I have a question. If I or any cue maker was to make a cue from wood out of a famous cue makers inventory, whether they got it after the cue maker retired, passed on or just quit making cues. Does the fact that the wood is from them make the cue any more valuable. I'm sure it does to a fan of the particular maker, but just to the general masses should you say this wood is from " fill in the blank " and it is more valuable. Just curious.
Famous wood
- Thread starter seahorse1877
- Start date
IMO
I don't think it make any difference who the wood was purchased from. If all they did was buy it and after time sell it their name has no connection to the wood. What you do with it gives it value. Age adds value. Pre kiln days could add value.
I don't think it make any difference who the wood was purchased from. If all they did was buy it and after time sell it their name has no connection to the wood. What you do with it gives it value. Age adds value. Pre kiln days could add value.
Certainly not to me. I very seldom but any wood of any type from another cue maker. If they never wanted to use it why would I? Of coarse there are some folks in this world who just worship celebrity's and it may make a difference to those.
Dick
dave sutton
Banned
i have wood barry gave me from gus. i dont upcharge for the wood but you have to be a special person to get it from me. its a nice thing to know and all but i wouldnt say its more valueable.
unless its like a burton spain blank. then thats a different story
unless its like a burton spain blank. then thats a different story
You Never Know!!!!
Hi,
Who knows what people are willing to pay for something as there are a lot of people that idolize some old time cue makers. If you could confirm that these pieces of wood were form a certain shop I am sure there are some cue groupies out there that would be interested to pay extra money for a perceived intrinsic value.:love2: Look what the unfinished blank left in Balabuska's lathe fetched after George passed. Stuff like that is crazy but people with extra money on their hands find ways to spend it!
As a stroke of luck, I recently had the opportunity to buy some "Famous Wood", (24) 5 point multi-veneered cue blanks from an estate sale that are in the "finished dimensional state" that were built in 1993 - 1994 in Waconda Il. by Omega DPK. They are ready for the wrap groove, pin, seal and finish.
I had some collectors contact me and wanted to add them to their collection as pieces of cue making history. I posted them on AZ Wanted For Sale http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=197777&highlight=omega and have sold a bunch of them for $ 1000.00 and $ 1200.00 for the ones with Ivory.:clapping:
I never thought I would get more than 4 to 5 hundred bucks each as compared to John Davis blanks for example.
It just goes to show you, one man's idea of a valuation is another man's fortune. For me, it came down to the fact that many people revere the Omega DPKs and the value of these cues were set by the market forces. Because these cues were the last available Omega DPKs in the world, the value is higher. I wonder what they would have got in a good economy?
If you can get some type of letter of authenticity where that wood came from you might be able to offer a cue for a higher than normal price for a custom build order.
Good Luck,
Rick G.
Here are some pics of some "Famous Wood":
Esoteric Cue uses their custom fabricated Omega Style - Modified 3/8" x 14 tpi Joint pin on their cues. These pins are available for free with a blank purchase. Alignment barrel is .375 and inserting threads are 3/8" x 16 tpi.
Thanks for Looking
Hi,
Who knows what people are willing to pay for something as there are a lot of people that idolize some old time cue makers. If you could confirm that these pieces of wood were form a certain shop I am sure there are some cue groupies out there that would be interested to pay extra money for a perceived intrinsic value.:love2: Look what the unfinished blank left in Balabuska's lathe fetched after George passed. Stuff like that is crazy but people with extra money on their hands find ways to spend it!
As a stroke of luck, I recently had the opportunity to buy some "Famous Wood", (24) 5 point multi-veneered cue blanks from an estate sale that are in the "finished dimensional state" that were built in 1993 - 1994 in Waconda Il. by Omega DPK. They are ready for the wrap groove, pin, seal and finish.
I had some collectors contact me and wanted to add them to their collection as pieces of cue making history. I posted them on AZ Wanted For Sale http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=197777&highlight=omega and have sold a bunch of them for $ 1000.00 and $ 1200.00 for the ones with Ivory.:clapping:
I never thought I would get more than 4 to 5 hundred bucks each as compared to John Davis blanks for example.
It just goes to show you, one man's idea of a valuation is another man's fortune. For me, it came down to the fact that many people revere the Omega DPKs and the value of these cues were set by the market forces. Because these cues were the last available Omega DPKs in the world, the value is higher. I wonder what they would have got in a good economy?
If you can get some type of letter of authenticity where that wood came from you might be able to offer a cue for a higher than normal price for a custom build order.
Good Luck,
Rick G.
Here are some pics of some "Famous Wood":
Esoteric Cue uses their custom fabricated Omega Style - Modified 3/8" x 14 tpi Joint pin on their cues. These pins are available for free with a blank purchase. Alignment barrel is .375 and inserting threads are 3/8" x 16 tpi.
Thanks for Looking
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These are not wood from a builders inventory. The cues pictured should sell for your and the original builders combined efforts.
Different circumstances.
Different circumstances.
You Never Know!!!!
Scott,
Point well taken. I was attempting to point out how passionate some people (cue customers) are about pathos concerning their favorite cue maker and celebrity status ramifications.
Darrin Hill and I pumped out six of these cues in a finished state just before the Super Billiards Expo this year and we sold them between
$ 1,600.00 and $ 2,200.00. We made sure that we carefully described the facts and circumstances concerning their origin and who built them vs. who finished them and produced the shafts.
Even after being transparent and forthright about them, we still got flamed by what I thought were idiots who had nothing better to do than to mind someone else's business as I included Omega DPK in the title on Ebay.
I then got a PM from a gentleman who explained to me that Omega DPK collectors were very passionate about their cues (only about 500 exist) and that some of them felt that because I was selling finished cues in this price range that it might devaluate the market. Dah! After his correspondence I stopped finishing them, not to get anyone mad at me or Darren as we are both in this game for the long run and don't want to rock anyones boat.
This man offered to buy 4 blanks and suggested to me that I could get good money for them by just leaving them as they where by selling them as pieces of cue making history. Since David K and Mike B were associated with Omega, he said that star power and the fact that these were the last Omegas in the world would bring interested parties. So I took his advice. The last thing I need is to hurt my brand by pissing people off, especially people who love the Omegas. My mentor and partner Ray Hernandez was the last cue maker at Omega and our cues at Esoteric are a derivative of his experience in that shop which has since closed it's doors. Our cues have the same exact geometry as Omegas and I am looking for customers who like the stiff Omega type hit as my business plan. That being said, I stopped finishing these blanks and opted to sell them "as is".
Again, "You Never Know" how people are going to react when it comes down to their passion for "Famous Wood" (pool cues).
Rick Geschrey
Scott,
Point well taken. I was attempting to point out how passionate some people (cue customers) are about pathos concerning their favorite cue maker and celebrity status ramifications.
Darrin Hill and I pumped out six of these cues in a finished state just before the Super Billiards Expo this year and we sold them between
$ 1,600.00 and $ 2,200.00. We made sure that we carefully described the facts and circumstances concerning their origin and who built them vs. who finished them and produced the shafts.
Even after being transparent and forthright about them, we still got flamed by what I thought were idiots who had nothing better to do than to mind someone else's business as I included Omega DPK in the title on Ebay.
I then got a PM from a gentleman who explained to me that Omega DPK collectors were very passionate about their cues (only about 500 exist) and that some of them felt that because I was selling finished cues in this price range that it might devaluate the market. Dah! After his correspondence I stopped finishing them, not to get anyone mad at me or Darren as we are both in this game for the long run and don't want to rock anyones boat.
This man offered to buy 4 blanks and suggested to me that I could get good money for them by just leaving them as they where by selling them as pieces of cue making history. Since David K and Mike B were associated with Omega, he said that star power and the fact that these were the last Omegas in the world would bring interested parties. So I took his advice. The last thing I need is to hurt my brand by pissing people off, especially people who love the Omegas. My mentor and partner Ray Hernandez was the last cue maker at Omega and our cues at Esoteric are a derivative of his experience in that shop which has since closed it's doors. Our cues have the same exact geometry as Omegas and I am looking for customers who like the stiff Omega type hit as my business plan. That being said, I stopped finishing these blanks and opted to sell them "as is".
Again, "You Never Know" how people are going to react when it comes down to their passion for "Famous Wood" (pool cues).
Rick Geschrey
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Very true and people will promote every angle possible for a dollar.
Using a famous builders name to sell wood for an extra dollar doesn't show any respect to that builder. That's greed in my mind. Finishing a cue they can't is showing respect. I'm willing to bet most builders would want their unfinished cues completed. I would.
These unfinished cues are history. It's sad that they will never see chalk. I doubt the builder started these hoping nobody would every shoot with them.
Eric Wynne
Banned
Nope ...
Nope ...
You have to say more then "Nope"
I say yes....if it is shaft wood
Hi,
Here is one of the cues we finished and built shafts for. It went off on Ebay for $ 2,200.00. I could have sold it as an Omega DPK and got more money than I did. Because I felt that would be an unethical thing to do, we gave a detailed accounting of the history and information regarding purchase and it's fit & finishing.
Even after being truthful and honest from the get go, we still got flamed, go figure. Because an Ebony Omega DPK should go for about $ 3,000.00 some people got pissed off. I have found out that there are some people here on AZ that are high and mighty and just like to start trouble. Some of these flamers did not even own this type of cue at all. They were just trying to be experts or something.
I could care less if a blank I sell never gets chalked, I don't like a controversy and would rather be building and finishing my own product start to finish. I have also sold several of the Blanks to people that are going to finish them.
I am sure that all of the dead cue makers and out of business cue companies are not worrying about what happens to their unfinished work from their "Famous Wood".
As long as you are honest, it is never greedy to receive the profits from what a market will bare, it's only good business.
Rick G.
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When a long time cue maker, famous or not, goes out of business for whatever reason the thing everyone wants first shot at is the wood inventory. You hardly ever see it resold after the initial buyer gets it, they want it for their cues. The fact is that the hardest thing to come by in cue making beside the experience it's self, is aged wood. The single most important factor in cue making is good wood selection. If you have prized, aged, and high quality wood you should let every one know and charge accordingly. There is nothing greedy about charging a premium for premium aged wood.
dave sutton
Banned
I don't think anyone should dictate the cues you finish and don't finish. They didn't buy your equiptment or turn your lights on. You did the right thing in fully disclosing the history of the cues. You can not make everyone happy in this world. I say finish the cue. If they don't like it. They don't have to buy it. One thing I have learned is people like to start trouble for no good reason. If they had no interest in buying a cue from you before they shouldn't worry what you do now.
Wow, good thread. LOL. Anyone got some old wood? LOL.
Y e p
Not a cue maker, but I heard that Paul Huebler has a considerable stash of good woods tucked away. I was wondering if anyone has tried to purchase that wood?
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...There is nothing greedy about charging a premium for premium aged wood...
I agree.
That's not being greedy. Age, grain, and tone make the wood valuable/premium. IMO
People have been trying to buy Hublers wood stock for years. I've heard it's a warehouse full.
Many people have tried to buy it. Problem is, Paul does not want the shop or the inventory sold in pieces. He wants it all to go together.