Pool is a beloved parlor game that almost anyone can learn to play, and pool cues start at about $30 or less. Still, professional players and those looking to dominate tournaments spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, on top-of-the-line pool cues. But which of these cues are the costliest?
The most expensive pool cue is the Intimidator Masterpiece, a cue that sold for $150,000. This one-of-a-kind pool cue has a gold-inlaid shaft and an exceptionally detailed fantasy-inspired butt that’s essentially a bladed weapon. There are no other pool cues quite like this one.
A high-quality, high-value pool cue can positively impact your gameplay. Check out this ranking to discover which cues are truly the costliest (and potentially the highest-performance) of the bunch.
Here are the top 10 most expensive pool cues:
10. Viking Two Feather White Wolf Cue – $5,399
Viking is one of the top pool cue brands, especially among intermediate and professional players. It’s not challenging to understand why the brand has attained such an exceptional reputation, especially considering the quality of its cues, including the Two Feather White Wolf.
This captivating maplewood pool cue features faux ivory, ebony, and turquoise inlays along its butt and high-performance shaft for accurate play. It’s a professional-level cue with an equally professional-level price of $5,399.
Why It’s Expensive
This pool is expensive because it’s one of only a few collaboration cues between Viking and Two-Feather. It’s also a well-crafted cue that intermediate and professional pool players would likely enjoy using, so it’s an in-demand item.
This relationship between low supply and high demand makes the Viking Two Feather cues quite pricey.
9. Frank Paradise “Mickey Mantle” Cue – $5,700
This well-used wooden pool cue might not look like much, but appearances can be deceiving. Despite its worn carrying bag and slightly dulled exterior, this cue is a historically significant item.
Not only is it a Frank Paradise cue, but it’s one once owned by Mickey Mantle, one of the most beloved American baseball players of all time. When it went to auction as part of the Sotheby’s Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards event, it sold for an impressive $5,700.
Why It’s Expensive
Though this cue is valuable due to its vintage status, the main reason it sold for thousands is that it once belonged to baseball legend Mickey Mantle.
Athlete memorabilia fetch incredible prices, including lifestyle items once owned by sports stars. It’s a wonder this pool cue didn’t sell for a few thousand more!
8. Snakewood Renaissance Pool Cue – $11,500
The Snakewood Renaissance is one of Richard Black’s masterpieces. It’s also one of the more attractive high-performance cues on the market, with a rich dark brown snakewood (a type of hardwood) body and silver accents. This pool cue is ideal for any study, smoking parlor, or adult game room.
Of course, it’s only available at a hefty price of $11,500.
Why It’s Expensive
This pool cue is pricier than most because it’s a handcrafted, high-performance item. Professionals revere Richard Black cues, and a cue like this is designed for the hands of experienced and affluent players.
Still, the Snakewood Renaissance pool cue isn’t the priciest Richard Black cue.
7. Purple Reign Pool Cue by Thomas Wayne – $12,750
The Purple Reign Pool Cue is undoubtedly the work of a master cue-maker and one with an unbridled passion for creating only the highest-performance pool cues. That talented person would be Thomas Wayne, one of the most popular cue-crafters in North America.
This $12,750 pool cue is nothing to shake a stick (or a cue) at it. Its sterling silver accents are only the tip of the icebergs in terms of its elaborate construction and balancing, making it one of the highest-performance pool cues ever crafted.
Still, for the price of this pool cue, you could afford a one-week trip to one of the most expensive places to travel. So, before you invest, think about which you need more: a vacation or a stellar pool cue.
Why It’s Expensive
This pool cue’s high price is 100% the fault of its intricate engineering and exceptional quality. The Thomas Wayne name and reputation also influence this cue’s value, as Wayne is well-known for making innovative, one-of-a-kind cues.
6. Cabochon Sapphire and Wood Pool Cue – $14,950
Discerning pool players need equally discerning cues, and it’s hard to find a more refined option than the Cabochon Sapphire and Wood cue. This elegant cue features a snakeskin grip, a mastodon ivory base, and a gold-covered base cap, making it one of the most Old World pool cues to arrive at auction within the last few decades.
This distinct cue changed hands for $14,950, and one can only hope it ended up in a large estate’s gentleman’s room, where it can be admired often.
Why It’s Expensive
Mastodons have been extinct for about 10,000 years, so items made of their bones or tusks are exceedingly valuable. This pool cue features a mastodon base; as if that weren’t enough, the base has a cap adorned with bright yellow gold!
This cue’s high-quality, rare materials are the reason behind its extraordinary value.
5. Sky Blue Richard Black Pool Cue – $18,900
The Sky Blue is the pricier counterpart of the Snakewood Renaissance, with a current listing price of $18,900. It’s also the snazzier of the two cues, with an intricately patterned butt and matching shafts. This cue features blue, gray, black, and white geometric patterns that (somewhat ironically) give it a snake-scale-like ambiance.
Essentially, the Snakewood Renaissance looks at home in an elegant game parlor, complete with wood-paneled walls and high ceilings. But the Sky Blue would make a professional player feel both a little jealous and a bit intimidated, as it has an undeniable air of extravagance and power about it.
Why It’s Expensive
Richard Black pool cues are always in high demand, but they’re also comparatively rare. So, one of the most significant factors making this pool cue so costly is the law of supply and demand.
That said, this cue is also a high-performance item that could become a professional player’s new favorite stick. Only the most serious and successful pool players want this pool cue, and sellers can list it at staggering prices to meet that specific market demand type (niche, high-earning).
4. Bill Schick Pool Cue – $24,999
If you’re one of the most experienced cue-makers, like Bill Shick, you can charge top dollar for your pool cues. And when you also happen to be a competitive pool player who thoroughly uses and perfects each cue before selling it, you can sell your stock for prices that would make lesser craftspeople blush.
This Bill Schick pool cue shows off the cue maker’s talent and features an ornate butt fit for a display as much as the table. It’s priced at a competitive $24,999, which is about starting average for some of the most expensive NYC suites.
So, you may think twice about investing in this cue if you’ve set your heart on a luxurious New York City vacation. Then again, if you can afford to invest in this cue and an extravagant hotel suite, you’re welcome to go for both!
After all, New York, New York, is home to dozens of pool halls, making it a great place to show off your skills and high-performance Bill Schick cue.
Why It’s Expensive
Pool is rarely a silent game, especially when played informally or in lower-ranking tournaments. As such, pool players talk, and they tend to talk about pool cues quite a lot.
These chats help spread the word about high-quality cue-makers and brands, and they’re partially responsible for helping Bill Schick become such a successful businessman. Bill Schick cues consistently sell for thousands due to their quality and craftsmanship, and that’s precisely why this cue is so costly.
3. Ginacue by Ernie Gutierrez – $50,000
If you’d like to own one of the most extravagant pool cues in the world, please focus your attention on the Ginacue, a handmade pool cue with a silver veneer and a signature-engraved butt. This $50,000 is the work of Ernie Gutierrez, a formerly well-respected cue-maker who encountered legal troubles in 2016.
Despite this controversy, Ernie Gutierrez cues remain some of the most desirable. Their limited number also inflates their value, as they’re a rare commodity nowadays.
Now, you could afford to buy the most expensive celebrity Cameo video for the price of this cue. But, naturally, dedicated pool players might prefer a lifetime of solid cue performance over a brief Cameo shout-out.
Why It’s Expensive
This pool cue is expensive due to its high quality and its rarity.
Because Ernie Gutierrez is no longer crafting pool cues, only a limited supply exists among players. Consequently, these cues are considered rare items, and retailers and private sellers can set abnormally high prices for them.
2. Arthur Cue – $75,000
The Arthur Cue costs as much as the last two cues combined, and there’s a good reason for that. Firstly, it’s a rare handmade hardwood cue created by Marcus Dienst, one of the world’s most revered pool cue crafters.
It also sports a luxurious silver veneer, not to mention a complex construction that baffles the imagination. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece worthy of a museum or private collection, which is probably why it’s listed at $75,000.
Why It’s Expensive
Marcus Dienst, one of the most well-known German pool cue crafters, created this cue. That quality alone makes it worth several thousand dollars more than the average cue.
But this stunning pool cue is also valuable due to its silver veneer and handmade excellence.
The Arthur Cue might look like a standard two-section pool cue, but it’s actually more than a thousand separate pieces crafted together to form the appearance of a butt-and-shaft cue. The time, energy, and talent required to make a cue like this are almost unimaginable, which is why the Arthur Cue commands high prices.
1. Intimidator Masterpiece Cue – $150,000
The most expensive pool cue is the Intimidator Masterpiece, a cue whose name says it all. Sold for $150,000 to an unknown buyer, this pool cue doubles as a handy zombie-fighting weapon with a multi-bladed butt crafted from stainless steel.
It has a fairly standard hardwood shaft, at least in appearance. After all, the butt and the shaft are inlaid with gold and silver, making this pool cue intrinsically valuable.
Crafted in 1992, this cue is entirely unique. It’s a natural collector’s item for pool players and billiard room patrons.
Why It’s Expensive
The Intimidator Masterpiece is unique in several ways. Unlike many expensive cues in this ranking, its jaw-dropping price doesn’t correlate to its performance.
Instead, this pool cue’s value is linked to its materials and appearance.
The Intimidator Masterpiece contains precious metals, which tend to appreciate over time. Consequently, the Intimidator Masterpiece could become more valuable over time, making it a solid investment.
But this pool cue is also shaped like a medieval fantasy weapon, and that’s sure to appeal to a large portion of collectors from diverse backgrounds. It’s also totally unique, so demand will always exceed supply.
How Much Does the Average Pool Cue Cost?
Like other types of sporting goods equipment, pool cues vary in cost depending on their quality and material. Generally, cues are separated via skill level, with the most beginner-friendly options tending to feature the lowest price tags.
And although you can get a run-of-the-mill cue for less than $30, most beginner-level players spend up to $200 on a higher-performance personal pool cue. Doing ensures that players can get accustomed to a specific pool cue’s weight, balance, and feel while practicing their techniques and skills.
But professional-level pool cues (also called tournament pool cues), vintage, one-of-a-kind cues often sell for thousands, making them comparatively pricey investments.
Why Are Some Pool Cues So Expensive?
Some pool cues cost as much as a tiny house or a multi-bedroom apartment! But others are available for less than $100.
This begs the question: Why are some pool cues so expensive?
The answer typically relies on three factors:
- Material
- Performance
- Uniqueness
Let’s briefly explore these factors to understand why some pool cues are pricier than others.
Material
Though pool cues are traditionally made of wood, some are also made of stainless steel, carbon fiber, hard plastic, and aluminum. Those looking for “unbreakable” cues might gravitate toward metal options, while those looking for lighter play might opt for a plastic model.
Still, the most expensive pool cues are those with precious material inlays made of gold and silver. These cues are typically made of natural hardwood; some take hundreds (if not thousands) or labor hours to complete. As you might imagine, this immense amount of labor significantly increases the starting price of these pool cues.
The real draw for players is the potential for improved performance, as each cue material can impact a technique’s accuracy and effect. And the higher the performance of the cue, the higher the price!
Performance
A high-performance pool cue allows players to perform at their maximum ability level. So a high-performance pool cue for a beginner might be a low-performance cue for a professional pool champion.
Still, high-performance cues tend to share a few common qualities that differentiate them from run-of-the-mill pool cues.
For example, high-performance pool cues are typically:
- Made of high-quality hardwood
- Outfitted with easy-to-use weight chambers
- Strategically hollowed for accurate strikes
- Covered in a veneer wrap for added protection
Any of these features can make a pool cue pricier. But high-performance pool cues made from well-known crafters or owned by tournament winners tend to sell for much more than those fresh off the shelves.
Uniqueness
Just like any other commodity, rare pool cues or one-of-a-kind cues are bound to cost more than mass-produced alternatives.
That’s because there’s an extremely limited supply of these unique pool cues (sometimes only one), but millions of pool players. There are an estimated 36 million players in the United States alone!
Though only a fraction of these players might be vying the own the most expensive and high-quality pool cue, the result is still a ratio of one available item per huge group of interested buyers.
As a result, experienced craftspeople who specialize in making one-of-a-kind, high-end pool cues can sell their wares for incredible prices.
What’s the Most Expensive Pool Cue Ever Made?
The Intimidator Masterpiece is the most expensive pool cue ever made. This fantasy-themed pool cue sold for $150,000 to an unknown buyer.
It’s a one-of-a-kind piece, and the butt is made with decadent materials like Italian obsidian, 24-karat gold, and shimmering stainless steel. The shaft is equally gorgeous, though it looks far more like a high-quality pool cue shaft than a medieval weapon!
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