Investment: RRSP's, Gold, Real Estate, or riskier Labour Funds or Venture Capital investments etc.
Pool Cue Playability: whatever works for you.
i just don't think that the two go hand in hand all the time, unless you're lucky. if you play well with a type of cue, you should buy it regardless of it's investment value, however this all would depend on where your priorities lie. I'd rather spend too much on a meucci that i happened to play jam up with, than shoot with a 20, 000 tasc and have people laugh in my face and give me the 7 all day.....
So, from your statement I take it you believe the only people who should buy high dollar cues are the top level players? I play with some fairly nice cues and lose quiet often. Who knows, maybe others are laughing because I'm a sucker who likes nice cues. I think Ronnie Allen said, he wished he was a sucker cause suckers always have money.
As far as investment you listed, any one of them could be a good investment at some point in time. Gold, I wouldn't buy it right now (but if you bought 4 to 5 years ago, bingo). Real Estate, yea probably a good time to start looking at some real estate, but you have to be selective. Venture Capital, you bet, great time. I'm in the banking business and travel all over the country. The venture capitalist and equity investors are setting on the sidelines right now waiting and evaluating the various investments. These guys will make huge amounts of money over the next 10 years. They will buy assets for pennies on the dollar, wait for the public opinion to change and then sell. But, you have to know what you are doing and do your home work. You can not blindly follow what others have done and think you will make money.
Many very smart and successful investors have said many times "buy low sell high". I think Mr. Buffet said buy when other want to sell. In my opinion, investors make money when they buy the assets not when they sell them.
You made the statement "unless you're lucky", it always amazes me how a lot of people think investors make money by being lucky. It takes skill and a lot of hard work. Now, I'm not saying cues are a great investment, that's something for each individual to determine. I don't buy cues as an investor, I buy cues as a collector. But, I do apply the same strategies when determining what to buy and how to buy it.
As far as a person's playing cue, I agree with you 100%. It doesn't matter if its the cheapest production cue out there or an extremely high end custom, people should play with what they like.
Respectfully,
Steven