Pool Ball Collecting.

A set of Romanique II balls in an Aramith box was listed on eBay in a straight auction yesterday (not mine).

It has quickly jumped from 99c to $600 overnight!

www.ebay.com

RARE VINTAGE Hyatt Romanique Billiards Pool Ball Set - FULL SET | eBay

I have a set of really rare Hyatt Roman Numeral pool balls. I believe the company called these “Romanique” and I also believe they were manufactured sometime in the 1970’s. I will do my best to describe them. The balls are in good shape with only a few scratches and scuffs. They have aged...
www.ebay.com
 
Is it unviable for manufacturers like Aramith to make small runs of older sets again?

There is obviously a market for balls like the Roman numbers, Card Ball/Poker Pool balls with suits on them, and so on. I mean if they see, that these old sets sell for a big amount second hand, won‘t they think about making a re-run and cash in on the hype? I have no clue how the balls are exactly made, but if they produced them once, they still should have moulds/templates or whatever is used to produce said ball sets again.

Just curious here… 🙃
 
Last edited:
Hello, Mr M.

Much of the value and desirability of these vintage sets to collectors like me is because they are exceedingly rare and not made anymore.

There is also tremendous pleasure to be gained in treasure hunting them and then researching their provenance. I love learning the history of famous sets and the exclusivity of them. The thrill of acquiring something really rare keeps me searching.

But perhaps that is just me. 🙂
 
Last edited:
I can relate to the treasure hunting, i get that. But won‘t the original sets not stay rare and sought after anyway? I am just thinking, if some people just pay premium prices because they have no other alternative in finding a specific looking set. Aren‘t the 2 sets from the Billiard Museum a good example for that?

It‘s just that every other year another 8-Ball set is released, with slightly different colours, maybe another style, but yet nearly the same thing. While other sets seem to make pretty money but get completely neglected. Of course it‘s a market thing as well. They won‘t sell thousands of a set, which most people either don’t care or maybe don’t even know about. At least I am happy, Aramith did another Poker Pool set, and I could get that one, even though I would love to get one with suits as well, not just the letters J to A 🙃

Edit:
My question was more towards a business/marketing kind of view, not us collectors. I understand why people collect these sets. I am just curious why manufacturers don’t observe the second hand market more and follow a little bit more where the money is heading 😊
 
I think we’re a relatively small band, Mr M, and rather too niche to cause a blip on the radar of ball manufacturers.

It really isn’t a viable business model trying to cater for collectors like us, dear chap. It’s frightfully expensive to commission a small run of high quality balls. I get involved purely as a labour of love really and hoping to leave a legacy for future generations.

To be frank, I am content as long as I don’t lose too much money. 🙂
 
Last edited:
I asked a Chinese manufacturer once about a custom set, but they told me 500 sets would be a minimum order and that was out of the question for me then. At least, if I am the only investor in that 😄

I am less then 3 years into this hobby, but from a business perspective I don‘t really understand it at all. Except they only produce for the mass market, which seems to be the only priority here. It‘s even hard to find and acquire new sets as well. I asked Aramith once if they may supply me with a list of available ball sets they just produce, but never got a reply. So I had to search different online shops all over Europe, and order sets from Netherlands, Czech, Germany, Italy,… I asked a few local shops in Austria, if they can order the same sets from Aramith, as they stock their range. And all replied they cannot order these specific sets from Aramith. One of this sets was the new Poker Pool set.

That’s all really strange to me, making it that difficult (and expensive) for customers to get specific items. In all my other hobbies this was never the case, and all merchants gladly ordered different products from manufacturers with their next big batch, so I may save at least shipping costs. I thought it’s normal that a company provides some kind of product range catalogue for merchants, and they can order from it whatever they like.
 
Happy New Year, ladies and gentlemen.

Sincere thanks for all your contributions to our pool ball collecting thread these past twelve months. They were all very much appreciated.

I’ve been endeavouring to curate the fifty-four sets in my personal collection recently, updating exhibition cards to record historical provenance with more information and better images than past attempts.

I would like to share some of those cards here for peer review over the next few weeks if I may. They are works in progress, dear reader, and still require the addition of several photographs before completion but any comments or suggestions for improvement would be gratefully received.

Best wishes.
 
IMG_6302.jpeg
 
Motorola Bar Code set
In 2012 Epco produced 3 sets of these balls for an engineer at Motorola for use in trade show presentations highlighting specific Motorola equipment. Presentations were to consist of informational slides and discussion with pool shot demonstrations, and trick shots worked into the program. However, Motorola soon sold off that division of the company. One set of balls was used a couple of times, then gifted to an executive at Motorola, and the 2 unused sets are now in collections.
 

Attachments

  • Motorola barcode set sm.jpg
    Motorola barcode set sm.jpg
    161.3 KB · Views: 25
Lets2billiards said:
Motorola Bar Code set
In 2012 Epco produced 3 sets of these balls for an engineer at Motorola for use in trade show presentations highlighting specific Motorola equipment. Presentations were to consist of informational slides and discussion with pool shot demonstrations, and trick shots worked into the program. However, Motorola soon sold off that division of the company. One set of balls was used a couple of times, then gifted to an executive at Motorola, and the 2 unused sets are now in collections.
Click to expand...
Have you used a phone based barcode scanner to see what the balls say? Is it just the number of each ball but rendered in a barcode?
 
Hello everyone - Hello, Rubik’s!

I’ve laid personal witness to Rubik’s entire ball collection and brilliance for many, many years now and have always been fascinated with the details in each of his provenance cards - and am truly delighted to finally see them being shared here with fellow collectors - bravo, dear fellow!!

Perhaps toss in a snippet or two along the way of these lesser known details that lay within those page boundaries and how they all play together in what looks like (just) a simple, efficient info card

No better place to start than with the Raschig 15’s - unmistakable from color vibrancy and depth of phenolic to their sound when played. A true collector masterpiece and one held dearly by many collectors and fans amongst us.

~ K.
 
As for the newly uncovered Motorola ball sets, I better chime back in while up in the thread…..

I was very fortunate to be in the right place and time when these were offered and with the kind help of Lets2billiards, have the second of the two sets in private collection (the other one of three total is with the unnamed exec) and I have researched the bar code for a spell…..and until we can get confirmation from the creator, (on the cue ball) it appears to be an internal inventory stock code for what was intended to be gifts from Motorola - not a ball number….a tad mysterious because they never made it to any Motorola inventory list that we are aware of.

Now - the mystery deepens. Not Sherlockian, perhaps - more like a Watson mystery…..

The other ball barcodes have a prefix that Saluc/Aramith used for phenolic resins and products while the rest of the barcode sequence being without detail as of yet. So - we can only guess as to the origin of this seemingly random barcode until we can get more insight from the creator - which, I’ll wager a short stack of loot on, that once read here by Lets2billiards, will fire off an email and open the door down a pathway worthy of 3 waylaid ball sets that never made it past the sample stage

The game is afoot!

(which we all know was used only once by ole Sherlock to Watson in The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, borrowed no doubt from Shakespeare but entertaining nonetheless)

~ K.
 
K2Kraze said:
As for the newly uncovered Motorola ball sets, I better chime back in while up in the thread…..

I was very fortunate to be in the right place and time when these were offered and with the kind help of Lets2billiards, have the second of the two sets in private collection (the other one of three total is with the unnamed exec) and I have researched the bar code for a spell…..and until we can get confirmation from the creator, (on the cue ball) it appears to be an internal inventory stock code for what was intended to be gifts from Motorola - not a ball number….a tad mysterious because they never made it to any Motorola inventory list that we are aware of.

Now - the mystery deepens. Not Sherlockian, perhaps - more like a Watson mystery…..

The other ball barcodes have a prefix that Saluc/Aramith used for phenolic resins and products while the rest of the barcode sequence being without detail as of yet. So - we can only guess as to the origin of this seemingly random barcode until we can get more insight from the creator - which, I’ll wager a short stack of loot on, that once read here by Lets2billiards, will fire off an email and open the door down a pathway worthy of 3 waylaid ball sets that never made it past the sample stage

The game is afoot!

(which we all know was used only once by ole Sherlock to Watson in The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, borrowed no doubt from Shakespeare but entertaining nonetheless)

~ K.
Click to expand...
It's awesome to have you back Mr. K!

I've missed your posts.
 
Good morning, K2.

How wonderful to see you back on the boards, dear fellow. Thank you so much for such kind words, my friend. They are always sincerely appreciated.

It is marvellous that you and Mr L have seemingly acquired two of only three Motorola sets in existence… and even more pleasing indeed that both of you are admired contributors to this thread to share the tale so well. Pool ball collectors might yet be a relatively small band of brothers, but we’re finding each other one at a time!

Take care.
 
One day remaining in the Romanique II auction on eBay, ladies and gentlemen.

Currently standing at $610. I’m guessing it won’t go too much higher on account of the missing box and slightly play worn balls.

What say you?
 
Rubik's Cube said:
One day remaining in the Romanique II auction on eBay, ladies and gentlemen.

Currently standing at $610. I’m guessing it won’t go too much higher on account of the missing box and slightly play worn balls.

What say you?
Click to expand...
I say closer to $900, they are not in my budget but I believe there's a couple collectors that have been searching a long time for them.

I think you are correct about the missing box and wear. Just a gut feeling they will go for a bit more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top