Price drop on cues is a bad thing

brianna187

brianna187

BRIANNA SINCE 1988
Silver Member
I see everyone droping there prices... now this is just my opion please dont get made I feel you should stick with a price, to keep lowring prices just hurts the value of your product you dont see Paul Mottey or Jim White do that. set price and stay firm if someone likes it they will buy .


again just my opion id like to hear how other feel about this subject.
 
I agree in most cases. The market reflects this all over the net. The only way to hold value is hold onto it. Just so many hurting for cash these days, it's just sad the economy.
My 2 cents 2.
Jim Lee
 
brianna187 said:
I see everyone droping there prices... now this is just my opion please dont get made I feel you should stick with a price, to keep lowring prices just hurts the value of your product you dont see Paul Mottey or Jim White do that. set price and stay firm if someone likes it they will buy .


again just my opion id like to hear how other feel about this subject.
Click to expand...
I dont know of any quality cue-maker who has dropped thier prices"
AS FOR SECONDARY / USED market, Thats completely different...I know personally , I try to sell a cue as reasonably as possible , making a little $$ , but sometimes the market , like right now is a little soft, I get near-offers on a cue and usually sell "
 
brianna187 said:
I see everyone droping there prices... now this is just my opion please dont get made I feel you should stick with a price, to keep lowring prices just hurts the value of your product you dont see Paul Mottey or Jim White do that. set price and stay firm if someone likes it they will buy .


again just my opion id like to hear how other feel about this subject.
Click to expand...

Lee,

Here's my take. Either way you look at it doesn't bode well for the current situation with the cue market. For a number of years, the market and growth in poolplaying absorbed the number of cues being produced, and the interest in cues (encyclopedia, bluebook, calendars, etc.) spiked. Now there's seemingly a new hobbiest cuemaker on every block. Major influx of good, quality custom-made product. Factor in zero growth in pool here in the states, cue buffs/collectors/enthusiasts honing theirs tastes over time, and now the downward turn and uncertainty of the economy in general (higher cost of living, gas, utilities, etc.) and walla....here we are.

Whether you keep reducing and take less to move them or hold onto them....either way....is bad. Here's why: most guys that are into cues are not multi-millionaires, so cue flipping is part of the gig....moving into something, trying it out, and them out of something to try something else or get something else you might decide you want. Not everyone can hold 50-100 or more cues at a time, that's only a small number. So, when a lot of your average guys start holding them, in essence they are holding the money it would take to buy the next one. Bound to make the market stagnate....

We're to the point now on many, many cues of asking ourselves, just how much instrinsic value does these cues actually have ?? I suspect that many cues have become "overvalued" with this market surge over the past 10 or so years.

I don't know the answer to what the next steps are, but my feeling is that we are now here and it's quite clear how we got here.

Sean
 
cueaddicts said:
Lee,

Here's my take. Either way you look at it doesn't bode well for the current situation with the cue market. For a number of years, the market and growth in poolplaying absorbed the number of cues being produced, and the interest in cues (encyclopedia, bluebook, calendars, etc.) spiked. Now there's seemingly a new hobbiest cuemaker on every block. Major influx of good, quality custom-made product. Factor in zero growth in pool here in the states, cue buffs/collectors/enthusiasts honing theirs tastes over time, and now the downward turn and uncertainty of the economy in general (higher cost of living, gas, utilities, etc.) and walla....here we are.

Whether you keep reducing and take less to move them or hold onto them....either way....is bad. Here's why: most guys that are into cues are not multi-millionaires, so cue flipping is part of the gig....moving into something, trying it out, and them out of something to try something else or get something else you might decide you want. Not everyone can hold 50-100 or more cues at a time, that's only a small number. So, when a lot of your average guys start holding them, in essence they are holding the money it would take to buy the next one. Bound to make the market stagnate....

We're to the point now on many, many cues of asking ourselves, just how much instrinsic value does these cues actually have ?? I suspect that many cues have become "overvalued" with this market surge over the past 10 or so years.

I don't know the answer to what the next steps are, but my feeling is that we are now here and it's quite clear how we got here.

Sean
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S,

Very well said. In addition to the many makers whose work is overvalued there are as many, if not more, whose value is UNKNOWN due to the factors you stated in conjunction with the recession we are suffering.

There is no quick fix and cues still have to get into consumers hands in order to grow demand.

IT IS WHAT IT IS:(
 
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I think you guys have made some good points. There are just too many good not great cue makers out there. Saturated I think is an understatement. I just wish the whole economy would take a better turn and I think things will turn around a little. Unfortunately alot of cue makers keep churning out tons of cues because that's their paycheck and I dont blame em. Just my .02
 
some very interesting thoughts something to think about reminds me of my grandfather years ago he had a shoe store in pittsburgh he also whole saled shoe leather in those days you would have your soles re-shoed then the big companies came in with the cheaper shoes, then he lost his shirt
nothing lasts forever i guess there still a handful of cue makers that are still doing well suply and demand
 
Part of the problem as well is the fact that there are a lot of people who may have bought quite a few cues when things were good, and now that it's bad, need to turn those cues liquid. Many who were solidly working, now find themselves out of work, or in underpaid jobs. They cannot afford to sit around and wait to see if and when the market is going to turn. So, some money in the hand is better than no money in the hand, and they are willing to continue to lower that price until the cue sells.

Also, while there are many newer cuemakers/hobbiests on the block, many are deciding now on a much shortened list of makers, and are likely to hang onto those particular cues, as opposed to flipping to try out many.

I have one cue currently. It is a 'lower end' cue from a well regarded maker, I like it very much. I have another similar cue on the way from the same maker, and on the list for a cue from another maker a few years down the line. While there are a few others that I would like, these 3 are a given for me, and not very likely to be parted with.

Good, bad, or otherwise...the regular 'Joe' is going to continue to lower the pricing on their cues until they sell. It is what it is.

Lisa
 
this is what i see

the part of the market that seems to be hit is the 3500 and under mostly the 2000 &under, i have seen a spike in sales of the 7500+ in the last month. to give you a idea In 10 days i have sold 1 set of cues over 50,000,1 szam8900,1black 7500,1 ivory handle pfd, and only 1 cue under2000 and i had to make that real right to move it! the sign of the times is the people with money dont mind spending it and the avrage person is seeing the affects of the housing , gas, and stock market problems!
 
cornerstone said:
the part of the market that seems to be hit is the 3500 and under mostly the 2000 &under, i have seen a spike in sales of the 7500+ in the last month. to give you a idea In 10 days i have sold 1 set of cues over 50,000,1 szam8900,1black 7500,1 ivory handle pfd, and only 1 cue under2000 and i had to make that real right to move it! the sign of the times is the people with money dont mind spending it and the avrage person is seeing the affects of the housing , gas, and stock market problems!
Click to expand...

The lower-middle and middle income level are the most impacted by recession.
 
cornerstone said:
the part of the market that seems to be hit is the 3500 and under mostly the 2000 &under, i have seen a spike in sales of the 7500+ in the last month. to give you a idea In 10 days i have sold 1 set of cues over 50,000,1 szam8900,1black 7500,1 ivory handle pfd, and only 1 cue under2000 and i had to make that real right to move it! the sign of the times is the people with money dont mind spending it and the avrage person is seeing the affects of the housing , gas, and stock market problems!
Click to expand...

I haven't experienced the hit on the $3,500 and under cues that you speak of Bill. I think the most affect has been on the secondary market. People are becoming leery of what they will get, or not get, when they buy on the secondary market or Ebay. Therefore, those cues are being sold at below market value to compensate for the uncertainty of sale. Jusy my $.02...
 
cornerstone said:
the part of the market that seems to be hit is the 3500 and under mostly the 2000 &under, i have seen a spike in sales of the 7500+ in the last month. to give you a idea In 10 days i have sold 1 set of cues over 50,000,1 szam8900,1black 7500,1 ivory handle pfd, and only 1 cue under2000 and i had to make that real right to move it! the sign of the times is the people with money dont mind spending it and the avrage person is seeing the affects of the housing , gas, and stock market problems!
Click to expand...
I am quoting you because you were the last post :) And you make a good point. The lower end cues, compared to the numbers you were quoting, are to folks working, trying out a new cue to see if they like a maker, or being grabbed for a quick flip. Quick flips, aren't happeneing as quick as they used to, working guys don't have the money we did two years ago, and things being the way they are "trying out a new cue maker" has slowed down IMO. That, and an influx of new cue makers working their tails off and turning out nice hitting cues has increased the supply while the demand is not much different. One cue maker I know of for sure, is making better money elsewhere, so thats what he is doing. Can't blame him. Especially ... as costs, keep on rising ......

Meanwhile .... is it time to go to the airport for VF yet?
 
its not just cues

I have seen a huge drop in the corvette prices, wich has inspired me to buy 3 of them this week at great deals!. I got started in the cues in early 2002 (right after 9/11)because this same topic was buzzing around and people decided to dump, i bought heavy and fast and within 1 year my investment skyrocketed! this industryis in its infant stages and has alot of room to move up!:D
 
I know the market is weak,but I still bought a cue for 2000.00. So if you see something you can't live without. Buy it. Nobody should drop prices.It hurts.poolrod
 
Worminator said:
I haven't experienced the hit on the $3,500 and under cues that you speak of Bill. I think the most affect has been on the secondary market. People are becoming leery of what they will get, or not get, when they buy on the secondary market or Ebay. Therefore, those cues are being sold at below market value to compensate for the uncertainty of sale. Jusy my $.02...
Click to expand...
you are right ebay is where i bought one of the vetts and last year it sold for 18900.00 and went no reserve to the higest bidder(me) for 57% of that
 
Supply and demand

brianna187 said:
some very interesting thoughts something to think about reminds me of my grandfather years ago he had a shoe store in pittsburgh he also whole saled shoe leather in those days you would have your soles re-shoed then the big companies came in with the cheaper shoes, then he lost his shirt
nothing lasts forever i guess there still a handful of cue makers that are still doing well suply and demand
Click to expand...

sadly, that is the state of everything today. The facts are it is only worth what you can get for it, never mind what you think the value should be. I personally don't buy many. Only what I truly want. I am not a collector, just an off and on player searching for the holy grail that will enhance my game. I end up giving them away more often than I sell one. My .02 cents worth.
 
brianna187 said:
I see everyone droping there prices... now this is just my opion please dont get made I feel you should stick with a price, to keep lowring prices just hurts the value of your product you dont see Paul Mottey or Jim White do that. set price and stay firm if someone likes it they will buy .


again just my opion id like to hear how other feel about this subject.
Click to expand...

The only thing you really must understand in life
is the Law of Supply and Demand.

If you are not sure what the law of supply and demand means,
talk to someone who bought, oh say a $2000 Dale Perry
10 years ago. They will understand.

Dale<not Perry>
 
I have been active in the cue market for four years now. Last month and this month so far are the worst two consecutive winter months that I have experienced. There is no doubt in my mind that the cue market is very weak right now, just like the stock market and overall economy. The law of supply and demand is at work here, with too few dollars chasing too many cues. Any seller of cues is faced with two choices: sell at bargain prices, or hold until the market rebounds. Those that have no choice but to sell now are most likely going to feel a little pain, but that creates buying opportunities. There will always be those individuals who will buy cues no matter what shape the economy is in, the key is to land them as clients and make multiple sales over time.
 
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