cue ID

[classiccues]

Here is a Paradise with a long buttcap on Proficient Billiards website. I can't attest to the authenticity but it sure looks a Paradise cue to me. I have a cue I believe to be a Paradise with a long buttcap but it is not marked. It does have a pin through the brass joint like some Paradise cues have and a lot of other attributes of Paradise cues but again, I can't say with 100% certainty that it's a Paradise. I would love to have other opinions if anyone wants to see pics


http://www.proficientbilliards.com/cues/frank_paradise/vintage/pages/DSC06571_jpg.htm

I had a chance to buy this cue and did not because my feeling was it could have been altered. One issue is that there are no published examples of that period Rich and or Mastercraft that I am aware of. I placed a call to someone I think may have one.

Paradise butts we have had.... or had been sent pics of.

One is very early.. and one is very, late, probably among his last cues.



JV

 

[rjb1168]

Some folks have a tendency to believe whatever they want to about their "vintage" cues....sort of like those Balabushkas with the name on the forearm being the real thing...also like the Palmer that was "absolutely" a Bushka on here recently...until Pete said it was not, although all of the experts on here had already told the seller that it was definately a Palmer.

I have not seen too many Paradise cues, but that one does not look right to me. Personally, I would rely on Joe's analysis and agree that it was a Rich or Mastercraft.

Give the names of the experts who told you that it was a Paradise. Odds are that they are members here, if they were at SBE and told you that. By naming them, you can add credibility to the identity...or lack of it.

Many of the guys on here make their living by being able to tell the difference between a Paradise and a Rich...BTW, FnL has a nice Paradise listed on here. Take a look at the butt on it.

Joe

1) no expert said it was a Paradise, one guy at SBE saw me showing it to a dealer and pulled me aside to tell me it was a Paradise.

2) I saw another one(identical) at SBE 2 years ago and the guy selling it was claiming it to be a Paradise

3) I bought it from a guy (original owner) that gave me his word it was a Paradise and If it is not then I was mislead.

4) I would really just like to know what I have been holding on to for 10 years now

5) I did not post this to disagree with anyone so any help would be very much appreciated

 

[greyghost]

1) no expert said it was a Paradise, one guy at SBE saw me showing it to a dealer and pulled me aside to tell me it was a Paradise.

2) I saw another one(identical) at SBE 2 years ago and the guy selling it was claiming it to be a Paradise

3) I bought it from a guy (original owner) that gave me his word it was a Paradise and If it is not then I was mislead.

4) I would really just like to know what I have been holding on to for 10 years now

5) I did not post this to disagree with anyone so any help would be very much appreciated

Are you selling it? If so how much you asking?

 

[rjb1168]

Are you selling it? If so how much you asking?

NO, I would have put this in the cue gallery but I did not know about it being new here.

 

[classiccues]

That Titlist conversion in the Proficient pic also has numerous other ID points to it, and the butt cap looks nothing like the one in the earlier post on here. It takes more than one photo or distinguishing mark to ID an old cue like these, but when you life's work has been spent doing just that, you get pretty good at it, too.

Barry Szamboti may have to examine some cues closely to determine whether or not his father built it, but if he looks at a photo and tells you that his father did not build it, and he needs no further examination of the cue to determine that, you can bet that it is not a Gus.

Joe

Well to be quite frank, pun intended, I don't like the butt screw, the way the screw sits in the butt cap, the wall thickness of the joint, and the plastic and knurl arrangement in the bottom. As well as the joint collar.



JV

 

[Bamacues]

1) no expert said it was a Paradise, one guy at SBE saw me showing it to a dealer and pulled me aside to tell me it was a Paradise.
2) I saw another one(identical) at SBE 2 years ago and the guy selling it was claiming it to be a Paradise
3) I bought it from a guy (original owner) that gave me his word it was a Paradise and If it is not then I was mislead.
4) I would really just like to know what I have been holding on to for 10 years now
5) I did not post this to disagree with anyone so any help would be very much appreciated

I can certainly understand your situation. I would be disappointed if I thought I had one thing only to find out that I had another...but there is nothing wrong with an old Rich, Mastercraft or other nice, vintage cue. It is just that the value is not the same.

I used to have a really sweet Rico Cervantes cue (considered to be the "Balabushka" of hispanic cuemakers) that I thought had a lot of value. Although a very nice vintage cue, it just did not have the market of other fine vintage cues.

Joe

 

[rjb1168]

I can certainly understand your situation. I would be disappointed if I thought I had one thing only to find out that I had another...but there is nothing wrong with an old Rich, Mastercraft or other nice, vintage cue. It is just that the value is not the same.

I used to have a really sweet Rico Cervantes cue (considered to be the "Balabushka" of hispanic cuemakers) that I thought had a lot of value. Although a very nice vintage cue, it just did not have the market of other fine vintage cues.

Joe

I am disappointed that it my not be a Paradise and the only thing I can think to do is try SBE again and show it to all the cuemakers & cue dealers to try to ID it.

 

[cubswin]

It is a Paradise, I just posted this to see what other people thought and how good some of the experts are on here.

I don't get this post and then the later back track.

The butt cap is 1 1/4 long and I couldnt get a good picture of the pin. I did have this at SBE about 5 years ago. It was said to be made by 6 or 8 differt cue makers. One guy had one like it confirmed it to be a paradise and since 2 others also confirmed it. The owner of Pool Table Magic did not say it was or was not a paradise. If you dont agree I will bring to SBE next march.

Just because some random guy said it doesn't make it true. JV, Joe, and Marcus get to see more cues than most of us. Craig is pretty good with the old cues. Mostly when they all agree on something its going to be true.

You were 100% positive, and trying to play the guess the cuemaker game and like many now are left with more questions than answers.

 

[rjb1168]

I don't get this post and then the later back track.



Just because some random guy said it doesn't make it true. JV, Joe, and Marcus get to see more cues than most of us. Craig is pretty good with the old cues. Mostly when they all agree on something its going to be true.

Agreed and done