How to Buy a Used Olhausen Pool Table Without Learning the Hard Way

If you've been searching for a used Olhausen pool table because you want the name without the new-table price, I get it. When I took over purchasing for a multi-location bar and entertainment company in 2021, my first big request was to replace two beat-up tables in a sports bar. The owner wanted something nice but affordable. So I fell down the same rabbit hole: resale listings, finish options, slate thicknesses, and warnings about light play only.

The surface problem is simple: Is a used Olhausen pool table a good deal? The real problem is that most of us compare the wrong numbers. I don't have hard data on industry-wide failure rates for used premium tables, but based on years of orders, my sense is that the table itself is rarely the issue. Put another way: the table is usually fine. The cost shows up between the listing photo and the first real game.

The deeper issue: price vs. total cost

I am a believer in total cost thinking. Not because it sounds professional—because it has saved me from expensive mistakes. The $950 table with some scratches and plays fine was not a no-brainer. By the time I added freight, delivery into a second-floor room, slate leveling, new cloth, and possibly replacing worn cushions, the total cost was close to a new commercial-grade table.

The hidden costs are easy to ignore:

• Freight and delivery. Used tables often don't include setup. Movers deliver, but they won't level the slate or attach rails.
• Slate assembly. If the table wasn't reassembled correctly by the previous owner, it can be slightly off. New cloth won't fix that.
• Cushions. Old rubber loses its bounce. Olhausen's Accu-Fast playing surface is known for a consistent rebound, but dead cushions ruin it.
• Downtime. A table that sits waiting for repairs is a table that isn't making money.

According to Olhausen's product literature (accessed January 2025), the Accu-Fast system is designed to deliver a fast, consistent rebound. That's exactly what players notice on a good table—and what's missing when a table has been allowed to deteriorate.

This is why I don't automatically rule out a used Olhausen pool table. A well-maintained older table can outplay something new with a lower sticker price. But the word used doesn't always mean worn out. It can mean a home table that was barely touched. It can also mean a bar table that has seen thousands of racks and broken-down cushions. The model name alone doesn't tell you which one you're buying.

What the problem actually costs

Say the sticker price is $2,000. You mentally budget another $500 to get it into your building. Then the delivery guys say they don't level slates. A technician charges $400. The cloth is older than the seller implied—another $300 to refelt. Two cushions are dead—$200 more. Suddenly you're at $3,400, and the table still isn't open. Meanwhile, the bar area sits unused on a Friday night.

In one purchase, I approved a used table and immediately felt sick. I kept flipping through the listing photos, wondering if the rails were as straight as the seller claimed. The two weeks until delivery were stressful. It worked out, but not because I was lucky—because I had asked enough questions. If I hadn't, that $2,000 purchase would probably have become a $3,400 lesson.

That's the total cost people miss. It's not just the parts. It's the phone calls, the scheduling, the guests who get turned away from a closed pool table, and the phone call you make to your operations manager when the tech says the table needs a part that takes two weeks to ship.

The same logic applies to everything else in a game room

Once I started thinking this way, I applied it to every purchase in our venues. When the corporate events team asked for a ping pong table top, an air hockey table, an Olhausen foosball table, two pairs of Beats Pro headphones for the A/V lounge, and an elliptical machine for home-style hotel suites, I put them all in the same spreadsheet. Add in the are you smarter than a 5th grader video game they wanted for the arcade corner—same filter. Purchase price plus delivery, setup, maintenance, and realistic lifespan under real use. The cheapest version often looks fine in a quote and ends up costing more in hours and replacement cycles.

To be fair, that doesn't mean you should avoid used tables. Our game room has a used Olhausen Belmont from the early 2000s that plays beautifully and cost less than a new mid-tier table. But our situation was specific: a low-traffic lounge, one table, and a seller who had owned it for years and kept records. If you're putting tables into a high-volume sports bar where people will set drinks on the rails, the calculus is different. I can only speak to the Southeast venues I manage. If your building has tight stairways and no freight elevator, setup costs can be much higher.

A quick TCO checklist for a used Olhausen pool table

1. Set your total budget before you look at list prices. Include delivery, setup, and at least one maintenance pass.
2. Ask for the table's history: home or commercial use, how many times it's been moved, and who disassembled it.
3. Identify the model and year if you can. Walk through cabinet styles and dimensions. The Olhausen line has different frames, and not all are ideal for a busy venue.
4. Ask for a video walkaround, especially around the rails and cushion rubber. A 30-second clip can tell you more than a dozen photos.
5. Budget for a professional to assemble, level, and maybe refelt. In my experience, $300-$600 is a ballpark range, but I might be misremembering; get local quotes. Prices as of January 2025.
6. Check against a basic levelness and cushion standard. The Billiard Congress of America publishes equipment specs for tournament play. You don't need that level of precision, but it's a useful benchmark.

Bottom line: a used Olhausen pool table can be a smart purchase, but only if you count the real cost of getting it into service. The table with the lowest sticker price is often the most expensive one in the end. The table that was set up correctly and maintained—whether new or used—is worth the extra paperwork.