do not know what to think of this prospective buyer

but i do get tired of CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP.

in the last 20 years i have spent an excess of $75,000 learning to build cues and buying materials, and this was just as a sideline.

when you have as much money and time as i do, [ and i know many have much more ] into a project and someone wants you to give him materials at cost and work for 00.12 cents a hour i sometimes express my feelings.

hustler4483 thank you for being as kind to me as you were considering i was not nice to you.

BUT, lets just look at this from a slight different perspective, how would you feel when you went to work and your boss, ask you to work for half your normal pay for the next week. that is the way you are making me feel if you give me some bullshit offer.
.
that is the same as when people are asking for builders to do when they offer less than we want for a cue. i am asking a VERY fair price for my cues and price them to make a small profit.

.

I do agree with you, your cues are very fairly priced. There's no denying that. It's a shame there is not more money in this industry, it's a great game. You have some beautiful cues on your site, I hope you sell them all and at your asking price.
 
hustler4483

you seem like an honest stand up guy.

go to my website, pick out your 3 favorite cues,

[ please not any of the titlist or the 14k gold cue ]

send me the 3 numbers and your address

i will send you a cue no charge.

chuck starkey
 
I never understand why people have to take business so personal. Why not just shoot him a counter offer and move on with your day? No further explanation needed. There is no less shame in trying to stretch your money as a buyer

Because Joe has been dealing with it for decades. He doesn't have time to Counter Offer Stupidity.

And there is no shame in trying to make a decent profit for your business.

When I call Joe, we have a couple of minutes of idle chit chat, and I then know that it's time to get down to business.

I have received some decent deals from Joe. I pay his price and he usually includes a little cut off for a butt sleeve or rings.

It's a little extra gift in the box and is appreciated.

But, I know that Joe doesn't have time to talk about the weather in Fla or Harleys all morning.

When I call in the Winter, I always ask if the offer is still good to pitch a tent on his lawn for a couple of months. He says, Anytime, but I have to pick up a broom for the room and board.
 
Last edited:
I never understand why people have to take business so personal. Why not just shoot him a counter offer and move on with your day? No further explanation needed. There is no less shame in trying to stretch your money as a buyer than there is in trying to maximize your income from your own work. $425 for that cue wasn't so ridiculous as not to merit a counter.

JC


And here is your answer:
Because Joe has been dealing with it for decades. He doesn't have time to Counter Offer Stupidity.

BING-Freaking-O

We do not take anything personally. We understand there are many different personalities out there and each one has to be dealt with. When inquiries of questionable intellect are received, we simply delete them and move on. You can't teach some people. Let the next guy waste their time and perhaps after being in business for 40 years they'll catch on too. There are too many wonderful people out there who do deserve an answer and my time where we do not have the time for the stupid stuff.
 
There are many ways to handle low ball offers. I usually just give them the price and move on. I put prices on my cues that seem fair to me and I don't build a dealer discount into them. But even that is a two edge sword that cuts back at me at shows. Here is why. At the Super Billiards Expo for instance some buyers come around expecting to get 25% or more discounts, because some builders have built that into their negotiating price already. And many buyers then expect it from everyone. So I know I lose sales to some by keeping my prices at what I think is fair to sell straight to the end user. I know the frustration of hearing about another cuemaker a few booths over that has a plain jane cue priced for $795, but will take $595. And they think your v-groove pointed cue with a some inlays in it, that is priced at $895 should sell for $675. Marketing is hard to figure sometimes.

My advice is just give near your bottom price and move on.
 
There are many ways to handle low ball offers. I usually just give them the price and move on. I put prices on my cues that seem fair to me and I don't build a dealer discount into them. But even that is a two edge sword that cuts back at me at shows. Here is why. At the Super Billiards Expo for instance some buyers come around expecting to get 25% or more discounts, because some builders have built that into their negotiating price already. And many buyers then expect it from everyone. So I know I lose sales to some by keeping my prices at what I think is fair to sell straight to the end user. I know the frustration of hearing about another cuemaker a few booths over that has a plain jane cue priced for $795, but will take $595. And they think your v-groove pointed cue with a some inlays in it, that is priced at $895 should sell for $675. Marketing is hard to figure sometimes.

My advice is just give near your bottom price and move on.


My Humble Opinion:
There is only one way to handle lowball offers and that is to not even address them nor give them the right time of day or even acknowledge their presence. You don't need them nor are they wanted. Lowball offers are an insult. Just giving them "the price" is a waste of time and energy because nothing will happen from it or it will spark more communication which wastes more of your time that will go absolutely no where.

Some of these creeps are pariah's waiting and looking to swoop in on someone else mistake or misfortune. These are the creeps looking for pricing errors so they can profit on your mistake. They lowball believing anyone selling something is in need of money and/or at their mercy because they have some spare cash to spend.

They need to be treated with the same disrespect as they bestow upon you.
 
If anyone comes up with a good quality, convertible, true Brazilian Rosewood 1930's or 40's vintage Titlist for $450 - feel free to ring my bell...
 
My Humble Opinion:
They need to be treated with the same disrespect as they bestow upon you.

Yup, because everybody knows exactly how much any given pool cue is worth. And they only write to show their disrespect.

Alternatively, they don't know, and are making an honest inquiry. If one gives an actual price, there is one more person informed as to the price of cues, and one's next sale will be that much easier.

Thank You Kindly.
 
has a guy send me an email about a cue.

he made me an offer of $425 for a titlist conversion, if i would build an additional shaft.

this is a brazilain rosewood titlist, 2 old honey color brunswick house cue shafts i sell for for $150 each, lets see that leaves $150 to buy the brw titlist and my labor.

any suggestions ????????


He obviously has no respect for what you do. Why even waste the time or thought to reply. I did enjoy some of the other reply's by what I can only guess are non cue makers.
The Army's says...Always forward and when dealing with a Private...treat him like a Private
 
wood question

I'm not trying to hijack your thread - but since I know that there is a huge amount of experience watching this thread, I will ask. I cut down a 1940s baseball bat cue. The wood is beautiful - but I don't know what it is. One cuemaker told me that they call it "beefwood" down south. Never heard of such a thing. Can anyone identify this wood for me please? Thanks in advance guys.
 

Attachments

  • 20151220_003237.jpg
    20151220_003237.jpg
    96.3 KB · Views: 139
  • 20151220_003135.jpg
    20151220_003135.jpg
    99 KB · Views: 137
I'm not trying to hijack your thread - but since I know that there is a huge amount of experience watching this thread, I will ask. I cut down a 1940s baseball bat cue. The wood is beautiful - but I don't know what it is. One cuemaker told me that they call it "beefwood" down south. Never heard of such a thing. Can anyone identify this wood for me please? Thanks in advance guys.

He is correct. Beefwood. Massaranduba is the more proper name for the wood, also called Brazilian redwood. It was used for a lot of house cues in past times because it was cheap and fairly nondescript.
 
Last edited:
titilst cues made before 1961 make my mouth water.

i could always pick-up a cheap brunswick titlist butt at ebay (not the full length).
those cheap butts (no shaft) run about 425.00 plus shipping.
and... you have a conversion made from a full length, one piece brunswick titilist hoppe selling for same??
is it a rambow?
 
Back
Top