"I always sell my cues for a profit" sellers

shooter_Hans

Well-known member
What is up with these guys on here and this term was brought to my attention years ago. A fellow pool player collected cues and would play with them and sell them once the regulars get use to seeing him play with it. Kind of like "its my personal cue" and you better offer me something decent for me to sell. That type of mentality.

I was once negotiating with this person about a cue and to be fair he is an honest guy. I am a businessman and he wasn't use to my quick thinking negotiation skills. Anyways he said to me one thing that I will never forget, "I always sell my cues for a profit". He has never sold for a loss he told me.

So this has been stuck in my head for decades now and I view all cue sellers as such and everyone should to. Not that I can't afford some of these cues but the fact that these guys are selling a used item as if it was new. LOL

The one thing that stood out to me about this "always sell for a profit" guy is his cues. While they were name brand custom cues, they had your hairline scratches and have been played with.

Moral of the story....3k cue? I start at $1500 and we can negotiate where to meet. Buyers have all the leverage because as pool players we can't help but play with a new cue. All these cues are played with. Don't let them tell you otherwise.

I always buy from a fire sale.
 

SJpilot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So this has been stuck in my head for decades now and I view all cue sellers as such and everyone should to. Not that I can't afford some of these cues but the fact that these guys are selling a used item as if it was new. LOL

Yeah some asshole tried to sell me some used paintings at a profit once. They were like a 100 years old and needed to be reframed. I doubt they cost more than a couple bucks when they were new.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 

shooter_Hans

Well-known member
Yeah some asshole tried to sell me some used paintings at a profit once. They were like a 100 years old and needed to be reframed. I doubt they cost more than a couple bucks when they were new.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
What are selling? LOL
 

mr3cushion

Regestered User
Gold Member
Silver Member
Yeah some asshole tried to sell me some used paintings at a profit once. They were like a 100 years old and needed to be reframed. I doubt they cost more than a couple bucks when they were new.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
Yeh, what nerve! Who would want to pay to reframe a Picaso. LOL!

I bought this numbered print for $3.00 at a garage sale. Anyone think I Sold it for $3?
Picaso-97.jpg
 

Dunnn51

Clear the table!
Silver Member
What is up with these guys on here and this term was brought to my attention years ago. A fellow pool player collected cues and would play with them and sell them once the regulars get use to seeing him play with it. Kind of like "its my personal cue" and you better offer me something decent for me to sell. That type of mentality.

I was once negotiating with this person about a cue and to be fair he is an honest guy. I am a businessman and he wasn't use to my quick thinking negotiation skills. Anyways he said to me one thing that I will never forget, "I always sell my cues for a profit". He has never sold for a loss he told me.

So this has been stuck in my head for decades now and I view all cue sellers as such and everyone should to. Not that I can't afford some of these cues but the fact that these guys are selling a used item as if it was new. LOL

The one thing that stood out to me about this "always sell for a profit" guy is his cues. While they were name brand custom cues, they had your hairline scratches and have been played with.

Moral of the story....3k cue? I start at $1500 and we can negotiate where to meet. Buyers have all the leverage because as pool players we can't help but play with a new cue. All these cues are played with. Don't let them tell you otherwise.

I always buy from a fire sale.
I will make this one short 'n sweet.....
The two of you are worlds apart on the value of the cue.
he wants a "premium," you want a "discount." no transaction.
Why complain about it, move on.
 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I suppose profiting off your property is wrong.

My ancestors purchased farm property 150 years ago. Suppose, since its been USED for so long we shouldn't expect more than the $150/acre purchase price? Actually less than the purchase price?

Teach me. Confused
 

tg_vegas

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Same across most all stuff for sale from individuals. I went to see a lathe today that was advertised as "never been used". Not only was it rusted, it was six years old and had obviously been used a lot.

Two weeks ago I went to pickup a new table saw, this one advertised, with pictures, of new-in-box and still stretch-wrapped. I get there after a two hour drive and its in the driveway, covered in sawdust, and the whole thing is filthy.

The morale of the story : TRUST NOTHING!
 

GoldCrown

Pool players have more balls
Gold Member
Silver Member
The morale of the story : TRUST NOTHING!
Had a neighbor advertise his Corvette as rare and excellent condition. If I went out of my way and saw it the seller would have gotten a foot push ...was fair condition at best. Trust nothing +.
 

cubswin

Just call me Joe...
Silver Member
All 3 of my cues would be more than I paid for them if I sold them. I waited for years for 2 of them, and the third would take a really strong offer to get me to sell it.

Just because something is used, doesn't mean it goes down in value.
 

Dunnn51

Clear the table!
Silver Member
Had a neighbor advertise his Corvette as rare and excellent condition. If I went out of my way and saw it the seller would have gotten a foot push ...was fair condition at best. Trust nothing +.
Pointed.or flat??
Since ya from near my old hometown, I'm curious.
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
Same across most all stuff for sale from individuals. I went to see a lathe today that was advertised as "never been used". Not only was it rusted, it was six years old and had obviously been used a lot.

Two weeks ago I went to pickup a new table saw, this one advertised, with pictures, of new-in-box and still stretch-wrapped. I get there after a two hour drive and its in the driveway, covered in sawdust, and the whole thing is filthy.

The morale of the story : TRUST NOTHING!

I had a lathe for sale. Not turning anymore so I was offering a lathe with light rust and about a hundred hours on it, everything that came with it new, plus one way talon chuck and one way live center, vacuum pump for vacuum chuck, video set-up to "see" how thick the wall was when hollowing a vessel, on and on. At the time I would have thrown in a lot of blanks that I had to burn when moving. Whomever bought the lathe would have been offered much more, heavily discounted like the wheels and wolverine system to sharpen the powdered metal tools which have no measurable use on them. A hollowing system with the lathe too. None of that had any value.

I was told that I was asking new price for the lathe, apparently they thought they would not pay taxes or shipping on a new one. I was also told that I couldn't expect to charge for accessories. Fine, I won't charge for them, you won't get them.

Sometimes buyer and seller are too far apart to be worth the bother talking. With pool cues they may have a few nicks that would take a refinish to fix but if I am buying it for a playing cue it is going to get used anyway. A great playing cue that has no design defects that I can hit with is worth more than a pig in a poke that will get to me in a year or two. Never know for sure how a cue is gonna hit even from a good builder. The one I am having built may not hit like the one I liked from the same builder. I'm not even going to talk about what I think of taper roll!

Hu
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
What is up with these guys on here and this term was brought to my attention years ago. A fellow pool player collected cues and would play with them and sell them once the regulars get use to seeing him play with it. Kind of like "its my personal cue" and you better offer me something decent for me to sell. That type of mentality.

I was once negotiating with this person about a cue and to be fair he is an honest guy. I am a businessman and he wasn't use to my quick thinking negotiation skills. Anyways he said to me one thing that I will never forget, "I always sell my cues for a profit". He has never sold for a loss he told me.

So this has been stuck in my head for decades now and I view all cue sellers as such and everyone should to. Not that I can't afford some of these cues but the fact that these guys are selling a used item as if it was new. LOL

The one thing that stood out to me about this "always sell for a profit" guy is his cues. While they were name brand custom cues, they had your hairline scratches and have been played with.

Moral of the story....3k cue? I start at $1500 and we can negotiate where to meet. Buyers have all the leverage because as pool players we can't help but play with a new cue. All these cues are played with. Don't let them tell you otherwise.

I always buy from a fire sale.
I have never once pursued buying or been offered someone else's personal cue. The "I only sell at a profit" guy is a dead end. It's about what something is worth today...and what it's worth is what someone is willing and able to pay.

If someone selling a car, a cue or a house starts talking about how much they paid I just tune it out. Maybe they overpaid, maybe they found it in a storage locker, maybe it was a gift or part of a trade. Go ahead and complicate it in your mind with all those meaningless thoughts about what you paid orhow attached you are to it emotionally. It has zero to do with what I'd pay and you can keep the memories...I'm only buying the cue.
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Spent 1/3 of my working career in sales.
You must know your buyer.
Understanding this person is Key.
Buying low and marking up your investment is ''common sense''.
Making a fair game for you in anything in life is ''salesmanship''.
Same as making a good pool matchup.

If one doesn't create value within another's mindset, then price is, the only subject.

I remember working with a GREAT salesman at a VW/Subaru dealership back in the 80's. Everyone on the sales floor was selling between 6-10 cars a month, not this man.
His worst month was probably 18 units, but on a normal month he was rolling out 23-27 new cars each month.

His key was ''listening''. By getting his prospective buyer to talk, he learned about their likes/dislikes & about all the previous vehicles they had owned and got them to ''talk'' so he could understand what they enjoyed about prior vehicles.

Then.... he presented his salesman ship in a manner that highlighted what attributes the new purchaser liked in his prior vehicles, incorporated that into the new vehicle, while adding trigger points of new car features that made this purchase better.

Listening is key in sales, just the opposite of what on goes on when you walk into a mattress store.

Botton line....''Selling Isn't Telling''.

bm
 
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