In these tough economic times, everyone has to tighten up their purse strings and decide what to spend their hard-earned monies on.
Escalade, a maker of sports and office equipment, said its sales of billiard tables to Sears and Roebucks fell in the first quarter of 2008 about 60 percent below where they had been a year ago.
Now, this could mean that smart folk are purchasing their equipment from Diamond, Brunswick, Olhausen, Gabriel, and the other leading billiard table manufacturers.
According to an article in the Evansville Press, which is Escalade's home base: During the past decade, Escalade Sports has grown rapidly, largely by buying other makers of sports products. They have included the businesses behind the Mosconi, Mizerak and Murrey brands of billiards tables; the Goalrilla and Goaliath brands of basketball goals; and the Trophy Ridge brand of archery accessories. To stay apace of the competition, Escalade has imported some products from China, along with making others in the United States and Mexico.
With decades-old pool rooms closing their doors for good and now the billiards industry movers and shakers cutting back on their product line, it does not look good for American pool.
Tournaments are already happening overseas more frequently today, as sponsors are more forthcoming elsewhere than the United States, a country which used to be the main hub for professional pool players around the world. Remember the Filipino Invasion?
Production cues and cases are already more popular in the United States than American custom-made cues and cases because of cost to the consumer. As most know, the majority of pool players in America are social shooters. Whereas, our fine American custom-made cases and cues do sell just fine overseas. Ask Black Boar cues, as an example.
Maybe this Escalade is just another economic hiccup, but to me it is a sign of the times that at least American pool remains in a slump and is not on the comeback trail. The new-and-improved BCA may step up to the plate, but I remain in a wait-and-see mode for that to happen, at least as it pertains to professional pool.
I think maybe the billiards industry was already suffering before the economy took a dive. If there was ever a need for a hit movie about pool, though, it is RIGHT NOW!
JAM
Escalade, a maker of sports and office equipment, said its sales of billiard tables to Sears and Roebucks fell in the first quarter of 2008 about 60 percent below where they had been a year ago.
Now, this could mean that smart folk are purchasing their equipment from Diamond, Brunswick, Olhausen, Gabriel, and the other leading billiard table manufacturers.
According to an article in the Evansville Press, which is Escalade's home base: During the past decade, Escalade Sports has grown rapidly, largely by buying other makers of sports products. They have included the businesses behind the Mosconi, Mizerak and Murrey brands of billiards tables; the Goalrilla and Goaliath brands of basketball goals; and the Trophy Ridge brand of archery accessories. To stay apace of the competition, Escalade has imported some products from China, along with making others in the United States and Mexico.
With decades-old pool rooms closing their doors for good and now the billiards industry movers and shakers cutting back on their product line, it does not look good for American pool.
Tournaments are already happening overseas more frequently today, as sponsors are more forthcoming elsewhere than the United States, a country which used to be the main hub for professional pool players around the world. Remember the Filipino Invasion?
Production cues and cases are already more popular in the United States than American custom-made cues and cases because of cost to the consumer. As most know, the majority of pool players in America are social shooters. Whereas, our fine American custom-made cases and cues do sell just fine overseas. Ask Black Boar cues, as an example.
Maybe this Escalade is just another economic hiccup, but to me it is a sign of the times that at least American pool remains in a slump and is not on the comeback trail. The new-and-improved BCA may step up to the plate, but I remain in a wait-and-see mode for that to happen, at least as it pertains to professional pool.
I think maybe the billiards industry was already suffering before the economy took a dive. If there was ever a need for a hit movie about pool, though, it is RIGHT NOW!
JAM
) to make before they even think about going to a poolroom. Johnnyt
I think.
