ivory pool balls

[sonoman]

I have a friend who thinks she has a set of ivory pool balls. She inherited a table, balls and one piece cues from her Dad who purchased these in early 1960's. She thinks the items were old when her Dad got them. Does anyone have information about history of ivory balls and the value?

 

[cue fix]

The value depends on if she has the 3 ball set or if she has the complete 16 ball set. You would need to post photos to verify ivory as I have come across many pool balls advertised as ivory, but were not.

 

[rexus31]

I have a friend who thinks she has a set of ivory pool balls. She inherited a table, balls and one piece cues from her Dad who purchased these in early 1960's. She thinks the items were old when her Dad got them. Does anyone have information about history of ivory balls and the value?

Ivory wasn't being used in the 60's for pool balls. I think that stopped early in the 20th century after Bakelite was developed.

 

[Zerksies]

If it turns out to be ivory. Their are plenty of laws regarding selling it. So be careful

 

[Sealegs50]

I played with an ivory cue ball once. It was pretty obvious that the ball was ivory. The grain lines had blackened and there were some minor surface cracks. It didn’t play any better than Aramith.

 

[ideologist]

I have a friend who thinks she has a set of ivory pool balls. She inherited a table, balls and one piece cues from her Dad who purchased these in early 1960's. She thinks the items were old when her Dad got them. Does anyone have information about history of ivory balls and the value?

If it is a full numbered set, put it on eBay for a 99 cent starting bid for 7 days

Call them "antique pool billiard ball set for cue sports"

Then buckle up, they will hit $2000

If you need any help selling these, let me know, I will give you all the tips I can to get top dollar

 

[ShootingArts]

One thing to be aware of, some sets came from the factory with ivory cue ball and clay balls. Full ivory sets with sixteen ivory balls were pretty rare. Billiard balls, three ball sets, of all ivory were more common.

A maker of pool balls, I think Brunswick, posted a $10,000 reward for an ivory substitute which was absolutely huge at the time. Most of the tusk wasn't suitable to make pool balls, only two or three balls could be made from a single tusk! I assume that the same small area was all that was used for ivory ferrules and joints too.

I think Bakelite was the first plastic used for balls and some of the early plastic developed fine cracks similar to ivory. Very tough for anyone less than an expert to determine ivory. Customs tests with a hot needle I believe.

Hu

 

[rexus31]

One thing to be aware of, some sets came from the factory with ivory cue ball and clay balls. Full ivory sets with sixteen ivory balls were pretty rare. Billiard balls, three ball sets, of all ivory were more common.

A maker of pool balls, I think Brunswick, posted a $10,000 reward for an ivory substitute which was absolutely huge at the time. Most of the tusk wasn't suitable to make pool balls, only two or three balls could be made from a single tusk! I assume that the same small area was all that was used for ivory ferrules and joints too.

I think Bakelite was the first plastic used for balls and some of the early plastic developed fine cracks similar to ivory. Very tough for anyone less than an expert to determine ivory. Customs tests with a hot needle I believe.

Hu

Date is the key. They weren't making ivory pool balls in the 60's. 1860's, yes. 1960's, no.

 

[rexus31]

She thinks the items were old when her Dad got them.

Depends how "old" they were when he got them. 20 years old, very doubtful they are ivory. 50 years old in the '60's, possibly ivory. 80 years old in the 60's, ivory.

 

[skogstokig]

I think Bakelite was the first plastic used for balls and some of the early plastic developed fine cracks similar to ivory. Very tough for anyone less than an expert to determine ivory. Customs tests with a hot needle I believe.

Hu

i believe celluloid was used for a short while before bakelite

 

[ShootingArts]

i believe celluloid was used for a short while before bakelite

Thanks! If I ever knew that I have forgotten. Maybe celluloid balls were the exploding balls? I remember reading about some pool balls that literally exploded.

One of those as the money ball would do my break lots of good, if I survived breaking!

Hu

 

[ideologist]

Thanks! If I ever knew that I have forgotten. Maybe celluloid balls were the exploding balls? I remember reading about some pool balls that literally exploded.

One of those as the money ball would do my break lots of good, if I survived breaking!

Hu

Celluloid did explode yes

 

[sonoman]

I appreciate all the replies and
information. I will let her know. I asked for pictures but have not received any.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I have a friend who thinks she has a set of ivory pool balls. She inherited a table, balls and one piece cues from her Dad who purchased these in early 1960's. She thinks the items were old when her Dad got them. Does anyone have information about history of ivory balls and the value?

A set of antique ivory pool balls with good color and no noticeable major cracks would be worth $20,000 to $30,000. No one has used ivory pool balls since they found a replacement over a century ago. A few ivory cue balls may have remained in use, but not object balls. Ivory balls have to be trued -- turned down to be round again -- every five years or so. They would have also been re-dyed at that time.

The last set of ivory pool balls I saw on Ebay went for $4500 in 2000. They looked like the "double stripe set here, but not as nice. This is from the Stellinga book "Pool and Billiard Collectibles" from 20 years ago. Inflation. Restrictions on ivory. (click on image to see a larger version)

 

[sonoman]

A set of antique ivory pool balls with good color and no noticeable major cracks would be worth $20,000 to $30,000. No one has used ivory pool balls since they found a replacement over a century ago. A few ivory cue balls may have remained in use, but not object balls. Ivory balls have to be trued -- turned down to be round again -- every five years or so. They would have also been re-dyed at that time.

The last set of ivory pool balls I saw on Ebay went for $4500 in 2000. They looked like the "double stripe set here, but not as nice. This is from the Stellinga book "Pool and Billiard Collectibles" from 20 years ago. Inflation. Restrictions on ivory. (click on image to see a larger version)

View attachment 663097

Thanks Bob, great information. Appreciate the picture too.

 

[Fatboy]

A set of antique ivory pool balls with good color and no noticeable major cracks would be worth $20,000 to $30,000. No one has used ivory pool balls since they found a replacement over a century ago. A few ivory cue balls may have remained in use, but not object balls. Ivory balls have to be trued -- turned down to be round again -- every five years or so. They would have also been re-dyed at that time.

The last set of ivory pool balls I saw on Ebay went for $4500 in 2000. They looked like the "double stripe set here, but not as nice. This is from the Stellinga book "Pool and Billiard Collectibles" from 20 years ago. Inflation. Restrictions on ivory. (click on image to see a larger version)

View attachment 663097

I’d have scooped those up in a second had I ever had the chance