Sadly for some, unfortunate for others, but most of all likely for all, the only cues that will be desirable by the vast majority of collectors will be customs made by the elite makers past and present. The majority of collectors know who those makers are and the youngin's who will most definately be taking over these collections and starting their own, I'm confident, will be educated towards those makers as well.
The same is true of many things.
Show up at Pebble Beach in your really cool production car and park it next to something like a Cord, Auburn, or Duesenberg and they will likely look at you funny, like you might get their car dirty.
Then again, some of those production cars turn out to be incredible investments and are now getting attention. Even many that are not really particularly "special".
Consummate collector Jay Leno even has a BSA lightning, Miata, RX-8, and Oldmobile Toronado in his collection. Not long ago such things were just as easily junked as sold.
His high end stuff? Some of them at one time were hard to give away.
Things change.
Yes, it can certainly apply to pool cues as well.
A perfect example is Brunswick cues. People easily pay over $1000 for an Ebony Titlist.
Even the garden variety Rosewood Brunswicks are drawing good money.
At one time you could have had a crate of ebony Brunswicks fairly easily. Would be nice to have those now, eh?
Certainly the great custom makers will probably always lead the way in desirability in the top collections and among the most well-heeled collectors.
But there are different parts of the market, and they change.
My collection contains representative cues from different eras. That's how I like it. Nobody here knows what is in my collection. Again, that is how I like it. The reality is that the "low end" production cues in my collection have appreciated the most. I can sell any of them right away for anywhere from double to 100 times what I paid. Seriously. Immediately. No sales work.
You can't educate people on what they like, try as you might. You also can't dictate what they can afford. The most numerous collectors in any field generally aren't at the top of the market. Many collect things at the lower end of any particular market.
I know people here with collections that contain things like Biagio cues, old McDermotts, Meucci Originals, Adam cues, and other such things. They are quite happy with them. Sometimes they are told to sell their collection and buy a single cue. Generally the person telling them intends to educate them, but entirely misses the point. They like their cues and that is all that matters. That actually supports a market.
I am not saying you are wrong by any means. I am saying that you aren't completely right and are dismissive of the majority of people collecting and buying and selling cues.
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