Adam cue?

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
Agreed.

Yet the market is indeed doing what we think it should not.

There are far more exceptions than one might think.

I myself would prefer a US made "custom" or at least a US made very good production cue. I am just making observations of what is actually going on.


As an example, how is it that so many older Adam cues can pull more than a Huebler? Similar age and similar level. Does it make sense? I dunno.

Many more Adam cues were made. Huebler was a master craftsman. What's up with that?

Heck, I have even seen a Taiwan Cobra cue go for more than a Huebler.

Here is an example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cobra-Pool-...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-PAUL-HU...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


Condition is certainly an issue. But that Cobra should be a $30 cue all day.


How about this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTHENTIC-C...304787?hash=item2363357b93:g:NhEAAOSwzgRWxnka


That cobra is maybe a $40-$50 cue.



There are many examples, and better examples, I just picked a couple quick ones.
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The Huebler custom shop cues are very desirable, and the hit is amazing and the are actually worth something.
When it comes down to a plain jane Huebler for $150, I could see some buyers choosing a more attractive import instead.
The young guys especially go for the look, and some of those Cobra cues look pretty cool.
 

Livio820

Member
Leather Wrap 2.jpg

Leather Wrap 3.jpg

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I wanted to ask if anyone knows what model adam this is?
Also what it may be worth?
Thank you!
 
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Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Don't know this one off hand. When I get some time I'll see if in my catalogs.
 
I am catching flack that the cue in the photos is not a true Adam cue because of the Ivory joint.
Can anyone give me any history on this cue. This seems to be the only one I have found.
Thanks

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I had this same exact Adam cue (sold it about 4 months ago). Not the same exact cue, but the same exact model (that was identical to this one in the pictures). It did not have any Ivory in it. I believe that Ivory has always been Illegal in Japan (not sure though), but I would be very surprised if any Adam cues ever had any Ivory inlays in them. Anyways, Jayman (that is his user ID on here) wrote me a message, and verified that the cue I had was completely original (not altered in any way, other then the new finish, and new wrap), and he told me the model number (which I now forget). The most surprising thing that he told me about the cue, was that it originally retailed for $95, back in the late 70's, when it was being made, and that who knows how many of these same cues were made. I asked about the cue for months on Facebook, but nobody had any clue about any info about the cue, so I thought that it might have possibly been a one of a kind. Anyways, it is the most beautiful Adam cue that I ever seen, in my opinion. I was crazy (still am) about those super long points and veneers, and the really beautiful Birds Eye Maple in the cue. Such a classy looking cue, in my opinion. Also, it had a 5/16x18 flat faced joint, but the joint pin was really long (which I thought was very odd for a 5/16x18 joint pin, which are usually very short). It was like twice as long as a Meucci joint pin, for example. Anyways, I miss that cue so much. It hit really nice. Sold it out of desperation.
 

Seth C.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had this same exact Adam cue (sold it about 4 months ago). Not the same exact cue, but the same exact model (that was identical to this one in the pictures). It did not have any Ivory in it. I believe that Ivory has always been Illegal in Japan (not sure though), but I would be very surprised if any Adam cues ever had any Ivory inlays in them. Anyways, Jayman (that is his user ID on here) wrote me a message, and verified that the cue I had was completely original (not altered in any way, other then the new finish, and new wrap), and he told me the model number (which I now forget). The most surprising thing that he told me about the cue, was that it originally retailed for $95, back in the late 70's, when it was being made, and that who knows how many of these same cues were made. I asked about the cue for months on Facebook, but nobody had any clue about any info about the cue, so I thought that it might have possibly been a one of a kind. Anyways, it is the most beautiful Adam cue that I ever seen, in my opinion. I was crazy (still am) about those super long points and veneers, and the really beautiful Birds Eye Maple in the cue. Such a classy looking cue, in my opinion. Also, it had a 5/16x18 flat faced joint, but the joint pin was really long (which I thought was very odd for a 5/16x18 joint pin, which are usually very short). It was like twice as long as a Meucci joint pin, for example. Anyways, I miss that cue so much. It hit really nice. Sold it out of desperation.

Curious: What did you get for it?
 

Roscoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is a Helmstetter 87-14 I purchased new way back. No SS joint. I also have an 87-4 I use as a break stick.

helm4b.JPG


Roscoe
 
Curious: What did you get for it?

Well, I was originally asking $600 for it (which I thought was reasonable, and a fare asking price), but I just kept dropping my price, by the week (from $600, to $500, to $450, to $400, and I eventually took $300 shipped for it, out of desperation). I just really needed the money. I really wanted to hold onto that cue forever. Loved it so much. I guess it was not really worth much more then I got out of it though. Jayman told me that it was worth $350 to $450, in todays market. I paid $450 for it, at auction, that I won the bid on, but it came with a nice pre cat 314 shaft (in addition to a 2nd shaft, which had exact matching ringwork), which I sold about a few months before I sold the cue (for around $125). The ringwork matched on both shafts. Anyways, in the end, I only lost around $50 on what I had in the cue.

I do believe if given enough time, the cue would sell for at least $500 (maybe more, if the right buyer came along, and really wanted it). The one I had did have a very slight roll out in the butt, up near the joint (of about the thickness of a credit card), but other then that, the cue was in gem mint condition. So, I think the fact that it did not roll perfectly straight affected the value.
 
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This is a Helmstetter 87-14 I purchased new way back. No SS joint. I also have an 87-4 I use as a break stick.

helm4b.JPG


Roscoe

That is really beautiful. Those 87 series Helmstetter cues were made in a different way then other Helmstetter cues. I think they were weighted differently, and they have a forward balance to them, because the butt is about 1/2 inch shorter then normal (at around 28.5"), and the shafts are normally around 29.5 inches long, so I felt this gave the cue a nice forward balance to it, which I loved. Anyways, I have had several of them, and I felt that the 87 series cues hit far better then any of the other Helms that I had over the years.
 

Roscoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You're right about the length and balance. Actually the balance on that 87-14 cue is right on the diamond inlay.

Roscoe
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
When you have a 40 year history in the game, and are not posting anonymously, because you have skin in the game, there are things that we have privy to because Mark, my partner is a pack rat. Mark opened up his first store in 1978 (what were you doing then) and it was called Georges Billiard Supply, named after George Balabushka. So yeah, there is some experience there.. so he was kind enough while going through stuff to give me this to pass one... He was one of the largest cue dealers in the North East and sold Adam, Meucci, Mali, McDermott, all the way to Black Boar (when they had a catalog). If it was a cue, he probably had one...

So let me introduce you to.... "Bennie the Red"....

JV
 

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jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I am catching flack that the cue in the photos is not a true Adam cue because of the Ivory joint.
Can anyone give me any history on this cue. This seems to be the only one I have found.
Thanks

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That's a nice high end Adam's cue, but the joint is not ivory. It probably sold for about $175 when new and is worth more now. They were using some kind of very hard plastic back then. I think it was the same stuff that Meucci was using on many of his joints in the same time period. Delrin maybe? Someone on here probably knows.
 
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When you have a 40 year history in the game, and are not posting anonymously, because you have skin in the game, there are things that we have privy to because Mark, my partner is a pack rat. Mark opened up his first store in 1978 (what were you doing then) and it was called Georges Billiard Supply, named after George Balabushka. So yeah, there is some experience there.. so he was kind enough while going through stuff to give me this to pass one... He was one of the largest cue dealers in the North East and sold Adam, Meucci, Mali, McDermott, all the way to Black Boar (when they had a catalog). If it was a cue, he probably had one...

So let me introduce you to.... "Bennie the Red"....

JV

This is really cool to see. Looks like it may have been the featured cue in that series. Hard to believe that it only retailed for $160 new. I guess that was a lot of money back in the late 70's though. I have been told that even back in the 70's, Meucci cues still retailed for much higher prices though (sorry to the OP for going off topic). I just feel that the Adam cue was probably just as high quality as any Meucci ever made in that era (unless the Meucci cues were made 1 at a time, and similar to a hand made cue). Anyways, thanks for posting the pics, and info.
 
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That's a nice high end Adam's cue, but the joint is not ivory. It probably sold for about $175 when new and is worth more now. They were using some kind of very hard plastic back then. I think it was the same stuff that Meucci was using on many of his joints in the same time period. Delrin maybe? Someone on here probably knows.

Hi Jay, I am curious, how nice of a cue could you buy for $175 back in the late 70's? Would that $175 be compared to paying $500 (for example) today, for a cue?
 
Pics of my old Adam cue (the last cue that I had).

Here are pics of my old Adam. I miss that cue so much. It was so beautiful, I thought.
 

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HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi Jay, I am curious, how nice of a cue could you buy for $175 back in the late 70's? Would that $175 be compared to paying $500 (for example) today, for a cue?

I had Richard Black make me a custom ebony 4-point, with two shafts with ivory ferrules, and an Irish linen wrap in 1978 for $175. He sells them for $1800 now.
 
I had Richard Black make me a custom ebony 4-point, with two shafts with ivory ferrules, and an Irish linen wrap in 1978 for $175. He sells them for $1800 now.

Wow, that is really unbelievable (I do believe you though). People have told me that even back in the 70's, there were Meucci cues that were in the $400 price range.
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
My take:
Cues were probably more late 70's and a direct response to Meucci's growing popularity. The implex joint, and clearly some of the designs are (chain link rings) are definitely Meucci influenced.
The quality of the prongs is very good. Your picture demonstrates what I believe to be a lot of Helmstetters influence at the Adam company. It would be 20 years before cuemakers here ran the prongs up that high and when they did that was a sign of "excellence" in their designs. Yet they were years late with that "innovation".
The price point was based on the fact of where it was made, and the costs at that time. They were still imports at a time when anything from overseas was considered "cheap".

JV
 
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