Ed Young is out of Chicago.
I have played / tried at least 4 different Benders and as much as I really like his work (very clean), I just can't bring myself to buy one. I know a lot of people who swear by the hit of Bender cues and how awesome they play, but when I hit with one, it just does NOT do it for me. Everytime I see someone with a Bender, I always give it another chance, but that cue is really not for me. As you say, it's all personal preference. I really do like Bender's work though and I constantly drool on IndyQ.com, and I really think that for the amount of work he puts into his cues, they really aren't too bad prices.
My preference is with my Ed Young, my primary playing cue. I feel that the hit is so much more lively, i really like the "ping" of the cue, the balance, the taper, and just how easily I can play with it. Of course, different Young cues will play differently.
Also, yes they both worked with DPK at one time or another, but Ed Young STILL works with DPK up to this day. In fact, if you buy a contemporary Ed Young cue, it will be a cue that is partly made by DPK. I dunno what percentage it will be, but I know that they both spilt the work between themselves. Also, they both work in the same shop together. DPK of course, has his own cue-making projects but they both work on Ed Young cues.
I don't know much about holding value, but I do know that Ed Youngs go for really high prices on ebay, much more than what Ed will charge for the cue itself. I think this has to do with supply and demand as with everything else. Also a lot of Ed's cues are in Asia, and you will see them occasionally on ebay. His cues are also low in production and he has a "3" year wait list at the least, so his cues will be rare.
A lot of players in Chicago play with Ed Youngs. There are also a couple of posters here who play with one too, hopefully they will chime in.
