your paying too much for cues

Let's be real.....we like cues and if they are expensive, which they are, then so be it.

I would understand if a bowler told me I'm spending too much for a cue but I don't expect fellow pool players to tell each other they are spending a lot on cues. When cues are generally expensive.
 
shooter_Hans said:
Let's be real.....we like cues and if they are expensive, which they are, then so be it.

I would understand if a bowler told me I'm spending too much for a cue but I don't expect fellow pool players to tell each other they are spending a lot on cues. When cues are generally expensive.
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How much is too much for balls?
 
It is not a startling revelation that one can play the game with a good tip attached to a broomstick.

Of course it is not necessary to spend all sorts of money on a pool cue or anything else in life when something much simpler/cheaper will do the trick.

That's not exactly how everyone sees things.
 
maha said:
yep a few more that miss the point of the thread.

either they didnt read all the posts
or have a thick head or
no reading comprehension.
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It might help if you provide some Cliff Notes for such individuals -- this thread has ballooned to 9+ pages.

Cues used to be a lot less expensive -- an inlay loaded 8-point Gus was priced at $780 back in the 1970's. I can't even guess what a cue like that in good condition would fetch today.
 
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maha said:
yep a few more that miss the point of the thread.

either they didnt read all the posts
or have a thick head or
no reading comprehension.
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How can you keep calling people thick headed, bro? Do you even have a Doctorate in Pool from Doctor David ?
 
maha said:
yep a few more that miss the point of the thread.

either they didnt read all the posts
or have a thick head or
no reading comprehension.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if nobody gets your point it couldn't possibly be due to your lack of ability to make a point...or use punctuation, proper grammar, capital letters...

...nah, definitely everybody else.
 
Once you go past a certain price point, about $400 with a maple shaft and $800-900 with a quality carbon fibre shaft, you pay for the work, materials and complexity of the design. A basic Viking or Joss is just shy of $400 and these cues plays great and are well made. If you pay a bit more, you'll get a lower deflection shaft. A quality carbon fibre shaft will double the price, about half of my customers feel it's worth the price. I have never claimed a more expensive cue will make you a better player, but if you're outside the average height bracket, have very small or large hands you will benefit from having equipment that suits your particular needs.
The argument you shouldn't pay more than X, can be used about almost everything, that doesn't change the fact that people pay for 600 HP cars, fountain pens that cost a decent salary and so on. If you pay for a higher end cue, especially a custom cue made by a cue maker, you pay for their time, skill and the materials. A 18" piece of a nice wood can easily be $100-300, so the raw material cost can be alot more than a basic production cue. I seriously doubt people who drop 3 grand on a cue expect they will become a better player over night, they spend money on a nice cue for the pleasure of having a precision instrument crafted to their specifications and they enjoy that part of the hobby.
 
You are paying for a cue maker’s time, his shop overhead and all the direct and indirect expenses attendant with operating a business, especially one involved wood working, his hopefully masterful construction of a pool cue relying on skills he’s acquired, the marked up cost of materials used and his final profit. The cost of the various types of equipment needed, like CNC machinery, programming time, equipment maintenance and the cost of maintaining expensive wood inventory all must be factored into what a cue maker has to consider for building your pool cue. And fancier designs definitely cost you more.
 
Kim Bye said:
Once you go past a certain price point, about $400 with a maple shaft and $800-900 with a quality carbon fibre shaft, you pay for the work, materials and complexity of the design. A basic Viking or Joss is just shy of $400 and these cues plays great and are well made. If you pay a bit more, you'll get a lower deflection shaft. A quality carbon fibre shaft will double the price, about half of my customers feel it's worth the price. I have never claimed a more expensive cue will make you a better player, but if you're outside the average height bracket, have very small or large hands you will benefit from having equipment that suits your particular needs.
The argument you shouldn't pay more than X, can be used about almost everything, that doesn't change the fact that people pay for 600 HP cars, fountain pens that cost a decent salary and so on. If you pay for a higher end cue, especially a custom cue made by a cue maker, you pay for their time, skill and the materials. A 18" piece of a nice wood can easily be $100-300, so the raw material cost can be alot more than a basic production cue. I seriously doubt people who drop 3 grand on a cue expect they will become a better player over night, they spend money on a nice cue for the pleasure of having a precision instrument crafted to their specifications and they enjoy that part of the hobby.
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Well said. 😎
 
lord_shar said:
It might help if you provide some Cliff Notes for such individuals -- this thread has ballooned to 9+ pages.

Cues used to be a lot less expensive -- an inlay loaded 8-point Gus was priced at $780 back in the 1970's.
Click to expand...

In 1974 list price on a new Corvette was $7700. They had devalued the pound and a new V-12 Jaguar was within two hundred dollars, I forget above or below. A 1-ton cab and no bed, tricked out nice on the inside to be my personal wrecker, $6900 list.

A pool cue pushing $800 was far from a cheap cue.

Hu
 
That's why I didn't use the word "cheap." The 1978 dollar is now worth $4.79 today according to the inflation calculator at 3.46% inflation rate, which would make that 1978 Gus cue's list price at $3736.20 for 2024. However, Gus Szamboti's name now commands well beyond that asking price today.
 
most handmade things of value and demand have risen faster than inflation. and usually tend to be a great investment especially if you can enjoy it as well.
so getting high value artistic cue from a famous maker will give years of satisfaction and likely exceed inflation with its value increase over the years.
you win both ways.
 
==cliff notes==

for those that did not read all the posts or missed my point:

the first 300 to 500 you pay for most cues goes to the play ability of it, or you can get a great playing cue in that price range or even less.

paying more goes to the artistic part if it. and nothing wrong with paying for that. and it may increase faster in value for it.

add-ons may or may not help you. but they add to the cost and may or may not be worth it to you. if so pay it and be happy.

at no time did i say or mean if you pay more, you are wrong, or it is wrong to buy more expensive items that help you enjoy things.

so there>>>
 
maha said:
==cliff notes==

for those that did not read all the posts or missed my point:

the first 300 to 500 you pay for most cues goes to the play ability of it, or you can get a great playing cue in that price range or even less.

paying more goes to the artistic part if it. and nothing wrong with paying for that. and it may increase faster in value for it.

add-ons may or may not help you. but they add to the cost and may or may not be worth it to you. if so pay it and be happy.

at no time did i say or mean if you pay more, you are wrong, or it is wrong to buy more expensive items that help you enjoy things.

so there>>>
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All joshing aside, I'd say this is a fair statement.

I even think a good playing cue can be had for $150 or even less. My only carom cue cost me $60 brand new, and it hits great. My favorite pool cue is a 40+ year old Dufferin 2 piece, and it also hits great.

Stroke it, don't poke it...I say. I invented that expression, but you all can use it.

Your'e wellcome
 
maha said:
==cliff notes==

for those that did not read all the posts or missed my point:

the first 300 to 500 you pay for most cues goes to the play ability of it, or you can get a great playing cue in that price range or even less.

paying more goes to the artistic part if it. and nothing wrong with paying for that. and it may increase faster in value for it.

add-ons may or may not help you. but they add to the cost and may or may not be worth it to you. if so pay it and be happy.

at no time did i say or mean if you pay more, you are wrong, or it is wrong to buy more expensive items that help you enjoy things.

so there>>>
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I think people are just calling you out for no reason and I understood everything you said.

I'm a proponent for both sides. My shooter is the cheapest decent shooting cue I can find and the most expensive? Well, that depends what you think expensive is. Most will say my most expensive cues are expensive.

...but yes, you are correct there will come at a price point when more, doesn't make it better in terms of shooting. It is just cosmetics.
 
this thread reminds me of the "standard" advice being given by Jewlery stores relating to spending a certain proportion of your monthly earnings on an engagement ring.. ;-)
 
snookered_again said:
this thread reminds me of the "standard" advice being given by Jewlery stores relating to spending a certain proportion of your monthly earnings on an engagement ring.. ;-)
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They want you to walk out of there with something and its crazy how people will listen to them too.

I always decline the champagne a jewelry store offers.
 
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