Cue Prices?

[cueman]

Do you think that cue prices will come down as a natural progression due to the financial crisis? It seems that the price of many natural substances are decreasing and wood markets have been hit particularly badly over the past 4 months, wood is now a lot cheaper and far easier to source due to many stockists needing to offload their stocks as very few people are buying right now.

[RGCirencester]

You make a very interesting point. They were talking about a similar thing with the gas prices on the news the other day, the gas price has fallen something like 40% but british gas have only dropped prices by 10%!!
But with the cue industry i don't know, i don't think they will to be honest. Your paying for the finished object and the time spent by the cuemaker. To find the best pieces of wood you may need to sift through a whole heap of rubbish in the mean time. I believe your paying more for the expertise than the materials.
At the top end of the market the demand is still high enough to keep people like Trevor White in business, and the people ordering cues from him know they are paying for the expertise more than anything else.
Maybe Mike Wooldridge will consider proving me wrong and dropping the price of his shark series cues? Then the whole world would be a happier place, especially for poor people like me :snooker:

[totlxtc]

No they wont. In fact I believe the prices will go up. Few months ago ebony was roughly £6 per block. Its now £16. Plus pressure on keeping deforrestation under control means less supply of exotic woods. New cues will only ever go up as its a supply and demand industry. Not unless you see artifical wood being used.

Ebony for example. Currently to get complete black ebony is getting harder and harder to find. So soucing of the wood takes more time. Which ultimatly means more money having to be spent out. Ask Trevor, Mike or Craftsman, they all know the situation.

[platt]

good reply totlxtc.. quality holds its own... by the way how is the new cue you made playing looks nice...?

[lkomarci]

I personally don't think that cue prices are to go down. Primary needs such as houses are def going to go down pricewise, but cues are luxury. So whoever wants a quality cue he's going to have to pay for it properly

[Phil]

I don't think they will drop. I guess they will even increase a bit.

[totlxtc]

good reply totlxtc.. quality holds its own... by the way how is the new cue you made playing looks nice...?

I made it as a break cue and does the job a treat, thank you for asking

[ChatLag]

I think it will be the same like in other industries:
On one side the price pressured low level quality product. They will be cheap also in future.
On the other side the high-end top quality brands, they will increase the prices.
It is the same i.e. for luxury watches where prices have exploded the last years.
There are enough people worlwide having enough money to spend on luxury goods. The more expensive the more wanted.
And this wolrdwide market is due to the internet easiliy accessible for top brand manufacturer.
So why should they reduce prices? They will increase them to get more wanted.

[cueman]

I hear what people are saying but we are getting close now to being in deflation so the value of everything will drop. Surely if many people are going to see their wages cut back which again will be part of the natural progression if we end up in a long term period of deflation its only natural to assume that prices will decrease. If not we will soon see who the rip off merchants are and who keep their prices at a sensible level.

[totlxtc]

Well according to the news we (UK) are officially in a recession.

[Jonny]

No they wont. In fact I believe the prices will go up. Few months ago ebony was roughly £6 per block. Its now £16. Plus pressure on keeping deforrestation under control means less supply of exotic woods. New cues will only ever go up as its a supply and demand industry. Not unless you see artifical wood being used.

good point however it doesn't matter how expensive raw materials are if people won't buy your cues for your price. If demand is low, you're going to have to outsource cheaper products or face making a loss.

Your point about prices only going up because it's supply and demand is wrong though. Just because something is supply and demand doesn't mean prices will go up. Raw costs will force prices up which is what will happen but demand doesn't have to go up as well, in fact in this economic situation, people will probably put gas bills, fuel etc etc before a piece of wood (i know it's more than a piece of wood but it is essentially what you are sacrificing "essentials" for) The low demand will probably lead to prices being lowered to shift products