Cuemuseum

cyrex said:
I have an email from him dated May 24, 2004.....

HI Rex, ...GOOD to meet you. YES I'VE BEEN IN POOL AND CUES over 30 years. Few EXCERPTS from my upcoming book"THE UN-VARNISHED TRUTH" on Gus Szamboti,george balabushka and other top cue makers,pool champs and road players i knew personally 1960's to 1990's........Excerpt..A.)"then
gus showed me down into his shop downstairs at his home at 320 Rumph in Penndel,upstairs his wife and mine drank freshly made pink lemonade in the front room, while the white anniversary clock on end table turned slowly,and the wives talked of being married to pool cue guys etc." ////////////////// Excerpt..B.)"" GEORGE BALABUSHKA at 1973 n.e. championship in new london, ct. first day of event. I brought to george 16 butt blanks from the top n.e. cue maker at that time...one of the same cue makers that george got blanks from long before gus szamboti and burton spain !!!!"" EXCERPT..C). ...BOSTON 1970'S ..."LATER WE LEARNED AGAIN, AS HE HAD DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE,SHORTY SENT THE UNKNOWN(THEN)ROAD PLAYER TO BOSTON TO TRAP "INGY"(BOB INGERSOIL) AND "LARRY THE GREEK" ETC.....FEW DAYS LATER THE UNKNOWN PLAYER AND I WENT TO BROCKTON,
PROVIDENCE,SPRINGFIELD,FITCHBURG,WORCESTER + SOME ADDITIONAL TOWNS IN RI CT AND MASS...TODAY EVERY ONE IN POOLDOM KNOWS THIS PLAYER...BUT HE SURE LOOKS DIFFERENT TODAY !" I've been in pool and pool cues since i was 12 years old. in saint michael's school. Yes Frank Paradise was my uncle. Until he died in 1968, i would be at all n.y. city area,ELIZABETH,N.J.area--HI-CUE etc, and at Dolly and her husband's(sid?) place GOLD CROWN in new london,ct. touraments and pool events, often with uncle frank. I traveled with several of the top pool players "on the road" thru 1980's (i.e. luther lassiter, boston shorty, toby sweet etc). have here over 100 vintage cues plus cues and pool history items of most great players thru the 1980's,and those of many celebs also are here,and some current top maker cues come in weekly too. Plus real pool history items from the
cuemaking shops etc of gus szamboti, george balabushka, doc frye, and my uncle frank.
Over 30 years ago i introduced gus szamboti and my good friend GEORGE
BALABUSHKA. During LATE 1960's and well into 1970's I traveled USA selling
exclusively first george's, and then gus' cues at all tourneys and the yearly
johnson city pool gambling events. GUS SZAMBOTI nick named me "the
man who made balabushka famous"....because i sold so many balabushka cues in person at tourneys all across the country !! I was sole supplier of some cue making materials to gus, george and "doc" frye among several others at the time also. I supplied the great leather tips that made george balabushka's cues hit like that. sold same tips to gus szamboti...........see 1980's Smithsonian magazine article on these greatest tips and on bill stroud( i was sole supplier to the indiana tip fanatic that in turn supplied stroud). I still have supply of these same world famous tips today.They are still available today! ""BEST of the Best"" FOR SALE..... this month : 1 OF ONLY 2 MADE-- PROTOTYPE CUE" C A S E S "MADE BY GEORGE ""BALABUSHKA"" VERY EARLY1960'S.... ;for sale: ....2 new BLUE GRASS cues by RICHARD HARRIS ...Joe Balsis' cue 1960's ; GINA CUE NEW ; the Greatest PHILLIPPI cue ; 1 mint cue made in SCHICK shop ;..... 3 mint/new very different cues made in MOTTEY shop one is in exacting style design of a Southwest cue with lizard wrap ; another Mottey is in Gus Szamboti 4 rosewod pts / 4 veneeers classic Traditional cue style with 4 inlaid diamonds below wrap. .....; ....... 2 OF THE FIRST MADE UN-USED OMEGA-dpk cues mint...; ... 1 new Mike WHEELER cue ; ....Also a Dennis SEARING cue; .....a 1970's PALMER Salesman's cue CASE( holds 8 palmer cues)... ;... 4 ROUND PALMER SHIPPING TUBES 1972 TO 1974 ...;..2 large 1990's Palmer shipping boxes(last cues made by Palmer were inside these boxes !!!!! and 3 PALMER cue CASES.....;...... IVORY ferrules and LEATHER Tips that I got from George Balabushka in person in n.y.city, in 1974 . ....... A 1899 TOURNAMENT LOVING CUP(3 HANDLES) FROM THE LAMB CLUB, NYC. ;....... "It's George"
case BLACK LEATHER. .......... AND a SCHICK "HUSTLER CUE" w/ box it was
shipped in !!!!!! SEVERAL UN-USED PALMER SHAFTS 1960'S + 1970'S...;
5 UN-USED RICH CUE SHAFTS 1967 TO 1974....; 2 PARADISE SHAFTS 1950'S + 1960'S. >>>>>>>> ))(( LOOKING FOR RICH CUE COMPANY BROCHURE/ CATALOG FROM 1960'S OR 1970'S... PLEASE E-MAIL ME IMAGES OF THE BLACK WIDOW AND MERRY WIDOW RICH CUE MODELS....I WILL PURCHASE OR TRADE FOR ACTUAL RICH CUE CO BROCHURE / CATALOG. ))((
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Among the cues here are 4 balabushkas, 9 palmers( 5 unused )from 1970's....one of which has burton spain points ; the finest hitting tim scruggs cue ever made 1980's ; the first 2 omega-DPK cues made by david end of feb. 1989 ; 3 gus szamboti cue 70's ; 2 of gus' own personal cues 1969 and 1970 ; 2 very different 1 of a kind signed 59 inch long dale perry cues un-used ; one burton spain cue ; the first norwela made; the last paradise cue made 1968 ; also the last rambow made ; first jw cue early 1970 ; sw style cue made in mottey shop year 2000 ; 1980 richard black cue ; 4 of jackie gleason's cues ; 2 mosconi's cues ; 3 luther lassiter's cues ; one cue of irving crane ; 3 of boston shorty's cues....plus many items from 1960's thru 1980 from shops of frank paradise, doc frye ,george balabushka and gus szamboti........plus a cue over 120years old almost identical to the one pictured on the cover of first edition of victor stein's huge pool history book! ! ! and more!
Your vintage cue and pool
historian pal, chuck

Looks like I got the total package all in one email of what he's been telling everyone over the years.


Yeah, he's a legend in his own mind!


just more hot air!


Sherm
 
All right Gents...This guy is a bit eccentric and loves to talk but I have been to his home (twice...I traveled from Maryland) in Leominster, MA and he was on the up and up with me. He has quite a collection of cues and I left his house that day with a pristine Omega/DPK (never used) with two shafts and the original joint protectors. My second trip there I left with and early Josswest (looks like a Ginacue) in great condition. I even emailed Bill Stroud with pics and he commented on its condition. Now I'm not comming to the guy's defense only saying that I took a chance on those wild web postings and flew up to meet with the guy. Found him to be engaging with alot of stories and pics. I still chat with him from time to time...
 
tonyboy59 said:
All right Gents...This guy is a bit eccentric and loves to talk but I have been to his home (twice...I traveled from Maryland) in Leominster, MA and he was on the up and up with me. He has quite a collection of cues and I left his house that day with a pristine Omega/DPK (never used) with two shafts and the original joint protectors. My second trip there I left with and early Josswest (looks like a Ginacue) in great condition. I even emailed Bill Stroud with pics and he commented on its condition. Now I'm not comming to the guy's defense only saying that I took a chance on those wild web postings and flew up to meet with the guy. Found him to be engaging with alot of stories and pics. I still chat with him from time to time...

u mean he is actually legit? And he is really Paradise's nephew? u seen pics of him with all the posthumous cuemakers here ?
I bet Barry Szamboti would still remember Uncle Chuck sipping lemonade at the porch if he is who he say he is...
 
tonyboy59 said:
All right Gents...This guy is a bit eccentric and loves to talk but I have been to his home (twice...I traveled from Maryland) in Leominster, MA and he was on the up and up with me. He has quite a collection of cues and I left his house that day with a pristine Omega/DPK (never used) with two shafts and the original joint protectors. My second trip there I left with and early Josswest (looks like a Ginacue) in great condition. I even emailed Bill Stroud with pics and he commented on its condition. Now I'm not comming to the guy's defense only saying that I took a chance on those wild web postings and flew up to meet with the guy. Found him to be engaging with alot of stories and pics. I still chat with him from time to time...

THE JOSSWEST YOU HAVE WAS THE ONE HE PARTIALLY STOLE FROM ME. IT WAS A GINACUE DESIGN. I HAD THE BUTTCAP REPLACED(IT'S NOW BLACK, AND BILL REDID THE OLD JW LOGO ON IT FOR ME.) EIGHT POINTS HIGH LOW, WITH CLOVER LEAFS ON THE TIPS OF THE POINTS. I HAVE PICS OF IT SOMEWHERE. BILL SHOULD KNOW THE CUE, HE TOLD ME HE HADN'T HAD ONE THERE LIKE THAT ONE IN YEARS, UNTIL I SENT HIM MINE.
 
Tonyboy:

Did you see any Balabushkas or Szambotis? Everything this guy sells is "the first", "the last", "the best", "the only..."

He has the greatest cue collection I have ever heard of!!
 
Possibly Stolen JW Cue???

Fast N Loose,

Can you dig up pictures of the cue that you claim was stolen from you and can you tell us how you got taken. I got this Josswest from him in November in a trade for my Southwest.

Thanks,
Tonyboy59
 
BillYards & Titlistsucker...

Yea...yea...I got the same speech about him being related to Frank Paradise and how he knew Geroge and Gus. By the way he spoke about them I'da swore he did...maybe he did? He did have pics, newspaper articles from way back when, knew all the cue brokers (some he did not think too fondly of), all of the players from back in the day including Lassiter, Weenie Beenie, Boston Shorty...etc (stories on all of them), He had letters from Doc Fry (appears they were friends) all sorts of artifacts...ie shipping boxes from John Wright dated from the late eighties etc and had all these stories.

I felt I had to listen...after all I didn't want to buy the Omega and run out the door (not to mention the round trip to Boston+car ran about $250.00). So I sat and listened and found him interesting and full of either information or BS. The one thing that left a bad taste in my mouth was that the Omega/DPK he gave me only had one shaft and when I questioned him about it he said that's the way it came. When I asked about what it would cost to get an additional shaft, he wanted $1,000.00...I said I don't think so. It was only after I went back there a second time on the SW trade for the JW he had that he agreed to throw in the extra Omega/DPK shaft. Below is an email exchange between he and I after our first encounter...


1.)i was so glad to you meet you and my wife and me both so pleased i could make your wish on omega cue come true for you anthony.
2..) I sold one of the shafts for full 1,375...... friday.
3.) Now 2 of those 3 dealers you mentioned, i know one very well, one other wishes he could get certain cues from me..... if we ...you and i that is.... i could tell good stories about one and not good about one othe,,,,,,,btw i do not know the baltimore charlie at all,,,,,except perhaps from " on the road years ago.
NO ONE IN WORLD HAS WHAT YOU AND I HAVE >> PERFECT UNUSED first made omeaga cues,,,,, no one !! ,,,,,,,,,, now i have still here today the one perfect shaft ...... perhaps an sw cue / perfect shaft for your omega trade is possible...... anthony what do you think ??? your true pool pal, chuck


I didn't see any of Gus's or George's cues but I didn't ask to see them either. He just would go back and forth into another room and come back into the kitchen with cues/cases in either hand...TS, Bluegrass cues, Original Palmers, Mottey, old Joss, Brunswick titlists, another Omega/DPK, JW, Doc Fry, PFD, Jackie Gleason's playing cue (how do you authentic that?) and many others. That Schick titlist...he has it and it is very nice.

Well that about sums it up...again I am not defending him or anyone. Just sharing my experiences with you folks and the fact that this guy is not a myth he is alive and well and living in a blue collar town 45 mins outside Boston, MA.

Regards to all,
Tonyboy59
 
tonyboy59 said:
Fast N Loose,

Can you dig up pictures of the cue that you claim was stolen from you and can you tell us how you got taken. I got this Josswest from him in November in a trade for my Southwest.

Thanks,
Tonyboy59

I WILL LOOK FOR PICS. IT WAS A FEW YEARS BACK SO I MAY NOT HAVE THEM ANYMORE. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.(RICHARD AND ARDIS BLACK PROBABLY REMEMBER THIS SITUATION)

I AGREED TO TRADE AN IVORY POINTED LOADED OUT VERL HORN AND AN EIGHT POINT JOSSWEST FOR WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BALABUSHKE. THE DEAL WAS TO GO DOWN LIKE THIS. I SENT MR. WHEELER(OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS) MY JOSSWEST CUE. HE IN RETURN SENT THE CUE THAT HE TOLD ME WAS A BALABUSHKA. WHEN I GOT HIS CUE, I KNEW RIGHT AWAY IT WASN'T A BUSHKA, BUT HE INSISTED IT WAS. I HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH RICHARD BLACK AT THE TIME, AND TOLD MR.WHEELER THAT BEFORE WE WENT ANY FURTHER WITH THE DEAL THAT I WANTED THE CUE AUTHENTICATED BY RICHARD. I SENT THE CUE TO MR.BLACK WHO VERIFIED IT WASN'T A BUSHKA(MATTER OF FACT IT WASN'T EVEN A GOOD COPY) MR. BLACK SENT THE CUE BACK TO MR WHEELER WHO WAS THAN IN TURN SUPPOSED TO SEND MY JOSSWEST BACK. AT THIS POINT MR. WHEELER STOPPED REPLYING TO MY E-MAILS. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, AFTER I RESORTED TO THREATINING PHYSICAL HARM TO HIM HE REPLIED. HE TRIED TO TELL ME THAT THE JOSSWEST NEEDED WORK AND HE STILL WANTED TO KEEP IT. I TOLD HIM NO, AND THAT I WANTED MY CUE BACK. I NEVER GOT THE CUE BACK FROM MR. WHEELER. ALTHOUGH I DID GET A SMALL CHECK(SEVERAL WEEKS LATER), FOR ABOUT 25% OF WHAT THE CUE WAS WORTH, THAT BOUNCED THE FIRST TIME I TRIED TO DEPOSIT IT(IT CLEARED THE SECOND TIME) THIS MAN BETTER HOPE THAT WE DON'T EVER CROSS PATHS IN PERSON, BECAUSE I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CONTROLLING MY RAGE.

NOW THE CUE,
IT'S AN EIGHT POINT JW(OLD STYLE MARKING WITH SIDEWAYS W ON BLACK BUTTCAP) B-EYE MAPLE FOREARM, FOUR HIGH NON VENEERED POINTS WITH CLOVER LEAF INLAYS AT THE TIPS. 4 SHORT NON VENEERED EBONY POINTS(THAT IF I REMEMBER RIGHT HAD EBONY DOTS AT THE TIPS,IT MAY HAVE BEEN CLOVERLEAFS LIKE THE HIGH POINTS BUT I DON'T REMEMBER FOR SURE) CUE HAD A LINEN WRAP, THAT HAD JUST BEEN DONE BY JAMES SPACH(HURRICANE CUES) THAT WAS ALSO WHO I BOUGHT THE CUE FROM. JAMES HAD ALSO REPLACED THE ORIGINAL BUTTCAP WITH A BLACK ONE(THE ORIGINAL WAS WHITE, AND BEAT UP, AND MR. SPACH FELT THE BLACK BUTT CAP LOOKED BETTER) THE BUTT WAS EBONY AND WAS LOADED WITH MOTHER OF PEARL INLAYS(NOTCHED DIAMONDS,NOTCHED CIRCLES AND OTHER WORK. WHEN I GOT THE CUE FROM MR. SPACH I SENT IT TO BILL STROUD TO HAVE HIM PUT THE OLD JW LOGO BACK ON THE CUE. IT COSTS ME 40 BUCKS TO HAVE MR.STROUD VERIFY THE CUE AND TO REDO THE LOGO(IT ALSO TOOK A FEW MONTHS TO GET IT BACK) I DOUBT THAT BILL WOULD REMEMBER THE CUE, BUT MR. SPACH AND MOST LIKELY WOULD. MR. AND MRS BLACK MAY ALSO REMEMBER THE DEAL, BECAUSE ARDIS(RICHARDS WIFE) LOOKED UP MR WHEELER THROUGH GOOGLE AND INFORMED ME OF EVERYTHING HE WAS CLAIMING. UP UNTIL SHE POINTED THAT INFORMATION OUT, I TRUSTED MR.WHEELER.

I'M KINDA GLAD I WENT THROUGH THE ORDEAL IT TOUGHT ME SEVERAL VALUABLE LESSONS. AND I KNOW IN THE END MR WHEELER, WILL GET WHAT HE DESERVES. IT MAY BE FROM ME, AND IT MAY NOT, BUT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IT WILL HAPPEN. KARMA IS A *****.

I HOPE I GAVE A GOOD ENOUGH DESCRIPTION OF THE CUE AND OF WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE MANY REFERENCES THAT WILL TELL YOU I'M A STAND UP GUY AND THAT I HAVE NO REASON TO LIE ABOUT ANY OF THIS.
 
icon said:
this guy comes out of nowhere with nine posts total now.
surely you dont believe him?

Icon,were on the same page for a change! Let me pose a hypothetical question here guys. I have been on ebay since 98 and gotten many emails from cuemusem from day one since I had the id cuecollector on there(since changed) We have all seen post here how this guy is on every forum,auction site,what ever there is. Dont you think he could possibily be a member of az under a alias name? He's got to be reading this forum and laying the ground work to scam one of us in my opion. I have read the post from a member here how he is the only one to ever meet and get a deal from this guy and that just seems alittle too much of a coincodence. No offense,but he even got a josswest that marcus was scammed out of and I dont know if its the same one but watch out here in this forum everyone.Use escrow if you dont know for sure,just ask marcus.JMO
Charley
 
Last edited:
years ago in the mid-1990's a man from leominster named "gene" had an ad in the local want-advertiser stating that for a fee he could get you a cue from any of the old cuemakers, balabushka, szamboti, paradise, etc. he claimed he brought them up to the whalom flea market in fitchburg (next to leominster). i traveled there several times to meet him, but he always came up with an excuse and wasn't there. i tried to buy some cues from him, but he wanted me to front the money and he claimed he would go himself to the seller and buy it for me. needless to say, no money ever changed hands. i still have the leominster phone number that he gave me. i wonder if this is the same person?

guy
 
icon,

I saw that you questioned my post...that's ok. I have been reading this forum since I joined in March 2005 however, I never had anything to say because we have so many experts on so many subject matters already in place. That is until this thread came out and someone asked the question of anyone dealing with cuemuseum and so since I had...I responded and shared my experience.

I have quite a few email exchanges with this guy and if you want to see them, I'll email them to you or I could take you to meet him. But just because I don't have alot of posts doesn't mean I'm not credible. There are alot and I mean alot of people like me that read this forum and don't chime in...why should we - you guys seem to have all the bases covered.

Tonyboy59
 
tonyboy59 said:
icon,

I saw that you questioned my post...that's ok. I have been reading this forum since I joined in March 2005 however, I never had anything to say because we have so many experts on so many subject matters already in place. That is until this thread came out and someone asked the question of anyone dealing with cuemuseum and so since I had...I responded and shared my experience.

I have quite a few email exchanges with this guy and if you want to see them, I'll email them to you or I could take you to meet him. But just because I don't have alot of posts doesn't mean I'm not credible. There are alot and I mean alot of people like me that read this forum and don't chime in...why should we - you guys seem to have all the bases covered.

Tonyboy59

YOU HAVEN'T REPLIED TO MY POST. IS THE JW YOU HAVE, THE CUE I DESCRIBED? YOU MAY HAVE HAD GOOD DEALINGS BUT AS YOU CAN SEE NOT ALL OF US HAVE. MAYBE HE SHOULD COME DOWN TO PA FOR THE SUPER BILLIARDS EXPO, I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS SOMETHING FOR HIM. LET ME KNOW IF IT'S THE SAME CUE.
 
Markus,

I hope you reported this to the police. Did you keep the bad check?

Chris
 
TATE said:
Markus,

I hope you reported this to the police. Did you keep the bad check?

Chris

TATE,
IT WAS YEARS AGO, AND I WAS NEW TO THIS WHOLE GAME. NO, I DIDN'T REPORT IT TO THE POLICE, THE CHECK CLEARED THE SECOND TIME I DEPOSITED IT. I DIDN'T REPORT IT, BECAUSE, AT SOME POINT WHEN HE ISN'T THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE DID TO ME ANYMORE, HE WILL BE PAYED A VISIT. AND IF IT ISN'T ME I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL DO IT, HE'S SCAMMED ENOUGH PEOPLE, THAT I AM CONFIDENT HE WILL GET WHAT HE DESERVES. I LIKE TO HANDLE THINGS THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.

P.S. THE SPELLING OF MY NAME IS MARCUS

HOPE ALL IS WELL.
 
tonyboy59 said:
Fast and Loose.

By your description...it looks like it could possibly be it.

I WILL LOOK FOR PICTURES ON MY COMPUTER AT HOME, BUT LIKE I MENTIONED IT WAS LONG AGO, AND I'M NOT SURE IF I STILL HAVE THEM. I WONDER IF I WROTE TO MR. STROUD IF HE WOULD REMEMBER THE CUE. MAYBE I'LL TRY HIM IF I CAN'T FIND THE PICS.
 
Marcus,
All in all, what amount did the checks come to? It's a shame to hear you have all this trouble, if one guy on this forum is without ?, its you. I remember you telling me most of this, so you don't even have the Balaphony.
Anyways after reading this guys ads, and getting his e-mails we tried to set up an appointment at Marks room. Less than 1 1/2 hours away and he wouldn't show.

Joe
 
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