Someone went after the middle cue thinking it was "something".
Does it seem like everyone is a Flipper / Reseller these days?
- Thread starter vintagecollectibles831
- Start date
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
Speaking of Buya, that is a marketplace run by pawnshops. I think that was a smart idea. Create a website for all the pawnshops to come together and list their items for sale, for pickup only, or with shipping available. I have looked for cues on there from time to time, but the big issue is, that the pawnshops do not know or even care to take good pictures. They are seemingly very lazy about even taking decent pictures. And, they are horrible at item descriptions. And, lol, if it is a Meucci or Mcdermott for example, then you just know it will be overpriced, most of the time.
Benelli
Well-known member
Always be hustling, Chopdoc knows the way of the Samurai.
Your Google-Fu and boolean interconnectors need to be better than everyone else.
Fuck I'm fighting over a stealth Timmy Scruggs right now, but fear too many have figured it out...
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
I agree buyers are cheap and smart. I wonder if Facebook and Craigslist allows the patient seller to hold out for a better price --- something not as common in the past? I wonder, too, if many of the older cues are losing value since a lot are not considered as good today as they were in the past.
I noticed one exception, however. I posted here of four not-remarkable cues with soft no-brand cases that sold combined for $45 each including shipping. How did that happen? I wonder if selling it as a four-cue/four-case package helped.
See https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/-what’d-seller-do-to-auction-four-25-cues-for-180-works-out-to-45-each-
Although already sold, see it for a while on eBay (you got to scroll down to see it) at https://www.ebay.com/itm/3961459552...d=link&campid=5335988529&toolid=20001&mkevt=1
View attachment 815210
Well, 3 of them are garbage / firewood, but one of them appears to be an Abe Rich cue. That was purely the only thing of any value, that was being bid on. Basically, an Abe Rich cue (with 3 worthless junk cues) sold for $145. Not bad.
Yup.
That's why you will mostly find good deals with cues with no name on them. Don't search for brand names. Learning to quickly spot the features that differentiate a "good cue" from a "POS" in fuzzy pictures is a worthwhile skill do develop. I see many get that wrong here on AZB, even otherwise knowledgeable people.
There is a risk. But snagging a cue for $20 isn't that much of a risk. Everybody else is looking for a deal on a Meucci, McDermott, Joss, Schon, Viking, Etc...and they have a name on them. Very difficult to find a deal. That's the problem with Goodwill too. I have passed up a couple "good cues" on Goodwill recently while I watched the Meucci cue bids go through the roof. Why are the "Balabushka" cues so expensive? They have the name on them. I have seen them without the name go dirt cheap.
I have bought "good" cues from both sites cheap because nobody else seemed to know what they were looking at. Certainly not a Spain or Black (yet), but certainly early Gandy, Rich, and other such things for pennies on the dollar.
Also, look in the background. You can find a great case with a crappy cue. They advertise the cue, not the case. Also, I asked about a cue in the background of a sale picture for a POS cue once and picked up a really nice McDermott C-17 for cheap. How? I saw it in the background and asked. I think I got it for $100 IIRC.
Meucci? I would grab one cheap. I don't look for them, and have no interest in them. Too many eople looking for them. I never really liked them even back in the day. I have one Meucci Original in my collection. Now, a Meucci QB cue? His early work with Huebler? Yeah, you can find those cheap because if the sticker is gone, often people don't know what they are looking at. Nylon insert? Huebler didn't have a patent on that like some are saying, apparently on FB. Even Adam used nylon inserts on some of their cue series.
TS?
About 12 years ago I saw a TS sneaky for sale with fuzzy pics. Best I could do was make out the blurry TS on it. It was not being sold as a Scruggs. Pictures were bad. Info sucked. Did I take the chance? Should I have waited? Asked for more info and pics? Maybe give away the hint to the seller? Post pics and ask on AZB? Or should I have pulled the trigger? Should I say here and now what I did? Post pics?
I saw a Gold Letter Joss on local Craigslist. Listed wrong. Terrible pictures, but I could just make out the gold letters on the joint collars. They met me at the pool hall. They knew nothing about the cue. I rolled it on the table and it flopped. I offered $75 because I showed them it flopped around. Deal was done. I took it home, cleaned the joint face, flop was gone. Very slight taper roll in shaft. Bent shaft straight again with my bare hands and the darn thing is straight as an arrow. Oh, and it had an original Joss branded velvet sleeve with it, in immaculate condition.
There are lots of gamblers in pool, and on AZB. I have rarely gambled at pool. I have rarely gambled at anything. Is this gambling? I have never been "burned" but I have been wrong. Does it matter? What I have gained is many times over the value of the few occasions I was wrong.
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
Oh yeah, speaking of Adam and Nylon inserts, I had a super nice Adam with a Nylon insert that I so regret selling. I wish I still had a picture of it. The company that made it for Adam / Helmstetter was from England, or the cues were originally made in England. I think that Joss made some cues for that brand too. I can't think of the brand now, but I had a super nice one that was made by Helmstetter. Like an idiot, I traded the cue for 2 cues that ended up being worth about a $100 each. That cue hit amazing.
I would love to try a C Series Mcdermott someday. Or, a B series. I read some famous cue makers worked at Mcdermott before they went out on their own.
I recently purchased a really cool Murrey cue, that was made by Viking, I believe. Probably 80's era, I believe. I believe it has Wico veneers. It was only advertised as being a Murrey cue, but I knew that it was a Viking made cue.
Attachments
Last edited:
Biagio
Yes. Viking made Murrey.
In fact I have seen cues identified as Viking that were Murrey. Their top end cues rivals some of the Viking top end cues.
I have a 9 vinyl veneer stack cue made by Viking but sold as a Butera cue. Still can't find it in any catalog, and Viking lost their records when they closed.
Pretty much everyone is trying to make a quick buck these days and it's really starting to hurt the cue market. Constantly on reddit there are threads about people picking up thrift store cues, asking what they are and values so they can flip. I really wish people would stop responding!
The for sale section on here is more or less the same few people resposting cues for many months until someone bites. I recall a few years back I was a large tournament and had a chance to buy a cue directly from a well known maker for a decent price, I dragged my feet a bit thinking it over and by the end of the tournament it was gone. The next week it was posted on here for over 2x the original asking price! It was not a cheap cue to begin with but that's just gross price gouging.
The for sale section on here is more or less the same few people resposting cues for many months until someone bites. I recall a few years back I was a large tournament and had a chance to buy a cue directly from a well known maker for a decent price, I dragged my feet a bit thinking it over and by the end of the tournament it was gone. The next week it was posted on here for over 2x the original asking price! It was not a cheap cue to begin with but that's just gross price gouging.
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
Thanks. Yeah, Biagio. The Biagio I had was really amazing looking. Wish I still had pictures of it. Wish I could get it back, lol. I never see them for sale, anywhere. Have not seen one in ages.
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
From what I have seen, most of the cues people are asking about on Reddit are complete garbage, lol. Think these might be resellers asking those questions? That is pretty hilarious, if so. People should stick to what they know, if anything.
I have a couple of them, but not yet one by Joss. I want one. The problem is they say Joss on them, so they get immediate attention and are difficult to find for bargain prices. Even people that don't know anything Google Joss and immediately the price can get ridiculous...they even see COM references. Very famous, east to find, prices get silly. .
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
I thought I would give searching on Google Images a try, and I can't believe it. This is the same model Biagio that I had. It had a Nylon insert, kind of like what you would see on a Huebler. The cue had a 3/8x10 joint pin though. It had a super tight and secure feeling connection. A similar feeling connection would be like putting together a Wavy Joint Mezz, if you have ever put one of those together. Anyways, I really regretted trading that cue, because I liked it a lot. The one in the link below was the same model Biagio that I had.
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
Lol, yeah, this Biagio Joss is priced incredibly silly of a high price.
NOS Joss Biagio Pool Cue 1989 JOSS Billiard Cue refinished by JOSS Dec 2015 | eBay
JOSS BIAGIO. BUTT COLLAR - Biagio by Joss. SHAFT COLLAR - Joss. (shaft was not refinished, 09/01/23 shaft showing finish checking). Invoice Dated 1989.
www.ebay.com
Sellers actually think their 80's Joss is worth as much as a Richard Black cue, for example, lol. People have gone nuts.
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
Speaking of Joss, one thing that I always found to be really annoying is when sellers advertise their "Brunswick Billiards" cues, that were made by Falcon in Taiwan, as Joss cues. They are the cheap looking ones with the piloted 5/16x18 joint on them. The Canadian made Falcons were all 5/16x14, and looked far higher quality anyways, but these sellers advertise those Brunswick Billiard cues as being Joss. They are either lying, or they were fed false info. I always try to tell them too, but they do not believe me, or continue with their BS ad. Here is one example of a Falcon made Brunswick Billiards cue, that I believe was made in Taiwan. Many sellers have sold these as Joss cues.
Attachments
Last edited:
As to the "everyone" hyperbolae::
I have not bought nor sold any pool related equipment (except tip replacements) in 10 years.
I have not bought nor sold any pool related equipment (except tip replacements) in 10 years.
Benelli
Well-known member
Oh for fuck sake... That seller is fucking insane... I mean the worst of the worst, just go look at their other items and sort them Highest first.Lol, yeah, this Biagio Joss is priced incredibly silly of a high price.
NOS Joss Biagio Pool Cue 1989 JOSS Billiard Cue refinished by JOSS Dec 2015 | eBay
JOSS BIAGIO. BUTT COLLAR - Biagio by Joss. SHAFT COLLAR - Joss. (shaft was not refinished, 09/01/23 shaft showing finish checking). Invoice Dated 1989.www.ebay.com
Sellers actually think their 80's Joss is worth as much as a Richard Black cue, for example, lol. People have gone nuts.
I made them a super reasonable offer for a Schon they are trying to get 3.5K for and they declined it so I told them that people on two different Reddit billiards groups were linking to their auctions and making fun of them and that's not really a look you want as an online seller. Just to be courteous I provided links back to the threads so they could see for themselves.
Did not hear a peep back.
Complete and utter retard, and I hope their on this site too so they realize just how much of a twat they are...
vintagecollectibles831
Active member
Yeah, I believe that somewhere in the $750 range might be reasonable for that Biagio Joss, for example. Definitely not over $1k though, but who knows. These sellers must not be hard up for sales. They do not mind letting a cue sit for 10 years, waiting on the right buyer to come along, lol.
Happens a lot. Mostly ignorance.
I want a Tyler cue. One on Ebay right now. Do you know those?