Im looking a few custom and higher end production cues. After 3-10 years at what percentage point do they seem to stop losing value on avg. Now im talking good to great condition. Thanks
normal cue depreciation at what point does it stop ?
- Thread starter oldschool2791
- Start date
Cues can depreciate or appreciate in several ways and little has to do with age.
Higher end production cues are usually poor resale and I would stay away from them. I could give you numerous examples of those cues that tanked in value starting with McDermott Masterpiece and Schon Elite.
Customs, except for a handful of name brand, legendary cue makers, depreciate 25% - 50% from list price or even more right out the door. Buying smart directly from the maker or on the secondary market will hedge your chance of retaining value. Check the secondary market before making a big order. You don't want to find out that your new custom $2,000 cue goes for $800 on ebay all day.
Choose a cue maker with a good following. If you can afford it, choose a legendary maker. Names like Schick, Tad, Scruggs, and Ginacue may be expensive but will always command a decent price and are generally available to buy.
Also, don't buy a lemon. Better to pay up and get a cue from a reputable seller and a quality example than to save a few hundred and possible get a misrepresented lemon. Ask the right questions. Is everything original? Is the cue straight? How do I know it's authentic? Make sure there are no issues.
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Impossible to adequately define this in a paragraph, page, or probably chapter even. It depends on what the cue is, production vs custom, famous maker vs. obscure maker, rarity, current market demand, how hard /easy the cues are to obtain, condition, straightness, playability, design, etc, etc, etc.
Most production cues are instantly worth 1/2 retail when you start to use them (some even less). The same can be said for some customs.
I totally agree , say McDermott , predator , OB cues etc..... lose a lot of value was just seeing when does the bleeding stop. I like some older cues that are in good condition but hoping the value doesn't drop much after the 50% from retail price mark.
Invest in wood to wood green veneer Predator SP cues, they already went up but in 10 more years who knows. If you want to look at production cues do a lot of research first. I'm sure everyone has seen or thought this but how many tribute cues come back for sale and set stagnate at what they were originally bought for, or a lot of times much less. No one is hardly doing spliced work like the R series Schons and that's what increases value over time.
Cues don't depreciate as quickly as some peoples pool game.... lol
Sometimes it stops, sometimes it reverses, and sometimes it never stops. Think Easton or Wheat..
JV
Sometimes it stops, sometimes it reverses, and sometimes it never stops. Think Easton or Wheat..
JV
I actually have a green veneer predator sp with the z shaft ,its my only player right now . Though it needs a refinish. I love the veneers , I like espiritu,palmer harris veneers but espiritu loses so much value . I cant bear to lose that much
Your already on the right track with the Predator, for a production cue that will keep a good value. Any of the older Predators are actually not bad, theres quite a few on here right now. Check out some of the Robert Harris cues also.
If it is a name brand cue and in decent shape you should be able to show the buyer what the cue cost new and not be unreasonable;e to ask 40 to 50%. Selling is something that happens when you have a happy buyer and a happy seller.
This does not always take place over night. Unless you are after a quick sale where it will probably go in favor of the buyer, if your price is fair just wait till you get it or an offer somewhere close. I sold a boat a few months ago that I had for sale for 2 years. When the right buyer came along he could not wait till the following Monday to complete the deal. That is how selling goes.
Cue Values
I was thinking about this general subject today.
Back in 1975 I bought a Palmer Model B. It wasn't done after analysis or deep thought. All my fellow players were buying Palmers so that's what I gravitated to. It was $65.00 new. Fellow players who didn't buy a Palmer went to the local department stores and spent $30.00 on something else. Today my Palmer is worth roughly 6-8 times what I paid for it while the department store cues which were half the price are worthless.
Yesterday I was at Paul Drexler's shop which is always am interesting visit. He has had a rather handsome purpleheart merry widow cue sitting around for quite some time which I have admired on every visit. Retail on that cue to the customer was only $1,300 and included two old-growth shafts and an elephant wrap on which the seam was almost impossible to find. Without the upgrades (OG shafts and wrap) he told me he would make that cue for well under $1,000.
You can't beat that for a first quality cue made by a hall of fame cuemaker with a 25 year history and experience.
I was thinking about this general subject today.
Back in 1975 I bought a Palmer Model B. It wasn't done after analysis or deep thought. All my fellow players were buying Palmers so that's what I gravitated to. It was $65.00 new. Fellow players who didn't buy a Palmer went to the local department stores and spent $30.00 on something else. Today my Palmer is worth roughly 6-8 times what I paid for it while the department store cues which were half the price are worthless.
Yesterday I was at Paul Drexler's shop which is always am interesting visit. He has had a rather handsome purpleheart merry widow cue sitting around for quite some time which I have admired on every visit. Retail on that cue to the customer was only $1,300 and included two old-growth shafts and an elephant wrap on which the seam was almost impossible to find. Without the upgrades (OG shafts and wrap) he told me he would make that cue for well under $1,000.
You can't beat that for a first quality cue made by a hall of fame cuemaker with a 25 year history and experience.
I like some of the older palmers with colorful veneers and was thinking of buying one and just putting a predator or OB shaft on it.....would be a retro low priced player.....good or bad idea?
Good idea except - generally the PB and PM cues are the lower priced good playing Palmers. If you can buy one for $250 - $350 or so, save the shafts, adapt your Predator to it, you'll have a fine playing cue that will hold its value.
Now if you want a really cool playing cue, take a nice old school Titlist Palmer for $700 to $800, like a first catalog model 9 or 6 or with a good forearm, or a 2nd catalog F, or something along those lines, have a cue maker like Scot Sherbine or Ryan at Meuller's adapt an unmarkred Predator shaft to it with matching rings. Now you have a stealthy cue. Everybody will think you're old school but you know the truth. The cue guys that see that short ferrule will know too. Then sell it in 10 years for $1000, or better yet, have it buried with you. Good Palmers are selling good.
Palmer butts are generally heavy and predator shafts are generally light, so it's actually a good overall combination.
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They always stop at 34.86 % of it's original value.
Any of you old guys wish you bought a few original Balabushka's when you had the chance?
Lol
Lol
I'm new to this custom stuff but really like the matching rings on a predator blank. Sneaky.i love.....I'm big into pretty veneers. ..my player is a oldschool green veneer predator sneeky pete
I meant to say thanks for the idea tate
Hope it works for you. I have several cues with interchangeable shafts. if you buy smart, you won't lose money on old Palmer's.
Not trying to start an argument. I've shot with the same Schon now for fifteen years. I will never buy another playing cue. I am a firm believer in learning your equipment and what it can do, and believe that hopping from cue to cue and shaft to shaft is counterproductive to learning good technique that works with your equipment. There is nothing that I cannot do with my Schon, except jump. Having said that, I don't have much advice from the point of a collector. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to afford some of these wonderfully beautiful cues that I see all over this board and elsewhere. My only point to posting is to clarify that Schons are not production cues. CNC sure, but beautiful and well playing. I can not speak on resale value as I will never part with mine. It's fingernails on a chalkboard to hear Schons written off as production cues, and I hear it all the time. From the Schon website:
"Schon Custom Cues came into existence in 1981 and we have been at our Burnham St. location since 1986. We have a miniscule output , sometimes going 2 weeks without actually finishing any cues. I frequently hear the all knowing term “production cue” applied to our cues with an implied sneer. The fact is that we are one of the oldest custom cuemakers in the world with a total staff today of 5 people. I personally design, finish and test every cue myself. Everyone here is a full time craftsman, not telemarketers or corporate hypsters. The only thing we do is make cues...Evan Clarke 1-11-05"
Just throwing that in there.
If you're looking at higher end production cues and custom cues, it could be a costly financial mistake not to have a field guide like the Blue Book of Cue Values. The prices may be out of date, but you can check against selling prices on ebay and AZ billiards.
Not all cues depreciate in value. For example, good luck in trying to find someone to sell you a Tim Scruggs Sneaky Pete for original list price.
Not all cues depreciate in value. For example, good luck in trying to find someone to sell you a Tim Scruggs Sneaky Pete for original list price.