Robert Osborne Shop Shut

[Neil Taperell]

Does anyone know why Robert’s shop is closed ?

Says it’s temporarily closed when you google the website .

someone said he wasn’t well earlier in the year .

[Starsky]

Does anyone know why Robert’s shop is closed ?

Says it’s temporarily clos when you google the website .

someone said he wasn’t well earlier in the year .

Did he ever update on Google after Covid ?
Im sure it said it was closed when I visited between lockdowns.

Have you tried ringing him ?

[trying]

I spoke to him a couple of times late last year, I was trying to get a 3/4 ash/plain ebony butt cue from him. He gave me details of a couple of cues he had left sadly not what I was looking for and told me he wouldn't have any more. Sounded pretty final to me.

[Starsky]

I spoke to him a couple of times late last year, I was trying to get a 3/4 ash/plain ebony butt cue from him. He gave me details of a couple of cues he had left sadly not what I was looking for and told me he wouldn't have any more. Sounded pretty final to me.

He said to me he was looking to retire asap .

[Cue crafty]

He said to me he was looking to retire asap .

RIP - retire in peace! Good luck to him.

[cueman]

I wouldn't be surprised if a number of cue makers retire soon. Cost of making cues is pretty expensive and the latest energy prices are going to be too crippling for many. Prices will need to increase and the problem is, I can see a number of clubs shutting down too without significant govt support.

[Potters Bar]

I wouldn't be surprised if a number of cue makers retire soon. Cost of making cues is pretty expensive and the latest energy prices are going to be too crippling for many. Prices will need to increase and the problem is, I can see a number of clubs shutting down too without significant govt support.

Cueman. I’m not sure where & what club you use but over the last 8-10 months Every club I’ve been in and spoken to the owners from Rainham (Kent) to Qzone (Cumbria) and dozens in between are the busiest I’ve known for 30th years? Similar with most cue makers?
any major suppliers of handmade cues can’t keep up with demand even with cost sky rocketing

[ken147]

When you start turning up the heating during the long cold months, businesses will start noticing the increased gas usage and higher costs will start eating into profits.

[Nifty50]

Like 2nd hand cars 2nd hand cues may go up in price. I might off load my Ton Praram and keep my Robert Osborne.

[cueman]

Cueman. I’m not sure where & what club you use but over the last 8-10 months Every club I’ve been in and spoken to the owners from Rainham (Kent) to Qzone (Cumbria) and dozens in between are the busiest I’ve known for 30th years? Similar with most cue makers?
any major suppliers of handmade cues can’t keep up with demand even with cost sky rocketing

depends how long or when their current energy contract runs until. Given what I've heard, I read a tweet from a pub today, their energy bill, cheapest available, went from paying 15p a unti since may, now 97p. Their annual electricity bill, £62,000. Beer prices going to go through the roof soon too, it's not a sustainable industry now.

They cannot survive that. No small business or club is going to survive that without significant govt intervention. Just because the last few months have been alright, what's coming is catastrophic.

Given everyone is going to be seeing huge increase in energy costs, few will have money to go out to clubs and pubs. I don't see why nobody else seems to think it's not an issue. Denial I guess, or oblivious to what's coming!

[Potters Bar]

No problem to what’s coming but in the grand scheme of things people still need a cheap night out. Snooker or Pool or a group of people is a cheap night out. In my travels around the uk (mostly in snooker clubs) I’ve not meet an owner that has been worried of how they can keep up with demand. Several clubs I’ve spoken to in the last week have cancelled knock outs as the tables are in demand for rental. You can be pessimistic about what’s ahead that’s fine but Snooket halls pool halls and anyone in the cue making industry are struggling to keep up with demand. Just look at the increase on cue market from the marquee brands? Most are double the cost of 18/24 months ago and still tbe orders flood in??
im guessing not everyone is glass half empty!

oh and sorry to the original poster for going off topic

[itsnoteasy]

I'm guessing most of the increase in cue sales from the top boys will be driven from China. Don't know about snooker halls that much but from the owners I know, pool drives most of the profits in snooker clubs, not snooker.

[cueman]

Cue orders for the big boys are obviously still going to be working to a backlog, I just wonder whether the prices they've agreed will be honoured.

If energy costs are doubling, then doubling again in January, is it possible they can honour the prices they've quoted?
Must be very tight margins and I suspect depending on how economy goes, conversion rate of sterling, they could well be selling at or near cost it takes to produce, maybe even at a loss, they won't do that for long!

As for clubs, unless they managed to negotiate a fairly long contract, I suspect those who've had to negotiate or will be needing to this year or next, are going to find it near impossible without raising prices significantly, that's assuming it's viable to stay open. 70% of pubs don't think they'll survive the winter, according to recent report.

Having heated tables is going to be a killer, as are gas heated large snooker rooms. Won't be long before players themselves lower down the rankings might struggle to stay on tour as they struggle to practice.

It's going to set things back a while for sure.

[Secret_oath]

More scaremongering, how refreshing!