Value of "daddy warbucks" balabushka ?

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SciotoSteve

Registered
:) A good friend of mine owns an old Balabushka that was made for and used by Hubert Cokes. It has his name in the clear plastic-like area near the end of the butt. The authenticity of the cue was verified a number of years ago by Nick Varner. Nick's Dad and Hubert were close friends. The cue is in its original condition, even the wrap. It has five Balabushka shafts with it. This is still my friends personal playing cue. Can any of you cue experts out there give me some idea on what this cue is worth? Sorry, but there are no pictures available.
 
Call your friend up and tell him I'll give him....20 bucks, cash. And I'll even pay the shipping to Japan.
MULLY
 
No offense, but it's a bit odd that this would come up in the wake of the thread about the value of cues and the players who used them effecting the value. A Balabushka would be worth quite a bit anyway, let alone that it was Hubert's.
 
Dude, tell your friend to STOP PLAYING WITH THE CUE!! I hope to god he doesnt take it to his wednesday night bar league.
 
There is a guy in OH who plays league pool wth a Balabushka. Nice guy and if the guys has played iwth it till now why should he stop playing with it. Cues are meant to played not looked at especially the plain 4 point bushkas. As to value it has to bbe 10k-20k as bushka as a name player cue to be collected Warbucks was more a gambler than a top gear player but was definitely a player and lots of stories are told about him. If his ownership adds more than 10% I would be supprised. There is a Ray Martin Buska for sale for 40k and that has been for sale for quite a while it is a pretty fancy for a Balabushka, I am not sure that prior ownership adds that much to the cues value but of course that is my opinion, I am not a cue appraisor. Good luck to the owner, i would love to see the cue they should take it to the Derby the big money cue people are always there and the cue could be valued.
 
nahhhh if it has some other guys name on it....it's not worth much!:D

seriously, play with that thing til the day you die. I cringe when I think of all the Szamboti's and Bushkas stuffed in some rich guys friggin closet.

value?......5 figures somewhere IMO.

G.
 
Gerry said:
nahhhh if it has some other guys name on it....it's not worth much!:D

seriously, play with that thing til the day you die. I cringe when I think of all the Szamboti's and Bushkas stuffed in some rich guys friggin closet.

value?......5 figures somewhere IMO.

G.
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SHHH... don't let fatboy hear you say that :wink:
 
Gerry said:
nahhhh if it has some other guys name on it....it's not worth much!:D

seriously, play with that thing til the day you die. I cringe when I think of all the Szamboti's and Bushkas stuffed in some rich guys friggin closet.

value?......5 figures somewhere IMO.

G.
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this is the exact reason I play with the Minnesota Fats cue daily.
 
you guys are all nuts... this is a piece of history... you wouldn't play a stradivarius violin... put that thing in a case, the more dings and dents you put on it, the lower its value is going to be.
 
HitHrdNDraw said:
you guys are all nuts... this is a piece of history... you wouldn't play a stradivarius violin... put that thing in a case, the more dings and dents you put on it, the lower its value is going to be.
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Are you kidding? There are LOTS of musicians that play with Stradivarius....

A more apt analogy my be some middle school coach hitting batting practice for years with Babe Ruth's bat. But, a piece of history's fate is in the hands of the owner.....so, I see no problem at all. If someone wants to play with something "priceless", and it's theirs, who are we to say they shouldn't? Maybe the enjoyment they get out of using it far outweighs any financial gain they could ever get from it. :o
 
HitHrdNDraw said:
you guys are all nuts... this is a piece of history... you wouldn't play a stradivarius violin... put that thing in a case, the more dings and dents you put on it, the lower its value is going to be.
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I respectfully disagree.

IF I were a good violinist I WOULD play a strad.

When I get all filthy "Oprah Rich" I will buy a Gus, and I WILL play with it.

I won't abuse it, I I'll care for it like the FUNCTIONAL art it is, but the way to enjoy it is to feel that PING! and what it move the rock.
 
Daddy Warbucks

This cue couldn't be in better hands , the guy loves the cue and it's history and as long as I have known of, plays with it nearly every day.
 
i like the fact that this old bushka is being played with every day. Im sure George is smiling in heaven when he hears this. He and Gus probably hate the idea of their life's work sitting in a tube in a safe somewhere and not hitting balls.
 
uwate said:
i like the fact that this old bushka is being played with every day. Im sure George is smiling in heaven when he hears this. He and Gus probably hate the idea of their life's work sitting in a tube in a safe somewhere and not hitting balls.
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+1.

...and if the owner is aware of the cue's history, then he can play all he wants with it. I think it's great! I would NOT let it out of my sight at the pool hall though. Ever.
 
HitHrdNDraw said:
you guys are all nuts... this is a piece of history... you wouldn't play a stradivarius violin... put that thing in a case, the more dings and dents you put on it, the lower its value is going to be.
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its possible to play for years with a cue for years and not put a ding or dent in it.
 
SciotoSteve said:
:) A good friend of mine owns an old Balabushka that was made for and used by Hubert Cokes. It has his name in the clear plastic-like area near the end of the butt. The authenticity of the cue was verified a number of years ago by Nick Varner. Nick's Dad and Hubert were close friends. The cue is in its original condition, even the wrap. It has five Balabushka shafts with it. This is still my friends personal playing cue. Can any of you cue experts out there give me some idea on what this cue is worth? Sorry, but there are no pictures available.
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You can't do that to us man. We need pictures of this cue badly!

Hubert Cokes Balabushka with 5 shafts. I would hate to speculate on a price, depends on what a collector would pay. I'm guessing minimum $15,000.
 
E-Rock77 said:
+1.

...and if the owner is aware of the cue's history, then he can play all he wants with it. I think it's great! I would NOT let it out of my sight at the pool hall though. Ever.
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If I took it to a pool hall I'd have one of Hubert's handguns with me to protect it.:)
 
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