I realized something today, that maybe others have or have not noticed, but I felt compelled to bring it to everyones attention.
A few minutes ago I was looking at a cue for sale here made by a maker I respect.
While reading the ad, I noticed a great deal of effort and detail regarding the number and shape of inlays, veneer colors and other details clearly shown in the photos.
However, what bothered me was the lack of mechanical (for lack of a better term) detail. How long is the cue? Where is the balance point of the butt alone, and of the assembled cue? What are the ferrule diameters? What type of tips? Some ads don't even have a weight listed for the entire cue! Any details I CANNOT gather from looking at the pictures that might be relevant? Now, this does not apply to all ads, and the more established sellers have been down this road already, and are quite good in this regard, but I think it would be great if more people did this (and it might increase sales too!)
I understand the whole 'collector' angle, and how a cue looks and who made it is more important than how it actually plays, or would play (in the case of un-chalked cues). However for me, if I'm looking at a cue by maker XYZ, I'm looking because I am looking for an instrument to play the game of pocket billiards with, not to fill my safe with yet another item that sits dormant. I can relate to the fact that not everyone who might be selling a cue has the dial calipers and precision balance to accurately collect this information, but an estimate ("weighs about the same as my 19.5 oz Joss") seems like a reasonable compromise. At least then, you would not buy a cue way heavier than you are accustomed to for example.
Maybe this qualifies as a rant, but I think it would be a great service to potential buyers if all the information possible were presented. Particularly in light of the fact that we are often talking about several thousand dollars for a cue from a 'known' maker.
Is this unreasonable? Perhaps the for sale section (which may be segregated somewhat in the near future perhaps?) could include a 'questionnaire' for the seller to fill in to the best of their ability to try and collect the relevant details, with a 'notes' section for other details such as "made with a John Davis blank" or what ever might not be obvious from the pictures.
A few minutes ago I was looking at a cue for sale here made by a maker I respect.
While reading the ad, I noticed a great deal of effort and detail regarding the number and shape of inlays, veneer colors and other details clearly shown in the photos.
However, what bothered me was the lack of mechanical (for lack of a better term) detail. How long is the cue? Where is the balance point of the butt alone, and of the assembled cue? What are the ferrule diameters? What type of tips? Some ads don't even have a weight listed for the entire cue! Any details I CANNOT gather from looking at the pictures that might be relevant? Now, this does not apply to all ads, and the more established sellers have been down this road already, and are quite good in this regard, but I think it would be great if more people did this (and it might increase sales too!)
I understand the whole 'collector' angle, and how a cue looks and who made it is more important than how it actually plays, or would play (in the case of un-chalked cues). However for me, if I'm looking at a cue by maker XYZ, I'm looking because I am looking for an instrument to play the game of pocket billiards with, not to fill my safe with yet another item that sits dormant. I can relate to the fact that not everyone who might be selling a cue has the dial calipers and precision balance to accurately collect this information, but an estimate ("weighs about the same as my 19.5 oz Joss") seems like a reasonable compromise. At least then, you would not buy a cue way heavier than you are accustomed to for example.
Maybe this qualifies as a rant, but I think it would be a great service to potential buyers if all the information possible were presented. Particularly in light of the fact that we are often talking about several thousand dollars for a cue from a 'known' maker.
Is this unreasonable? Perhaps the for sale section (which may be segregated somewhat in the near future perhaps?) could include a 'questionnaire' for the seller to fill in to the best of their ability to try and collect the relevant details, with a 'notes' section for other details such as "made with a John Davis blank" or what ever might not be obvious from the pictures.
add as you see fit)