Pool Ball Collecting.

[hunger strike]

Hello. I'm new to the site. This is a very informative forum and the genuine friendships and generosity between contributors is wonderful. The reason I'm here is that I recently got a set of 2 1/16" clay agate balls. Pictured below.

I can't find any history of these. View attachment 794101K2K alludes to turn of the century but exactly when and what gives them their unique colors? Any information or even book recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

These balls are "speckled," not "agate." Speckled balls look like a Robin's egg, one color like a blue 2 ball with white specks. Your balls to look to have a tiny amount of other color specks as you may notice on your 9 ball. But on most of your balls you need reading glasses to see anything but white specks. Agate balls do not have specks within an overall solid color. Agates are made totally of ground-up bits of multiple colors. Early 1900's Agate balls may have been an agatized mix of red and white, possibly with small amounts of other colors making an overall red or pinkish-looking design. An example set like that sold very high a few years back, in the thousands. But some nearly identical balls sold for much less as the ground up bits were so tiny that the material looked like ground beef "hamburger balls" rather than "confetti" balls.
Other Agate balls resembled the traditional 8 different ball colors that had all 8 color bits (or 9 including white bits) - a green 6 resembled a solid green ball because in addition to the other colors, much more green bits were added to create an overall green look.
Your speckled balls are also not early 1900's ....they are in 1950's catalogs and we're listed as "molded balls" and were also sold in nearly identical non-speckled sets. I have a 1950's catalog that lists molded balls in 7 or 8 different sizes, but your speckled balls were made in fewer sizes. Your balls are just as nice looking as they would be if they were the only known set. But luckily for those that want to display a set, they are on eBay frequently for relatively cheap. The most beautiful pool ball set ever made, true Agate colors with thin Compo-Ivory, Brunswick style numbers in 2-1/4" full size have sold for at least $5,000.00. Be happy in a Buddhist billiard monastery that you have never seen them. Because you would have taken out a second mortgage to outbid the man who bought them.
There is a set out there that are 2-1/4" and are white-speckled with red rings and red numbers. There is only one known complete matching set. I have only seen two loose single balls like them - check out this near-mint #7. Imagine what that set would sell for!

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

These balls are "speckled," not "agate." Speckled balls look like a Robin's egg, one color like a blue 2 ball with white specks. Your balls to look to have a tiny amount of other color specks as you may notice on your 9 ball. But on most of your balls you need reading glasses to see anything but white specks. Agate balls do not have specks within an overall solid color. Agates are made totally of ground-up bits of multiple colors. Early 1900's Agate balls may have been an agatized mix of red and white, possibly with small amounts of other colors making an overall red or pinkish-looking design. An example set like that sold very high a few years back, in the thousands. But some nearly identical balls sold for much less as the ground up bits were so tiny that the material looked like ground beef "hamburger balls" rather than "confetti" balls.
Other Agate balls resembled the traditional 8 different ball colors that had all 8 color bits (or 9 including white bits) - a green 6 resembled a solid green ball because in addition to the other colors, much more green bits were added to create an overall green look.
Your speckled balls are also not early 1900's ....they are in 1950's catalogs and we're listed as "molded balls" and were also sold in nearly identical non-speckled sets. I have a 1950's catalog that lists molded balls in 7 or 8 different sizes, but your speckled balls were made in fewer sizes. Your balls are just as nice looking as they would be if they were the only known set. But luckily for those that want to display a set, they are on eBay frequently for relatively cheap. The most beautiful pool ball set ever made, true Agate colors with thin Compo-Ivory, Brunswick style numbers in 2-1/4" full size have sold for at least $5,000.00. Be happy in a Buddhist billiard monastery that you have never seen them. Because you would have taken out a second mortgage to outbid the man who bought them.
There is a set out there that are 2-1/4" and are white-speckled with red rings and red numbers. There is only one known complete matching set. I have only seen two loose single balls like them - check out this near-mint #7. Imagine what that set would sell for!

Hunger strike, that is some interesting information. Can you take a picture of the catalog page that shows these balls?
I would have guessed they were from around 1900 like in Mark and Connie Stellinga's book

 

[hunger strike]

Hunger strike, that is some interesting information. Can you take a picture of the catalog page that shows these balls?
I would have guessed they were from around 1900 like in Mark and Connie Stellinga's bookView attachment 920547

My catalog is Varela's from Kansas City, I will be on the road for months but other guys with catalogs can verify what I wrote. Many small dealers sold the "molded balls." As much as I respect the effort put into that book, please note how many items are decribed as being from the 1890's such as the Bulldog shake bottle (actually 1930's.) If you look at the set below yours in the book, the red agate parlor balls with black rosette number plugs, those are early 1900's. The sets are next to each other in the photo, anyone can plainly see the difference in age and style. I am just trying to help and be informative as it gains me nothing to misinform others - I have what I would guess to be in the top three pre-phenolic ball collections out there. If you want a set in your style to be rare, there is a small sized but identically designed set that is rare as hen's teeth. We should all be happy with all our sets. Except paper-label balls. They are trash and not worthy of display. Be happy, you have a cool set that is fortunately not out of reach for anyone who wants a set for under $100.

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

My catalog is Varela's from Kansas City, I will be on the road for months but other guys with catalogs can verify what I wrote. Many small dealers sold the "molded balls." As much as I respect the effort put into that book, please note how many items are decribed as being from the 1890's such as the Bulldog shake bottle (actually 1930's.) If you look at the set below yours in the book, the red agate parlor balls with black rosette number plugs, those are early 1900's. The sets are next to each other in the photo, anyone can plainly see the difference in age and style. I am just trying to help and be informative as it gains me nothing to misinform others - I have what I would guess to be in the top three pre-phenolic ball collections out there. If you want a set in your style to be rare, there is a small sized but identically designed set that is rare as hen's teeth. We should all be happy with all our sets. Except paper-label balls. They are trash and not worthy of display. Be happy, you have a cool set that is fortunately not out of reach for anyone who wants a set for under $100.

I'm not the guy with the ball set, although I do have that set. In the 1-7/8” I believe.
I also was not questioning your honesty or reason for your earlier statement about the ball set. I was interested in your resource about the ball set. I'm more of a visual type person. I was just trying to be a part of the conversation to get something constructive out of it.
At some point when you're done traveling I hope you can share some pictures of your collection and some knowledge to help others, like myself properly identify other older ball sets.
Safe travels

 

[hunger strike]

I'm not the guy with the ball set, although I do have that set. In the 1-7/8” I believe.
I also was not questioning your honesty or reason for your earlier statement about the ball set. I was interested in your resource about the ball set. I'm more of a visual type person. I was just trying to be a part of the conversation to get something constructive out of it.
At some point when you're done traveling I hope you can share some pictures of your collection and some knowledge to help others, like myself properly identify other older ball sets.
Safe travels

Sounds great... sorry I didn't realize that you were not the op guy. I probably have more than one molded ball catalog but I have seen several that have no photos.

 

[Chi-Rack]

Thank you for reviving this topic, hunger strike. I'm eager to learn more about these balls. I think most assumptions that they're from the 1890's are based on the book that Hard Knock Cues kindly attached. I have not found a lot of other information. I have attached a shot of the cue to show the cracking pattern. To me, the material suggests it is earlier than the 1950's but I can't be certain. They seem much older to me.

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

Thank you for reviving this topic, hunger strike. I'm eager to learn more about these balls. I think most assumptions that they're from the 1890's are based on the book that Hard Knock Cues kindly attached. I have not found a lot of other information. I have attached a shot of the cue to show the cracking pattern. To me, the material suggests it is earlier than the 1950's but I can't be certain. They seem much older to me.

I'm definitely interested in learning more as well. Although I have several older sets it's hard to determine what's clay and what's early composite sometimes. I guess most of those older balls could be considered molded as they used a mold to press them. Looking forward to more info and broadening my horizons.

 

[Nogbert]

Just won an auction for these vintage balls. They look like they’re in good shape. Any idea who manufactured them?

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

This looks like a decent set of carom balls on Etsy. It's in the Netherlands so shipping would have been way too much for me. Thought someone else might be able to take advantage.

 

[Mulambo]

Received a new set today! My biggest balls so far



Italian carambolage balls with 69mm and 59mm. Even topping my Russian balls, which only have 67/68mm diameters

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

My Canadian purchase finally came to me. I'm looking forward to trying out the bonus ball 99 set. I already have a used set of baseball so I'll keep this one unused. The yellow Snooker set will be an odd change, but I think I may have to give it a try.
The good thing was my US dollar is $0.70 to $1 Canadian which helped me stomach the purchase for ball sets, I just don't seem to find new in the US.

 

[Nogbert]

Just won an auction for these vintage balls. They look like they’re in good shape. Any idea who manufactured them?View attachment 921276View attachment 921277View attachment 921278

These have finally arrived. After putting through my cleaner they look fantastic.

When I tap them together they almost sound ceramic. Any chance these are clays or what might they be made of?

 

[Nogbert]

My Canadian purchase finally came to me. I'm looking forward to trying out the bonus ball 99 set. I already have a used set of baseball so I'll keep this one unused. The yellow Snooker set will be an odd change, but I think I may have to give it a try.
The good thing was my US dollar is $0.70 to $1 Canadian which helped me stomach the purchase for ball sets, I just don't seem to find new in the US.View attachment 922248

Jealous. I found the same Canadian site a while back but couldn’t get my orders to go through. Love the bonus ball set

 

[Mulambo]

My Canadian purchase finally came to me. I'm looking forward to trying out the bonus ball 99 set. I already have a used set of baseball so I'll keep this one unused. The yellow Snooker set will be an odd change, but I think I may have to give it a try.

I got my Bonus Ball set from Italy. It was the only country in Europe where I could find it, but shipping was quite expensive, even though it’s my neighbor country. Sadly mine had no instruction/rule book inside. Seems like yours is missing as well.

The yellow Snooker set looks really nice. I just think I would not afford it just to have them in another colour. In the end, it’s the same rules, so no big difference. And Snooker sets seem to be quite pricy and are very hard to find second hand as well

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

I got my Bonus Ball set from Italy. It was the only country in Europe where I could find it, but shipping was quite expensive, even though it’s my neighbor country. Sadly mine had no instruction/rule book inside. Seems like yours is missing as well.

The yellow Snooker set looks really nice. I just think I would not afford it just to have them in another colour. In the end, it’s the same rules, so no big difference. And Snooker sets seem to be quite pricy and are very hard to find second hand as well

I do have the rule book. The box was unopened. It's just out of the picture. I will gladly share this with you as I don't think that's violating any copyright according to the first page.

I agree. I probably wouldn't have added the yellow snooker ball set but it was a sale price and my US dollar was $0.70 to the Canadian dollar And free shipping. so it made it not so bad. Something different for the collection for sure.

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

Jealous. I found the same Canadian site a while back but couldn’t get my orders to go through. Love the bonus ball set

Yeah, in an earlier post I explained how after the us tariffs they returned my payment and refused to ship to the US. About a year ago. Just happened to have a friend going to Canada to visit family so I had it shipped there, For free even.

 

[Benelli]

Yeah, in an earlier post I explained how after the us tariffs they returned my payment and refused to ship to the US. About a year ago. Just happened to have a friend going to Canada to visit family so I had it shipped there, For free even.

There are only TWO hard and fast rules in pool ball.collecting.

1. What's in the box is not what came in the box.

2. They only ball set you will regret is the one you didn't get....

These make great tattoo's, on your forearm, maybe in a Old English font.

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

There are only TWO hard and fast rules in pool ball.collecting.

1. What's in the box is not what came in the box.

Unless you break the seal!!

2. They only ball set you will regret is the one you didn't get....

These make great tattoo's, on your forearm, maybe in a Old English font.

I agree but had to add a little bit to rule number one.
I know earlier on I've bought a few sets that weren't matched properly with the box. Much more careful these days. Live and learn.

 

[Hard Knock Cues]

I did come across a good Facebook buy while I was at the Beach with family. The people said they got these viper balls with their pool table and never used them, and since they got rid of the pool table they threw in this other set of balls for free. They were grungy as all get out but cleaned up pretty good. I think they're a set of Hyatt gold, crown or supreme maybe. Any thoughts on that one?
Either way it was a good $20 spent.

 

[Mulambo]

There are only TWO hard and fast rules in pool ball.collecting.

1. What's in the box is not what came in the box.

2. They only ball set you will regret is the one you didn't get....

These make great tattoo's, on your forearm, maybe in a Old English font.

I would add one more:

3. The balls are always more damaged than in the picture of the sales post