Sooner32 said:

I have looked at a few of his on your site. I had to force myself not to buy one. Spent too much recently. They look to be a great value.

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Michael Webb said:

To my knowledge Mr. Phillips was the first to offer the extenders. You could install them in any Cue. I wasn't aware of Mr. Deroo til years after Mr. Phillips and he called it his own.
I don't know.
What ever makes people happy I guess.
I still have 3 of the originals somewhere with no intentions of selling them.

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cuesblues said:

Not an acme pin

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Mlhend2008 said:

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a home that came with a full-size Gatty pool table in the basement. Along with the table were several cue sticks, most of which appeared to be typical recreational cues, including novelty cues with characters such as Homer Simpson on them.

However, one cue immediately stood out from the rest. It felt noticeably more solid, balanced, and well-crafted, with beautiful woodwork and an overall quality that suggested it was something special. The cue is signed "Mike Varner," and I've included photos for reference.

Unfortunately, due to a business-related move, I'm relocating to a smaller home where I won't have room for the pool table. I'm trying to learn more about this cue and determine its approximate value before deciding whether to keep it or sell it.

A few details:

• Signed "Mike Varner"
• Weight: 19.1 oz
• Straight shaft
• Straight butt
• Excellent overall condition
• Plays very well and feels exceptionally balanced

I've searched online but haven't been able to find much information about Mike Varner cues. I'm hoping someone here may recognize the maker, the style, or perhaps provide some insight into its quality, rarity, and potential value.

Part of me would like to keep it. While I've spent many years playing competitive table tennis throughout North Carolina and beyond, I'm approaching retirement age and am looking for a competitive activity that still rewards strategy, precision, skill, and practice. Pool seems like a natural fit, and I can always find a billiards room near my new home.

Any information, opinions, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, and please forgive me if I misuse any billiards terminology. Ask me about table tennis and I can probably give a much better answer!

Mark

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Lowell said:

I'm a 31 year old APA 4 (got into pool 2 years ago) and I want to at least reach the point of being a strong enough 6 to play Masters by age 35.

I'm hoping that's feasible, but often when I feel like I'm getting better I end up choking away a match I could have won.

In regards to your point about having fun, that's why I disagree with those who say beginners looking to get better should only do drills and not play racks. Playing actual games (whether in league or at bars) is just too fun for me to give up, and it has still taught me a decent amount.

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Justaneng said:

1) Identify your goals as a pool player. If you’re a 26 year old APA-3 with a pregnant fiancée, you’re never making a Mosconi Cup team. Your peak will be some amateur level below that, and you get to choose what it is!

2) Prioritize fun, even in practice. If pool elevates itself and becomes an obsession or your top hobby, then you’ll feel ok putting in “work.” Even banging balls at Bob’s corner tavern every Thursday night is better than running drills for 2 hours one day and then putting up your cues for the next 3 years.

3)I think a common theme for experienced players is to wish that they had worked on fundamentals more at the start. However, if they literally did that, would they ever stick with pool long enough to become experienced?

We don’t start developing baseball players by having their first few years consisting solely of batting off a Tee. Kids practice twice and are thrown into T-ball games.

In this regard I think early introduction of spin is necessary, even if it’s not the optimal way to generate a pool player in a lab. The tricks you can use to move a cue ball are the “a-ha!” that’s there’s more to pool than just making shots, and this is the hook that creates the obsession.

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Michael Webb said:

Early 90's
They had no finish on them, just sanding sealers. The bumpers were the stem bumpers with a 3/8x16 thread on them.
The extender was a phillips extender out of Canada. I brought some back to the USA when I did repairs for the Canadian pro tour.

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