Barry Szamboti Cues

[rdwell]

Barry

I finally got my first Barry and it is one of the best hitting cues I have ever owned. I have some Gus's and it is a flip of a coin as to which one hits better, it is a personal thing. Besides being one of the best hitting cues, Barry is one of the nicest and most sincere guys you will ever meet or talk to. In my opinion his cues are worth every penny and not because his last name is Szamboti, but because of the pride and workmanship that go into his cues. If I could pry one or two from the two Ken's without hocking the farm I would have many more right now LOL

 

[mair23]

I read all the posts, and all I can say is - thanks to mia, wow, fantastic.
That for sure is the only way to say it all :thumbup:

One more thing - I play pool, not so bad and I am collecting cues since a decade.
Even some not so cheap ones, but I never got that one thing in my had.
U$ 5000,- or more for a plain 4 pointer - sorry, but I think I will never get that

I would never speak ill of Barry Szamboti and his cues. I just won't. Largely because so many people here will be quick defend their friend and to call me a moron for expressing my opinion. Opinions are a tricky subject. If people agree with yours, they'll be more than happy to let you share it with anyone and everyone. If they disagree, well you have no place here!

I WILL say that having played with a couple Barry Szamboti cues here and there, the hit isn't for me. Way too stiff. But again, hit is subjective. Lots of people LOVE stiff. Lots of people LOVE Barry's cues. What's good for the goose ain't necessarily good for the gander and maybe I'm just a wuss who prefers a softer hit! (I am kind of a wuss so, maybe there's some truth to this. lol)

Tons of people LOVE Barry's cue! Tons of people think he's one of the greatest of all time. This may be so. And his contribution to cuemaking can't really be questioned. He has both honored and carried on the legacy his father left behind and built on it some to make his OWN contributions to cuemaking. But there really is only one means by which you can measure the value of his cues. Its not playability. That is WAY too subjective. Its not aesthetic/design. Everyone has different tastes. Its not execution because some people have different standards and ideals as to how things should be done.

The bottom line is... the value of a cuemaker's cues is established by the buying public. What does he charge and will people pay it??? Even more important... what do people charge on the second hand market and again, will people pay it???

If the average 4 point Barry is bringing in well over $5k, guess what? Its worth that much!!! Whether its your taste, my taste, his/her taste, etc.. Sure there are probably a slew of people out there buying it based on last name or market value alone. There are a ton of people who probably want it 'because its a Barry'. But if it brings that kind of money amongst collectors, its worth it. And people don't want a 'Barry' or a 'Searing' or a 'whatever' unless that cuemaker has done something to warrant that desire for his work. So I guess he's doing something right.

I don't know Barry at all so I can't really say that he's a great guy or a great family man or that he has a heart of gold. Frankly, I don't think any of that matters when assessing his work. I mean, what difference does it make that he has kids? That he's a super nice guy? His work should stand on it's own merits. Would I list him in my Top 5? No. Does that make my Top 5 picks wrong? Nope... But it doesn't make your or anyone else's Top 5 wrong either. Doesn't matter what Szam fans or Ernie fans or Haley fans say... you like what you like. You BUY what you like. No one else should decide what you like except you.