What can one expect to pay for a new pool table of decent quality?  Id really like to put one of these in my basement.  Im not a serious player, just looking for a pool table for fun.  Also, what brands can anyone recommend?  

Mine was $2K.  It's oak with 4 lion's paw legs, 3 pieces of 1" thick slate that were hand leveled by the dealer I bought it from.

Make sure you really want it though!  Mine sees little to no use which surprised me given I have two boys.  I think in this day and age of video games, the game of billiards just isn't the shizz anymore.  To each his own, but at this point, I wish I had the $2k back for use on other toys!  

1200 to 10K.

Find a decent dealer and look around.

3 piece 1" slate and take a look at the underside and see if it looks solid built.  Mine is a lower mid level and it is a good table.

Joe

Olhausen here, expect $3,000-$10,000.

If you pay less than $2500, expect a POS, not a bargain.

It's an investment.  All things are negotiable, just choose a simple style and not so fancy legs, but don't sacrifice on the slate.

Moving a used table may save some $$$ but expect to pay $350-$500 to have it leveled and refelted properly.

Mine was $2500, 3 pieces of slate 1" thick.

Doesn't get used a whole lot, sees most use when it's too cold to do anything outside.

Danny

Quoted: What can one expect to pay for a new pool table of decent quality?  Id really like to put one of these in my basement.  Im not a serious player, just looking for a pool table for fun.  Also, what brands can anyone recommend?

I have been in the Billiards Business for the last 17 years.  I have seen, sold, bought, and serviced just about every type of pool table out there.

What I have learned is that the average consumer does not know a thing about a billiards table and the average salesman will go out of his way to take advantage of that fact.

The vast majority of tables out there are seriously overpriced - and the bulk of those are junk.

What you want to think about is actually GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR.  I have seen tables of old-world quality sell for peanuts and junk sell in the 10K range.  I see mediocre tables sold all the way across the spectrum.

Do you have a budget?

If you are going to pay $5000 for a pool table - MAKE SURE what you are buying is worth 5k.  If you only have $1500, MAKE SURE you are getting the most for your money.

DO NOT buy a pool table based merely on looks.  Manufacturers understand this game and will build the Mona Lisa out of cardboard and the salesmen will sell it for $5900.

Since most people just want to play pool and have a decent looking table, MOST PEOPLE that buy a pool table get taken for a ride.

You want:

3 pieces of MATCHING slate, 1" thick and BACKED.

Quality Cloth - Either Forstmann/Mali 21oz or Championship (Titan) or Simonis - DO NOT buy an off-brand or imitation fabric.

Hardwood construction - NOT laminate, ply, MDF Venier, etc.  Insist on HARDWOOD.

Real LEATHER pockets - unless you are purchasing a commercial table, insist on REAL LEATHER.

QUALITY INSTALLATION - most shops hire laborer yahoos to install the table.  This is a precision job, not a job for a guy who was running a shovel or a "SLOW" sign last week.  Make sure:

The installers use a MACHINIST level - not a carpenter's level or a laser.

The installers must use BEE's WAX to seem the table.

The installers must use HARDWOOD wedges/shims.

The installers MUST UNDERSTAND how to stretch AND STAPLE the cloth.

A $10,000 pool table is no better than a $1500 table if idiots cannot install it properly.

Anyway, there is a lot more than this, and I can make brand recomendations if you like.  Feel free to message me and I will give you my phone number and tell you everything you need to know.

Buying an overpriced pool table is like paying $7500 for a KAC SR25 and finding out later that you in fact bought a Ruger mini 30, blued, no box no mag.

^^^ Yeah, what he said.
I bought a $5,000 table for $2,750 - but you have to do the reseach and show up as an educated buyer.

It could just as easily been the other way around, as in a $2,750 table for $5,000.

Go online.  Get brochures, get pricing - if you walk in without research they'll get you, and you may be reminded every time you look at or play on it.

Your opening post was a good start - now take a couple of weeks to do research.  It's something you'll be staring at for a long time, and you want a good table, that fits your home in size and decor.  You pick the cloth and cloth color, if you can't do that it's some mass produced offshore POS at any price.

Watch accessories too -- good balls and sticks come in all prices.

Don't impulse buy this, buy smart.

what do you guys think of this place?  It is about 10 minutes from my house.  http://www.ccqbilliards.com/  Even their cheapest table is a little more than Id like to spend, but if it is worth it, I would consider it.  

Well they specialize, but I don't see brand names.

Do you have a knowledgeable trusted friend or relative who can accompany you?

Looking underneath tells alot, and sadly a good table is actually pretty ugly looking from below - shims and so fourth, it's part of delivering a perfect playing surface.  The final assembly is a fairly custom process.  Warping and side bumper issues can make what looked like a good buy turn into a nightmare.

I would IM the Billiards expert in this thread and see if you could contact him for a brief conversation.

You know what, just go look and if you like and can afford, go ahead and buy and have fun.

Keep in minc the environment needs to be stable [temp, humidity].

We too spent a bit and it's rarely used.  

Have fun, the first month is great - get a good heavy duty cover to keep it clean when its not in use - something that looks nice because that's what you might be looking at most of the time.

A decent table takes a few hours to setup - level, shim, wax, felt - only a pro can do that.