Where is the best place to buy a cue?

skins said:
with all respect manwon your statement isn't true for allot of buyers. players who have "some" idea what they want, with a little simple research, can pick the right custom maker for their "needs" to make a cue or buy out of stock from a dealer that they would love and play jam up with. is it nice to hit a cue first? sure, but the facts are that even when trying a cue out you have to "fully" test it which includes chalking up and wearing the tip in some to get the "broken in" feel that will tell you if the cue is within your playing specs. no retailer is going to let you do this with the shaft(s) that come with the cue. he'll give you a demo shaft to hit with which is not the ones that come with the cue (dry hitting alone is not enough to get the real feel of how the cue will play). you can get most of the answers needed from forums such as this. there allot very knowledgeable players on this forum that can put someone in the right direction. my advise is to ask members on this forum which cues play well and start from there. the responses then conversations with the makers will make the decision more clear as to what type cue is needed for your game and with your budget figured in, from which maker or dealer to purchase from. just my thoughts
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You have a point, however, I do allow my customers to chalk the cues they are shooting with maybe this is why as a retailer I do not have to sell my merchandise on ebay, where cash is king and good luck with service after the sale.

I would also like to say that while you can get information about how a cue maker make cues and treats his customers, the hit of any cue is very subjective from person to person, and if you buy a cue without the ability to return it after you have chalked it and hit a few balls, you may be very sorry, but I also respect your opinion, and as I always say to each his own.

Have a great Night, and I wish you well on your next purchase.

Manwon
 
I agree with rackem. Anywhere there is a large gathering of dealers and makers, like the Derby City Classic, will give you the opportunity to check out a cue firsthand.
 
Nielsen's on Ebay is by far the cheapest I've found. Don't be fooled by it being an Ebay store, Joe knows his stuff and will help you out all the way through with anything you might need. I just bought a $383 (reg. price) McDermott from him for much closer to $300 using make an offer.
 
manwon said:
You have a point, however, I do allow my customers to chalk the cues they are shooting with maybe this is why as a retailer I do not have to sell my merchandise on ebay, where cash is king and good luck with service after the sale.

I would also like to say that while you can get information about how a cue maker make cues and treats his customers, the hit of any cue is very subjective from person to person, and if you buy a cue without the ability to return it after you have chalked it and hit a few balls, you may be very sorry, but I also respect your opinion, and as I always say to each his own.

Have a great Night, and I wish you well on your next purchase.

Manwon
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as i've stated imo you can't get the real feel of how a cue will play on hitting "a few balls". you need to break the tip and cue in a bit which can take days. that's why hitting with a cue first is not the tell all option for new cue purchases. you need info from knowledgeable people who have played with different cues and can explain what type player each may benefit. i stand by my advise but as you stated i will respect yours as well for your clientele.
 
Yes, I like the crack-addict broke pool player approach. Get that Southwest for $200 from someone in desperate need of a fix and if the cue shoots like crap, you can unload it for $500.
 
One of the reasons I started this thread was something that happened last week at a pool hall. One of the better players in St Louis was watching me play his buddy and asked me about my Schon. He said he has had several Schons and sold them all when he needed money. He was trying to talk a guy into selling him a Scruggs at a bargain price but the guy wouldn't do it. He said he had owned a couple Scruggs too, same deal he sold them for needed cash. When the guy wouldn't sell him the Scruggs, his exact words were "That's ok, if you hang around pool rooms long enough somebody will go broke and sell their cue."
 
There's a lot of good input from everyone here. I think you should definitely listen to the guys who have been around for a bit and go with one of their websites. (seyberts, platinumbilliards, nielsons ebay store, etc)

Also, you can get a great deal off a broke pool player or guy who just doesn't like the way a cue hits. Hang around the pool halls :p
 
Also can't go wrong with Joe Lolley of Bamacues. *NEVER* had a problem with him ;)
 
I've had good experiences with erikleecues.com -- great prices on Schon cues, and usually has a good variety of custom cues. Erik is a nice guy and very responsive.

matadorcustomcues.com if you're in the market for a Coker.
 
I totally agree with Bill Porter, Joe Nielsen is the way to go, he stocks a massive range...... a lot more than his site shows so do either email him or call him and see if he can help you out, i have bought everything from tips to custom made predator shafts to cues from Joe and never had a single problem and when i have come accross items he does not stock he has found them for me and supplied me with them quickly and at a great price.

I'm not 100% but i think he stills offer a little discount for azbilliards members so mention seeing this post or i'm sure mention Bill Porters recommendation and he will give you a good quote.

I DO NOT WORK FOR JOE!!!!! unless he is going to open a United Kingdom branch lol
 
BillPorter said:
I defy anyone to read this entire thread and not come away thinking that Joe Nielsen is not one of the best sources of billiard supplies, including cues, on the Internet.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=44228

I've dealt with the following very GOOD Internet dealers: Billiard Warehouse, Seyberts, Hawleys, Atlas, Beads & Billiards, Billiards Express, Platinum Billiards, and a few others I could recommend. But if I want the best deal (price AND service) on the production cues that Joe carries, I always send my business his way.
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Bill, I said "thank you" in my thread, but I wanted to do it here as well... the Nielsen crew are top-notch in my book. I purchased my first "serious" cue today from them... at a nice price.
 
explanation

CCMC1 said:
Bill, I said "thank you" in my thread, but I wanted to do it here as well... the Nielsen crew are top-notch in my book. I purchased my first "serious" cue today from them... at a nice price.
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I certainly don't work for Joe and get no kick-back, so you may wonder why I go out of my way to praise him. It's because he showed me great customer service more than once and I told him that if ever asked, I would definitely recommend him. So when I see a thread about buying stuff on the Internet, I always stick in a recommendation for Joe. Good luck with your new cue!
 
I haven't bought a cue from Nielsen but I did buy a light, bridge, chalk, balls etc from him when I got my table and he was excellent to deal with.

I actually bought my cue, a Schon, from cue and cushion who posts here from time to time, although I bought the cue before I knew who he was or about this web site. Their place probably sells more cues than any other single place in St Louis. They are friendly and they let you hit with the cue before you buy it. They also will deal with you on a trade.
 
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