Greatest cue makers

Hinekanman · Dec 18, 2019

I have only been into customs for about 4 years. I know many of you have been for a lot longer. For cue makers like Balabushka, Szamboti, Scruggs, Gina Cues, Rambow, Spain. Did people know these were going to be as big and popular now back then? And if so, how do we know who the next group of people are?

garczar · Dec 18, 2019

Hinekanman said:
I have only been into customs for about 4 years. I know many of you have been for a lot longer. For cue makers like Balabushka, Szamboti, Scruggs, Gina Cues, Rambow, Spain. Did people know these were going to be as big and popular now back then? And if so, how do we know who the next group of people are?

Carmelli, Cohen, Treadway, Durbin, Owen are just a few current makers whose stuff will stand the test of time. Last time i was at Olathe Josh T. had a booth set-up. The workmanship on his cues is just stupid. You could take a magnifying glass to one and still not find a flaw. Plus he's a really good guy.

mikemosconi · Dec 18, 2019

Hinekanman said:
I have only been into customs for about 4 years. I know many of you have been for a lot longer. For cue makers like Balabushka, Szamboti, Scruggs, Gina Cues, Rambow, Spain. Did people know these were going to be as big and popular now back then? And if so, how do we know who the next group of people are?

Of course no one in 1964 knew that a $75 Balabushka would be worth several thousand today! No one ever KNOWS the future value of any work of art or any hand made custom item from a new artist or craftsman. If we KNEW that we would all buy it at the initial price and end up very much richer in the future. You are talking about SPECULATION - that is very different from KNOWING future value.
if you are looking to make money on something in 40 years that you buy today- then my advice is to just buy something like a low cost Vanguard Total Stock Market Index fund today and in 40 years you will be much richer than today! Good Luck.

JoeyInCali · Dec 18, 2019

Searing, Haley, Barenbrugge , Manzino and Black Boar are on their way to that list.

jasonlaus · Dec 18, 2019

JoeyInCali said:
Searing, Haley, Barenbrugge , Manzino and Black Boar are on their way to that list.

Searing has been at the top of that list for quite some time.

cuesblues · Dec 18, 2019

These days the guys who build cues that actually go up in value are Dennis Searing,
South West, Barry Szamboti, Dave Barenbrugge, Ernie Gutierrez John Showman, and a few others.
Those cues will stand the test of time, and there are some newer names that look
promising and already have long wait lists.
We can name at least 25 more great cuemakers but do they really go up in value?
From my experience most these beautiful cues by great cuebuilders will never be worth
more than the day they went out the door.
Typically people order cues because they want that cue not to sell it, dealers deal, but
the cues that go up in value are hot items.

measureman · Dec 18, 2019

I remember being in N.J. in 1979 and a friend of mine said he was getting a new Szamboti cue for $360.
I said who is that and $360 for a cue are you nuts?
I was playing with a $30 Viking.
Who would have thunk it?

measureman · Dec 18, 2019

cuesblues said:
These days the guys who build cues that actually go up in value are Dennis Searing,
South West, Barry Szamboti, Dave Barenbrugge, Ernie Gutierrez John Showman, and a few others.
Those cues will stand the test of time, and there are some newer names that look
promising and already have long wait lists.
We can name at least 25 more great cuemakers but do they really go up in value?
From my experience most these beautiful cues by great cuebuilders will never be worth
more than the day they went out the door.
Typically people order cues because they want that cue not to sell it, dealers deal, but
the cues that go up in value are hot items.

You forgot to mention the great Chinese cue maker Ling Chou lucasi.
His cues have gone up.
My Lucasi was $250 10 years ago and now costs $350 new.

Hinekanman · Dec 18, 2019

mikemosconi said:
Of course no one in 1964 knew that a $75 Balabushka would be worth several thousand today! No one ever KNOWS the future value of any work of art or any hand made custom item from a new artist or craftsman. If we KNEW that we would all buy it at the initial price and end up very much richer in the future. You are talking about SPECULATION - that is very different from KNOWING future value.

if you are looking to make money on something in 40 years that you buy today- then my advice is to just buy something like a low cost Vanguard Total Stock Market Index fund today and in 40 years you will be much richer than today! Good Luck.

So the reason for the question is to not make the money off of it. I sadly don’t think I have 40 years left. It’s more of the fact when you see someone with a historic cue your more in awe. If I had one of those cues when I’m in my 70s and retired I would be happy I didn’t have to pay 6000 for it. And have a cue that was played and seen it’s days but is a classic in the future. Most of those names you guys mention I agree with. They all make sense to me.

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Z-Nole · Dec 18, 2019

What about Randy Mobley? I put him on that list. Mostly because I've been offered way more than I paid for it almost ten years ago. And it never misses. Ever.

pt109 · Dec 18, 2019

Paul Mottey and Thomas Wayne belong on any list of great cuemakers.

Sunchaser · Dec 18, 2019

And for me it would also be Tonkin...i really admire his cues. Probably also Paul Dayton Dennis Diekman Perry Weston among others...all make or made great playing cues.

cuesblues · Dec 18, 2019

measureman said:
You forgot to mention the great Chinese cue maker Ling Chou lucasi.
His cues have gone up.
My Lucasi was $250 10 years ago and now costs $350 new.

I sold my Lucasi hybrid for $450, like new with a second shaft, and it wasn't even an
electronic store Lucasi like yours was.
The cue was $900 new with one shaft.
Terrific cue, but I had it for sale for a long time.

Any other wise investment opportunities you can think of in the secondary cue market?

mikemosconi · Dec 18, 2019

Hinekanman said:
So the reason for the question is to not make the money off of it. I sadly don’t think I have 40 years left. It’s more of the fact when you see someone with a historic cue your more in awe. If I had one of those cues when I’m in my 70s and retired I would be happy I didn’t have to pay 6000 for it. And have a cue that was played and seen it’s days but is a classic in the future. Most of those names you guys mention I agree with. They all make sense to me.

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Forums

So my second comment to you is that I personally would not buy any cue today in hopes that it might be worth much more in the distant future than what I pay for it today. I have continued to buy some well named custom cues in the past 2 years, but I bought them because I like them and like to play with them. They are not investments to me, and I just do not see, at least in the U.S., unless some miracle resurgence occurs; that there are many 20-30 year olds who will even care about a Balabushka 30 years from now. There are a lot of people here who sell cues for income reasons or own very high end cues and hope to sell them someday who will dispute what I say- but their reasons are obvious and their opinion is just as valid as mine at this point because none of us KNOWS the long term future value of anything.
If the Color of Money movie was never made, and pool did not resurge in 1986, we would not even have this discussion; let's all who love this game, for personal playing pleasure, as a business, or as a hobby in collecting cues; hope that a reasonably high level of interest continues for this great game.

Buckzapper · Dec 18, 2019

nobody mentioned Mike Lambros?

CocoboloCowboy · Dec 18, 2019

Greatest is a very subjective term, IMHO any Cuemaker can make a decent playing stick. IMHO there are no Magic Cues, just Players with ability who can make any Cue play well.

Many moons ago there was a guy in Arizona who won most of the big tournaments, initial DH, who played with a Merdomott Merry Widow with LePro Tip.

Guess McDermott make a great Cue.

It's the Indian, not the Arrow.

JoeyInCali · Dec 18, 2019

CocoboloCowboy said:
Greatest is a very subjective term, IMHO any Cuemaker can make a decent playing stick. IMHO there are no Magic Cues, just Players with ability who can make any Cue play well.

Many moons ago there was a guy in Arizona who won most of the big tournaments, initial DH, who played with a Merdomott Merry Widow with LePro Tip.

Guess McDermott make a great Cue.

It's the Indian, not the Arrow.

Stay on topic .
Lord, you're so dense .

jasonlaus · Dec 18, 2019

Whole bunch of names already on the list that dont belong when the talk is about greatest.

Most of you have no idea what you're talking about imho

Duane Remick · Dec 18, 2019

Ron Haley - Arkansas-DEFINITELY an awesome craftsman and He and his wife-
both Really special people.
Andy & Vicki Gilbert also produce some really nice one of a kind cues too.
Ernie from Gina cues- Still at it-
Building MONSTER CUES TOO

Billy Schick sure has come a long way-
Thinking he just making one-off cues these days-
Tony Black Boar- MASTERPIECE SUPERB CUES COMING FROM THAT SHOP:wink:

cuesblues · Dec 18, 2019

jasonlaus said:
Whole bunch of names already on the list that dont belong when the talk is about greatest.

Most of you have no idea what you're talking about imho

That's what I'm trying to tell measureman, but he loves his electronic store Lucasi.

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