Expensive Cue Shooter

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Xdecemberguy

Member
Do you play with an expensive cue out in the open or are you more reserved about what you bring to the pool hall? I have a few expensive cues and mid-level cost cues and I was just wondering if you use your really expensive cue at the hall? Do you think it's too flashy or risky? What's your opinion?
 
Xdecemberguy said:
Do you play with an expensive cue out in the open or are you more reserved about what you bring to the pool hall? I have a few expensive cues and mid-level cost cues and I was just wondering if you use your really expensive cue at the hall? Do you think it's too flashy or risky? What's your opinion?
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Sounds like you’re hanging out in the wrong places.
 
I happen to have some custom cues i carry everywhere in 6x12 case.This requires having a separate insurance rider on my homeowner’s policy. Like with most insurance coverages, there’s a stipulated maximum value for any one item unless I wanted to obtain actual replacement value which is more expensive. I don’t mind the shortfall coverage since it only involves two cues that exceed my policy’s limit but the overall policy coverage more than covers all my cues. This is the same type coverage I have for my gun collection. My take is you insure what you have that is relatively valuable or expensive.

Having said this, my cues go wherever I play pool, except at a bar. Then I have a SP cue for that environment but pool
halls, absolutely.Why else own these cues other than to wonder I wish it was here with me now. That’s why I have a big
cue case. I want what I want when I want it so if I wanted to switch cues, it’s so simple to do. And I do use all my cues.
 
I don't really have any truly expensive cues. $2000-2500 is about the most expensive I've had and those certainly got played with. I don't have a table at home so if I'm not taking it out to play it's doing me no good. I'm lucky to have nice and what I consider very safe places to play and I'm good at keeping an eye on things. If I had more expensive cues I'd take them out too, but if I played in places where I didn't know a lot of people and where I might have to step away from my stuff occasionally then I might be more hesitant.
 
I carry two customs and a ~$2000 Schon into the pool halls I play in. I know most of the regulars in the pool halls I play in so I feel the risk of theft is pretty minimal. All three cues are fairly unique so they would be difficult to sell locally, at least.

That said, I have an Airtag in the bag, but I probably should consider additional insurance on the cues as well. Like Bavafongoul, I have a $150 CF OKhealing cue that I take that into places where I plan to drink or I'm in a place where I might worry about cues getting stolen or damaged.

For other people with expensive cues: There are many people in the various leagues I play in that have $1000 and up production cues, but I also know a guy that plays league with a Balabushka. It looks nothing like the Color of Money cue so it's not obvious unless you know what are you looking at. He says he played it in a cash game in the 70s and the guy didn't have the money to pay up. He got the cue. I asked him about it once; why he plays with a ~$10k cue in bars. He told me that he enjoys using it and didn't see the point of it just sitting in a cue case somewhere. I have to say that I agree with that philosophy.

There's also another guy that has been collecting since the 60s and probably has 100 cues. I'd guess they average about $4000 each. He says he won most of them in money matches in his 20s and 30s. He's still a pretty high Fargo ranked player in his late 70s so I tend to believe him. He shows up with different cues a couple times a month.
 
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I have a tulip wood Scruggs. I bought it new. Without regard to value, it is too beautiful to be used, but it is my "player", and it goes everywhere I do -- if any environment is too tough for my cue, I got no business being there.
 
People used to chide me for playing with my Szamboti regularly….I told them I honor Gus every time I use it.
I had a lot of top cues in the 70s when you could still buy them in the $500 range. I took all the ivory ferrules off.
I only used line fiber….I hate the hit of ivory or metal ferrules.
 
On the positive for those worried about their fancy cues in public, it seems there are fewer people who "appreciate" them with the carbon craze. Probably not a positive for market values though. It seems rare nowadays when someone checks out my cue. The younger players seemingly could not care less.
 
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