat I paid in 1996. I have no idea what to do with mine other than let my guests use it.
Based on what Dale has done with his cue business, my cue, which was not bought as an investment, just to be a nice playing cue, looks like a bad buy. It plays nice, but not to my personal taste, even after he retapered the shaft. There are some very nice cues here in the F/S section, by makers with great reputations, for thiwhat I paid in 1996. I have no idea what to do with mine other than let my guests use it.
Don't know for sure but not that I'm aware of. From what I've read it seems that he simply decided to go the Ebay route with moving some product and it seems the result was that his prices settled in there at around $150 and it sort of set a "perceived value" for his cues at that number. Some people think he made a tactical mistake but who knows, maybe he is selling a lot more cues and making more money this way.
I bought a DP around 1999-2000 for close to $1000. It is a beauty and a very fine player. I like it a lot. Good quality cue. I have several ebays. The rings on one of them is collapsing. The ebay cues are not bad players....but they are cheaply made cues. YES..there is a difference.
Here is my review. I've owned two of his eBay cues.
Design: Pretty nice and for the money very nice.
Hit: The hit was decent...I would say soft and slightly hollow.
Balance: The balance was equal to ever so slight end weighted.
Craftsmanship: Nickel rings raised after a year on one. On another the finish had separated from the wood after a year. I would say it's hit and miss.
Shafts: I did not like his shafts one bit. After receiving his first cue I immediately got a 314-2. They weren't sealed....it was raw wood.
Overall for the money I would give it a B-. Considering some huge factors such as his shafts and separating of the finish in one of his cues that I used to own I could have done much better with a McDermott, or a second-hand cue.
Design: Pretty nice and for the money very nice.
Hit: The hit was decent...I would say soft and slightly hollow.
Balance: The balance was equal to ever so slight end weighted.
Craftsmanship: Nickel rings raised after a year on one. On another the finish had separated from the wood after a year. I would say it's hit and miss.
Shafts: I did not like his shafts one bit. After receiving his first cue I immediately got a 314-2. They weren't sealed....it was raw wood.
Overall for the money I would give it a B-. Considering some huge factors such as his shafts and separating of the finish in one of his cues that I used to own I could have done much better with a McDermott, or a second-hand cue.
cuemister
Registered
Could you possibly post pictures of your $2700 DP to show us what it looks like?
I'm sure many AZ'ers are curious
Thnaks
Dale Perry 1of1
i will try and post some pictures later today, in response to see what a $2700 Perry looks like. It is a nice looking cue. I am bad with a camera and worse operating these forums. All of my cues that have posted were done by Alton of cue caps. It is a sharp well done cue and very solid. There has too be light years of difference in this versus the e bay cues. I feel like I got an Edsel.
i will try and post some pictures later today, in response to see what a $2700 Perry looks like. It is a nice looking cue. I am bad with a camera and worse operating these forums. All of my cues that have posted were done by Alton of cue caps. It is a sharp well done cue and very solid. There has too be light years of difference in this versus the e bay cues. I feel like I got an Edsel.
