Deals too good to be true...
- Thread starter TATE
- Start date
Dale makes a great cue for the money...period.
I know you collectors hate him, but as a person that came into his cues later, I think they are a tremendous value for the money. Great cue at a great price. He is catering to the player and not the collector...quantity vs. quality...but I don't see his quality suffering that much.
If I was looking for a nice looking new cue, I wouldn't hesitate to plop down the 300-400 for a new one of his cues.
JMO,
Shorty
I know you collectors hate him, but as a person that came into his cues later, I think they are a tremendous value for the money. Great cue at a great price. He is catering to the player and not the collector...quantity vs. quality...but I don't see his quality suffering that much.
If I was looking for a nice looking new cue, I wouldn't hesitate to plop down the 300-400 for a new one of his cues.
JMO,
Shorty
Ok whats the big deal?
I mean does someone's cue lose value if they put them on ebay at a reduced price? i dont see how, unless the quality has gone to shit.
I see it as just a easier way for him to sell his cues. I looked at a couple of them and they look really nice expecially for the price.
If someone like Gilbert or southwest cues, put them on ebay at a reduced price does it mean thier cues are going to crap? i wouldnt think so.
but thats just My opinion.
dave
I mean does someone's cue lose value if they put them on ebay at a reduced price? i dont see how, unless the quality has gone to shit.
I see it as just a easier way for him to sell his cues. I looked at a couple of them and they look really nice expecially for the price.
If someone like Gilbert or southwest cues, put them on ebay at a reduced price does it mean thier cues are going to crap? i wouldnt think so.
but thats just My opinion.
dave
Shorty said:
It's not so much that collectors hate him. It's that people who bought cues from him before he did the eBay thing had money invested in his cues. When he started undercutting the retail prices of his own cues it drastically devalued the cues that were already out there. I know I lost a lot of money because of this. Due to that, I'm one who'll never own one of his cues again!
Coming for a person that used to deal his cues here in Japan, I also am very let down at how he has undersold himself lately. As you all know, cues used to sell really high (and still do in lesser numbers) here in Japan. And DP cues used to enjoy really great success here. But what am I supposed to tell a kid that owns a $5,000 DP that he bought from me when he finds out that he can now get the same cue directly from the maker for $700!! And, one of the reasons you pay $5,000 for a cue, is so that you can get a decent return if you ever decided to trade/sell it. But that $5,000 investment is worth about $300 now. I know the guys gotta pay the bills, but to me that's total disrespect and lack of gratitude for your customers.
And finally, as far as quality goes? At the rate that he's pumping them out on Ebay right now, I would have to have serious doubts as to wether or not he's doing all the work (building, packaging, billing, accounting, blah blah blah) by himself, and I also have serious doubts that he is spending the kinda time with each individual cue that he used to. Not to mention, how selective he is these days with his woods (what to keep, what to trash) as he was maybe 10 years ago.
dave
And finally, as far as quality goes? At the rate that he's pumping them out on Ebay right now, I would have to have serious doubts as to wether or not he's doing all the work (building, packaging, billing, accounting, blah blah blah) by himself, and I also have serious doubts that he is spending the kinda time with each individual cue that he used to. Not to mention, how selective he is these days with his woods (what to keep, what to trash) as he was maybe 10 years ago.
dave
dogginda9 said:The only 2 people that I know that bought cues from him, had problems with the cues. Both times, the joint collar came loose on a basically brand new cue. They both got them through eBay.
I had a couple and they were well built, but I had a joint collar come loose too (it was the uniloc). He's switched to the radial and I bet that's why.
I think he's pumping them out too fast myself. I was just amazed at how much cue you can get for $400. The 2 shafts alone are worth about $250.
For the collectors and dealers, believe me, I understand where you're coming from.
There are too many cue makers.
Chris
Collecting cues to make a profit is a false commodity.If De Behrs opened up the diamond mines they could flood the market and the price of a 1kt. would hardly be worth anything.Paintings are the same way.You can spend millions on a Van Gogh or you can spend a few hundred on an unknown artist.Its what the traffic will bear.
Dale once he got known decided he could make 3xs the amount of money he was making by producing more cues. When production is down then prices go up.
Its all about supply and demand.The kid who spent 5k got burnt.The guy who spent 4oo got a great deal.Once a CM starts using cnc machines and computers
then they can produce a load of cues.If you want to buy a cue as an investment make sure the CM makes his cues the old fashioned way and does not produce more then 20 cues a year.
Dales cues are just as good today as they were 10 years ago.He just figured a better way to amke more money. I dont know why anyone collects anything with the expectations of making a profit.You should collect because you love what you are collecting and that should be the bottom line.Wow what a rant i forgot what i was talking about.
Bob
Dale once he got known decided he could make 3xs the amount of money he was making by producing more cues. When production is down then prices go up.
Its all about supply and demand.The kid who spent 5k got burnt.The guy who spent 4oo got a great deal.Once a CM starts using cnc machines and computers
then they can produce a load of cues.If you want to buy a cue as an investment make sure the CM makes his cues the old fashioned way and does not produce more then 20 cues a year.
Dales cues are just as good today as they were 10 years ago.He just figured a better way to amke more money. I dont know why anyone collects anything with the expectations of making a profit.You should collect because you love what you are collecting and that should be the bottom line.Wow what a rant i forgot what i was talking about.
Bob
Thats because he doesnt use any glue anymore.... Ferrules pop off of every cue he sells along with the tips, serious quality issues............................................dogginda9 said:The only 2 people that I know that bought cues from him, had problems with the cues. Both times, the joint collar came loose on a basically brand new cue. They both got them through eBay.
I was a DP dealer. Had money invested in several cues, like Zeeder. I had a hard time getting rid of the cues I had and just breaking even. It is really tough when a "nicer" cue than your $1000 cue goes on ebay from DP himself (brand new) for less than he would sell it to me wholesale for.
He makes a real nice looking cue for the money, but I don't consider thewm anything more than a production cue anymore....forget the "1 of 1" signature that is on each. I don't personally know of any quality issues, but I don't doubt them.
He makes a real nice looking cue for the money, but I don't consider thewm anything more than a production cue anymore....forget the "1 of 1" signature that is on each. I don't personally know of any quality issues, but I don't doubt them.
Thats exactly what I was thinking. They are no longer custom cues they are more like high end production. He puts cues out so fast I personally think that quality has gone down. The materials are somewhat decent but the end product is nothing like they used to be back in the day. I remember really wanting a DP after seeing and playing with some of his earlier work and being excited when I saw them first start popping up on ebay for cheap. When I finally got around trying a friends who got theirs off ebay, man was I disappointed. I almost didnt believe it was a DP until he showed me the winning bidder page on his ebay acct. Needless to say it was all down hill from there.Bamacues said:
I agree that it's no longer "custom" .. but still it's not that bad for the money. I have one from eBay for $500 that came with two shafts including one DP-R (laminated shaft-upgrade) and layered tips (upgrade).
I wasn't that impressed with the quality of the cue but not that disappointed with it either. I guess I got what I paid for.
Personally, I realize that re-sale might be hard since he floods eBay with new cues all the time. Audrick (from Philippines) is another cuemaker on eBay where you might get a decent cue for the money but will be hurt trying to resale.
I wasn't that impressed with the quality of the cue but not that disappointed with it either. I guess I got what I paid for.
Personally, I realize that re-sale might be hard since he floods eBay with new cues all the time. Audrick (from Philippines) is another cuemaker on eBay where you might get a decent cue for the money but will be hurt trying to resale.
NOSAJ03 said:
matthew staton
Banned
StormHotRod300 said:
I am with you here ,just one question thoe how many one of a kinds is this guy going to come up with????????
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Bamacues said:
We use to seel some of his cues, and he has always been a real nice guy to us. DP cues have always been very nice quality and really a very decent custom cue overall for the money from our past experience with them.
That being said....being a dealer that takes trade-ins it's pretty tough to find a politically correct way of telling somebody wanting to trade you one that he wants $900-$1000 for that you can't do anything with him/her. Just what do people expect when you can buy a brand new (fancier) one directly from the cuemaker for hundreds less ???
Agreed....very hard to distinquish them from productions cues at this point.
I paid $700 for one of his 1/1 that I could buy for about $375 now
so I didn't get burned like some who had paid $1500 or more.
That being said it looks nice and hits as well as anything I have or
better. ( Jackson, Coker, Espiritu, Jacoby, Dominiak, Meucci, Predator,
Pechauer, Joss, McDermott, etc.) So, I'm pleased with it. I also
have a Speedster I paid $250 for. Not as nice but a good barbox
8 ball stick. Believe, I hear what you guys are saying but until I
can afford a Schick or Bender or even a Capone, I'm glad I've
got my DP.
so I didn't get burned like some who had paid $1500 or more.
That being said it looks nice and hits as well as anything I have or
better. ( Jackson, Coker, Espiritu, Jacoby, Dominiak, Meucci, Predator,
Pechauer, Joss, McDermott, etc.) So, I'm pleased with it. I also
have a Speedster I paid $250 for. Not as nice but a good barbox
8 ball stick. Believe, I hear what you guys are saying but until I
can afford a Schick or Bender or even a Capone, I'm glad I've
got my DP.