How to Start Selling Pool Cues in Your Store: A Retailer's Guide

Pool cues are a good fit for many stores that do not think of themselves as billiard shops: game-room and home-recreation stores, sporting-goods shops, hobby stores, furniture stores that sell pool tables, and online stores. People who buy a pool table need cues, balls and a rack; people who already play want an upgrade, a break cue or a case. This guide walks through what sells, how to start without tying up too much money, and how to choose a supplier.

Who buys pool cues

• New table owners. They need everything at once: a set of cues, balls, a rack, chalk and a cover. This is the biggest basket.
• Casual players. They want "a real cue" instead of the house cue — usually a two-piece maple cue in the mid price range.
• League players. They come back for break and jump cues, cases, tips and shafts.
• Bars, clubs and rec rooms. They buy house-cue sets and replacements every year — see our guide on buying pool cues in bulk.
• Gift buyers. A good cue in a case is a classic gift around the holidays and Father's Day.

What to stock first

You do not need hundreds of products to start. A focused first range that covers the customers above might look like this:

• Cue sets (4–5 cues) for new table owners — the easiest sale in the category. Browse pool cue sets.
• Short cue sets for small rooms and kids — short cue sets.
• Two or three single playing cues in different looks — the upgrade from house cues. See pool cues.
• A jump/break cue for league players — see break cue vs jump cue.
• Cases — soft and hard, to sell with every cue. See cue cases.
• Ball sets, racks, chalk and covers — the add-ons that turn a cue sale into a full basket.

Start with a few models per group and expand into the ones your customers ask about.

How to display cues in a store

• Hang them vertically. A wall rack or floor rack keeps cues straight and lets customers pick them up and feel the weight — cue racks.
• Show the weight and joint type on a small card. These are the first two questions customers ask.
• Put cases and chalk next to the cues, not in another aisle.
• Use a pool table if you have one as a display: a set of cues, balls in a rack and a cover on the corner sell together.

Selling cues online

If you sell online, content matters more than in a physical store, because customers cannot hold the cue. Good listings answer the same questions every time: length, weight, tip size, joint type, wrap and shaft material. Our guides can help you and your customers with the details — for example the pool cue weight chart, joint types explained and the cue case guide.

A supplier that gives you ready-made product data — titles, photos and descriptions — saves days of work and keeps your listings accurate.

How to choose a supplier

When you compare billiard suppliers, ask about these points before price:

• Minimum order. Some brands ask for thousands of dollars up front. A lower entry lets you test the category first.
• MAP policy. A minimum advertised price that every dealer follows protects your margin from a race to the bottom online.
• Stock and dispatch. Can they ship in a day or two, and can you see live stock before you order?
• Drop-ship. Can they ship directly to your customer, so you can sell products you do not hold?
• Product data. Photos, descriptions and specs you can use, ideally as an import into your store.
• People. Someone who knows billiards and answers your questions — and your customers' questions through you.

Becoming an ASKA dealer

ASKA has been in the billiards business since 1999. Our dealer program is built for stores that are adding billiards to their range:

• no set minimum order — but we are a wholesale supplier, so we expect an opening order in wholesale quantities;
• a quote on your list: send the products you want with your application and we reply within 2 business days with wholesale prices;
• a MAP policy for every dealer;
• most orders ship within 1 business day, and drop-ship is available;
• ready-made product imports for your online store;
• after your first order — the B2B dealer portal with live stock and the full dealer price list.

Apply to become an ASKA dealer →