Used Cues for Sale Question?

L

lstevedus

One of the 47%
Silver Member
Does anybody really sell used cues that are monster players? I don't think so. I have owned a lot of cues in over 40 years of playing pool and have had 1 maybe 2 cues that really made a big difference in how many games I won. The one that I have now will never be for sale. I just did a tip change and hated doing that, because I really don't like taking a chance on something bad happening to it. I think I just got lucky because I bought this cue new from a guy here on AZ, and the cost was less than $500. I have another cue that I sent back to the builder for some changes and hope it plays the way I want it to also. I'm supposed to get it back next week and really looking forward to it. I think the only way to find out if a cue plays good is to spend your money and take your chances. I still like to look and admire all the workmanship that goes into all the cues I see here on AZ, but I hope my cue buying days are over. I may sell a couple, but I'm not buying any more. My wife and I have a bet on it. :) Anybody else going to the Mid-West Cue Show?
 
I got a cue on here from a guy and stuck it in my case. Wasn't anything special so I never tried it. One day I dug out several cues I had(this being one) and took em to the club to play around with them. I ended up with what I considered to be the player of all time out of the 40 or so that I've owned. Just a cue I took in trade that almost never got used. The cue plays incredible but there were some minor things that I didn't like so I had a local cue maker build one using the shaft from this cue and I now have the magic cue....that cue will never be sold......unless somehow I find a better one...lol
 
Good question. Would I sell a 'Monster Player'? The answer has to be only if I really needed the money or I had an even bigger 'Monster".
 
Do any of the pros give credit to the cue after winning a tournament? The only time I ever hear anyone give credit to something are the NASCAR drivers.

I have heard Earl give praise (thanks) to the cue that sponsored him but never any other player. They will tell you what they use if asked but not have ever claimed that the cue won a game or match for them.

The first time I bought a cue the dealer told me to try them and pick the one that felt the best. I got fickeled. Everyone felt good. I just picked one that looked the nicest and was in my price range. By luck it was a Schon R5. Everyone said I was crazy because it wasn't a McD or Meucci as they were the only cues most league players knew about at the time. It was a divided group.

After many years of playing and owning more cues some do feel better than others but I can't say any make me a better player.

I know what you mean about the monster player, hits like a freight train, draws a ton, will run many tables....and etc. All a bunch of hype bull to sell the cue.
 
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lstevedus said:
Does anybody really sell used cues that are monster players? I don't think so. I have owned a lot of cues in over 40 years of playing pool and have had 1 maybe 2 cues that really made a big difference in how many games I won. The one that I have now will never be for sale. I just did a tip change and hated doing that, because I really don't like taking a chance on something bad happening to it. I think I just got lucky because I bought this cue new from a guy here on AZ, and the cost was less than $500. I have another cue that I sent back to the builder for some changes and hope it plays the way I want it to also. I'm supposed to get it back next week and really looking forward to it. I think the only way to find out if a cue plays good is to spend your money and take your chances. I still like to look and admire all the workmanship that goes into all the cues I see here on AZ, but I hope my cue buying days are over. I may sell a couple, but I'm not buying any more. My wife and I have a bet on it. :) Anybody else going to the Mid-West Cue Show?
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Eventually you will get the "itch" and break down and buy a new cue. Your wife made a good bet :grin::grin::grin:
 
One man's junk is another's prize.

When buying something to use it is always a good idea to see how your experience is using it...right?

How realistic is the thought that a phrase in a sale listing is going to determine useability?

I think Diveney cues play 'perfect' for me. I could name a few others that I owned and thought were junk, while others spoke highly of them. I see some on the f/s page right now!

As they say: that's why they make Almond Joy and Mounds. You get what you like without too much regard for the selling words.
 
So what is your "MONSTER" player?

lstevedus said:
Does anybody really sell used cues that are monster players? I don't think so. I have owned a lot of cues in over 40 years of playing pool and have had 1 maybe 2 cues that really made a big difference in how many games I won. The one that I have now will never be for sale. I just did a tip change and hated doing that, because I really don't like taking a chance on something bad happening to it. I think I just got lucky because I bought this cue new from a guy here on AZ, and the cost was less than $500. I have another cue that I sent back to the builder for some changes and hope it plays the way I want it to also. I'm supposed to get it back next week and really looking forward to it. I think the only way to find out if a cue plays good is to spend your money and take your chances. I still like to look and admire all the workmanship that goes into all the cues I see here on AZ, but I hope my cue buying days are over. I may sell a couple, but I'm not buying any more. My wife and I have a bet on it. :) Anybody else going to the Mid-West Cue Show?
Click to expand...

I believe it is all in the hunt, and that is why people keep buying and selling cues. The Hype is just that, a method to promote your sale, and hype how good the cue is - It is a way to advertise and sell your cue.

Searching is most of the fun in buying and selling cues - It is the HUNT, and once it is over, the excitement wears off pretty quickly, and one must begin THE HUNT again. And to fund this party, one must sell their MONSTER player to find the next best MONSTER cue.

It is an addiction, the quest for the holy grail of cues. I think I have bought and sold close to 50 of the Holy Grail cue, I just didn't know it at the time. And I am certainly not getting any smarter at keeping that Holy Grail cue, since I still keep buying and selling my great players.

Life is a quest, and to keep it interesting, one always believes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. And in that search to find greener pastures, one must leave the security of their previous home.
So many of the monster cues for sale might just be MONSTERS, but the seller is looking for that bigger monster, the one that is always just a little bit out of reach.

Keep reaching, or die trying!!!

Michael
 
"Beauty" is in the hand of the cueholder...;)


However to address one point: Why would I sell a monster player?

Well, it doesn't fit me properly!

I have a very nice Rick Howard custom jump/break that is an inch too short for me (I play with a 59" cue) and has no wrap (I like wraps).

I played one evening with it, and it is a fantastic player (as are all Rick's cues I have played with).

So, that is why I might sell a monster player...

Otherwise, I am careful about what I buy (because I'm broke) and I prefer to buy and then sell, rather than trade, because you never know if you are getting 'better' with your trade...

MY mace (59") is not for sale.
 
What started me thinking about this was:

Seeing the most expensive cue I ever bought on here for sale with some mostly cosmetic changes. I was thinking of making those same changes before I sold it but didn't because it wouldn't make the cue play any better. I am a slow learner because its taken me a long time to learn that just because a cue was made by a certain cue maker or costs a lot of money doesn't mean that its going to play good.

I now only play with full splice cues because I think they play better, and as one poster already stated, I also think it has a lot to do with the shaft, tip, and ferrule combination that you play with. My main player is very consistent. That's what I look for now, control. When I eliminate the variable of a cue that doesn't play consistently, it allows me to concentrate on developing other parts of my game.
 
GoTulane said:
I believe it is all in the hunt, and that is why people keep buying and selling cues. The Hype is just that, a method to promote your sale, and hype how good the cue is - It is a way to advertise and sell your cue.

Searching is most of the fun in buying and selling cues - It is the HUNT, and once it is over, the excitement wears off pretty quickly, and one must begin THE HUNT again. And to fund this party, one must sell their MONSTER player to find the next best MONSTER cue.

It is an addiction, the quest for the holy grail of cues. I think I have bought and sold close to 50 of the Holy Grail cue, I just didn't know it at the time. And I am certainly not getting any smarter at keeping that Holy Grail cue, since I still keep buying and selling my great players.

Life is a quest, and to keep it interesting, one always believes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. And in that search to find greener pastures, one must leave the security of their previous home.
So many of the monster cues for sale might just be MONSTERS, but the seller is looking for that bigger monster, the one that is always just a little bit out of reach.

Keep reaching, or die trying!!!

Michael
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I'm probably not the best person to answer this question considering the extent of huntingh for the magic wand over the years....
I've tried out a ton. I've had multiple cues from the same cuemakers. And found that there are always going to be cues that feel better than others.
Some people like a stiff hit, some like a soft hit, some like a small whippy shaft, some want a 14mm monster.....
And what you like will vary with playing conditions and your current level of the game, the mood your in, the barometric pressure, star alignment with the inner ring of saturn, whatever....
It all boils down to what feels right.
If there was only one make and model of cue with only one kind of tip available, there would still be people that played better with it than others, and there would still be people more comfortable with the combination than others.
And we wouldn't have a gazillion different choices/options to make our game more enjoyable.
I've had Bobby Hunter cues that played better than other Hunter cues, I've had Kleins that I'd rather lose my right arm than give up.
And then there have been the other end of that spectrum, that I've literally just given away to the drunks at the bar so my name wouldn't be associated with those cues.
Personal choice and preference- put two cues together with 3/8 x11 pins, bluegrass, southwest and a who knows what.. a kc or something.
all cocobolo with nothing else done but identical weights rings and wrap.
1 of them will feel better to you than the others.
And that's what you'll promise to never give up!
Until you find one down the road that makes shots like magic, and you haven't even chalked it yet.;):rolleyes:
 
I'll give the "Monster Player" a shot:

The Monster Cue is any cue that you practice and play with for a long enough (I mean months at least, years are better), as long as it is not junk.

I think that would be my best description after going through many many different cues - I used to do it to find "the best" now I do it only because I enjoy the carftsmenship and the excitement of playing a new cue. None of the new cues make my game better, but I don't care as I don't compete at the moment and play only once a week just socially for fun and laughs.

I have luckily not made the mistake to sell the last Monster that I played, practiced and competed with daily for 3 years. This is the one I would get out the instant I wanted to play seriously, because I know that old familiarity with exactly how this cue hits would come back to me and make things easier. The alternative would be to pick any of my cues in the collection and decide to make it the "new" Monster by using it exclusively for months and years.

The way things are now, there are so many crazy nice cues on the market, that I can't resist the itch, but at least I know for sure, I am getting cues for fun and not because someone promised me a Monster or the maker is hyped to make only Monsters. If anything I now have the confidence to buy cues from very new or a lot less popular players that are not overhyped and overpriced :thumbup:

Now, for todays play I am playing with a Zinzola and the Vollmer goes back into a case. Yup, both are Monsters for sure :grinning-moose:

Come on guys, if were serious about PLAYING better, I would trade 2 cues for a 9 foot table, stop the HUNT that someone mentioned here already (totally agree with this, I enjoy it) and would put ALL my time into practicing and competing with one cue only. Anytime I get the itch, I would spent the cue money rather on getting professional coaching. We all know it, but don't want to do it like this because the hard work is not as much fun as hopping around with a super nice new cue and hoping for the magic to come up in a few minutes.

That all being said, of course cues all play a bit different, even the ones from the same maker, it is a natural and most of the time different material after all. But as long as it is straight, has a tip and weight you are comfortable with all you need to do to make it monster is to get used to it. It does make sense to try cues out, until you know what you are comfortable with in general, but after that...

Well, a new cue is like a new suit, it makes you want to go out and play (I think Jim Rempe said something similar like this on some old instruction tape). That is the best reason to buy a new cue, if you are just disenchanted with things and want to signal a fresh start by using a new cue. Just giving yourself a kick to be motivated again.

Sorry, turned out a much longer rant than I thought when I started...the short version would probably be: the "Monster Player" is the player not the cue, but that would have been too old and too easy!

Joerg
 
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Monster Players Not Monster Cues

Joerg said:
I'll give the "Monster Player" a shot:

The Monster Cue is any cue that you practice and play with for a long enough (I mean months at least, years are better), as long as it is not junk.

I think that would be my best description after going through many many different cues - I used to do it to find "the best" now I do it only because I enjoy the carftsmenship and the excitement of playing a new cue. None of the new cues make my game better, but I don't care as I don't compete at the moment and play only once a week just socially for fun and laughs.

I have luckily not made the mistake to sell the last Monster that I played, practiced and competed with daily for 3 years. This is the one I would get out the instant I wanted to play seriously, because I know that old familiarity with exactly how this cue hits would come back to me and make things easier. The alternative would be to pick any of my cues in the collection and decide to make it the "new" Monster by using it exclusively for months and years.

The way things are now, there are so many crazy nice cues on the market, that I can't resist the itch, but at least I know for sure, I am getting cues for fun and not because someone promised me a Monster or the maker is hyped to make only Monsters. If anything I now have the confidence to buy cues from very new or a lot less popular players that are not overhyped and overpriced :thumbup:

Now, for todays play I am playing with a Zinzola and the Vollmer goes back into a case. Yup, both are Monsters for sure :grinning-moose:

Come on guys, if were serious about PLAYING better, I would trade 2 cues for a 9 foot table, stop the HUNT that someone mentioned here already (totally agree with this, I enjoy it) and would put ALL my time into practicing and competing with one cue only. Anytime I get the itch, I would spent the cue money rather on getting professional coaching. We all know it, but don't want to do it like this because the hard work is not as much fun as hopping around with a super nice new cue and hoping for the magic to come up in a few minutes.

That all being said, of course cues all play a bit different, even the ones from the same maker, it is a natural and most of the time different material after all. But as long as it is straight, has a tip and weight you are comfortable with all you need to do to make it monster is to get used to it. It does make sense to try cues out, until you know what you are comfortable with in general, but after that...

Well, a new cue is like a new suit, it makes you want to go out and play (I think Jim Rempe said something similar like this on some old instruction tape). That is the best reason to buy a new cue, if you are just disenchanted with things and want to signal a fresh start by using a new cue. Just giving yourself a kick to be motivated again.

Sorry, turned out a much longer rant than I thought when I started...the short version would probably be: the "Monster Player" is the player not the cue, but that would have been too old and too easy!

Joerg
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I agree with Joerg. I play in a very competitive small local tournament, 20 to 30 players, usually once a week at least. It keeps me from getting sloppy. When I miss I like to know its me and not the cue, so I found one I like and have been playing with it for a while now. At my age, pool has to be a hobby, so I do my best to make it enjoyable. Last year we went to the Hopkin's Expo and the Mid-West Cue Show. This year we went to the DCC. I am planning on a week at the DCC in 2011. This forum has been a big help to my pool game and usually gives me a few laughs at least once a day. So from " ring around the ferrule land " thanks to all the guys who contributed to this thread.
 
I bought a Paul Mottey in 1992 for $600.00 as a way to lift my spirits after my first wife died. I am not one to buy and sell cues and never had the opportunity to sell it. It was obviously the “best” cue around in many of the places I played but no one wanted to buy it. So 17 years later I have the cue and find that it now supposedly is worth $2,000.00 +. However it is a heavy cue, 21 oz or so with the weight bolt removed. None-the-less I have played with it for 17 years. Over time I have gotten used to the heavy cue though I was always tempted to sell it if I could find a buyer.

Now I find that every other cue I try is not as good as my Mottey. Seems that for me it is the standard to which everything is compared and nothing else comes close. I have tried and compared many cues (perhaps ten or fifteen) as potential replacements but nothing shoots as well.

Perhaps that monster cue is the one you force yourself to learn and it becomes a monster over time. Now – well I doubt I will ever let it go.
 
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One guys "monster player" is another guys junk...it really is a subjective thing that price has little to do with.

My "honorary nephew" Matt now plays with an entry level poison cue that I won in a contest online. When I won it, I preferred my Josey, so I gave the cue to Matt's Uncle, thinking Matt was quite happy with the custom sneaky he'd used for years.

After a few months, Matt's uncle gave the poison to Matt, saying: "Here. I never play, maybe you can use this."

The end of the story...Matt, a BCA master, LOVES this entry level poison cue. Maybe it's just this cue that fits him so well, maybe any poison cue would...I dunno. He claims that after changing to his favorite tip that this cue allows him to make shots his old custom never allowed him to make.

Yeah, just an entry level Poison, $200 retail, made in Taiwan or wherever...
and he loves it.

Okay, I'll say the name...Matt Horner. NW players know his skill...

So...yeah, some cues can "hit a ton" for a particular player, and the cost has little to do with it. Why would somebody sell a cue that plays so well for them? Darned if I know....
 
I sold my "Monster Player" because I didn't know any better at the time. It was a 1989 Richard Black and I loved the hit. My friend who sold it too me loved it as well, but he bought a Thomas Wayne to replace the Black. I sold the Black and got an Omega DPK (Again, I didn't really know what I had back then). I still have the Omega DPK, but I had regretted selling the Richard Black for nearly 10 years that I recently bought another 2009 Richard Black. This current Richard Black looks great, plays very well, but still not as good IMHO as my old 1989 one. I'm not complaining, just still kind if wish I still had my old one too.
 
lstevedus said:
Does anybody really sell used cues that are monster players? I don't think so. I have owned a lot of cues in over 40 years of playing pool and have had 1 maybe 2 cues that really made a big difference in how many games I won. The one that I have now will never be for sale. I just did a tip change and hated doing that, because I really don't like taking a chance on something bad happening to it. I think I just got lucky because I bought this cue new from a guy here on AZ, and the cost was less than $500. I have another cue that I sent back to the builder for some changes and hope it plays the way I want it to also. I'm supposed to get it back next week and really looking forward to it. I think the only way to find out if a cue plays good is to spend your money and take your chances. I still like to look and admire all the workmanship that goes into all the cues I see here on AZ, but I hope my cue buying days are over. I may sell a couple, but I'm not buying any more. My wife and I have a bet on it. :) Anybody else going to the Mid-West Cue Show?
Click to expand...


I think you should know what you own, then know what you like or dislike. I'd guess most of the buyers searching for the perfect cue really do not know their current cue. If they did they could give the maker specs to build a cue to their liking.

I own several cues but only two that I have played with for years. One is over 40 years old and retired. My current cue is near 20 years old. If I could change one thing it would be increase the handle diameter about .010 to .015.

Keep on looking boys and girls but the only way to get what you want is know what you want. It is a learning experience but if you go into it without knowing specs you might search forever. Oh well you have plenty of bucks, right? Good, keep the economy flowing! :D
 
For me in my quest to figure out what I like in a cue and what cue works for my style as well as my body type, I've sold 3 Monster Players. 1981 Schon S14, 1982 Schon R12 and a 1973 JW. Right now I have the best playing cue I've ever hit with and I'm NOT selling it! It's an early 70's Joss. I'm super curious about Tascarellas, but I'm going to hold on to the Joss. I've learned what I need.
 
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