Helmstetter and Adam cues are made in Japan, not China. Bob is, at least, not guilty of lumping all non-American made cues into the China category.
Not quite. Bob does not make that distinction clearly. He says ""Are you paying too much for your Chinese import? Meucci cues are 100% made in the USA. Are you paying Big $$$ for advertising and hype? Support the American Worker and Economy.
"Did you know the following Brands are made in China or offshore manufactured cues sold in America with sometimes the perception of being Amercian made? "
So he is lumping all the brands in together that he lists as overpriced and destructive of the economy.
Kind of hypocritical considering that he was over here teaching the Chinese how to build cues his way in order to have them make cues for him.
It seems to me, in this economy, that there is nothing wrong with Bob Meucci stating fact in an effort to help his business. Some of us still remember how great Meucci's hit, and how much Bob did for the sport when his company was near the top in America. I probably wouldn't buy a Meucci today, but I am always shopping for nice "Originals."
Made in USA, Locally Grown, Made in Oshkosh, these are all statements of fact that are used to market products. People who make things want to use whatever information that they can in order to sell those things.
I have never seen a seller of cues in Georgia refuse an order because the customer was in Arkansas. It's funny that people want to use "buy local" as a marketing slogan but they don't practice only selling locally. They want to ship their stuff all over the world and compete in everyone else's "local" market but not have anyone else competing in theirs.
I wonder how Meucci would have felt if the Germans had adopted his stance and not imported the tens of thousands of Meucci cues throughout the 80s and 90s. When I got to Germany in 1989 every other German player had a Meucci or McDermott. Meucci didn't tell Holger Veith to go find a German manufacturer and support the German economy. No instead he cheerfully took that money.
How about now in China? Players in China are starting to buy custom cues. Should they be following Meucci's advice to buy domestically made cues instead? Should the stick to Asia? Keith Andy is reputably making some very good cues in Japan, Mezz of course and Adams as you mentioned is a good brand.
Regarding supporting the sport? Yes Meucci had a lot of players that he sponsored at one time but none of us know the extent of that sponsorship. I'd submit that some of the "importers" that Meucci is railing against here support the sport more now than he ever did. I bet Cuetec has put more CASH into the game at more levels than Meucci ever did.
But what really pisses me off here is the hypocrisy. The guy comes to China teaches them what he knows, the Chinese go to him to learn at his place, cues are made, cues are accepted and cues are sold, more cues are ordered, negotiations ensue to have most of the models of Meucci branded cues made in China, the deal breaks because of disputes on who will get paid how much and suddenly a year later Meucci is wrapping himself in the flag???
