some cue buyers are idiots
- Thread starter desi2960
- Start date
A good question
To the point you raise, I'd let to mention that a cue maker who posts on AZ (I won't mention his name because I don't know if he wants to be identified, but if he wants to chime in and identify himself, it's fine with me) recently sent me a cue to try out for a few days. If I decided it wasn't for me, all I had to do was pay shipping/insurance to send it back to him. I thought that was an extremely nice way to operate.mullyman said:
desi2960 said:
This coming from a cue maker? I don't think we're talking about a minor investment here. The only way the public is going to know the difference is if we discuss it. Calling either side stupid or idiots isn't going to solve it either,especially coming from a cue maker. Problem is, is that a new maker or old gets on here & everybody wants to hang from his .... instead of saying they could improve on their product. There are VERY FEW makers that really deserve the attentiom they get & are constantly trying to improve their product.
lost 3 cues
i have sent dozens of cues to prospective buyers without a deposit. i guess i just trust everyone and have a positive attitude about life. the buyer can hit a few then decides if he wants to return the cue or send me the money. i have only been screwed by 3 people, and have a vacation planned to visit all 3 of them. imo the only way to decide if you really like a cue is to hit a few. the cue i sent bill was not what he was looking for so he said thank you and returned the cue promptly. that is the way business should be conducted. thanks chuck starkey
i have sent dozens of cues to prospective buyers without a deposit. i guess i just trust everyone and have a positive attitude about life. the buyer can hit a few then decides if he wants to return the cue or send me the money. i have only been screwed by 3 people, and have a vacation planned to visit all 3 of them. imo the only way to decide if you really like a cue is to hit a few. the cue i sent bill was not what he was looking for so he said thank you and returned the cue promptly. that is the way business should be conducted. thanks chuck starkey
The only way you are going to know if you like a cue is to play with it.
Ordering a custom cue from a cue maker without first playing with several of their cues is a crap shoot.
There are a few cue makers that hold to tight rigid standards and their cues will all feel and play very much the same because of that.
Bludworth is a very good example of this.
Dont call Leonard and ask him to step very far outside of what he makes ... he wont do it. But if you like the way your buddies Bludworth plays then you will like the custom cue he makes for you.
With my cues, sometimes a few minor adjustments are needed and sometimes the cue is just the wrong hit.
I would rather refund the money or allow full trade in value toward something else than to have the guy unhappy with my cue and out there trying to sell it to his buddies.
Most of my business is local and that makes it a lot easier for someone to play with a cue of mine before they buy it.
I do not seek out custom orders and would only build a custom cue for someone that already owns or has played with one of my cues.
Most of what I make are cues made the way I like then sold to the person that first plays with it and likes it also.
This limits the number of cues I make each year ... but also insures that almost all of my cues are in the hands of someone that likes it.
I dont want to spend every waking hour in my shop making cues so 9 or 10 cues a year is fine with me ... for now :thumbup:
That is just my humble opinion on the subject
Ordering a custom cue from a cue maker without first playing with several of their cues is a crap shoot.
There are a few cue makers that hold to tight rigid standards and their cues will all feel and play very much the same because of that.
Bludworth is a very good example of this.
Dont call Leonard and ask him to step very far outside of what he makes ... he wont do it. But if you like the way your buddies Bludworth plays then you will like the custom cue he makes for you.
With my cues, sometimes a few minor adjustments are needed and sometimes the cue is just the wrong hit.
I would rather refund the money or allow full trade in value toward something else than to have the guy unhappy with my cue and out there trying to sell it to his buddies.
Most of my business is local and that makes it a lot easier for someone to play with a cue of mine before they buy it.
I do not seek out custom orders and would only build a custom cue for someone that already owns or has played with one of my cues.
Most of what I make are cues made the way I like then sold to the person that first plays with it and likes it also.
This limits the number of cues I make each year ... but also insures that almost all of my cues are in the hands of someone that likes it.
I dont want to spend every waking hour in my shop making cues so 9 or 10 cues a year is fine with me ... for now :thumbup:
That is just my humble opinion on the subject
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Thread
I think this thread was in response to another thread where the individual was bashing a cue maker on asthetic details. I don't think he cared about the hit. In that case he could have just looked at it and known he didn't want it, no need to buy it and hit with it.mullyman said:
Yes it is sadly true that some buyers AND cuemakers are idiots! The door swings both ways IMO. I have experienced this from both parties, it is just a fact of life. IMO the book written by Stephen Mayhew titled The Pool Cue Book a Buying Guide is a resource that many should read. On page 25 is an article quoted from Mark Kulungian called The Kulungian Blindfold Method and it goes straight to what Mr Starkey is saying. While it is nice to just buy cues for looks and collectability if playability is your prime concern then I highly reccomend you buy this book. Mr Kulungian explains in detail about the benefit of blindfolding yourself so you can truly FEEL how the cue is to you. He states that a buyer should pick out as many cues as possible then blindfold yourself and try them to see which feels best. Myself and some other friends have done this on league nights when there are MANY different cues to try and you would be surprised at the responses you get. We had one gal a new player that honestly thought all twenty cues were the same!! That included SW's all the way to Players cues and Dufferins. Doing it at a tournament or leauge night gives you a great oppurtunity to try all sorts of cues and most people enjoy the experience!
Dan
Dan
I don't know if they still have the policy, but Billiards and Bagels in Gresham, Oregon used to have hundreds of cues for sale and you could try them for hours to see which one you liked. I know a couple who made a special trip to visit the place. Contrast this with most billiard supply stores that have a few dozen cues, and they won't let you chalk the tips.mullyman said:
test drive
quedup, i have been involved in the old blindfold test a few times most of the time its about " i can tell the difference in what pin is in the cue ". everyone has a different opinion about how a cue feels and that is why i send them out for a test drive. i will not buy a car without a test drive, when i order an bottle of wine i have a sample to make sure it meets my standards. so i feel the buyers of my cues should have the same choice. chuck
quedup, i have been involved in the old blindfold test a few times most of the time its about " i can tell the difference in what pin is in the cue ". everyone has a different opinion about how a cue feels and that is why i send them out for a test drive. i will not buy a car without a test drive, when i order an bottle of wine i have a sample to make sure it meets my standards. so i feel the buyers of my cues should have the same choice. chuck
Hi Chuck, Hope you do not think that I was including you in the idiot part of my post! I certainly do not wish you to think that as it wasn't my intention. I have had the unfortunate experience to deal with some other cuemakers of which my opinion is even lower than the idiot level.. I was agreeing with your reasoning behind the try it b4 you buy it theory. For me my cue buying days are gone for a while. I had a partial knee replacement about 8 months ago and the surgeon screwed up the whole job. (another idiot in my life) Now on Sept 4th I have to have a total knee replacement as a result of the damage that has occured since the botched earlier procedure. No income for the last 8 months and now no income for the next 8 months or so. Retirement just got pushed back another 2 years!!!
Life goes on!!
Dan
Life goes on!!
Dan
