What Youngsters Want Old Masters Cues?

The marketing the companies like predator and Mezz have done is incredible. I feel it’s really limited the customs market for collectors. As a collector of cues for almost 2 decades I’ve seen the markets for 1k cues and up diminish greatly.

The younger generation now covets Revos and LD and if they have $800-1200 to blow on a cue they want that Mezz or Revo cue and not that nice custom or Scruggs etc. like it used to be.

I do feel there will always be somewhat of a market for high end cues but the appreciation levels and “true buyers” are diminishing drastically every day.

For instance. Take a revo and you can get 130% of value in 24 hours. Take a $15k bushka and list it 8k and it could sit for a year. There just isn’t that many buyers for these cues as there was especially as they’re not well known as “great playing” cues.

This is probably the main reason why Southwest cues still have a good value since certain folks want to try the hit and you know you can get out of a SW cue without losing that much money.

It’s sad for us folks that appreciate these cues but I’ve sold off almost all the cues I’ve had from 1-10k in the last several years. It’s sad but meucci and predator are holding so much more value nowadays.

I haven't played with one of the Mezz, Revo, or whatever. I've never needed to. I can't think of a shot I've missed when it was the cue's fault. And I like new, high tech stuff. But only if it is an improvement over what's already out there. Maybe if I ever play with one I'll change my mind. But I have never been at a point where my cue was holding me back.

I think it's a generational thing.. younger guys coming up don't
really care about nice watches, vintage cars and guitars, or cues
made by the masters... maybe they view that as an old man's thing.

My brother gave his son a really nice Tag chrono watch.. he never wears
it.. he says why bother, I can check the time on my phone. Ah.

I won a pechauer cue during a raffle. It hits well enough and funny thing is that I've gotten used to the regular maple shaft it came with. before it I was playing with a cuetec 360.

as for those older cues, I had a chance to play with a restored willie hoppe and it was a nice cue to hold and hit with. but I don't think I want to pay $500+ for a cue.

Positively Ralf said:

I won a pechauer cue during a raffle. It hits well enough and funny thing is that I've gotten used to the regular maple shaft it came with. before it I was playing with a cuetec 360.

as for those older cues, I had a chance to play with a restored willie hoppe and it was a nice cue to hold and hit with. but I don't think I want to pay $500+ for a cue.

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I wish I could find a cue that I liked that I could get for under $500....

A pool cue is simply a tool and IMO, all tools are meant to and should get used.
If you find a better tool, switch but if you don't, enjoy what you already possess.

There are lots of other great cue-makers aside from George or Gus but those
two certainly are on the top of the totem pole. Lots of players nowadays prefer
or desire the newest tool on the market but when it comes to cues, all are alike.

Bavafongoul said:

A pool cue is simply a tool and IMO, all tools are meant to and should get used.
If you find a better tool, switch but if you don't, enjoy what you already possess.

There are lots of other great cue-makers aside from George or Gus but those
two certainly are on the top of the totem pole. Lots of players nowadays prefer
or desire the newest tool on the market but when it comes to cues, all are alike.

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Yep. I remember many years back seeing Efren walk into the place we were playing. He got a game with someone and for some reason didn't have a cue with him. He walked over to the wall and picked one off the rack. Didn't even look at the tip or see if it was straight. Then ran like 7 racks on the guy.

I just don't understand the fascination with a number of the high-end cues. I don't see how a Szamboti, Balabushka, Franklin-era Southwest, Thomas Wayne, etc. hit better than a large number of lesser known cue makers that offer their products at far, far less than these guys. I could, maybe, understand if they were built with super exotic and rare materials and had lots of intricate inlay work but for the most part they are simply plain cues made by them.

Is it the nostalgia of the builder or do people honestly believe that they cues are constructed so much better than current builders that they can justify paying 10x more for them?

SpinDoctor said:

I just don't understand the fascination with a number of the high-end cues. I don't see how a Szamboti, Balabushka, Franklin-era Southwest, Thomas Wayne, etc. hit better than a large number of lesser known cue makers that offer their products at far, far less than these guys. I could, maybe, understand if they were built with super exotic and rare materials and had lots of intricate inlay work but for the most part they are simply plain cues made by them.

Is it the nostalgia of the builder or do people honestly believe that they cues are constructed so much better than current builders that they can justify paying 10x more for them?

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Just the difference in glue will tell you that new cues are superior.

The lathes are more precise I believe also....

Kd

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

SpinDoctor said:

I just don't understand the fascination with a number of the high-end cues. I don't see how a Szamboti, Balabushka, Franklin-era Southwest, Thomas Wayne, etc. hit better than a large number of lesser known cue makers that offer their products at far, far less than these guys. I could, maybe, understand if they were built with super exotic and rare materials and had lots of intricate inlay work but for the most part they are simply plain cues made by them.

Is it the nostalgia of the builder or do people honestly believe that they cues are constructed so much better than current builders that they can justify paying 10x more for them?

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I don't think it's much different than old Martin guitars or hemi Cudas or _______________ fill in the blank with any other highly collectible scarce commodity.

Nostalgia, emotion, rarity, quality, beauty and a whole host of other factors can play into value and the desire to actually own such items.

I still don't get all the oooooing and ahhhhhing at art galleries over a blank canvas with one little dot or square so those won't ever get my money.

But "Dogs Playing Pool"..... whoa baby, open the safe!

best,
brian kc

quality

Being a younger player, i have came up through all the low deflection/odern hype.My first real cue was a cheap lucasi. it played ok, then i put a 314 on it. I played it a while, then got the chance to play a Tasc for a few racks. It was game over for me. the fit, finish, hit, sound, balance, everything just felt right. Unfortunatly i couldnt afford to buy it, but i have kept tryiig and finding what i liked. I currently play a bender. which to me is in the top 5 i have ever hit with. But to me, the old school cues by gus, george, pete, timmy, ect, are better built than anything ive ever seen. no glue lines, impeccable veneer work, perfect inlays, the best old growth woods you will ever find, and they still to this day play straight (rare exclusions aside)

SpinDoctor said:

I just don't understand the fascination with a number of the high-end cues. I don't see how a Szamboti, Balabushka, Franklin-era Southwest, Thomas Wayne, etc. hit better than a large number of lesser known cue makers that offer their products at far, far less than these guys. I could, maybe, understand if they were built with super exotic and rare materials and had lots of intricate inlay work but for the most part they are simply plain cues made by them.

Is it the nostalgia of the builder or do people honestly believe that they cues are constructed so much better than current builders that they can justify paying 10x more for them?

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Well you are missing some of the key elements of high end cues. They are high end functional art. And they are unique, maybe 1 of 1 in the entire world.

That has value to a lot of people.

A lot of the value is because of that rarity.

I have a Joss that Dan Janes made personally for me last year. It will likely never be my daily player, as my Tascarella just hits better than any cue I have played with. But the Joss is made with some exceptional cocobolo, it is beautiful and there is no other cue in the world like it. Not 1. That makes it valuable to me.

Just like there is only 1 of my Tascarella.

Both are plain but I feel both are uniquely beautiful pieces of functional art, that are also exceptional tools.

Maybe you will never understand that, but a high end pool cue is much much more than the way it plays.

And yes, the construction of the Tascarella is so much better than some other high end cues I have owned it consistently amazes me. Perfectly even points, super sharp to probably a .001 of an inch. A wrap so well installed that it literally took me my friend and his wife several minutes to find the seam and I am not 100% sure what I think is the seam actually is. A finish that is as perfect as the best french polish finish on a classical guitar. It is simply amazing. And it hits smoother, and with better balance than any cue I have ever played.

If you own a predator there are literally 10s of thousands just like it.

Pics of the Joss and Tascarella attached.

HeadCase said:

T

For instance. Take a revo and you can get 130% of value in 24 hours. Take a $15k bushka and list it 8k and it could sit for a year. There just isn’t that many buyers for these cues as there was especially as they’re not well known as “great playing” cues.

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Not really an apples to apples argument is it? There is no such thing as a $15K Balabushka. It has the value of what people will pay for it, Someone might think it is worth $15K but maybe that Balabushka is really worth $8K, or maybe its more exceptional than they realize and it will sell for $25K

Many collectible cues are far overvalued by their owners,

However, sell a Balabuska, Gus, for 130% of its original sale value? Which was at most $250 likely, and it will sell literally instantly.

Disposable Cash

I would love to have a cue from either Gus or George, but the problem for most people in the younger age range is that few pool players have the money to spend on such a cue. Perhaps they can justify $3k for a Tasc or $3-6k for a SW, but a Gus and George are in a completely different price range and most of my cash goes to kids, wife, and a house. To me the issue is really the rising costs of cues and cues that are now out of reach or soon will be (Searing, BB, Prewitt, etc....). We're just lucky the Tascarellas are still making amazing cues for a very reasonable price and a decent wait time. Let me know if you're interested in parting with one of your Gus or Georges for $3k. I'd happily take you up on your offer

RAMIII said:

I would love to have a cue from either Gus or George, but the problem for most people in the younger age range is that few pool players have the money to spend on such a cue. Perhaps they can justify $3k for a Tasc or $3-6k for a SW, but a Gus and George are in a completely different price range and most of my cash goes to kids, wife, and a house. To me the issue is really the rising costs of cues and cues that are now out of reach or soon will be (Searing, BB, Prewitt, etc....). We're just lucky the Tascarellas are still making amazing cues for a very reasonable price and a decent wait time. Let me know if you're interested in parting with one of your Gus or Georges for $3k. I'd happily take you up on your offer

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Yep. That's the issue with me. I had a nice Southwest maybe 15 years ago, and sold it for next to nothing when I needed money when I was going through a divorce. I kick myself every time I think about that. But now I have a kid in college and another getting ready to go to college in a year, and I have a mortgage and car payments, so buying cues aren't anywhere on my priority list.

I'm 44 now, but when I was about 38 I bought a simple Bushka. I think I paid about 6500. I've never been a great player and played with a bludworth and helmstetter for most of my pool days. I thought this cue would be magic when it got in my hands and it would make me play a ball better but I honestly didn't like it at all. I gave it to a buddy of mine who plays well, and even collected lower to mid range cues and he didn't like it much either. I then gave it to the owner of the pool hall who was in his 60's and told him, please don't ask me what it is, just hit some balls and let me know what you think of it. he played pretty damn good that day, and said he loved how it played. All the old timers liked it, most of the young hot dogs didn't. One of the more knowledgeable old timers said, they made them differently back then as equipment, especially the balls were different then. He was nice enough to let me run through his collection of Searings, Joss, Zsamboti and the Searings felt the best for me. So I sold the Bushka shortly after, broke even and was fortunate enough to get an early Searing at a good deal. Which I actually like ALOT and it hits totally different to the Bushka.

One thing owners of classic cues could do to improve this situation is to bring them to pool halls and allow younger players they trust to test them out. I have never even seen, let alone played with, one of these cues.