How often do cuemakers make their own blanks for sneaky petes / hustlers?

[Guerra Cues]

Penguin, do you have a bone to pick with me? What's up with this internet stalking crap going on?

Hey Eric,
This is the normal behavior from Penguin.
There isn't a single positive post from this guy on AZ. He has also been stalking me for a while, must be a gay thing.
Since you are doing that sneaky for me and since this keyboard jockey is in my neck of the woods I would like to challenge Penguin for a race to 5 of 10 ball for $100.00. Btw, he does not have the balls to show up.
Eric, I still hope u can repair a sneaky for me if it gets damaged.

 

[Impact Blue]

I would like to see the $1000 sneaky...there is more to it that revealed thus far.

Here you go. Thanks for the replies guys. This is informative dialogue.

Fullsplice 4-point wrapless Mexican cocobolo into figured birdseye maple cue made from quality made Schmelke blank. Silver stitch deco rings at joint and buttcap. 13mm clear maple shaft with linen melamine ferrule and Triangle tip. Weighs 18.45 oz., with an 18-5/8" balance point. Joint protector set included. $925.00. A total player/ collectable!

 

[ARROWCRUSHER]

It doesn't really matter what price tag is on a sneaky like the one above. A cue is only worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it. That being any cue, you can hang a $1000 price tag on the cue like above but it dont mean a person is going to pay that for it. I just got a full splce ebony nose fancey sneaky with ringwork all points on cue and it looks great and hits as great as a $1000 cue. But I paid no where near that but if he could get that much for his work I would stand behind him all the way. But needless to say mine cue had a totally different look than the sneaky that posted for all but $1000. <<<<<ED

 

[Str8PoolPlayer]

I can tell you with certainty that Tom Coker has made
several full-spliced Sneaky Petes for my friend and I. We
always pick out the Wood and Tom splices it right there in
his Shop.

His Bocote Sneakies are Awesome, and priced right too.

 

[JG-in-KY]

$1000 for a sneaky isn't unheard of or a rare thing. There's likely a dozen builders currently who can demand it. The cost of the blank is trivial to the cost of the cue. No matter what cue it is, materials are the minor cost associated with the build. A P/J cue with nice rings goes for $1000 or more pretty commonly and there's less work and less material cost than building a fancy sneaky "correctly". By correctly I mean weighted & balanced appropriately, points even & consistent, etc.

Building a sneaky correctly is not an easy task. The blank is a pretty simple splice of two woods and so long as the builder knows the woods used, he can, with a high degree of certainty, know how the cue will hit & feel before it's ever built. This all lies in the quality of the builder himself more so than the quality of the blank. If the blank is assembled accurately with good wood then it's going to be structurally as good as any other blank whether built by the builder or by a supplier. Turning that blank into a cue is where the money comes in to play.

Personally speaking, I go through the pains of hand choosing blanks according to wood quality & cleanliness of the splice. I then do what is necessary to center it correctly so that the points will be even. I turn the blank for no less than one year & most often several years to ensure stability. I weight & balance the cue the same way I do any other cue I build so it will be consistent in play and feel as every other cue I build. The dimensions are all uniform with all of my cues. It also gets 2 shafts that are of the same quality as any cue I build. I charge $150 per shaft so there's $300 of the value. Now figure in the nice rings at joint & butt, and the finish. Each ring pack is $50-$100 depending on complexity. The finish is $150. We're already at $650 just for the basics. So how much is my time worth that I spent getting the points even and balancing the butt correctly? And how about the time it takes to cut .010" a month over several years until the cue is final size?

Breaking it down like this is something folks don't do. So they don't understand why a sneaky can cost a lot. To most folks, a sneaky is a simple full spliced butt with a joint pin & a shaft, or a house cue cut & joint pin added. And that is true. But when you factor in the difference between a "tossed together" sneaky and a sneaky built to the same high level as higher end cues, you can clearly see why a sneaky "can" cost $1000+. Any builder who actually goes through the trouble of building a sneaky correctly will charge appropriately. If he can't get what it's worth to justify his time & work then he simply won't build sneakies.

My point is that you can't compare a $1000 sneaky to a $300 sneaky. The $300 sneaky is a quick job with lack of attention to detail and low grade shaft(s). The only way to build a $300-$500 sneaky is to either not pay yourself for the work involved, or else cut corners in the process to sell cheap and still make money. It's easy to cut corners and therefore there's a lot of cheap sneakies. It's not easy to get paid fairly for the job of building a high grade sneaky so you don't see them very often. I hope this makes sense. Now can a guy take a $50 blank & cut it to size with no attention to the evenness of the points? Yes. Can he install a joint pin, add collars & a shaft? Yes. Will it play well? Yes. And it'll cost $300-$500. You get what you pay for.

Great information! I have owned many sneakies (I love them) but never had this kind of insight before. I still have a 1982 Meucci Sneaky Pete. Thanks!

 

[KRJ]

Hmmm

Hey Penguin:

Pretty presumptious of you to dismay cue makers that charge a good fee for a sneaky. Do you really think a Hercek or Prewitt sneaky would only be $300? And why should it. Anyone buying a Prewitt sneaky for $300 would turn around and immediately sell it for $900 or more. The market is the market. Some cuemakers have "earned" their reputation, and others have not yet made it to the "tier one" status. So be it. You get a really good deal now, but no guarantee the cue is going to be worth much in 10 years. Most top makers don't build sneaky's but when they do they go fast.

No different than buying a car. Sure you can buy the new full size Hyundai that is close to the Lexus in looks, size and performance and you save a few bucks too! But over 10 years at the top of JD Powers Quality ranking goes a long way, Lexus has earned the reputation, and you are paying for that reputation, dependability, customer service and resale value. Don't know why it bothers you that some charge more for a product based on numerous factors like reputation, customer service, the way they age their wood, etc.

The market dictates what the price it. Nobody has to buy the $1000 Bender SP shown here, but somebody will, and they will get a great cue, by a great cue maker and probably sell it for a lot more than $1000 in 5 or 10 years.

But ask your "top players" you mentioned if they want a free Al Romero sneaky or a Ed Prewitt sneaky or a Hercek sneaky (don't even think they build sneaky's) and see which one they snatch up first. I"m pretty sure most if not all would chose either of the last two, and quickly.

 

[penguin]

The $300 sneaky is a quick job with lack of attention to detail and low grade shaft(s). The only way to build a $300-$500 sneaky is to either not pay yourself for the work involved, or else cut corners in the process to sell cheap and still make money.

The above statement(s) sounds like a "knock" on any cuemaker who sells sneaky petes in the $300 range. That's my "bone to pick".

I have no issue with cuemakers making money. What I do take issue with is a cuemaker (or anyone else) "knocking" other custom cuemakers' work based solely on price; implying that poor workmanship and low-grade materials must have been used.

You stated that you have given away many cues. The price there was zero/free. But I would be the first one to say that all your "free" cues were built with the same high level of care, craftsmanship, pride, and materials as your "paid for" cues.

This forum is about sharing information, opinions and educating people. It would be a shame to mislead people into believing that unless they buy a cue from one of a very small list of "elite" and expensive builders, they are getting a "hatchet-job".

It's also a shame to see someone buy a cue from a "big name cuemaker"; then only be able to get 50-60% of what they paid when they go and attempt to sell it.

FWIW, Eric, I have read many of your posts and found the information you shared both enlightening and helpful. However, I have to disagree with your opinion on the absolute relationship of price/quality.

I would like to challenge Penguin for a race to 5 of 10 ball for $100.00. Btw, he does not have the balls to show up.

Raise the price of the game to something worthwhile and I might fly out there.

Remember, I have to start thinking about "what my time is worth".

 

[hangemhigh]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BENFICA
I would like to challenge Penguin for a race to 5 of 10 ball for $100.00. Btw, he does not have the balls to show up.


Raise the price of the game to something worthwhile and I might fly out there.

Remember, I have to start thinking about "what my time is worth". [/QUOTE]

A loser leaves AZ match is in order.

 

[qbilder]

The above statement(s) sounds like a "knock" on any cuemaker who sells sneaky petes in the $300 range. That's my "bone to pick".

I have no issue with cuemakers making money. What I do take issue with is a cuemaker (or anyone else) "knocking" other custom cuemakers' work based solely on price; implying that poor workmanship and low-grade materials must have been used.

You stated that you have given away many cues. The price there was zero/free. But I would be the first one to say that all your "free" cues were built with the same high level of care, craftsmanship, pride, and materials as your "paid for" cues.

This forum is about sharing information, opinions and educating people. It would be a shame to mislead people into believing that unless they buy a cue from one of a very small list of "elite" and expensive builders, they are getting a "hatchet-job".

It's also a shame to see someone buy a cue from a "big name cuemaker"; then only be able to get 50-60% of what they paid when they go and attempt to sell it.

FWIW, Eric, I have read many of your posts and found the information you shared both enlightening and helpful. However, I have to disagree with your opinion on the absolute relationship of price/quality.

The relation between price & quality was addressed. I never said that a cue would be lower quality. I said that it would be lacking the extra frills, extra shafts, and attention to detail that a more expensive cue would. And unless the builder is giving away his time, that would be accurate. I know all too well how much work it takes to build a sneaky with rings, two shafts, even pints, etc. and there's not a builder on earth who can do it for $300 and come out in the good on it. That was my point. There's only so much a builder can do for $300-$500 and for the work involved with sneakies, it simply isn't worth it UNLESS it is a cue like what Lil Al Romero builds from chopped in half house cues. That's the only time it's money smart. I'd rather build an 8-pointer than a sneaky because the 8-pointer is often times less aggravating. Really, it is a PIA.

And yes, my "give away" cues certainly are built the same as any cue I build. I'm very fortunate & blessed in life and do not have to depend on cues for money. I really do build them because I enjoy it. Don't get me wrong. I do like making money from cues. But it's not a driving force behind it. The money gets reinvested in materials & machines or else buys my wife some diamonds & a fancy dinner.

I wasn't "knocking" on any cuemaker. I was simply trying to describe to folks the differences between their $300 sneakies and a $1000 sneaky. The question was how can a sneaky be worth that much. I was merely answering that. The difference in in the details. For $300 you don't get much detail, only a simple spliced butt with a shaft. For $1000 you get multiple shafts, even points, correct balance & weight, nice rings & a fine finish. It's not really sneaky anymore but a very nice full splice custom. Hopefully that says it better than my first post.

Merry Christmas to all

 

[ridewiththewind]

I thought Eric's explanation was clear enough and not derogatory to any maker in any way. It was a perspective from someone who builds cues as opposed to most of us that buy them.

You also need to understand, the name that goes on said sneaky/full splice has a butt-load to do with the price. Money in, money out. That particular sneaky is going to command a better resale than say a lesser known maker's sneaky is going to command. It is also going to be easier to sell.

You don't honestly believe that these makers that are asking higher prices for their sneakies in today's market started out getting those kinds of prices, do you? They have earned their reputations over the years. Some of these guys have been building cues for 30-40 years. The fact that they are still able to make a living at it after all this time typically means that they make a pretty sporty playing cue...otherwise they would have faded to black.

Lisa

 

[ComptonCustomCues]

I have built sneakies for 200 out of old duffrin house cues.....I hope no one is implying my cue's build was sub par. Now I will say I can't possibly spend the time to make the points line up for that, but the hit, shaft quality, finish, and ring work are all up to the standards of any cue I build.

 

[KRJ]

Hmmmm

The relation between price & quality was addressed. I never said that a cue would be lower quality. I said that it would be lacking the extra frills, extra shafts, and attention to detail that a more expensive cue would. And unless the builder is giving away his time, that would be accurate. I know all too well how much work it takes to build a sneaky with rings, two shafts, even pints, etc. and there's not a builder on earth who can do it for $300 and come out in the good on it. That was my point. There's only so much a builder can do for $300-$500 and for the work involved with sneakies, it simply isn't worth it UNLESS it is a cue like what Lil Al Romero builds from chopped in half house cues. That's the only time it's money smart. I'd rather build an 8-pointer than a sneaky because the 8-pointer is often times less aggravating. Really, it is a PIA.

And yes, my "give away" cues certainly are built the same as any cue I build. I'm very fortunate & blessed in life and do not have to depend on cues for money. I really do build them because I enjoy it. Don't get me wrong. I do like making money from cues. But it's not a driving force behind it. The money gets reinvested in materials & machines or else buys my wife some diamonds & a fancy dinner.

I wasn't "knocking" on any cuemaker. I was simply trying to describe to folks the differences between their $300 sneakies and a $1000 sneaky. The question was how can a sneaky be worth that much. I was merely answering that. The difference in in the details. For $300 you don't get much detail, only a simple spliced butt with a shaft. For $1000 you get multiple shafts, even points, correct balance & weight, nice rings & a fine finish. It's not really sneaky anymore but a very nice full splice custom. Hopefully that says it better than my first post.

Merry Christmas to all

Tap, Tap, Tap.

 

[new2thegame]

All I can add is that I was fortunate enough to buy a ST Sneaky after I meet Eric at the last SBE.

Over about 1 or 8 beers? we spoke about his work and his knowledge of cue making. I found it pretty interesting that he was really born into it as a kid, being exposed to various woods, etc. From what I took away from Eric was that he viewed cue making as an art where he melded his passion for pool with his knowledge for woods.

Anyway, Eric had built a Sneaky for a friend of his and delivered it to him at the Expo. Ironically, one of the design aspects of the cue wasn't exactly as his friend wanted. So Eric, being a stand up guy, told him he would make him a totally new cue. . . and since Eric felt like he made an error (which the buyer/friend didn't even really mind) Eric told him to keep the cue. . . he even told the guy that he could sell it if he wanted.

Long story short, I bought the cue for much less than $1K. Now I would have easily paid that much or more as it includes 2 shafts, micro rings, etc. etc.

I guess the moral is that Eric is true to his word, and I can vouch for him... in all respects of the deal he really did give the cue that I bought away, twice. However, I did have to promise them both that I wouldn't flip the cue on AZ and make a dime of of their kindness.

More proof of the matter is Eric's prices. . . if he were really in this for total profit, his prices would have risen in concert with the market for his resales. I mean, ST's have seen a rise in price over the past few years and from what I know, Eric's prices have changed very little. So to question the "why" he makes cues it really a wash. . . first its none of our business and secondly if you don't like the guy behind the painting then don't go to the museum. . . it'll just make it easier on us guys who know the difference between oil and acrylic

 

[greyghost]

Some other cuemakers who do make their own fullsplice blanks include: Darrin Hill, Mark Bear, Joel Hercek, and Ed Prewitt.

I have to disagree with this statement.

A lower price should not imply the cuemaker is a hack or did sub-standard work. Too many people get sucked into the "cue market hype" that higher price always equals higher quality and lower price always equals lower quality.

Eric wasn't implying that a lower price designates a hack maker or substandard work. What he said was that either the cue maker is going to do less quality work and charge a low price for it as opposed to a PERFECT cue that goes for much more.......or they can do the best they can and make a perfect cue and do the work for free basically.

There are plenty of cuemakers who can and will build you a fine cue (sneaky petes included) without charging an arm and a leg. And the cues they make will not be "tossed together" as you would say.

Al Romero out of Bellflower, California charges around $250 for his sneakies. The butts are made from old house cues. However, they are well-balanced, have very high-grade shaftwood, and many high-speed players would agree they play just as good as your suggested $1000 sneaky.

I'm sure Al's cues do hit well.......thing is that for the most part ERIC wasn't talking about hit and feel. What Eric is speaking of is CONSTRUCTION and its visual tells. Al's cues may hit just as well as any other, but I GUARANTEE that if you took 10 of his sneaky petes and 10 from dennis searing the Searings would have much better quality control from cue to cue and each and every thing on the Searing will be PERFECT. The Romero may have a little looser shaft, or points that may only be off by 1/8" which is still great but its NOT PERFECT.

PERFECT WORK IS VERY VERY HARD TO DO...........I BUILD A HELL OF A PLAYING CUE AND STAND BY THEIR HIT BUT MY CUES CAN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO THE EXTREMELY PERFECT VISUAL WORK DONE BY GUYS LIKE MR. SEARING.

This is what Eric was sampling......If I make 2 sneakys with exactly the same everything except one has perfect points and the other is way off. The two cues will basically play the same but VISUAL ASTETICS are bad......the WORK IS NOT PERFECT.....cue making is an art, its not just about the inlays but its not just about the hit either.

And surprising as it may seem, a lot of cuemakers actually LOVE to build cues (more than they love $$$). They take great pride in their work and great satisfaction in seeing their cues played with and appreciated by all pool players; not just pool players with lots of $$$ to spend on cues. Most of all, they are not constantly trying to justify their efforts with statements like yours...

Hell yes we love to build cues......but that doesn't mean we are trying to do it for free either! I'm working on a cue right now that has over 100 hours on it. Thats over 2 weeks of work for most "normal" americans. WTF are we supposed to do just take the material cost and double it and sell the dam cue for that? GOOD LUCK TRYING TO EAT

If you, as a cuemaker, are really that concerned about "how much your time is worth" while making cues, perhaps you need to re-think why you are even making cues to begin with.

This statement blows my mind. I don't see why cuemakers shouldn't be concerned with their income/hr off their work. Just as any other worker or builder would be in any other line of work......if you can't quantify things such as this then you can never grow as a business or business man b/c you don't even know how to keep good books.....if you can't crunch numbers to figure out ways to build a business then it won't do squat.

A cuemakers wage/hr is going to be determined by his skill. Are you a novice cue maker, a apprentice cue maker or a journeyman?

Just like professionals in other fields will not do small jobs b/c it is too small say for example patching a hole in drywall.... IF they do do it they charge you out the A** or you can go to a handyman friend or fix it yourself.

I don't care who you are or even if you build a horrible playing cue.....if your selling cues for $250 your losing money........b/c time is money. I would know b/c thats where my cues basically start, but after all is said and done and I have all the wood ready to put a cue together if everything is basically at final size and piece it all together your looking at 3-4 days MINIMUM b/f that cue will be complete.

Forget the time and waiting you did over lord knows how long in taking passes to get the wood to that ready to put together phase. What your saying is that for a $250 sneaky that had b/t $40-$70 in materials in it to begin with is now only showing $210-$180 worth of profit. Not counting the cost of electricity and tool/equipment upkeep and maintance, your basically saying that my skills are at most worth $2.18/hr?

Anyone out there that could survive on a job making $2.18/hr must either live in the third world or already be rich. You wouldn't want to beat your meat for $2.18 an hour.

Thank god we can build things assembly line style and work on something else while your waiting on another thing.......

or you can have it bad and have one that takes a TON of handwork......like one that a customer wanted me to do some hand carving on. Its not like waiting for something to dry and you have time to work on something else.....something like carving there is no wait time, you just have to do the dam work and it isn't fast. So now the time you had to work on other cues so that you could space out the $$$$ wasted is gone and your doing one step at one time with time for only that step.





As a cuemaker you have to have standards just like any other trade. You can't let the customer deviate the quality of your work even if they didn't want the best of quality. So most set their standard by PRICE.

Like when we used to lay tile......I had customers that just wanted to save money so they didn't want us to use any concrete backerboard or anything......NOPE SORRY WONT DO THE JOB NOW for your standards are not up to mine....and my standards are the only ones that are important to me when it comes to placing my name on it.

Like the Maytag man the name dont go on untill the quality goes in.

Whats funny is that I havent had an order for a sneaky lol......I've sent out some plain janes and merry widows low end but no sneakys.......most of my orders are around $400-$700.

I really only try to do the low end stuff for the "NEEDY" as I just don't have the time, money, man power to "waste" on those things. Just like if I'm building an uncommissioned cue, I sure as hell wont make it a plain bag sneaky lol.

-Grey Ghost-

 

[Guerra Cues]

Raise the price of the game to something worthwhile and I might fly out there.

Remember, I have to start thinking about "what my time is worth".

You have to fly? Hmmm... You live in my neck of the woods and have to fly?
You tell me how much... I am ready for you. I usually eat penguin steaks for breakfast and you are next.

 

[greyghost]

No no no......Penguins are no good for steaks.

You have to fly? Hmmm... You live in my neck of the woods and have to fly?
You tell me how much... I am ready for you. I usually eat penguin steaks for breakfast and you are next.

Penguin steak? Nah........be better in a gumbo. When your done with him get a large pot of water boiling and add a little dawn. Dip the penguin in the hot soapy water, this will help to break down the oils in the feathers and make him easier to pluck.

Pass the tuxedo chicken in the soapy water as often as needed to help with the plucking process. Once your done there will be some Pin and down feathers left over, just pass the Penguin over your burner and singe the rest of the hairs off.

Pack him in ice and overnight ship him to me.......I'll stuff a boneless chicken in a boneless duck, and then stuff the ducken into the penguin after I'm done deboning him. I'll even layer it with some etouffee.

Make it quick I can have the Pedukin back to you in time to cook for xmas dinner.

I can do Penguin Chodain, Penguin Gumbo, Penguin Soup, Penguin Sandwich, Penguin Poboy, Fried Penguin, Broiled Penguin, Baked Penguin, Blackened Penguin, Stuffed Penguin, Penguin boudain, Sweet and Sour Penguin, Penguin a la King, Penguin Etoufee, Penguin Creole......

thats about it,
-Grey Gump-

 

[poolplayer2093]

The above statement(s) sounds like a "knock" on any cuemaker who sells sneaky petes in the $300 range. That's my "bone to pick".

I have no issue with cuemakers making money. What I do take issue with is a cuemaker (or anyone else) "knocking" other custom cuemakers' work based solely on price; implying that poor workmanship and low-grade materials must have been used.

You stated that you have given away many cues. The price there was zero/free. But I would be the first one to say that all your "free" cues were built with the same high level of care, craftsmanship, pride, and materials as your "paid for" cues.

This forum is about sharing information, opinions and educating people. It would be a shame to mislead people into believing that unless they buy a cue from one of a very small list of "elite" and expensive builders, they are getting a "hatchet-job".

It's also a shame to see someone buy a cue from a "big name cuemaker"; then only be able to get 50-60% of what they paid when they go and attempt to sell it.

FWIW, Eric, I have read many of your posts and found the information you shared both enlightening and helpful. However, I have to disagree with your opinion on the absolute relationship of price/quality.


Raise the price of the game to something worthwhile and I might fly out there.

Remember, I have to start thinking about "what my time is worth".

Are you coming out to cali to play BENFICA????? where're you guys going to play? why not just add the air fair and hotel fee to the bet? i love sweating local action. i hope this goes down!!!!!!

 

[poolplayer2093]

The above statement(s) sounds like a "knock" on any cuemaker who sells sneaky petes in the $300 range. That's my "bone to pick".

I have no issue with cuemakers making money. What I do take issue with is a cuemaker (or anyone else) "knocking" other custom cuemakers' work based solely on price; implying that poor workmanship and low-grade materials must have been used.

You stated that you have given away many cues. The price there was zero/free. But I would be the first one to say that all your "free" cues were built with the same high level of care, craftsmanship, pride, and materials as your "paid for" cues.

This forum is about sharing information, opinions and educating people. It would be a shame to mislead people into believing that unless they buy a cue from one of a very small list of "elite" and expensive builders, they are getting a "hatchet-job".

It's also a shame to see someone buy a cue from a "big name cuemaker"; then only be able to get 50-60% of what they paid when they go and attempt to sell it.

FWIW, Eric, I have read many of your posts and found the information you shared both enlightening and helpful. However, I have to disagree with your opinion on the absolute relationship of price/quality.


Raise the price of the game to something worthwhile and I might fly out there.

Remember, I have to start thinking about "what my time is worth".

alright i'll chime in with this. i agree with penguin about this. little al makes a great sneaky for under 300! i don't know what makes the difference in his cue but i've never hit with one that didn't play great!

 

[CMD]

All I can add is that I was fortunate enough to buy a ST Sneaky after I meet Eric at the last SBE.

Over about 1 or 8 beers? we spoke about his work and his knowledge of cue making. I found it pretty interesting that he was really born into it as a kid, being exposed to various woods, etc. From what I took away from Eric was that he viewed cue making as an art where he melded his passion for pool with his knowledge for woods.

Anyway, Eric had built a Sneaky for a friend of his and delivered it to him at the Expo. Ironically, one of the design aspects of the cue wasn't exactly as his friend wanted. So Eric, being a stand up guy, told him he would make him a totally new cue. . . and since Eric felt like he made an error (which the buyer/friend didn't even really mind) Eric told him to keep the cue. . . he even told the guy that he could sell it if he wanted.

Long story short, I bought the cue for much less than $1K. Now I would have easily paid that much or more as it includes 2 shafts, micro rings, etc. etc.

I guess the moral is that Eric is true to his word, and I can vouch for him... in all respects of the deal he really did give the cue that I bought away, twice. However, I did have to promise them both that I wouldn't flip the cue on AZ and make a dime of of their kindness.

More proof of the matter is Eric's prices. . . if he were really in this for total profit, his prices would have risen in concert with the market for his resales. I mean, ST's have seen a rise in price over the past few years and from what I know, Eric's prices have changed very little. So to question the "why" he makes cues it really a wash. . . first its none of our business and secondly if you don't like the guy behind the painting then don't go to the museum. . . it'll just make it easier on us guys who know the difference between oil and acrylic

Chris <~~~~~~just started the slow clap


Hey Penguin, if you live on the East Coast - we can play some Name a price, my kids new some new shoes.

 

[penguin]

Thread hijack continued (my apologies!)

You tell me how much... I am ready for you. I usually eat penguin steaks for breakfast and you are next.

10-ball. Race to 21 for $2,000.

I'd like to cover my expenses (travel, hotel, missed work), if I win, so don't interpret this as a "high-roll" maneuver.

And to make it interesting, let's add this to the wager as well

A loser leaves AZ match is in order.

I have cleared my Private Message box, so we can "iron out the details".

When would you like to play?