55$ shipping from billiardwarehouse, GREAT.
Now the problem is that I'm totally confused...
1. Is a Schmelke a better cue than a Players?
2. Is a LD shaft better than an solid maple?
3. Is it better to have a break cue even if I don't play more than 10 hours a week?
I have only played with one Schmelke cue, and I did not like it as much as the Players cues I have played with. The construction felt a bit rough and I did not like the hit feel or the shaft.
LD shafts are not "better" without having a lot of extra things added to is. For some players LD shafts are better. For a beginner, I think they will be much better. For an experienced player, probably not. They all have benefits, I think the benefits to standard shafts are not as strong as the LD shaft benefits. The only thing a standard shaft does better than an LD shaft performance wise is jumping, the rest is the feel and what you are used to playing with. There is no real right or wrong choice since without trying things over several years you won't know what YOU like and can play with at a good level. Like I said in my other post, whatever you buy you should consider it a starting point, I don't know any good player that stopped at playing with one cue and especially not with just one shaft. Heck, I know C players that carry around like 3 grand worth of equipment and shafts. Nothing mentioned in the thread is inherently worse or better, it's not like you are picking a car based on reliability or gas mileage. A cue depends on you to do most of the work, I find that and LD shaft helps you more to do the work properly to make the ball, so that is what I suggest most often. I mean these days would you go out and buy and old style long bow or a composite newer design bow? Newer tech helps you do what you need to, you don't see the military still use muskets, they are using modern rifled barrels with high tech designs of guns and the ammunition, because it helps them hit the target and do what they need to do better. Same thing for LD shafts.
You can get a break cue for like $50 that is just fine to use, so it's really a matter of how much space your bag has to hold it. a 2x2 or 2x4 case is a good start, many of the players use a 3x6 for backup shafts or just different shafts to play with and maybe a second butt to carry with for variety or even a spare or a loaner for a friend.
I like carrying things since I often run into people that ask about shafts and cues/pins, etc.. and it's nice to have them on hand to show.
It's normal to be confused or at least not sure about things, unless you have a ton of money and can just buy whatever that is the curse of being able to think and having options. You are limited to what you can try, and even people that are not limited tend to hop back and forth between what they want or like. Without going somewhere to try out cues, you are guessing about what you will like.