balabushka, Szamboti or Ginacue???

You might be hard pressed to get a Balabushka or Szamboti for 10k especially if the cue market turns around.

pinoyincalgary said:

Hi,
It looks like I am starting to get back into the game and saving money to get a cue that would be a potential keeper. My planned budget in 2-3yrs is about 10k usd. What would you prefer and why between:

A) Balabushka

B) Ginacue- that can be custom made for your own specification

C) Szamboti

I would be playing with the cue and not storing it. Thank you for all of your opinion.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

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dr9ball said:

You might be hard pressed to get a Balabushka or Szamboti for 10k especially if the cue market turns around.

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I have seen Szam's go for as little as $6,500 to upwards of $13,000 on here. I think the cheapest I remember a Bushka was around $8k. If you are looking for collectability, you can't really go wrong with any of them.

You will get a fancier Gina for the same price, but it may not have the caché of a Gus/Bushka.

that's easy

i'd go with a Ginacue

IMO, Ernie's cues represent the best regarding uniqueness of design, and quality of cuebuilding.

while they may not have the classic appeal of szam's and boti's, i don't think they are meant to, they are original all on their own, and deserve to be in a class by themselves.

Good hitting cues age like fine wine. Szamboti

ernie

finding a cue with the exact specs for you will be difficult. having a cue built by a reputable cue maker makes for a better comeback. collectables are what one person perceives .I see cues go for thousands that play no better than a $500 hustler .The collectable market is forever changing a player never does. I would have one made . just saying

pinoyincalgary said:

:smile:

Hi,
thanks for the heads up. I might need to add another 5-6k if necessary. The wife is ok with it as I have been thinking about it since we were dating

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Balabushka conversions (from house cues) can be had under 5K.

I sold 2 Spain Bushkas last year in excellent original condition for under 7K.

A nice Gus that's not too fancy can be 6K or a little under.

Kevin

Rico said:

finding a cue with the exact specs for you will be difficult. having a cue built by a reputable cue maker makes for a better comeback. collectables are what one person perceives .I see cues go for thousands that play no better than a $500 hustler .The collectable market is forever changing a player never does. I would have one made . just saying

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TRUTH.:thumbup:

i have all 3 and they are all completely different in the way they play.

perhaps you would need to have each on a table and see which best suits your stroke style ... to spend 10k on a cue and then regret it would be a real tragedy ..

if your plan is 2-3 years down the road, you will have ample opportunity to sample all 3 ... n
may i suggest you also speak to both ernie and barry about what you are looking for and i am sure both will offer you good advice ...

everyone who has tried my ginas has fallen in love with them; they seem to fit everyone
some love the szams but some find them hard to get used to ( yet i play best with mine )
some of the buskha cues are bigger in both weight and girth and unless you find one that is just right, you may not enjoy the cue at all...

the search is as much fun as the final acquisition .. enjoy the journey

kam

I would buy a Lucasi.
Then take the balance of the money to Vegas and spend it on gambling-whiskey and hookers.

I don't know

what Ernie's lead time is now, but I would go with a fancy Gina.

problem with using a gus or bushka is if you fly you have to check it and thats way too risky. A gina cue is replacable for the most part. So I would pick a cue that you can travel with. If you only play at home or drive to a pool room then its not a issue. play with works best for you.


as far as $$$ goes, Szams are the safest spot to put your $$$, Bushkas have went south in price some.

measureman said:

I would buy a Lucasi.
Then take the balance of the money to Vegas and spend it on gambling-whiskey and hookers.

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good idea :thumbup:

Hookers? Why would you spend your money on tow trucks?
Bruce is really weird sometimes.

Blue Hog ridr said:

Hookers? Why would you spend your money on tow trucks?
Bruce is really weird sometimes.

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After all the whiskey I would need to get dragged back to my room.
Sometimes Terry does not get it :grin:

I've played with them all, and it is my honest opinion that although I simply love the best cues from that era, that they no more than hold up in hit and feel to the best one can buy/have custom-tailored today (admittedly it's difficult to get shaft wood of the quality one finds in some, not all, of those cues, but then you'll need to find one all-original and in perfect condition, plus at 10k or below…). The ones I've tried were all so different that I couldn't even tell with certainty which I prefer - it comes down to the individual cue rather than the maker. I also agree with Fatboy that I'd absolutely hate to check in such a cue, not to mention having to take it to the bathroom with you wherever you go… With all the cues I've had stolen or damaged over the years, I've reached the point where I'm not even taking my Tascarella or Southwest to tournaments anymore. Most pool halls around here don't offer anything safe to lean a cue against, and I'm getting too old to permanently hold on to my stick, LOL! Having said all this, I no longer own a "cheap" cue that I wouldn't mind losing. But there's some comfort in knowing the best-playing cues made today can be replaced within a reasonable time span. Collecting and pulling out and shoot some with it in the peace of one's practice room is another matter. But to use as one's permanent player… Let me put it this way: if indeed you have to save money for the purpose, I wouldn't do it. I know people who show up with "new" cues of that magnitude twice a year, guess to them it doesn't matter one way or the other, but it sure would to me. Please excuse my rambling…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

cues

I WOULD ADD TASCARELLA AND MOTTEY TO THAT FINE LIST OF CUES YOU ARE CONSIDERING. GOODLUCK IN YOUR SEARCH AND HAVE FUN TRYING OUT SOME CUES BEFORE MAKING THE BIG BUY.....:thumbup:

Yeah on the modern cues. Plus those older cues were made to move the balls around on slow cloth and dead rails. So when you first pick one up and hit balls, you are all "wow this thing hits a ton", but after awhile, you might notice that you are a little heavy handed with a loss of touch or feel. The modern makers are in general getting requests for lighter and lighter cues.

Kevin