Who's replacing tips?

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Shark88

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Picking up a cue lathe and want to do tips for my local leagues, ( yes I know you don't need a lathe) and shaft cleanings. I want to stock a few tips, some budget friendly options like Le Pro, and some layered tips. Any suggestions? Also where's the best deals these days.
 
Shark88 said:
Picking up a cue lathe and want to do tips for my local leagues, ( yes I know you don't need a lathe) and shaft cleanings. I want to stock a few tips, some budget friendly options like Le Pro, and some layered tips. Any suggestions? Also where's the best deals these days.
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Ultraskins for sure. around 4bux ea. great tip, great price. buy direct from them.
 
Ultraskins and ElkMaster are my goto brands. I've put on Tiger Everest and Sniper tips and those performed and looked great too, simply a bit more expensive, might get a decent deal on those if buying in bulk.
 
You really cannot go wrong with the Ultraskins and SIB's. Thoroughbred and Kamikaze are options too. They are inexpensive enough to have a nice stock without breaking the bank. The type of league and its clientele will determine your stock as well. I am in two different leagues. One is not into what's trendy or techy, so I do 99% Ultraskins and SIB's with them. The other is more carbon fibers and higher end cues so they are more opinionated and do 50/50 with them. Talk to your people to see what is popular there. Some you can convince to switch away from the expensive hyped brands and some won't. Have a labor only price for supplied tips. Some people order their own or actually carry extra brand-X tips in their cases so they will supply. I keep a handful of the more popular other brands to be ready when needed.
 
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I have a few Thoroughbred tips on the way. They look nice and I heard good things about them and they are cheap for layered tips - $10 a tip, could be a good option for customers who don't want to pay $20-$30 for a tip + work
 
i don't do tips anymore but i used to stock lepro, elk, triangle, kamui and ultraskin/SIB. that was a while ago and tip trends come and go. i've understood that HOW and zan are popular nowadays
 
Haha this is another of those posts where if you ask 100 different people any question you'll get 100 different answers which none of them is wrong and they're all right at one point in time or another ! You just have to love it , as you can stock a wide variety of parts and people will want something that you don't have in stock or just sold the last one to the last customer who just left !
 
skor said:
I have a few Thoroughbred tips on the way. They look nice and I heard good things about them and they are cheap for layered tips - $10 a tip, could be a good option for customers who don't want to pay $20-$30 for a tip + work
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T'bred is the only tip besides U'skin i'd use. The med/hrd to me is one of the best tips out there. Still think that U'skins are a pure no-brainer. Never had a bad one, they don't glaze/de-laminate. No reason to spend more. current price is 44bux/10 tips delivered. They only ship to US addresses. You can get them other places online but price/shipping will be higher.
 
I always keep a box of Le Pros, Elk Master, Water Buffalo, and G12 break tips. Those I always have on hand because they're something everyone is familiar with, and cheap enough to keep bulk on hand.

I usually try to keep a few Kamui Clears, KO Brothers, Ultra Skins, Tiger Sniper on hand because they're popular for various reasons, but I don't always keep em and I don't bulk stock them due to price. I may honestly never install 100 kamui clears in my life, because I try not to do too many tip replacements. I don't honestly make money off tip replacements the way I currently do them. I mainly offer it as a fast turn around service for friends and people in my leagues. I charge $15 for a tip replacement if you supply your own, or $15 + cost of tip if I supply tip. $15 isn't buying dinner now a days, and I am not doing 20 tips a day, so it is what it is, but I ain't spending thousands on tips to have them in stock.

I've considered bringing my mini-lathe to tournaments and shows and doing replacements, but I'd have to charge extortionate prices to make it worth my time, and I don't roll that way, so I am just not going to do that.

So, long winded story short, stock the affordable tried and true tips, and keep a few on hand of the popular fad tips, but don't bulk em because fads come and go. The tips everyone went nuts for 10 years ago is different than today.
 
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