Pix?
there are only two kinds of cues to own.
- Thread starter maha
- Start date
What sense is it to own a cue for any purpose and not play it- at least to some degree? Perhaps the most important quality of any cue is the cue's playability features. Playing with any cue for a few hours just to understand the cue maker's mark of distinction should not detract at all from value.
There used to be a very big collectors scene that I guess got diminished a bit.
People bought and sold cues and a “never been hit” cue, brought more money.
Pool cues are not alone here. It goes on in different fields as well, such as cameras (Leica cameras in particular)
One= is your player, that might become 'two' if you delude yourself into thinking it somehow "lost function..?"
Two= the cue you used to use but bought something else for whatever reason. It being replaced doesn't make it a collector item
I have my player for outside of my house, and my old outside of my house player reduced to home use, because the old one isn't worth attempting to sell and I'm too lazy to bother taking assembling my outside player when at home.
You have the most amusing short circuits in your brain.Fatboy ‘s player was BlackBoar.
I wish I was omniscient.
No way to tell if a cue has very light play - any new tip can be cleaned to look new if it only has a few hours play -
True, and just like in any 2nd hand transaction, you have to check the seller better than the product
Frosty
Active member
I’ve owned hundreds of cues over the years from a great number of cue makers. Not to collect them, more like a search for the holy grail, to find what I felt to be the best playing cue for me. I finally stopped searching some years ago and retained 2 I felt met my needs. I do appreciate collectors though, those like Denny Glenn and our own Will Prout amongst others. I feel like they’ve helped preserve the history of our sport and the artisans that hand crafted the cues we play it with. My hats off to them.
billiards_watch
Well-known member
The bolded. LOLBest hitting cue ever.
I’d prefer it to be plain looking. I spoke to Tony about spraying it black-with the option of refinishing it if I ever retired it. That didn’t happen, it’s still my player-the little I play.
It’s price, who made it etc were never a factor in me choosing it as a player. It just played great. I’ve let everyone who can play, use it. Most ppl agree. SVB didn’t care or JA most other top players agree.
Best
Fatboy
I can't knock that comment.
Definitely the rarest BB.
I would have bought it from you if you retired it. LOL
I may be selling a Chad Carter soon if you’re interested in another.
Put me down for a Travel Cue
I also have several "main" playing cues depending on my mood at times. I have maybe 3 shafts that I can play with equally, and a few cue butts I use every so often. My collector cues are all from friends who passed away and I ended up with their equipment. I use those every so often, but not in actual matches.
We talked a few times about spraying it matte black. Totally undercover except the wrap. I’m not sure why we didn’t get to it. It would have been pretty easy to strip down and expose all the work in the cue. It’s also one of my favorite looking cues(however that had zero influence on me picking it as a daily player.
I put around 3500 hours of use on that cue, more than any other player I ever owned.
Was always self conscious about it being a flashy cue. I have always used plane or plain cues as players. So while I love its looks, taking out in public wasn’t ever comfortable. Having said that I took that cue all over the world and played everywhere with it.
I’m not sure if I have pics of it alone. I had a bigger Boar I took lots of pics of, but mine I’m not sure. I’ll look and see.
I have about 10 shafts for it, some wore out. Some LD trash, a few experiments Tony sent me (one plays amazing)
Hands down the best cue ever , ask Max and lots of other guys around his speed or stronger. It’s just good. Tony built his best playing cues from 07-12. I have 3 in that range. I sold the super fancy one. Not sure why, not sad. All good
Fatboy<——-like to test drive cues
Thanks, but don't think so. Already have two of his playing cues. Might even consider having him make me another.
And that reminds me, I need to get down to Owensboro and see both him and Nick. Haven't been there for awhile. And since I need some work done on some cues I might head that way in the not too distant future.
You raise a good point I haven’t touched on it as I didn’t see like you mentioned. I like what you said.
I did both,
I wanted a collection of cues because I love cues. So in the mid 80’s a had a handful of cues. I figured out pretty quick I could buy & sell cues and trade into more & nicer cues-bit along the way enjoy what I had. Was fun for me.
I did that for over 10 years, lots & lots of cues, I learned how to buy and sell cues. All without the internet! Wow, what do you know? It’s possible to move cues to this day without the internet. And to be clear I’ve been screwed by known cue makers 20X more than by bad sellers. Actually I’ve never encountered a bad seller……I pick my spots. It’s simple biz.
Anyways when I started making lots of $ and could just “buy” cues without going through the trading up or flipping game. I did just that.
I lived out my dreams of buying what I wanted, no limits. However most often I bought right and am doing just fine on my equity in the collection. Sure I over paid, under sold, bad trades. All good it wasn’t about $. And still isn’t. It’s about having a collection of pool history. While my collection isn’t the largest-I’ve never looked at cues as a dick measuring contest/ anyone who collects has my respect no matter what they have. And the guys who don’t collect-good for them!
To your point along the way of buying amazing cues. 80% of them I played with from 10 minutes to weeks, always looking for that “best hitting” cue ever. I have some amazing playing Gus’s and a couple that are stone duds(only 2). Gus built amazing cues/
Anyways I owned that Boar which I determined is #1 for 6 months before I played with it. First time out Justin Collett was at my house TAR owner. He knew I had a Boar and asked for me to take it out. Cool, why not? I knew it was good that night/ a month later I never looked back.
However I wasn’t done buying cues, and all the while I looked for better playing cues. Didn’t happen, I have another Boar from that period that’s identical and plays identical. Not better. I couldn’t find better (for me).
However yes building a collection of history and searching for THE cue was both part of the whole thing for me. I don’t play much any longer, but still play with most everything I buy. Unless it’s a 100% flip cue that’s a common maker. Then I will sell as un hit, as opposer to test hit. Un hit means never hit a ball or even screwed together.
So that’s my cue motivation, build a cool collection and find the best playing cue ever.
Which is why commissioning a cue to be built is VERY unlikely to become a player as there’s just too much competition. If I have a cue built to my spec it’s for looks and or resale.
Cues by Fatboy
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
IMO there is only 1 type of cue I'll own, it's one I can play with. I don't fault anyone with the money to have some eye candy cues, or ones rare enough to justify not playing with them. I get the allure of collecting... there are some beautiful cues out there.
I saved up from my first real job at 14 and bought a McDermott for $300. I ended up negotiating for a $100 case and paying $350 for both. That took a bit at $5.15 an hour! I still have it and play with it in my rotation.
At one time I couldn't see spending over $600 on a cue. I spent $1400 on my current player and I love the thing. I could see spending up to $3K if it was something that just spoke to me, but you can bet that I will play with it. Anything more than that and I wouldn't care to take the risk. No matter how careful you are shit can happen.
I saved up from my first real job at 14 and bought a McDermott for $300. I ended up negotiating for a $100 case and paying $350 for both. That took a bit at $5.15 an hour! I still have it and play with it in my rotation.
At one time I couldn't see spending over $600 on a cue. I spent $1400 on my current player and I love the thing. I could see spending up to $3K if it was something that just spoke to me, but you can bet that I will play with it. Anything more than that and I wouldn't care to take the risk. No matter how careful you are shit can happen.
Frosty
Active member
I’d forgotten you had such an extensive collection. I truly wish I’d had the wherewithal along the way to be able to collect them as I love them, but my station in life only allowed me to pursue my search for “the cue” a cue or 2 at a time and then parting with them to get others as I continued my search. My only regret is never getting a Southwest in my journey, a friend has one that’s just fabulous in its playability. The list was always too far off and in hindsight I wished I’d have just got on it. Well that ship has sailed. I do like your take on it though, you do it for the love of it, and that my friend is priceless.You raise a good point I haven’t touched on it as I didn’t see like you mentioned. I like what you said.
I did both,
I wanted a collection of cues because I love cues. So in the mid 80’s a had a handful of cues. I figured out pretty quick I could buy & sell cues and trade into more & nicer cues-bit along the way enjoy what I had. Was fun for me.
I did that for over 10 years, lots & lots of cues, I learned how to buy and sell cues. All without the internet! Wow, what do you know? It’s possible to move cues to this day without the internet. And to be clear I’ve been screwed by known cue makers 20X more than by bad sellers. Actually I’ve never encountered a bad seller……I pick my spots. It’s simple biz.
Anyways when I started making lots of $ and could just “buy” cues without going through the trading up or flipping game. I did just that.
I lived out my dreams of buying what I wanted, no limits. However most often I bought right and am doing just fine on my equity in the collection. Sure I over paid, under sold, bad trades. All good it wasn’t about $. And still isn’t. It’s about having a collection of pool history. While my collection isn’t the largest-I’ve never looked at cues as a dick measuring contest/ anyone who collects has my respect no matter what they have. And the guys who don’t collect-good for them!
To your point along the way of buying amazing cues. 80% of them I played with from 10 minutes to weeks, always looking for that “best hitting” cue ever. I have some amazing playing Gus’s and a couple that are stone duds(only 2). Gus built amazing cues/
Anyways I owned that Boar which I determined is #1 for 6 months before I played with it. First time out Justin Collett was at my house TAR owner. He knew I had a Boar and asked for me to take it out. Cool, why not? I knew it was good that night/ a month later I never looked back.
However I wasn’t done buying cues, and all the while I looked for better playing cues. Didn’t happen, I have another Boar from that period that’s identical and plays identical. Not better. I couldn’t find better (for me).
However yes building a collection of history and searching for THE cue was both part of the whole thing for me. I don’t play much any longer, but still play with most everything I buy. Unless it’s a 100% flip cue that’s a common maker. Then I will sell as un hit, as opposer to test hit. Un hit means never hit a ball or even screwed together.
So that’s my cue motivation, build a cool collection and find the best playing cue ever.
Which is why commissioning a cue to be built is VERY unlikely to become a player as there’s just too much competition. If I have a cue built to my spec it’s for looks and or resale.
Cues by Fatboy
Barbeque
Um...
Denny Glenn?
I have a lot of cues. None that I have not or would not play. No time to play them all. The antiques really aren't serious plating cues anymore anyway.
Your dilemma is owning more cues than you have available time to play pool unless you just took the cue out for a quick test drive. That’s no where near as much fun as playing with it until after you drove a lot of laps with it and then switched cues.