Am I crazy???

[OldManOfTheSea]

Hello all,

Before I post the links, let me just say that I have been a big Nick Varner fan from way back. I enjoyed watching him play and he seems like a nice guy. After being away from the sport for over a decade I had thought about playing again. Then this national lockdown / quarantine / no open pool rooms thing hit. So I went back to my original plan. I would start collecting cues. Nothing big or fancy, just some that I like the look of. But then I ended up on Varner's website the other day and they had his Joss on the "shop now" section. I got excited and called to see if it was really for sale but they told me they no longer had it. Later that day, I end up on eBay and see another cue just like his. I haven't been on this site long but I have read a lot of threads and value your various opinions on different aspects of the sport. I would really like to have a cue that Nick Varner shot with or that belonged to him but I think that $3500 is way too much.

Nick's site: http://www.nickvarner.com/joss-custom-cue

eBay site: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Joss-Rare-...978894?hash=item468a5bbdce:g:mTgAAOSwjNdb92dU

Thank you,

OldManOfTheSea

 

[white1]

Your not crazy

Cue prices are nuts
Also, I owned joss cues made for nick Varner
Doesn’t mean he played with them
I bought 2 years ago when his room was open
Both were new

 

[HawaiianEye]

Cue prices are nuts
Also, I owned joss cues made for nick Varner
Doesn’t mean he played with them
I bought 2 years ago when his room was open
Both were new

Would they be any better or worth more if he played them?

 

[spktur]

Hello all,

Before I post the links, let me just say that I have been a big Nick Varner fan from way back. I enjoyed watching him play and he seems like a nice guy. After being away from the sport for over a decade I had thought about playing again. Then this national lockdown / quarantine / no open pool rooms thing hit. So I went back to my original plan. I would start collecting cues. Nothing big or fancy, just some that I like the look of. But then I ended up on Varner's website the other day and they had his Joss on the "shop now" section. I got excited and called to see if it was really for sale but they told me they no longer had it. Later that day, I end up on eBay and see another cue just like his. I haven't been on this site long but I have read a lot of threads and value your various opinions on different aspects of the sport. I would really like to have a cue that Nick Varner shot with or that belonged to him but I think that $3500 is way too much.

Nick's site: http://www.nickvarner.com/joss-custom-cue

eBay site: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Joss-Rare-...978894?hash=item468a5bbdce:g:mTgAAOSwjNdb92dU

Thank you,

OldManOfTheSea

First off if you have to ask, then you're probably crazy. LOL

If it's a cue Nick played with you might not like it. He has a specific taper and weight and balance that he like and has generally played with a 57 inch cue.

As to value, this cue doesn't mention any provenance from Nick so it would be considered as just a Joss cue. As a player that's fine but for collectible value it doesn't work.

The cue probably won't play any better than the rest of the good cues out there but collectors value history of objects. The Glenn collection has a long list of cues that belonged to great players and you won't buy them at any price.

Be sure of the provenance and then decide how much the cue means to you.

 

[Z-Nole]

You were nuts to go out in that little boat and try to catch a huge Marlin on a hand line, that I know for sure. Wanting to own a cue that was possibly played by one of your hero’s is just being eccentric.

 

[white1]

Nope

Would they be any better or worth more if he played them?

Just cues. All worth the same imo

 

[srober40]

There were several series of cues that Joss made for Nick Varner.

Many of them have “Joss for Nick Varner World Champion” on them.

 

[srober40]

Here is a picture of how some are marked.

 

[srober40]

Another variation on marking

 

[sjm]

There were several series of cues that Joss made for Nick Varner.

Many of them have “Joss for Nick Varner World Champion” on them.

There was also a Nick Varner line of Falcon cues in the early 1990's. I own one of them. It's not in very good shape, but I love the way it plays.

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

First off if you have to ask, then you're probably crazy. LOL

If it's a cue Nick played with you might not like it. He has a specific taper and weight and balance that he like and has generally played with a 57 inch cue.

As to value, this cue doesn't mention any provenance from Nick so it would be considered as just a Joss cue. As a player that's fine but for collectible value it doesn't work.

The cue probably won't play any better than the rest of the good cues out there but collectors value history of objects. The Glenn collection has a long list of cues that belonged to great players and you won't buy them at any price.

Be sure of the provenance and then decide how much the cue means to you.

Ok, then I'm definitely crazy haha! Fyi - I don't really plan on playing with any of the cues I collect. Thank you for the info about the provenance.

You were nuts to go out in that little boat and try to catch a huge Marlin on a hand line, that I know for sure. Wanting to own a cue that was possibly played by one of your hero’s is just being eccentric.

True about the Marlin but it was the way of life for me. Eccentric? I'm not so sure about that. I'd say it's along the lines of wanting a baseball from DiMaggio, a football from Montana, a golf club from Nicklaus, or even a pool cue from Mosconi. If you collect items from a particular sport, wouldn't it make sense to have an item, not necessarily from the greatest player, but from your favorite player if you could?


OldManOfTheSea

 

[srober40]

Yes there was. Forgot about that line.

I believe the Falcon line was after the numerous Joss lines.

Joss also had a line with both Nick Varner and Mike Siegel. I think it was the “Professional Series”. I have the catalog for it. The marking was on the forearm.

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

There were several series of cues that Joss made for Nick Varner.

Many of them have “Joss for Nick Varner World Champion” on them.

Hey! I didn't know it was a line of cues. I thought they were made especially for Nick to play with. This changes things just a little. Thank you for the info! And that is a great poster. Would it be possible to send me that in a higher resolution? And do you have any other pics of the other Joss Nick Varner cues?

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

These are the only pictures I have of the cue they say that Joss made for Nick in 1988.

 

[srober40]

I will post some soon. I need to take a group picture. I think I have 6 of them. Different models.

Here is a picture of the one similar to the one you posted. I have no connection to the one on eBay.

See future posts. I don’t have pics on this device.

 

[srober40]

Some pictures. Send me your email and I will email the only pictures of the brochure I have.

 

[book collector]

Ok, then I'm definitely crazy haha! Fyi - I don't really plan on playing with any of the cues I collect. Thank you for the info about the provenance.



True about the Marlin but it was the way of life for me. Eccentric? I'm not so sure about that. I'd say it's along the lines of wanting a baseball from DiMaggio, a football from Montana, a golf club from Nicklaus, or even a pool cue from Mosconi. If you collect items from a particular sport, wouldn't it make sense to have an item, not necessarily from the greatest player, but from your favorite player if you could?


OldManOfTheSea

Nothing wrong with wanting it, but the difference in value of a Joe Montana played football or DiMaggio baseball or Nicklaus golf club, is night and day, with a pool players cue.
Even if you have all the provenance in the world, there are not very many people willing to pay anything extra, because it belonged to any champion pool player.
I can think of a couple of exceptions but a Nick Varner Joss is not one of them

 

[ShootingArts]

cues and toilet paper

The problem with cues even if played with by a certain player, most players are given cues and sell them almost immediately. There may be dozens of cues legitimately played with by a player, not a cue that meant something to him though. Efren played with one cue a long time, usually that cue. Some eastern potentiate gave a huge amount for that cue according to rumors. Other cues Efren played one event with or even just a match or mini event, obviously not of the same value.

I would pay considerably more for a cue that one of my favorite players had carried for decades, "played with" can mean anything or almost nothing. I could have bought a saddle long ago. It was an old western saddle, maybe worth two hundred dollars with no provenance. However it had provenance and was the last saddle Ben Johnson sat in making a movie. I like Ben's acting a lot, like everything I know about him. The shop wanted $3500 for that saddle, always been kind of sorry I didn't buy it but it was a bit bulky for a souvenir and having owned horses and tack I knew if something happened to a piece of paper I was looking at a $200 saddle at best.

We can collect for personal pleasure or for value. Takes a lot of knowledge to collect for value. Even major museums have quite a bit of counterfeit on display.

Hu

 

[Straightpool_99]

Hello all,

Before I post the links, let me just say that I have been a big Nick Varner fan from way back. I enjoyed watching him play and he seems like a nice guy. After being away from the sport for over a decade I had thought about playing again. Then this national lockdown / quarantine / no open pool rooms thing hit. So I went back to my original plan. I would start collecting cues. Nothing big or fancy, just some that I like the look of. But then I ended up on Varner's website the other day and they had his Joss on the "shop now" section. I got excited and called to see if it was really for sale but they told me they no longer had it. Later that day, I end up on eBay and see another cue just like his. I haven't been on this site long but I have read a lot of threads and value your various opinions on different aspects of the sport. I would really like to have a cue that Nick Varner shot with or that belonged to him but I think that $3500 is way too much.

Nick's site: http://www.nickvarner.com/joss-custom-cue

eBay site: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Joss-Rare-...978894?hash=item468a5bbdce:g:mTgAAOSwjNdb92dU

Thank you,

OldManOfTheSea

If he's really your hero, then I don't think 3500 is too much. People spend that kind of money on cues that look plain as dirt, just because some magical cue wizard made it. Buy it and enjoy it. I can just about guarantee that you won't magically play like Varner, but you may enjoy it for other reasons. It probably won't be a good investment. But it's more about what it's worth to YOU.

Personally I don't believe the cue makes the player. I bet mr. Varner could run out with just about anything you gave him. But if you really idolize the guy then 3500 for his cue isn't all that much. He was the greatest player for a while, and a great all around player, maybe one of the best of all time. Seems like a down to earth guy, too. What would something compareable to his cue cost, if it was from another sport? Babe Ruths bat? Tiger Woods favourite golf club? It's sometimes a good thing that pool isn't that mainstream of a sport. I've met and talked to many great players. Most of them are very approachable, humble guys. Ask them to sign something,and you may make their day.

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

If he's really your hero, then I don't think 3500 is too much. People spend that kind of money on cues that look plain as dirt, just because some magical cue wizard made it. Buy it and enjoy it. I can just about guarantee that you won't magically play like Varner, but you may enjoy it for other reasons. It probably won't be a good investment. But it's more about what it's worth to YOU.

Personally I don't believe the cue makes the player. I bet mr. Varner could run out with just about anything you gave him. But if you really idolize the guy then 3500 for his cue isn't all that much. He was the greatest player for a while, and a great all around player, maybe one of the best of all time. Seems like a down to earth guy, too. What would something compareable to his cue cost, if it was from another sport? Babe Ruths bat? Tiger Woods favourite golf club? It's sometimes a good thing that pool isn't that mainstream of a sport. I've met and talked to many great players. Most of them are very approachable, humble guys. Ask them to sign something,and you may make their day.

I don’t think you actually read my posts. I didn’t say he was my hero. I didn’t say I idolized him. I said I was a fan and enjoyed watching him play. And I did say that $3500 is way too much. I also said that I didn’t think I would be playing with the cue. :groucho:

Would you say that a lot of people here look at the cues they collect as investments? Or look at the cues as something to be enjoyed? Or both?

And I do agree with you that sometimes it’s nice that pool isn’t that mainstream of a sport. But other times it’s sad to watch the ebb and flow of pools popularity.

OldManOfTheSea