Fake Ginacue

Monto P2

Monto P2

Asia Billiards
Silver Member
Hi Everyone,

I dont know this thread belongs here or not but i think this should be known here to all who buy or sell cues.

I recently bought this Ginacue(supposedly) from a person who had a lot of cues and lives in thailand.I got it for a good price and i dont think this person is a cheat.I sent the cue to ernie for a refinish and this is what Ernie had to say after getting the cue.

"From: ginacue@yahoo.com
To: monto_g@hotmail.com

Mr Bhupinder
Dear Mr Bhupinder ,I'm sorry to have to tell you that I hope you didn't pay to much for this cue because it is a very ship copy of one of my early cues ,this particular cue sales for about $65.00 retail dealer price $32.00 please advice to what to do with this thing as I don't do any work on this cues.
Regards
Ernie G."

I got the cue back today from Ernie and i took the cue to this person and i got my money back from.I believe he bought it from someone thinking it as a true Gina,

But guys just be careful while dealing in cues like this.Though ernie has removed the buttcap and put a plain one in place.But still there might be other cues like this out there.

Here are the pics-

DSC02640.jpg

DSC02642.jpg

DSC02643.jpg

DSC02644.jpg
 
Good info

Good info on a that fake Ginacue.I have never heard of those until now.Thanks for the head's up and I hope this gets resolved.
 
Thanks for posting this. Buyers can't be too careful.

The quality of this cue would not fool most collectors, but it raises the awareness that good fakes of old cues might be starting to come up too (besides the many Balabuska's). If the quality of the work were better, these fakes might make their way into a few collections.

Chris
 
Last edited:
Must be a pretty nice 60 dollar cue to pass for a Ginacue to begin with. I wish I knew where to get some of these that did not say Ginacue on them...$32.00 for that cue is a steal!!!
 
The quality of the cue in the pictures would have scared me off from the beginning. Ernie is a detailed craftsman, he could not of made that cue.
 
JamisonNeu said:
Must be a pretty nice 60 dollar cue to pass for a Ginacue to begin with. I wish I knew where to get some of these that did not say Ginacue on them...$32.00 for that cue is a steal!!!
Click to expand...

I don't think the birdseye bamboo would hold up to your stroke.

Chris
 
TATE said:
Thanks for posting this. Buyers can't be too careful.

The quality of this cue would not fool most collectors, but it raises the awareness that good fakes of old cues might be starting to come up too (besides the many Balabuska's). If the quality of the work were better, these fakes might make their way into a few collections.

Chris
Click to expand...

I agree completely with Chris. I'm not a collector but this cue doesn't have the craftsmanship that Ernie is known for and is clearly a fake.
 
Last edited:
Uh oh. Now you've got me worried that the cues I have on order with Ernie are fakes. :p

I'm happy to hear that you had an honest seller who was willing to refund your money all the way from Thailand.

And thank-you for the heads up. Your post just may save someone a major problem.
 
poolhustler said:
http://www.three-brothers.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=590

http://cuesight-technologies.amazon...froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

http://www.monsterbreakbilliards.com/gina-cue.html

http://www.insidepool.com/order/Pool+Cues+Under+100/Sterling+&#34Gina&#34+Pool+Cue?SID
Click to expand...

Does anyone know if these cues are licensed to use the Gina name? Does Gina make something off them?

To give you an idea just how brutal this can be is. I remember walking around the BCA show and standing in front of stands from places like China. They had knock offs of every cue maker right there next to the cue makers including McDermott and Meucci. EXACT KNOCK OFF'S, at the same show. I personally condemn the BCA for allowing it. The BCA really eats shi! and they always have. They could care less as long as they make a buck. I would like to see a group of cue makers at the show go over and just smash the stands with the knock offs even if they get themselves arrested. It would be worth it.
 
Last edited:
watchez said:
I have the same question as Macguy -

Does anyone know if Sterling is paying the rights to use Ginacue name for these Chinese made knockoffs?
Click to expand...

My understanding is a big NO!. I can't imagine Ernie actually letting anyone else put his name on a cue for a licensing fee. Ernie doesn't even have anyone working for him in his own shop.

However I do recall in a thread awhile back that Ernie said he didn't mind the tribute cue in that it was a form of flattery or something to that effect. If you notice in the links that poolhustler posted the cues are clearly labeled Ginacue "Tribute" cues and I don't believe the Ginacue logo appears on the cues anywhere. So while they may be look-a-likes I wouldn't call them forgeries.

Richard Black makes a Balabushka tribute cue and of course, Adams makes a whole line of them that say Balabushka on them (although they own the rights to the name) and then there are all the Rambow and Hoppe "style" cues. So I suppose the idea of a tribute cue is not so out of line. But certainly the cue posted in the OP is an outright bad forgery.
 
Last edited:
I tell you this, too. Those Taican cues are so close, if they had a cactus on the pin, we'd all be rich. Two shafts for $200. And they play well, too. Sick. Just sick.
 
watchez said:
I have the same question as Macguy -

Does anyone know if Sterling is paying the rights to use Ginacue name for these Chinese made knockoffs?
Click to expand...

They are not signing them as a "Ginacue" and instead call them a tribute and labeling them as a Sterling. I am pretty sure artistic design on cues is not something that can be trademarked and this would fall under the same catagory as any cue maker using classic Bushka designs and the like. Pretty much every cue maker on the planet makes cues using design influences from earlier work.

I would be annoyed if I were Ernie, but I don't think he could do much from a legal point of view in stopping this since Sterling is very up front on the cue not being a Gina-cue or even having actual inlays. Or a actual Lepro tip for that matter, "cuz those Lepro are expensive!"
 
poolhustler said:
http://www.three-brothers.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=590

http://cuesight-technologies.amazon...froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

http://www.monsterbreakbilliards.com/gina-cue.html

http://www.insidepool.com/order/Pool+Cues+Under+100/Sterling+&#34Gina&#34+Pool+Cue?SID
Click to expand...

I have actually seen this cue in person. Someone in my league has one and he lets his daughter use it. She's a decent C player, sometime shoots better when she gets warmed up. The cue looks alright, I haven't hit with it so I can't compare it to anything. I can honestly say that the CNC rounded points and many of the detail that would normally be there when you see a real Ginacue just isn't there. From a distance, it looks like a Gina, but when you look at it closely you know for certain that it is not. I don't think there's any fear of this cue being passed off as a real Ginacue at all.


macguy said:
Does anyone know if these cues are licensed to use the Gina name? Does Gina make something off them?
Click to expand...

No, I remember this topic coming up before. This is impossible to do because pool cues are considered a form of art, art cannot be copyrighted or patented. The design and aesthetics of a pool cue cannot be. Technology behind the manufacturing and construction of pool equipment such as shafts can be patented, but that's technology.


watchez said:
Does anyone know if Sterling is paying the rights to use Ginacue name for these Chinese made knockoffs?
Click to expand...

I do not believe that to be the case since the design cannot be copyrighted. If Ernie were to trademark "Ginacue," then he could enforce the trademark and will have the government backing him in court.
 
Celtic said:
They are not signing them as a "Ginacue" and instead call them a tribute and labeling them as a Sterling. I am pretty sure artistic design on cues is not something that can be trademarked and this would fall under the same catagory as any cue maker using classic Bushka designs and the like. Pretty much every cue maker on the planet makes cues using design influences from earlier work.

I would be annoyed if I were Ernie, but I don't think he could do much from a legal point of view in stopping this since Sterling is very up front on the cue not being a Gina-cue or even having actual inlays. Or a actual Lepro tip for that matter, "cuz those Lepro are expensive!"
Click to expand...

Actually, Ginacues don't come from Ernie's shop with Lepro tips either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top