Pool Ball Collecting.

Lets2billiards said:
Motorla Barcode set: Chapter 2

I must admit that, initially , I was satisfied to just acquire the barcode set, assuming it was a simple salute to the ingenuity of digital engineering. At the nudging of Benelli and K2, I sensibly buckled down to do a bit more research.

Studying the balls, it became obvious that the barcodes on each ball were different, and as per K2, I contacted the creator. He recalled that each code (re)represented the numeral on the ball, but also remembered some problems with the double digit balls, and was pretty sure that the cue ball probably said “cue”, but was not exactly sure what the final solutions were.

I tried scanning the balls and having them read through online services, (to no avail). Toying with downloading an application for help, there was a eureka moment when searching turned up the word “FONT. I quickly downloaded images of the alpha numeric barcode font, and a key or legend of the barcode structure. With these, it was just a matter of taking photos of each ball and code, then deciphering. Below you can see some of the results!

So, when racking up this set, there will be 16 unique digital “triggers”, or links, ready to roll around the table. Each barcode could be programed to set off a different function, or set of functions: Scan the cue ball, and it could cause an image of the cueball to be projected on a screen and turn on the pool table light, and there are still 15 more balls to go! If you are lucky, the last ball in the presentation will turn up the lights at an open bar,

Cheers!

There might even be another chapter to this tale. We shall see.
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I love this thread.
 
The Wolverine said:
Has any luxury car brand ever released pool ball sets? Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls Royce etc?
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Not a car brand but Louis Vuitton launched a set of balls in collaboration with Aramith.
 

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Don’t hold me to this, Mr D, because my eyesight is none too good these days, but I think that is the counterfeit Louis Vuitton balls in your photograph, dear chap. When they first appeared some unscrupulous folks were advertising the sets for $10k and no doubt stung many people. I was able to alert the respective collecting communities (billiard balls and LV) and the prices have now crashed down to the hundreds.

The original set by Aramith was housed in a luxury LV trunk (see below) and sold for an eye-watering $57,000 or thereabouts. I tried real hard to obtain a genuine set (without the trunk) for the Billiard Ball Museum, corresponding with Aramith and the CEO of Louis Vuitton in Paris but, alas, was ultimately unsuccessful.

Best wishes.

RC.

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deep said:
Not a car brand but Louis Vuitton launched a set of balls in collaboration with Aramith.
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I have these ones, they are absolutely fakes. Unfortunately there are gaps in the 2 resins and other details that just make them feel like cheap knockoffs. I have other balls that are decent "replicas", these aren't that grade. Besides that, some parts of the reproduction are just wrong. Definitely not worth getting them, even as a novelty.
 
I have a question about the Poker Pool set and the Romanique III set from the Billiards Museum:

What pool balls are the most similar to in regards to materials? Vigma? Where the colours meet, they look ultra crisp and not like the hazzy way that phenolic resin balls tend to look. I've wondered about that for a while. I've also been wondering when set #3 is going to hit the streets becasue it's been a while now since set #2 (Romanique IIIs) came out and I want to get in on the next set after having missed the first 2.
 
Hello, Princess Bride.

Welcome to AZB and sincere thanks for posting on our collecting thread. It is always great to see a new contributor.

I was honoured and grateful indeed to be invited to join the Billiard Ball Museum enterprise. My role primarily is that of draughtsman. I prepared the technical diagrams required by toolsetters and also drew certificates of authenticity.

I’m long since retired but had worked in the billiard industry thirty-something years ago, owning a cue factory which also wholesaled every type of billiard-related accessory. Having this previous business relationship with certain ball manufacturers was a significant advantage… I had literally bought many thousands of pool ball sets from them during my working career.

At this point, PB, I must choose my words rather carefully because we are bound by a non-disclosure agreement.

Endeavouring to commission high quality pool ball sets in low numbers is an almost impossible task under normal circumstances. We were able to do it due to those existing long-standing contacts, but it was still eye-wateringly expensive and often very stressful. The moulds alone cost the Billiard Ball Museum many thousands of dollars before a single ball was cast. It is very much a labour of love for us and not a profitable venture, but that is okay because we just want to create something special and leave a legacy in the collecting world.

Forgive me for not answering your question about phenolic resin compounds and manufacturers, PB, but we are committed to five limited edition designs to be cast by the end of 2027 and I must honour the confidentiality agreement. I can, however, directly address the subject of a third Billiard Ball Museum launch. It is imminent and will be announced soon.

Romanique 3 owners will be offered first dibs on the thirty available boxes, but there will almost certainly be a few sets on offer to new collectors. If you would like to send me a private message with your contact details, PB, I will be sure to keep you updated.

Best wishes and thank you again.
 
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As Mulambo has already correctly stated, one of the rather unusual factors about this set is the balls being 2 and 1/4 inch instead of the standard snooker size of 2 and 1/16th inch.

The plain white and orange balls are Chris Henry’s training aids… super lightweight to exaggerate the effects of poor cueing.

IMG_5551.jpeg
 
Lets2billiards said:
Motorla Barcode set: Chapter 2

I must admit that, initially , I was satisfied to just acquire the barcode set, assuming it was a simple salute to the ingenuity of digital engineering. At the nudging of Benelli and K2, I sensibly buckled down to do a bit more research.

Studying the balls, it became obvious that the barcodes on each ball were different, and as per K2, I contacted the creator. He recalled that each code (re)represented the numeral on the ball, but also remembered some problems with the double digit balls, and was pretty sure that the cue ball probably said “cue”, but was not exactly sure what the final solutions were.

I tried scanning the balls and having them read through online services, (to no avail). Toying with downloading an application for help, there was a eureka moment when searching turned up the word “FONT. I quickly downloaded images of the alpha numeric barcode font, and a key or legend of the barcode structure. With these, it was just a matter of taking photos of each ball and code, then deciphering. Below you can see some of the results!

So, when racking up this set, there will be 16 unique digital “triggers”, or links, ready to roll around the table. Each barcode could be programed to set off a different function, or set of functions: Scan the cue ball, and it could cause an image of the cueball to be projected on a screen and turn on the pool table light, and there are still 15 more balls to go! If you are lucky, the last ball in the presentation will turn up the lights at an open bar,

Cheers!

There might even be another chapter to this tale. We shall see.
Click to expand...
That's kinda fun, I can't deny it. Thanks for the report back... looking forward to the rest of the story
 
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