Best Pool-Related Deal Ever

Mine is a little different, but was of great value to me. Mine was my wife finally accepting the fact that I was a pool player, but loved her more. And, that all I was doing when I was out playing was playing pool. From that day forward, I was free to play whenever I wanted to. Even took her to a tournament that I played in for her birthday! (of course, the little fact that I won $400 and gave it to her might have helped a little bit that time ;))
 
I was lucky enough to pick up a Gus Szamboti. It was close to 20 years ago around Christmas and a buddy of mine was short on cash. I made an offer, he jumped, done deal. 900. Bucks and I'll never get rid of it. It's my player and I absolutely love it. Got the Fellini tube case with it sweet!
Let's see pics!
 
Schon and frey

One of my Schons seemed to show up at a later date on the Schon site. Seems to be an exact match. Don't know if it is still available or not.

It was listed at approx $800, if I remember. I didn't pay anywhere close to that.

I got a 2x4 and a 1x2 GTF case from Deano. Brand new and no where close to asking prices.

And of course, I got a free autographed photo from Danny the Delicious Kid with my name on it. Compliments of Brian the Kicker. Brian had to work on Danny for that one.

I won a box of Brunswick KU bumpers on Ebay for a decent price. Sorry, none for sale at the moment.

Other than that, still looking for Titlists or what ever in the basement kinda thing.

I picked up a Schon and a Meucci Larry Hubbart for $135 each at Romine's in '82. Didn't know anything about Schons and like a fool I sold it for $150.

When my cues were stolen in '95, I picked up a used Frey sneaky with two shafts in a bar in Maryland. The cue was filthy, but straight, and it was my player for eight years. I paid $75!
 
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30 years ago
2 good 4 1/2x9 tables
2 5x10 snooker tables
a roll of cloth big enough to do 10 9ftrs
misc balls.. 40 cues incl. 1 titlist.
all for a grand
sold 1 snooker for 600
man that paid for it never picked it up resold it for 500 8yrs later
recovered 8 barboxes at 175 each
sold titlist for 350. about 6 years ago
played on the other tables for years
priceless time with family and friends.
 
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A Szamboti in '78 stood me $50.....it's a long story.

In the 90s....bought a 1915 Brunswick cue with original silk wrap....$150
 
Had a few over a long time but more recently I acquired one of the most collectable early Schon's ever made, imho... Got it cheap. Gonna post pics when I get some time..
 
my good fortune

6 or 7 years ago...
Wellfleet Flea Market: A Willie Hoppe Professional in a fishing rod style case.

Early on a Sunday morning, I saw the case from about 10 yards away and my heart started to race. 7 dollars, cash money.
I thought in might be a WHP when I saw it from afar, and it was!
I still have it... it's pretty heavy [22 oz]. The pin was crooked and the shaft was unusable.

... still makes me smile!

My good luck continued>>>
about 5 years ago...
Brunswick Anniversary [laminate rails] , not even 2 miles from my home>>> $715-
You didn't need to worry about cue clearance in the seller house... the table was in a room that was at least 20' wide and 40' long!
I dismantled it and took it out the the back door, past the swimming pool and tennis court. The door was 48" wide... I just put the slates on a two wheeler and out the door.
I dreamed that I was moving an Anniversary about a month before I found my table. In the dream the table was on the second floor. In real life it was one step down to grade.

These are on my flea market / thrift store highlight reel.

Good hunting and good luck.
 
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I found a pool table on craigslist San Fran listed for free. Only pic was of the corner pocket. It turned out to be a Madison 10-foot pool table that also had carom rails. I had to drive for a day to get it, but I ended up in it pretty cheap! The gal had inherited the table and had no use for it. I got a few cues with it and some pre-flag chalk. I also arranged for a lesson with Bob Jewett while on the road trip.

FYI I gave the table away when I moved and couldn't take it with me. Pay it forward!
 
My personal best deal was getting a Centennial 1x2 case in mint condition
that used to belong to road player Bill Cress for $60.00 about 6 years ago.
 
Gold Crown 3, listed on Craigslist as a Brunswick. When I got there to look at it saw the castings and was very happy to part with the $150. Just last year Craigslist again, some Centennial balls were listed, $25. Still looking for a titlist at a garage sale.
 
My worst or dumbest deal was a buddy had a Prather sneaky pete, mali break stick. and a Blackboar with a chip in the ivory buttcap. I ran into him at the pool hall he said I'm not playing anymore buy my sticks for $100. Being the nice guy that I was I was like I can't take your sticks for $100 and that was that.

Another guy buys the sticks and resells them for like $300.

Point of the story the 3rd owner sends the stick back to blackboar for repairs turns out the stick was 1 of 4 special made merry widows but it had 4 ivory windows in the butt sleve and ivory butt cap. Turns out the stick sold for 10k:angry:

Nice guys do finish last in this story
 
My worst or dumbest deal was a buddy had a Prather sneaky pete, mali break stick. and a Blackboar with a chip in the ivory buttcap. I ran into him at the pool hall he said I'm not playing anymore buy my sticks for $100. Being the nice guy that I was I was like I can't take your sticks for $100 and that was that.

Another guy buys the sticks and resells them for like $300.

Point of the story the 3rd owner sends the stick back to blackboar for repairs turns out the stick was 1 of 4 special made merry widows but it had 4 ivory windows in the butt sleve and ivory butt cap. Turns out the stick sold for 10k:angry:

Nice guys do finish last in this story

You could've been a nice guy and still have come out well.
I've been in this spot with friends....I just offer them more money than they asked for.
 
My best deal so far was my table. It was XMAS time 2011, I had just started playing pool a couple months earlier. I was looking at an Olhausen on Craigslist, I tried calling but got no answer. Went back to CL next day to get the number again and there is an 8 foot GC for $300.00. I knew the GC was a nice table cause I had played on one at the pool hall. My wife and I immediately went to buy the GC, I paid for it right away but could not pick it up for 2 days. The seller also had a floor standing double sided Brunswick cue rack, the one that matches the early GCs, a Hoppe Titlist, and 10 Brunswick 1 piece cues that he asked if I wanted along with the Centennials, Brunswick rack and Brunswick table brush. It was like a time capsule from the early 70s. Anyway when the guy asked if I wanted the cue rack and cues I said "no, I don't want that stuff". Luckily on the way home my wife asked why I didn't want the cues and rack, I thought it was just cheap junk but she informed me it was Brunswick stuff so I called the owner and told him not to throw it away, I will take it. Luckily the guy we bought it from was very honest, he had several offers for his table many times more than what we paid but he told everyone its sold.

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The pics are right after we bought table. It since was stained, modified sub-rails, new cushions, and Simonis.
 
I got a Jimmy Ingram for $500.00

That was a Jim Dandy, so I rushed over to eBay & sold it for $1800.00

I've been sorry ever since...
 
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