There Are Still Treasures to Find Out There... Fancy Balabushka!

Hunter

Hunter

The King of Memes
Silver Member
I recently stumbled across a fancy Balabushka in original condition (except for the wrap, which Pete added) that hasn't been seen by the public for many years. You hear about these garage finds and someone who has his grandpa's cue tucked away, but you usually never get to see one.

This cue is straight, sound and in excellent condition, according to Pete Tascarella. The cue was played for a couple of years and then properly stored for over thirty five years!

The owner had a pretty good idea of what he had, and we haggled like Tijuana tamale vendors, but I finally hit the right number. I put up a post about fancy Balabushkas on the Main Forum, and immediately got trolls (mainly one guy). I'm not trying to have anyone critique George's work. These pictures are not the best, but I'm sure some of you would like to see a fancy Bushka that virtually has no nicks or dings with four matched shafts (which are slick as a whistle with no dings). Here goes...
 

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Hunter

Hunter

The King of Memes
Silver Member
PDX said:
Was that on Craigslist for 100K?
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No, that one is virtually NOS. He has one shaft that is still in the paper that came from George. Mine is not quite as fancy in the butt, but has a little more bling in the points. The other cue that I've seen that is similar, is Steve Mizerak's Dove Cue.
 
Hunter

Hunter

The King of Memes
Silver Member
Thanks for all your nice comments! Yes, it is a Spain forend. There aren't a lot of gems like this one, but I've been fortunate over the years. I once bought a Harvey Martin case for $200 and I was even fortunate enough to buy the original sheet music to The Hustler, that was hand penciled and sent in to be copyrighted. All I can say is that you have to shuck a lot of oysters to find a pearl! :wink:
 
M

mrinsatiable

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
seriously....amazing

this type of rare example..needs extra effort to simply take in all the various components and rare attributes from one of the masters.

I need a moment to catch my breathe.

seriously...amazing.
 
Dan White

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Fantastic cue! The fiber pads are a giveaway that this cue has been stored for a long time.

Are you going to play with this cue?
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
Dan White said:
Fantastic cue! The fiber pads are a giveaway that this cue has been stored for a long time.

Are you going to play with this cue?
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Agree. Here is the vintage of where these tips came from in those days.

All the best,
WW
 

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Hunter

Hunter

The King of Memes
Silver Member
Thanks again to everyone that has taken the time to take a look and left such nice comments! It really does have so many of George's attributes that it makes for a great Balabushka study all in one cue.

I do take the cue out and hit balls with it occasionally. It hits really nice. My daily player is a Szam, and they really feel similar in many respects. I love a heavier cue and this one has four shafts, two of which are just under 20 oz. and two that are just slightly over. George actually filed a tiny line into the brass insert of the heaviest shaft, two in the second heaviest all the way down to four on the lightest for easy identification. The man paid a lot of attention to detail.

I love the Champion tips with the red backers, too. I don't care for layered tips at all. The cue was stored properly and you guys would be amazed at how pristine it is. I only wish I played as well as the cue does (and looked as good at my age as it does for it's age)! :smile:
 
Dan White

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hunter said:
I do take the cue out and hit balls with it occasionally.
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Just a suggestion - my cue was also kept on the shelf for a long time and was in original condition, wrap and all. I use it as my daily player but am very careful with it. I have a home table. My suggestion is not to stand the cue on the floor when chalking it or whatever. Rest the cue on top of your shoe if you need to inspect the tip. I found that my bumper, which was perfect when I started using the cue, now has some reddish abrasions from wear. When I noticed that starting to happen I just learned a few tricks to keep the bumper in good condition.

Also, are your ferrules ivory or are they phenolic? I knew mine were not ivory but I didn't know what they were. Pete T. said they were made from cue balls, or at least they are the same phenolic material that the balls are made of.
 
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