You are correct but no one knew what was happening. I would go to the BCA show and cues would be traded around for decent money but it was almost behind closed doors. No body knew about it or prices or could even do the least amount of research.
You had guys like John Write who would actually send you pictures of his cues in the mail if you were a known cue buyer. What a headache that must have been. It was like putting a note in a bottle and throwing it in the ocean.
We have come a long way in a short time. The ones that have benefitted are the more lower end cue sellers, they have a world market now. Before they had to drive to tournaments and hope they didn't get kicked out.
I used to get confronted all the time just for being there, even if I didn't have cue with me other then my own. It was hard to sell cues. Even in your local pool room you were resented by the room owner who may sell cues himself.
You got told in no uncertain terms to not show cues. You had to sneak off to your car in the parking lot. It was not like I was trying to under cut the room. I had cues like Joss and Scruggs or often Szamboti's and so on. Nothing that the room would ever have for sale.
The internet is a whole new world. Does anyone remember Mike the Russian and all his cues. He traveled with like Balabushka's and Szamboti's, but the moment he walked in the owner may tell him to get out, no cue. selling even though he really had something to show that people wanted to see.
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