Your playing cue vs a collector cue?

Shooter08

Shooter08

Runde Aficianado
Silver Member
Do you have a playing cue and a collection of customs that don't get played? Also do you mind if your playing cue has some dings? I have a small collection of mostly players, but a couple don't leave the house. I'm a entry level collector so not a lot of high dollar cues, but you have to start somewhere. My business partner thinks I'm crazy to collect cues, he plays with his Schon unique, but I just have a level of respect and appreciate owning a cue built by someone who I look up to. Not to pile on, but after the Searing discussion here I have no desire to have one. However after positive comments here I plan to get my hands on a Sugartree, RAT, and now Schmelke as well. What is your opinion in general?
 
I think its just a personal thing. Ive never been a collector of anything, when I buy something, I buy it to use it. If I buy something and it sits around, I end up selling it or giving it away to someone who will use it, doesnt matter pool stuff or whatever else. Some people like to collect, some dont.
Chuck
 
I also really want a No ferrule Chuck Starkey, if you guys buy more Schons, Pechauers, Jacoby, and Vikings from Wisconsin Billiard Supply, I could afford the customs I want to try.
 
Personally Speaking, It's One In The Same......

Every cue I own is a playing cue. I really don't think I'd enjoy owning a Szamboti cue or a rare Ginacue and not play with it.

It's from personally using the pool cue that I am able to really appreciate its beauty and manufacturing excellence otherwise I might as just as well have had a giant photo of the cue. I mean what am supposed to do with the cue? Put it on the wall as art? Put in a display case? Add it to my other un-played collection of other great cues that I can stare at and think...."I'm so lucky." or maybe just hang my cues on the wall in a display case so all my buddies, guests and visitors can see I'm a collector of fancy cues? Maybe I want to be envied?

Nope, for me, a pool cue is meant to be played. The same is with guns but I also realize that collectible guns are worth more un-fired and expensive pool cues are worth more un-played and there's also stamps & coins being worth more when uncirculated, etc........blah, blah, blah. I am not acquiring my pool cues to hang on the wall and show off, nor am I buying them as a investment, although that is sort of becomes a consideration in terms of cue-maker selection for the cue to retaining its intrinsic base value. I just don't get owning a cue but not using it.

For me, the enjoyment of owning a cue is playing with that pool cue rather than looking at it or buying the cue(s) for what.... pride of ownership? And the price of the cue is completely irrelevant to me.......$1,000 or $10,000, doesn't matter in the slightest because rest assured that rare or expensive cue would be in my cue case and I'd definitely be playing with the cue. Don't get me wrong.....I'm darn proud of my cues and understandably should be. However, the reason these cues are "my" pool cues is because each and every cue absolutely "plays great" because if they didn't, I wouldn't own any of them. In my opinion, pool cues are meant to be played with rather than treated as works of art........Maybe I should start thinking of my pool cues to be more akin to "functional works of art" instead of just gorgeous playing cues.

Matt B.
 
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Bavafongoul said:
?..... And the price of the cue is completely irrelevant to me.......$1,000 or $10,000, doesn't matter in the slightest because rest assured that rare or expensive cue would be in my cue case and I'd definitely be playing with the cue........Matt B.
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Let me know when you spend $10,000 for a cue Matt. We'll go and bang some balls around with it. I'd really like to see what that feels like since all mine are packed away in my safe....
 
Bev, I know what you like, if I can get Bob Runde to build you a new cue with his 3/8 10 ivory joint are you interested? Have you seen my collector
 
I've had plenty of high end cues and I sell them as soon as I don't play with them anymore. I also don't like to have a bunch of cues sitting around and be tempted to use them. For me it's hurts my game if I change cues all the time.
 
Subscribed.

I find this question interesting. Cues don't seem to go up in value. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. There are so many people (with skills) making good cues these days that it seems to be a flooded marketplace.

I just bought a vintage cue. Nothing fancy or expensive. It's not a collectable. I bought it as a "working piece of art". It wasn't expensive, needs some fixing up up to get it back to playing condition. I probably won't & don't plan to make money selling it. I plan to enjoy playing with it for years.

If a pool cue is a piece of art isn't the "art" part of it letting it do what it was meant to do?? Play pool?

Just wondering out loud.
 
My player is a Predator. It was in great condition until this year...it got dinged up a little. Dings are hard to avoid. I accept the fact that a playing cue is a tool and will wear accordingly. I rarely use my collection as they stand racked on the wall. No reason to use them...I like to use the same cue every time for consistency.
Buy whatever cues you like...cheap or expensive...all about fun and collecting. I have a rare cue that has decent value. I have not used it since 1980...I don't like it as a player. It will sit forever and get passed on someday.
 
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Shooter08 said:
Not to pile on, but after the Searing discussion here I have no desire to have one.
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Not being able to get on a particular waiting list to have a custom cue made does not take away from how great that cuemaker’s cues play.
 
I don't have that collector mindset. I haven't tried it with cues but with other things...knives, pens, watches, etc. I found that I don't really get that much enjoyment from having things stashed away but not using them. I get why some people do, I know many collectors in all those things, it turns out it's just not for me.

Instead I'll go through a period of sampling a lot of different things and eventually I'll settle down with one. I've done that with watches, knives, and pens - now I'm working on doing the same with cues. I think the Runde I have on order will be the one I settle down with, until that one is done I may sample a few others but they're likely to come and go.

I don't need a bunch of cues. I'll make my Runde my player, keep my breaker and jump cue and maybe have a decent backup/loaner. Beyond that I just don't want to have extras around. If they're around I feel like I need to use them and if I do that then I'm always jumping from cue to cue and never really settling in with one and getting to know it and learning exactly how it plays.

This attitude will likely limit the types of cues I will own. Right now I'm not at a point where I would be comfortable playing with a $3,000 cue I don't think. So I will likely never own a fancy or highly collectible cue for that reason. Something around $1000 or maybe $1500 I could feel comfortable putting into play, beyond that and it would just be too much cue for me right now.
 
I have a few Ginas but my league cue is a Dale Perry. I just don't want one of my expensive cues to get knocked over or grow legs and go for a hike on league night and I don't want to have to watch it like a hawk all night. I use my Ginas at home and for tournaments or money games.
 
DogsPlayingPool said:
I have a few Ginas but my league cue is a Dale Perry. I just don't want one of my expensive cues to get knocked over or grow legs and go for a hike on league night and I don't want to have to watch it like a hawk all night. I use my Ginas at home and for tournaments or money games.
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That makes sense to me. Depending upon what your league atmosphere is like, it could make a lot of sense to have a less expensive cue you just don't have to worry about while having a nicer cue you play in conditions that are a little more controlled (home, tournament, etc).
 
My playing cue is considered a collector cue by some but I really don't believe in the whole collection thing. In fact I find it a bit irritating as I believe things should be used for their purpose. I'm also a musician & it's the same thing there, a lot of guys that have fantastic guitars & they don't play them, many cant even play them. It's the same with cues, how many fantastic playing cues are locked away in people's safes in "collections", it seems a waste. Funny thing is many of these "cue collectors" are like the aforementioned guitar collectors, they own these fantastic playing cues & not only don't play them but many of these guys can't string 3 balls together. They remind me of stake horses, they can't play the game so they collect or stake horse to feel close to the game, simply ponderous.
 
Tried to find a number for Wisconsin Billiard Supply, but nothing was listed. Google took me to Midwest Billiard Supply in Madison, but that wasn't you Shooter08. Can you PM me with your number or call me? :grin:

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Shooter08 said:
I also really want a No ferrule Chuck Starkey, if you guys buy more Schons, Pechauers, Jacoby, and Vikings from Wisconsin Billiard Supply, I could afford the customs I want to try.
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I would shoot with whatever I buy. I would buy whatever I can afford. Funny thing about pool cues. I hardly ever notice what my opponent shoots with and they never ask what I shoot with. Every once in a blue moon I will notice a beauty that stands out and will ask. Not many cues just catch the eye. Maybe the prettiest cue I ever saw was about a month ago, made by Chris Nitti and the owner was shooting with it and loved it.
 
What makes a cue a collectors item? Or do people collect cues hoping they will be a collectors item some day. You can have a $10,000 cue but that doesn't make it a collectors item. Just makes it expensive, right? Is it name, age or price? I have seen some ugly cues that are on the higher end.
 
I consider any cue I buy for personal use a collector to me. I have a Scruggs Sneaky, Frey Sneaky, 1950's Hoppe purchased from the original owner, A pre Schon Runde cue purchased from the original owner and some others. None of these are high dollar cues, but they each have a special place to me. The only cue I own that I think somebody else would desire for their collection is my ivory loaded Runde, that occasionally gets played at a friends house.
 
I have two Larry Vigus cues
a player and a back up

I own a Paul Mottey box cue with piano keys,violins etc

of all the cues i bought it is my favorite just to look at

I thought I would play it next,but the Larry V cues play so good
I will probably always play with one
 
There is a guy around here who plays w/ a 30+ year old GINACUE that is a beauty but beat to holy hell. He's a good player and that has been his only weapon since buying it. Some of the collectors on here might have a seizure if they saw this cue's condition, LOL...but it plays great. The shafts are so old, dirty, and super thin now....they hit perfect. But, to him he bought it as a tool and really got his money's worth...and even more amazing is that even in it's dinged up, well used condition, it's still probably worth 7 times what he paid for it new. How's that for an investment?
 
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