What's the deal with birdseye maple?

[Levingsonovich9]

I've been looking into getting a cue and the thing I can't understand is why is birdseye maple so rare and expensive? It offers no real advantage, as far as I was able to find, apart from looking pretty, so wha't the deal?

 

[rackemup77]

Birdseye maple is kind of rare because that cool grain thing only pops up in a tiny number of sugar maple trees, like less than 1%. It's all about looks, which is why custom cue makers charge more for it.

 

[CueMasterX]

Right, it's basically a genetic lottery that creates those distinctive patterns. That scarcity combined with high demand from cue makers justifies the cost.