Pool table vs Ping-Pong? What about moving considerations?

[Harriet Vane]

We are thinking about buying a game table of some sort. Dh kinda wants ping-pong; the kids are lobbying for a pool table. I probably prefer pool myself. We are also considering a small bumper pool table, though dh is not as enthused about that game.

 

We are currently renting and know for certain that we do not want to buy this house. We hope to live here two years at least. However, that's uncertain because originally the landlord was trying to sell the house. At any moment she may decide to sell or raise the rent, so we'd have to leave. I'm a little stressed at the idea of moving BOTH a pool table AND a baby grand piano, but don't know if the concerns about moving a pool table are valid.

 

Also we are considering a combo table that perhaps has both? The real question is whether or not it will be regulation size and whether or not it will be sturdy enough.

 

Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

Thanks!!

[Lara in Colo]

Well a REAL pool table is VERY heavy and somewhat tricky to move and set up. Slate is expensive, heavy and can be damaged easily.

 

I would go for the ping pong myself (but I don't like pool)

Hey how about air hockey??

[Tigger]

Personally, I wouldn't get anything but a regulation size pool table if you get a pool table - the lighter weight *play* tables don't really hold up and are not well built.

 

That said, we do have a pool table and moving it would be an expensive proposition - not only does it need to be professionally dismantled, the slate needs to be taken care of in transit to avoid cracking - and it weighs a lot! DH and I have already agreed that if/when we ever move, we'll include the pool table with the house and just buy a new one (if we still want one) for wherever we move, it's that crazy to move one!

 

And, yes, we've moved it....when we initially had it delivered, we had it placed on one side of our rec room and then a year later, when we finally were getting some furniture down there, realized it would be better on the other side of the room! It took 4-hours to dismantle and re-assemble it and cost us $300....just to move it across the room! That puppy is not going anywhere, ever again!

[pqr]

Very expensive to move and some movers require insurance or a waiver against damage.

 

I would not buy one if I thought that I might need to move in less than 5 years. The only caveat being that I might buy one if it were cheap and I intended to abandon it.

[GoVanGogh]

My son and I play pool often at the rec center. I always giggle at the thought of homeschooling a future pool shark. ;) So getting a pool table has that fun advantage.

But I would never, ever buy a pool table if I thought we would be moving. We looked at a lot of houses (years ago) that came with pool tables because the owners decided it was easier/cheaper to leave behind than move.

Ping pong is more physical, if you are looking for something active for the children to play.

[laundrycrisis]

Our house "came with" a "real" pool table (that we had to pay extra for to beat out another buyer. ) In order to get rid of it, because it was taking up too much of our basement, we had to give it to our neighbors for free; they had to pay a pool/billiards service quite a bit of money to take it apart, move it across the street and reassemble it. They are not easy to move or get rid of.

[abbeyej]

Ping-pong absolutely and unequivocally. :)

 

So much easier to move, more physically active, less expensive...

 

The house I lived in as a teen had a pool table when we moved in. And when we moved out, lol. Yes, it was fun and got some use. But it was just this side of impossible to move.

[Harriet Vane]

Okay, I'm convinced. A pool table is a bad idea. Now to convince dh and the kids . . .

[zaichiki]

We have some sort of table topper billiards device that attaches to the top of our ping pong table. Maybe you could have your cake and eat it too? (I don't know anything about this. These came with our house: previous owners left a LOT of stuff in this house.)

[Tap]

A ping pong table that can fold up and be rolled to one side of the room. That way you still have a room you can use if you want to. Then you can put in a foosball table, bumper pool, etc.

 

We had a pool table growing up and I used to play every weekend with friends at a pool hall. So, you can say....I like the sport....That being said, I would never buy a table. :D

 

They take up a huge amount of room are very hard to move.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

We just bought this house and they had a pool table in the basement. We put in the contract that they MUST take the pool table. We didn't want it and they're such a pain and expense to get rid of. Also, they don't hold value so reselling probably isn't a good idea either.

[Lily of the Valley]

We have a 3-in-1 air hockey/pool/ping pong table very similar to this. It's very sturdy and heavy (although not so much so that it's impossible or expensive to move), and our kids love it. We don't use the pool side very often, but the air hockey gets a lot of use.

Edited December 3, 2011 by chrisjo
Additional info...

[Angela in GA]

I scored a Ping-Pong table on Black Friday. I cannot wait to give it to the kids! Dh is currently practicing his ping-pong skills in Afghanistan so the kids don't whoop his tail when he gets home. HA! I figure a Ping-Pong table will be easy to move. Plus, it can fold up and slide out of the way when not in use. :-) MUCH cheaper than a pool table as well!!