Hello everyone. I'm looking for my first table.

J

Joe Mags

Registered
Hey everyone. I'm a new member although I've been reading here and elsewhere for a few weeks now. I'm researching all I can about tables and dealers in and around my area. My two boys have asked for a pool table for Christmas and the idea has morphed from a toy for the garage to a real table in our upstairs bonus room above the garage. I've enjoyed playing since I was young but it's been a few years since I've played. Now that the kids are getting older and showing an interest, I'm going to go for it.

I've pretty much decided on a furniture style table and the front runner right now is the Connelly, San Carlos. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this table or similar. If there are any members who own or have owned this table, I would love your input and would also appreciate a few good photos if possible. All the websites have the same crappy photos and it'll be a few weeks until I can get to a showroom to view in person.

I'll most likely be getting an eight foot table. I can fit a nine but that wouldn't leave me much room for chairs and what not. Plus, the nine foot would really put me out of my budget, at least with this table. My room is 15'8" by 19'6". One of the short ends of the room is semi open. By semi, I mean that there is a knee wall that is 3'4" high about ten feet of the 15'8 and a small three step up staircase the rest of the way.

Thanks,
Joe
 
Joe Mags said:
Hey everyone. I'm a new member although I've been reading here and elsewhere for a few weeks now. I'm researching all I can about tables and dealers in and around my area. My two boys have asked for a pool table for Christmas and the idea has morphed from a toy for the garage to a real table in our upstairs bonus room above the garage. I've enjoyed playing since I was young but it's been a few years since I've played. Now that the kids are getting older and showing an interest, I'm going to go for it.

I've pretty much decided on a furniture style table and the front runner right now is the Connelly, San Carlos. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this table or similar. If there are any members who own or have owned this table, I would love your input and would also appreciate a few good photos if possible. All the websites have the same crappy photos and it'll be a few weeks until I can get to a showroom to view in person.

I'll most likely be getting an eight foot table. I can fit a nine but that wouldn't leave me much room for chairs and what not. Plus, the nine foot would really put me out of my budget, at least with this table. My room is 15'8" by 19'6". One of the short ends of the room is semi open. By semi, I mean that there is a knee wall that is 3'4" high about ten feet of the 15'8 and a small three step up staircase the rest of the way.

Thanks,
Joe
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Olhausan would be my choice I got a 8 great playing table for furniture type ,

1
 
Your room is big enough for a 9 foot table. Look for a used 9 ft. If your kids are going to want to compete in APA or other pool events they should play on the same size table in those events. It's hardly much of a difference, a foot longer and 6 inches wider.
 
beneath_the_sur said:
dont buy new, kinda overpriced for what they resell for

keep a look on craigslist, youll find good enough deals
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Agreed. This table is 3500 new. likely doesn't include tax or delivery. You could get the same or similar table on CL for 1000. I don't know that anything depreciates more than a furniture pool table.

Where are you located? Welcome to the forum!

Ian
 
Agree with the others. Try to buy used. There should be plenty of options on CL. I have a vitalie that i purchased several yrs ago brand new for $2,600 and when i tried to sell it on CL the highest offer i received was $600. There were plenty of tables selling for that price on CL. Maybe not as good quality but there were many to choose from.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
xianmacx said:
Agreed. This table is 3500 new. likely doesn't include tax or delivery. You could get the same or similar table on CL for 1000. I don't know that anything depreciates more than a furniture pool table.

Where are you located? Welcome to the forum!

Ian
Click to expand...



i got a gc 2 installed for 2k

then couldnt sell it later, so had to let it go for 1000!

you can pick up free tables if you look enough and are patient lol
 
I'd keep the table size to 8'. It is more fun for beginners because its easier to play on than 9' tables.

If you are buying new, you may also want to consider Diamond tables. They make a few furniture style tables that are in the 2500 price range. They will probably be of a higher quality than most other new furniture tables.

If budget is the main concern, stalk craigslist like others have mentioned. You will find people giving tables away, or asking 100 for it, just to get it out of their house because they are sick of looking at it and using it for an ironing board.

Below are two threads from this forum about Diamond furniture style tables:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?371682&p=4838173#post4838173

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=194481
 
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Great info here. Thanks everyone. I hadn't completely ruled out buying used but was leaning heavily towards new. If I could find the right table for the right price and work out delivery and disassembly and installation etc. It might be doable. I'm in the Myrtle Beach SC area so I'll have to check Craig's list tonight. I like the idea of sticking with an eight footer so as not to discourage the kids right away.
 
You might also want to approach the purchace from a different angle: find the mechanic first, then pick the table based on Craigslist and his local knowledge, combined.

How old are your boys? How did they get interested? I think that is great and you should be happy they have an interest in a (somewhat) cerebral/ physical recreational activity the would do AT HOME.

Thasss really beautiful, man.
 
Here you go

1. Call and make a deal on this Gold Crown 3(I know it says 2, but its a 3) Pool Table for $1000-1500:

https://greenville.craigslist.org/spo/d/brunswick-gold-crown-ii-pool/6308184509.html
( I know its a 9' , but, your kids will benefit over the years and they also GROW)

2. Get your buddies on call to move it

3. Secure van or truck.

4. Download and print the Service manual for the table http://www.chicagobilliardmuseum.org/files/Gold_Crown_III.pdf

5. Gather appropriate tools.

6. RESEARCH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE> YOUTUBE VIDS!!!

7. Inspect table, Pay cash.

8. Disassemble and move table.

9. Call Mechanic to handle working on it and setting it up .(Use this step if not sure about moving it yourself) .
 
Black-Balled said:
How old are your boys? How did they get interested? I think that is great and you should be happy they have an interest in a (somewhat) cerebral/ physical recreational activity the would do AT HOME.

Thasss really beautiful, man.
Click to expand...

The boys are eleven and twelve and thank you. I'm always trying to find things that will interest all of us. Gotta throw stuff at the wall sometimes. :) They've been playing at a friend's house down the street and that's why they're showing an interest.

I called someone from Craigslist today about a table. Turns out they are a wholesaler for presidential tables but sometimes have other used tables. The table I called about was a nice looking used Brunswick Authentic. I didn't know anything about it so I called for more info. The table was already sold a few days ago but he told me all about the presidential tables that he reps. So far I know they're imports from Africa.

Lots to think about for sure. Thank for all the info and suggestions so far.
 
I found a 8'+ Brunswick Viscount for $300.00 Top of table is GCI. I spent about $1,500 on new polished brass foot levelers, top corner brass pieces, diamond rails, sinomis cloth, and set up by table mechanic. Did the cosmetics myself. Love this table!
 
Here is a very general overview:

If you buy a new furniture table, it will be imported. The materials used will be lots of particle board. This can also lead to future cloth recovering problems, as the staples eat up the particle board. The rail rubber will tend to harden over the years. The frame will not be super sturdy when leaning on it. No matter how much you pay for the table, it will be worth about 100 to 500 when you try to sell it. Simply because there is no market for it. You will see on craigslist people giving them away, just to get them out of the house. And serious hardcore players, like the guys in this forum, want nothing to do with those tables.

Now, for a casual player, all of the above probably doesn't matter. You might recover it once every 20 years. So not a big deal about the staples.

The exception to the new furniture table is the Diamond and Olhauson companies. Their new furniture tables are steps above the rest.

What the "serious players" like us do, is we buy used commercial tables. There are only really two main ones. The Brunswick Gold Crown 1 to Gold Crown 5 (we abbreviate that as GC1 to GC5), and the Diamond Professional or Pro/Am model. These tables we buy used for 1000 to 3000, depending on condition, and then maybe spend 1000 more on top of that, to get them to our fanatical likings. This type of table is much heavier. Much sturdier. Will take cloth recovering for decades. The rubber will last 30 years. And IF we ever sell it, it will likely still sell for the 1000 to 3000 we bought it for.

The downside to the used commercial route, is you need a good table mechanic to put it all together and fix any issues that pop up. Also, if it was in a pool room (99% of them are), it might be beat up pretty bad, even cosmetically. You are also very limited in the aesthetic choices, and the wife might not like it. The GC1 came out in the 1960's, the GC5 in the 2010's, and they look almost exactly the same. They usually almost always come in 9' sizes. 8' exist, but much less common.

You might also want to go to a pool room, and ask the owner who he uses for table work, and if that person might have used commercial models for sale.

Don't forget the light. Most of us here like the florescent lights that cover the whole length of the table. They are now being slowly replaced with LED lights. Less desirable, are the 3 or 4 lamp incandescent lights. This is simply from a lighting of the table cloth standpoint, not an aesthetic one.

If you have money to spare, and just want to be done with it, go to a retailer, and buy a new furniture style table package. If you want to spend about the same cash, but get a higher quality used commercial table, find a mechanic that does good work, and see what he has, and buy the whole package from him. And don't forget to give Diamond billiards and Olhousen a call and see what they have for new furniture tables. Their new commercial tables are 6k, but I think their new furniture models are in the 2500 range. If you want to save the most cash, but have the most headache, look on craigslist, and try to get a table from a private buyer, then figure out how to get it from his house to yours and set it up.

Good luck, and don't sweat the small stuff;) Any table is better than none at the end of the day:)
 
trentfromtoledo said:
1. Call and make a deal on this Gold Crown 3(I know it says 2, but its a 3) Pool Table for $1000-1500:

https://greenville.craigslist.org/spo/d/brunswick-gold-crown-ii-pool/6308184509.html
( I know its a 9' , but, your kids will benefit over the years and they also GROW)

2. Get your buddies on call to move it

3. Secure van or truck.

4. Download and print the Service manual for the table http://www.chicagobilliardmuseum.org/files/Gold_Crown_III.pdf

5. Gather appropriate tools.

6. RESEARCH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE> YOUTUBE VIDS!!!

7. Inspect table, Pay cash.

8. Disassemble and move table.

9. Call Mechanic to handle working on it and setting it up .(Use this step if not sure about moving it yourself) .
Click to expand...

A table like this might be a great buy. It might have been in the guy's home for 20 years, saving much commercial abuse. Who knows, this one might have always been privately owned, and never used commercially. This is the Gold Crown we were mentioning in this thread. The standard of the used commercial tables.
 
You souND pretty new to all of this so I'm gonna give you my opinion , but I believe most will agree. For several reasons, I'd say stay away from furniture tables if at all possible. Being this is new for everyone at your house, this may become something one or all of yall really get into or maybe it will end up getting used once a month. So, just speaking financially you will be WAY better off buying a used Gold Crown. I often see decent enough 2's or 3's for sale between $1000-$1500 usually. This will be way way cheaper than just about any new furniture table you by new. As others have stated, the commercial tables are literally built like 10 times better than the furniture tables in general. Also as other have said, if you by a GC and decide pool isn't for you, you will always get your money back out of it that you have spent. One last thing, it probably doesn't matter to you right now but if any of you ever get more serious about the game you will absolutely appreciate how much better a commercial table plays.

As to the size : I know you said 8 foot so the kids can have more fun. That of course is important but here's a few things to consider. Imo, the difference to a newbie will be negligible between an 8 or 9 foot. If you really want to make it easier get a 7 foot barbox. I don't recommend this though for a few reasons. Those that start out playing on a 9 ft from the beginning will have a big advantage than those that start out on a smaller table . It's always easier to learn to go from a full size table to a small one than vise versa. Also a 9 ( or even a 7 ) will hold their value much better and be a lot easier to sell than an 8. The 7 and 9 are by far the most popular sizes almost everywhere ( yes they're a few areas in the country where 8's are somewhat common but not that manyou ).

Here is something very important that I'm surprised no one had mentioned yet. The biggest thing that will determine how much fun they have on it will be the pockets. Size, cut, shelf determines how hard or easy a table plays. When you are having it set up have them make it 5 inch pockets with an easy rail anger and shelf depth. Could even go 5.25 if you want. The " standard " size is 4.5 inches so a 5 plays pretty easy. Keep in mind if in the future you want to tighten pockets up you can. Anyway welcome the forum and good luck!

PS - Diamonds make very nice tables but they are almost always more expensive than GC's and to be honest with you I'm A GC guy. I've always preferred GC's over Diamonds by far because I play mostly one pocket and have to bank a lot and mine and many others will tell you Diamonds just don't usually bank correctly ( this probably will not matter to you and I've heard on their new tables this has been addressed but I've heard many people say that it has not and I haven't played one so I can't say. Also, if you look at new GC's you will see they will cost you over $10,000 so a used one for $1000-1500 is quite the bargain ( especially since they look and play so much alike ��).
 
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Pass on the off brand, imo.

Thanks for the backstory!

Joe Mags said:
The boys are eleven and twelve and thank you. I'm always trying to find things that will interest all of us. Gotta throw stuff at the wall sometimes. :) They've been playing at a friend's house down the street and that's why they're showing an interest.

I called someone from Craigslist today about a table. Turns out they are a wholesaler for presidential tables but sometimes have other used tables. The table I called about was a nice looking used Brunswick Authentic. I didn't know anything about it so I called for more info. The table was already sold a few days ago but he told me all about the presidential tables that he reps. So far I know they're imports from Africa.

Lots to think about for sure. Thank for all the info and suggestions so far.
Click to expand...
 
That Craigslist gold crown looks super nice.

Might be worth it to send a mechanic over there for $100 to check it out...I guess you could try to whittle seller down, but I think an easy and quick transaction for a top level example might be worth 20%.
 
Joe Mags said:
Great info here. Thanks everyone. I hadn't completely ruled out buying used but was leaning heavily towards new. If I could find the right table for the right price and work out delivery and disassembly and installation etc. It might be doable. I'm in the Myrtle Beach SC area so I'll have to check Craig's list tonight. I like the idea of sticking with an eight footer so as not to discourage the kids right away.
Click to expand...

Click on this....hell, he might be next door to you...8 foot Olhausen

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...beach/&usg=AFQjCNHDTl_aEisGhRhzYzS41N4NzGJEgg
 
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