Pool Ball Collecting.

What a great deal, Mr G! They appear to be in fine condition, sir. Many thanks for sharing the picture.

Good afternoon, Mr K.

Both beautiful pool ball sets in my view, sir. I’m particularly interested to compare the variation of colour in the respective cueballs, the Aramith having a much more yellowish hue. Coincidentally, it’s a feature I have just commented upon in writing my latest insert card instalment. Hope to share it soon.

Best wishes,
RC.

Hello, Mr B.

Yes, sir, Aramith did indeed make a complete set of the 21-strong Baseballs. They were based on their Premier range. Alas, they are no longer in production. However, Mr K and I know the gentleman who purchased Aramith’s entire stock some time ago and, at the last count of which I’m aware, eight sets remained. K2K was considering buying them all, dear chap, but I’m not sure of his latest plans on that score. Perhaps send him a private message?

Hope that is of some help and encouragement in your quest, sir.

Best wishes,
RC.

Good morning, Mr M.

I hope you are well, sir. I thought of you today, dear fellow. Whilst out walking in the local woods with my beloved pet dog I stumbled upon a small collection of very striking mushrooms or toadstools. They were about six to seven inches tall with a large, bell-shaped cap. Light brown in colour with speckled areas of white.

Having no idea if they were good to eat or highly poisonous I left them well alone.

Best wishes,
RC.

My Wanted List.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

This is a reprint from an earlier post several months ago. I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to reprise it a few times just in case somebody might be able to help out.

Very early on in the thread I posted up a plea for help in securing a much sought after box of Joe Camel marbleized pool balls. After searching for this rare and desirable set myself for many years I had almost given up hope. Thanks to AZB member XPLSV's detective work, however, miracles do happen once in a while and a pristine example was found in a Colorado Springs antique store.

Buoyed by such a remarkable discovery, please allow me to also share details of a dozen other elusive sets that I would dearly love to add to my treasured collection. Any information at all that might help in their acquisition would be deeply appreciated indeed. I can be contacted directly through this forum's private messaging service or, if you're viewing this thread as a guest, via my personal email address: ruperman@ruperman.com


A. It is rather depressing to ponder upon the countless hours I have spent online in a forlorn quest to obtain this wonderful curiosity. Four contrasting designs grouped together to form a pool ball set that, in my view anyway, is something of exceptional beauty and interest. To the best of my knowledge the grainy photograph above is only the second such image ever to appear anywhere on the world wide web, a copy of the original eBay listing dating way back to 2003. I want these balls bad, dear reader. Any leads at all, no matter how remote they may seem, would all be most gratefully received.

B. This tricoloured set is really pleasing to my eye. I love the traditional fonts (akin to Aramith Premiers) and the fact that they are numbered 1 to 5 on each of the yellow, blue and red colours. They were originally sold through Muellers but I was distraught to just miss out on their last ever consignment. I later found an identical set being offered by a company called shelti.com. An order was immediately placed with much elation and satisfaction at such a serendipitous stroke of good fortune. Imagine my disappointment when the delivered set did not match the sale advertisement at all. Only three of the balls were numbered for some bizarre reason and the fonts were of a newer 'art' design which is not to my liking. The search goes on. A pristine, unused example must be out there somewhere. I just have to find it.

C. I already own a mint condition set of these awesome Poker Balls. My motive for including them here on this 'desperately seeking' gallery is a desire to find another similar box for my good friend and fellow collector, K2Kraze. This set is often attributed to the mighty Aramith, but my contact at the illustrious Belgian company assures me that this is not the case. After extensive research, primarily focusing our investigation on the distinctive typeface, we now believe these exceptional balls were probably created by Albany Hyatt of New York.

D. Marketed as a collaboration between Aramith and the prestigious Champagne brand, these striking Veuve Clicquot balls have thwarted every attempt of mine to acquire them. Aramith insist they are only available via their commissioning client, a firm called Games Room Company of Weybridge, England. Frustratingly, my many polite enquiries to GRC (and even Veuve Clicquot themselves) have all gone unanswered.

E. One could almost copy and paste the entire paragraph featured above to also describe everything about these iconic examples. Once again the product of a partnership between Aramith and a manufacturer of luxury consumer goods, and once again proving impossible to procure even the merest glimpse of a set let alone buy one. Aramith refuse to sell them at any price, and Louis Vuitton can't be bothered to answer any correspondence.

F. These striking balls are called Krom Premieres, an innovative creation from Belgian pioneer, Pierre Deveaux. They were the subject of a failed crowdfunding enterprise in 2014, but having corresponded with Mr Deveaux via email I am led to believe that a few prototypes are in the hands of original investors. Can one be unearthed by the esteemed detectives of AZB, perhaps?

G. Regular contributors to our thread may have noticed that I recently shared news of my incredible luck in tracking down this exceptional Raschig Four Player set to a small town in rural Germany. If my deductions are correct it was created as a prototype in June, 1983 and I consider myself truly blessed indeed to own such a rare gem. Until acquiring the balls in late 2018 I wasn't even aware this fabulous design existed, they're undoubtedly rather special. Yet where there is one, there is surely another. And I would dearly love to find one more to take its deserved place in Mr K's unparalleled collection down in Fort Worth.

H. This branded Raschig Bumblebee was nestled amongst an impressive private collection featured on these very pages many years ago. I saw it whilst browsing through the archives. I want one! It also raises the possibility in my mind of more (as yet unseen) creations from the famous German firm of the 1970s and 80s. Given the recent discovery of their Four Player and One Pocket sets, surely it is feasible to imagine Raschig also produced Poker Balls, or any number of other desirable incarnations? I'm of the view that they probably cast every conceivable model also offered by contemporary billiard ball manufacturers. One just has to find them!

I. Completing my trio of all things Raschig, here are their amazing One Pockets... a veritable swarm of fifteen iconic Bumblebees and a pristine cueball. Has there ever been a more beautiful set of pool balls? Not in my view, that's for sure. I intend to do everything in my power to find additional examples to share with fellow enthusiasts.

J. I can offer no higher praise of these Hyatt Romanique 1s than to acknowledge the fact that they are the one single set I desire above all others. Not only are these balls exquisite in my view, they're also of a rarity and historical import seldom seen before, if ever. Any information at all that might help secure a set for my own treasured collection would be sincerely appreciated beyond words. Quite understandably, of course, existing owners of such a precious jewel are often reluctant to part with it for something so evanescent as mere money. Here is my plan, dear reader: I have before me a mint, never played set of the much sought after Raschig Turniersatz R9s in original box with booklet, PLUS its sister set the Raschig Spots and Stripes R15s in a similarly untouched condition. I would be prepared to swap BOTH of these remarkable (and very valuable) sets for one pristine example of the fabulous Hyatt Romanique 1s. One can but try!

K. As evidenced across the only surviving image of these elegant, world globe inspired pool balls, they were cast by the Chinese firm, Lincos. Following lengthy discussions with a company representative I was able to ascertain that a single production run of 200 was ordered by a client in 2006. No existing samples remain at their Xiamen factory and, worse yet, they have destroyed the original mould. Despite such discouraging news, surely some if those initial sets must be tucked away somewhere?

M. First of all, ladies and gentlemen, please accept my apologies for the confusing typo. Rest assured there was a letter L once upon a time, but it didn't make the final cut in arranging the pictures and I neglected to correct the error. Sorry! The balls shown in this final image are commonly referred to as Raschig Darts or Centennials. It is the only thing that is common about them, however, as they are remarkably rare and highly desirable. I have witnessed just two sets come to market in the past twenty-five years and missed out on both.

Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to read through my top twelve wanted list, everyone. I hope it was at least of some interest.

Best wishes,
RC.

Hello, Mr M.

Alas, I didn’t have my mobile with me so couldn’t take a quick photograph of those mushrooms. Rest assured though, dear chap, I would never even touch anything like that, much less eat them, without knowing exactly the species.

Regards the pool ball collecting: You’re quite right, sir, I do only collect pristine (or near pristine) condition examples. That being said, however, I would still be very interested indeed to hear about any used sets of the rare balls on my list, Mr M. I’m always keen to learn something new on their historical provenance.

Best wishes and thank you.
RC.

Another excellent acquisition, Mr R.

Thank you for sharing the pictures, sir. Can you tell us a little more about how you display your growing collection, dear fellow?

Best wishes,
RC.

Mr Meucci Player (and other enthusiast in Europe).

I forgot to mention something else earlier, sir. I’m desperately seeking some empty Aramith boxes in near mint condition, particularly the larger rectangular boxes with 22 spaces for 2.25 inch balls. If you ever stumble upon any that might be available I’d deeply appreciate a heads up.

Best wishes,
RC.