Two listings can both say “used slate pool table” and be completely different purchases. One might be a table that’s been inspected, re-felted, and leveled by a professional. The other might be a table that’s been sitting in someone’s basement for ten years, sold exactly the way it is.
That’s the real question behind refurbished vs. used pool tables. Every refurbished table is a used table. The difference is the work that’s done before it reaches your home, and who’s responsible for it. Here’s how to tell the two apart and what each one means for you as a buyer.
What Are Refurbished Pool Tables?
Refurbished pool tables are pre-owned tables that a professional has inspected and prepared before they’re sold. The goal is simple: when the table arrives in your home, it should play the way a slate table is supposed to play.
What a Refurbish Usually Covers
Across the industry, a refurbish can include some or all of the following. Use this as a list of things to ask any seller about:
- Slate inspection. Checking each slate piece for cracks, chips, or damaged edges.
- Cloth. Replacing worn, faded, or pilled felt.
- Cushions. Testing the rails for bounce and replacing cushion rubber that’s gone dead.
- Pockets. Repairing or replacing torn or stretched pockets.
- Frame and hardware. Tightening joints and replacing stripped bolts or missing parts.
- Setup. Re-seating the slate, filling the seams, and leveling the table so it plays true.
Why “Refurbished” Doesn’t Mean the Same Thing Everywhere
There’s no industry standard for the word “refurbished.” One seller might mean a full rebuild with new cloth, cushions, and pockets. Another might mean the table was wiped down and checked for cracks.
That’s why the label matters less than the details. Ask the seller exactly what was inspected, what was replaced, and what was left as it was. A good seller will tell you plainly.
What Does “As-Is” Mean for Used Pool Tables?
As-is used pool tables are sold in whatever condition they’re in on the day you see them. Nobody has inspected them for you, replaced anything, or promised how they’ll play once they’re set up in your home.
Sold the Way It Sits
With an as-is table, what you see is what you get, and a lot of it you can’t see. The cloth hides the slate, so cracks or chipped edges often don’t show until the table is taken apart. Dead cushions are hard to spot until you roll a ball into every rail. And a table that plays perfectly in the seller’s basement can play very differently once it’s been moved and reassembled.
None of that means an as-is table is a bad table. It means the risk, and the work, move from the seller to you.
Where As-Is Tables Usually Come From
Most as-is tables come from private sales:
- Online listings like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist
- Home sales, where the table stays with the house or the owners want it gone before closing
- Moves, when a family doesn’t have room for the table in their new home
In most of these cases, the seller wants the table out quickly, and the buyer is responsible for taking it apart, moving it, and setting it up.
Refurbished vs Used Pool Tables: Side by Side
When you compare refurbished vs used pool tables sold as-is, the table itself can be identical. What changes is everything that happens around it.
| As-is used table | Reconditioned used table | |
| Slate | Usually unchecked, often with the cloth still on | Inspected before the sale |
| Cloth | Whatever is on the table | Replaced if it needs it |
| Play | Unknown until it’s set up in your home | Set up to play true |
| Moving | You find and pay a mover who knows slate | Handled by the seller’s crew |
| Installation and leveling | You find a technician | Included in the setup |
| After the sale | Usually no one to call | A local business you can reach |
The Hidden Costs of an As-Is Table
An as-is table often looks like the cheaper option on the listing. The real cost shows up after you say yes:
- Disassembly and moving. A slate table has to be taken apart, and the slate alone can weigh several hundred pounds. It’s not a job for a regular moving company.
- New cloth. Most as-is tables need it, and the table has to be re-felted after a move anyway if the old cloth is damaged coming off.
- Cushion or pocket work. Dead rails or torn pockets add another repair.
- Installation and leveling. The slate has to be re-seated, the seams filled, and the table leveled, or it will never play right.
Add those up and the gap between an as-is table and a reconditioned one often gets much smaller. Sometimes it disappears.
Used Pool Table Dealer vs Private Seller
Where you buy usually decides which kind of used table you get. Dealers tend to sell reconditioned tables, and private sellers tend to sell as-is.
What You Get From a Dealer
A dealer’s job is to sell a table that works once it’s in your home. That usually means someone has already looked under the cloth, dealt with worn parts, and planned how the table will be moved and set up. You also get a real business behind the sale: a showroom you can visit, a phone number that gets answered, and people who can service the table later.
When a Private Sale Can Make Sense
A private sale isn’t always the wrong choice. It can work well if you already have a pool table technician you trust, you’re comfortable inspecting slate and cushions yourself, and you’ve budgeted for moving, new cloth, and installation. For a handy buyer with the right help lined up, an as-is table can be a good project.
What doesn’t work is buying as-is and expecting it to play like a reconditioned table on the first night.
A Few Questions to Ask Either Way
Whoever you buy from, ask:
- Is the slate one piece or three, and has it been checked for cracks?
- When was the cloth last replaced, and are the cushions original?
- Who will take the table apart, move it, and set it up, and is that included?
- What happens if something is wrong once it’s installed?
For more on what to look for, see our tips for homeowners on how to buy a used pool table.
How Royal Billiard Reconditions Its Used Tables
In the refurbished vs used pool tables comparison, our used tables fall on the reconditioned side. Every used table we sell is professionally reconditioned before it leaves our Colmar showroom:
- We inspect the slate. Our team checks the playing surface before the table goes on the floor.
- We replace the felt if needed. If the cloth is worn, it gets replaced before the sale.
- We make sure the table plays true. The table is set up and checked so it plays the way a slate table should.
- We deliver and install it. Just like our new tables, used tables come with full delivery and installation across the Delaware Valley, so you never have to figure out how to move a slate table on your own.
Every used table we sell is one we already own and have on hand in our warehouse, so you’re buying directly from us, not from a third party. Our stock comes from trade-ins, estate sales, and customer upgrades, so what’s available changes often. You can see what’s in stock now in our used pool tables section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a refurbished pool table as good as new?
The slate and frame on a quality table don’t wear out, so a well-refurbished table can play just like a new one. The parts that do wear, like cloth and cushions, are the ones a refurbish addresses. You won’t get the newest styles or a factory warranty, but you can get the same playing quality.
Is it worth paying more for a refurbished table?
For most buyers, yes. The higher price usually covers inspection, cloth, moving, and installation, which you’d pay for separately with an as-is table. When you weigh refurbished vs used pool tables, compare the total cost of getting each one set up and playing, not just the price on the listing.
Can I have an as-is table I bought privately reconditioned?
In most cases, yes. A pool table technician can inspect the slate, replace the cloth and cushions, and level the table once it’s in your home. If you already own a table and want it looked at, contact us to ask about service for your specific table.
How can I tell if a table was really refurbished?
Ask for specifics. A seller who reconditioned the table should be able to tell you what was inspected, what was replaced, and when. New cloth is usually easy to spot, but the slate inspection and setup happen out of sight, so the seller’s answers and reputation matter most.
Do refurbished pool tables come with a warranty?
Usually not from the manufacturer. Many manufacturer warranties, including Olhausen’s lifetime warranty, apply only to the original purchaser and don’t transfer to a second owner. Ask the seller directly what they stand behind after the sale.
See Reconditioned Tables in Person in Colmar
For more than 40 years, our family-owned team has been selling, servicing, and moving pool tables across the Delaware Valley. The same in-house crew that inspects our used tables is the one that delivers, installs, and levels them in your home, so you know exactly who’s responsible for how your table plays.
Stop by our showroom at 515 Bethlehem Pike in Colmar, PA, to see what’s on the floor, or contact us to ask about a specific table. You can also browse and buy through our online store anytime.
