How is Dale Perry able to make such beautiful inlaid cues & sell them for under $150

[ugotactionTX]

sorry, but that's an incredibly ill-informed opinion...

and downright incorrect IMO. have you ever seen a "modern" cue shop or what a cue maker actually goes through to produce a cue (assuming it's not simple assembly, which is still difficult to do well)? yes the equipment is much better today than in the past but it most certainly does NOT "do all the work".

There have been a myriad posts that relate to the poor quality of his cues. Basic things, like his pins unscrewing.

Underlying that however, is the fact that the building of a cue is cheap. The markup is sizable and today's machinery does all the work. One can build a workable, good looking, cr@ppy playing cue on the cheap.

 

[Mitchxout]

DP's seem to good to be true. The truth is they're decent for the price. What DP calls "ebony black is simple epoxy. His shafts are soft, dent easily, and turn blue quickly. I had one and the ferrule came loose the first week. I felt lucky to get my $120 back. Pretty cue, though.

 

[GoldCrown]

DP's seem to good to be true. The truth is they're decent for the price. What DP calls "ebony black is simple epoxy. His shafts are soft, dent easily, and turn blue quickly. I had one and the ferrule came loose the first week. I felt lucky to get my $120 back. Pretty cue, though.

You are 100% accurate.

 

[txironhead]

Wow, glad I read this. I was actually thinking about one of his Ebay cues.

With online forums, if I see one, even two negative posts I think "hey, maybe that was a fluke or they've got a bug up their a$$". But with so many negatives with specific problems, I think I'll pass.

I know that my friend has a DP that he loves, but it was one of the higher-end cues. No problems in at least a couple years. I don't know anyone that has bought one of his Ebay cues.

 

[dom_poppa]

Are you convinced yet???
You're certainly welcome to go out and buy a shop-full of machinery (and a shop to put it in).
Then buy a couple of videos and cue-making books and you're in business.
Don't worry about falling on your face. At least you'll be doing something for the economy.

KJ

I will pass.

There's not really much money in pool.

 

[dom_poppa]

I dont want to go on a long rant about dale so i will keep it short and sweet.

For Dale Perrys cues to be called custom is an insult to real cuemakers.
I have been in his shop cues get passed down the line to a different person depending on what needs to be done..Dale Perrys personallity...im not even going there..Me calling him a jerk would be a understatement.

Ask anyone in orange park about him you will get the same answer, he made his own bed with the locals and now hes gotta sleep in it.

I asked a local in the pool hall if they would buy a Dale Perry cue and he responded "Id rather buy a 3 legged dog" everyone laughed and agreed.

Not trying to be mean, just giving you the facts.

those are just opinions by a handful of people.

I know it must suck that he drove the prices of his cues down, of those that bought the expensive cues before he went the 'affordable' route. As far as handing cues down the production line, every cue maker does that. There are very few one man show shops but they still exist. With everything comes a price.

He's just a businessman

 

[Bum]

I bought a DP cue about three months ago. It's a lot of cue for the 285.00 I shelled out for it.

I was not happy that the tip was not put on correct and not even close. The ferrule came loose and the butt had a small dent in it when received.

All that aside it was still only 285 bucks.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[measureman]

I bought a DP cue about three months ago. It's a lot of cue for the 285.00 I shelled out for it.

I was not happy that the tip was not put on correct and not even close. The ferrule came loose and the butt had a small dent in it when received.

All that aside it was still only 285 bucks.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

I paid $250 for a Lucasi and it was perfect. Still is 3 years later.

 

[Spimp13]

DP's seem to good to be true. The truth is they're decent for the price. What DP calls "ebony black is simple epoxy. His shafts are soft, dent easily, and turn blue quickly. I had one and the ferrule came loose the first week. I felt lucky to get my $120 back. Pretty cue, though.

This is spot on. The fiance has a higher end cue $900ish turquoise and tulipwood. Add to this bad customer service and well you get what you pay for...but her cue does look nice after they fixed the botched mistakes. She is happy so that's all that matters.

 

[Bum]

Cool...too bad I don't like Lucasi that might be useful information.

 

[Black-Balled]

I dont want to go on a long rant about dale so i will keep it short and sweet....Ask anyone in orange park about him you will get the same answer, he made his own bed with the locals and now hes gotta sleep in it.

I asked a local in the pool hall if they would buy a Dale Perry cue and he responded "Id rather buy a 3 legged dog" everyone laughed and agreed.

Not trying to be mean, just giving you the facts.

I knew this girl in high-school, now famous actress and she was a biaaaaatch!
But you all love her anyway.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Who is dat?
If she doesn't chew, then I probably won't like her.

 

[measureman]

Cool...too bad I don't like Lucasi that might be useful information.

The point being is that a mass produced Chinese cue was made perfect.

 

[Neil]

..............

 

[Atlatlien]

I have owned 2 DP cues (post eBay) and neither had any problems. Lucky I guess but you really can't beat it in the under $150 range, IMO

Sold them both to local bangers, haven't had a single complaint from them...

 

[nkvilliecues]

I am sorry if this question has already been asked on here in the past, but I am very curious how Dale Perry is able to make such beautiful inlaid cues, and sell them for under $150 (and still make a profit)?

TAIWAN

Does anyone know (for a fact) that he makes the cues himself, or does he import them, and then just put his signature on them?

THEY ARE IMPORTEDWITH HIS SIGNATURE ALREADY ON THEM....all he has to do is inspect them and then sell them.......I think he has a good eye for cues as he at one time had hands on experience making them but being the banker that he was he discovered a better way.

If he actually makes each of the cues himself, than how is he able to make a profit?

NO WAY JOSE.......delusional

I really love the looks of some of his cues (like the Bocote cue in the link below).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...:MEWAX:IT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_5455wt_1185

I am just amazed at how he is able to profit from such a nice looking inlaid cue.

I am thinking about buying one of his cues, but am just worried about the quality of the cue I would be getting (if it is actually possibly made in Asia).

I do not want to offend Dale Perry cues, but I would just like some facts about his cues.

I love the looks, but I am just worried about the quality and hit of his cues.

Sorry for going on to ask other questions (than just my original question).

I am mostly just very curious about the 1st question I asked.

Thanks.

NOW EVERTHING i HAVE SAID ABOVE IS JUST HEARSAY.....not allowable in a court of law, just MHO, a WAG based upon a WIG.......BUT NOW I WILL TELL YOU SOME FACTS ABOUT DALE PERRY, based on my personal experience over the years. KEEP IN MIND that if I wuz a KAT DP would rub me the wrong way.

DP is a decent player and KNOWS CUES.....if his name is on a cue then, especially for the price he charges, you shud not *****. He started out around 1988, this I know. If the phone rang at 2301 hours [this was before most of u were born when after 2300 the LIMA LIMA rates went WAY DOWN] it was either PFD [u du knot wnt knw what VICTOR STEIN says the "F" stands for] or DP or one or two others callling me to try to learn how to bild cues over the phone........idiots......and so was I by not hanging up on them [this was before caller ID]

AT ANY RATE.......I have followed the cue bilding careers of a number of people over the years and in the end most of them have seemed to have followed my advice. One of the strategies that some one who thought there was big money to be made in selling cues was to make a few oneself until satisfied with the design and the product and then go to TAIWAN/JAPAN and pay them to make your "LINE OF CUES". DP is a very smart person and listened to me and he wud not be in business today if the cue you get from him is not 100% returnable, and for the price he charges you shud just bite the bullet.

BUT DOES HE MAKE THE CUE WITH HIS NAME ON THEM well I wud have to say no, but he does inspect and maybe even play a little bit with each one and if I were in the market to buy a cue in the price range that he sells them in I would get one of his over all the others out there.

 

[measureman]

NOW EVERTHING i HAVE SAID ABOVE IS JUST HEARSAY.....not allowable in a court of law, just MHO, a WAG based upon a WIG.......BUT NOW I WILL TELL YOU SOME FACTS ABOUT DALE PERRY, based on my personal experience over the years. KEEP IN MIND that if I wuz a KAT DP would rub me the wrong way.

DP is a decent player and KNOWS CUES.....if his name is on a cue then, especially for the price he charges, you shud not *****. He started out around 1988, this I know. If the phone rang at 2301 hours [this was before most of u were born when after 2300 the LIMA LIMA rates went WAY DOWN] it was either PFD [u du knot wnt knw what VICTOR STEIN says the "F" stands for] or DP or one or two others callling me to try to learn how to bild cues over the phone........idiots......and so was I by not hanging up on them [this was before caller ID]

AT ANY RATE.......I have followed the cue bilding careers of a number of people over the years and in the end most of them have seemed to have followed my advice. One of the strategies that some one who thought there was big money to be made in selling cues was to make a few oneself until satisfied with the design and the product and then go to TAIWAN/JAPAN and pay them to make your "LINE OF CUES". DP is a very smart person and listened to me and he wud not be in business today if the cue you get from him is not 100% returnable, and for the price he charges you shud just bite the bullet.

BUT DOES HE MAKE THE CUE WITH HIS NAME ON THEM well I wud have to say no, but he does inspect and maybe even play a little bit with each one and if I were in the market to buy a cue in the price range that he sells them in I would get one of his over all the others out there.

You kind of rambled a bit here,but am I to understand that he does not make the cues but has them made off shore and just markets them under his name? Is this fact or just your opinion? And trust me I am not defending DP just want to know the truth. Personally I don't care where they are made because I will never buy one,at least not new.

 

[Tooler]

You kind of rambled a bit here,

Uh, Dennis rambled...? I don't think so.:thumbup:

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

You kind of rambled a bit here,but am I to understand that he does not make the cues but has them made off shore and just markets them under his name? Is this fact or just your opinion? And trust me I am not defending DP just want to know the truth. Personally I don't care where they are made because I will never buy one,at least not new.

MM, in his very first sentence he said it was hearsay and only his opinion.

 

[ShootingArts]

sure thought you were right

Of course the machinery does ALL the work. You don't think that we 'whittle' a shaft to final-taper do you?
Hand inlaid, man, what were they thinking???
And all those hours of hands-on labor that CMs try to pass on to the buyer; actually, that's the hours that
the epoxy is curing and the finish is drying. Think about it, we're getting paid BIG bucks to watch paint dry.
There you have the reason that so many newbs are becoming cue-makers. It's free money!!!

KJ

I bought three or four lathes, an NC mill, a few other trinkets. Put the wood in and powered up everything. Didn't work quite as expected!

Back in '73 I built a new mechanic shop. Didn't take the Sun representative long to find me. He wanted to set me up with a new Sun machine for the princely sum of $15,000 which would have bought a pair of new Corvettes at the time with money left over. I walked around one side of the machine looking all up and down, then moved to the other side and carefully studied it.

"What are you looking for?"

"The arms, for fifteen thousand it is gonna have to do the work too!"

Some people have no sense of humor. I bought a machine for twelve hundred that got the job done just as well but didn't have the scopes and big empty cabinet the Sun had.

When the BS stops the main mistake I made if I wanted to build cues was building my cue shop next to my friend's machine shop. I could walk next door and make three times the money with none of the headaches.

I have been inside enough of the "economy" cues that I know that while an operation can be streamlined to a certain extent, corners have to be cut to make a cheap cue. Those shortcuts may or may not bite the purchaser in the butt.

Hu