An Insight into the Billiards Market: Guidance for Purchasers Here, I offer some guidance and advice to friends looking to buy a billiards table, hoping for more opportunities to exchange ideas in the future. When we receive the manufacturer's quotation, it's a matter of examining the price followed by the configuration. After all, a disassembled billiards table doesn't have many parts. So, what's the real difference? Let's delve into it with curiosity.

A seemingly simple pool table requires a significant amount of expertise in its overall structure and fine details. Even a minor detail can impact the product's overall performance. Hence, we observe that new products do not hit the market quickly, as many manufacturers lack the ability to innovate and rely on copying existing designs. They may have design capabilities but produce products lacking unique features, value, or innovation, and thus go unnoticed by the market. Pool table design necessitates highly professional research and testing, making it challenging to introduce a classic product in the currently mature market stage, and the process can be quite lengthy.

Now, regarding some manufacturers in the north that I'm aware of, Josi is based in Qinhuangdao and has a somewhat family-oriented business structure. Over the years, they've sailed smoothly, which is inextricably linked to Josi's long-standing focus on product quality and event promotion. This is why they've achieved today's success and can compete with the industry leader, Xingpai. Yalin is in Jinan, Shandong, and had a major presence at one year's Guangzhou trade show, gaining some influence in the industry. They also collaborated with Riley, making quite a splash, but later terminated the contract, with mixed reviews on their products. AIM is a relatively new brand in recent years, taking a professional approach. The owner is a former professional player, designing the products himself, and running multiple billiard rooms. Their products offer good value for money and are aesthetically pleasing, with a strong reputation in the Beijing area. However, they lack market activities, and many end consumers are unaware of them. Xingpai is well-known because of its genuine strength, with visible participation in international events and sponsorships. But Xingpai may have overlooked the critical aspect of product quality; despite its fame, the value for money is not great, after all, selling a pool table is about running a business. Xingpai also has good products, but if you sell yours for $10,000, they sell theirs for $20,000, which is taking advantage of the market's size. Recently, the release of a pool table priced at 29,800 yuan featured a steel cabinet from Josi and an appearance similar to AIM's. As the industry leader for so many years, there's been a lack of innovation. Also worth mentioning is the Predator brand, which is another new entry in the market. Its growth rate has been impressive over the past two years, with reasonable pricing and a focus on the mid-range pool table market. Sales have been good, and there have been instances of imitation, with too many similar occurrences. When a product looks good or a particular table becomes popular, competitors rush to copy it. The consumer benefits from affordability, but it's unfair to the hardworking researchers and developers. There's a lack of awareness of intellectual property protection among Chinese people, which is quite in line with the Chinese situation.