Gus Szamboti 70's

[Fatboy]

From what I've seen on here a Gus has stayed about the same the last couple of years.
A standard player 4 pt 4 veneer linen. 7 to 9k. Up from there.
What if find interesting Barry's cues command more $ than cues by his dad?
I remember what your cue looks like and I think if it were made by Barry, it would be long gone by now.
I can't explain it just what I think.
You have a wonderful cue. Sell it or play with it before you are gone. It might end up in a thrift store!
Where are the pictures of your cue?

I might know a bit about Szams.

Gus made roughly 2X as many cues as Barry. However I don’t think that’s the reason for the price discrepancy.

Many of Gus’s are 4&4’s (points & veneers) which were in their time were used as players not safe queens.

On the other hand Barry built more fancy cues as a % of total production than Gus did. Gus built working cues. Barry’s cues play as good, but Barry’s cues are more artistic cues.

Also the Gus’s are older(duh) and older cues don’t seem to hold up in value in the market in general. Bushka’s aren’t breaking records. And think about another cue that’s over 40 years old. How are they doing? Go back to the 90’s how were Rambo or Martin cues doing back then? Ok I suppose, not breaking records.

Current trends seem to support value more than quality sometimes. Sure there are the old school cue guys and we are for the most part all old. Who’s the youngest cue collector? Anyone without grey or gray hair? Not likely.

I sold a Boar a few months ago for a big number. Almost 6 figures, I had 2 buyers to choose from ant the same price and the cue sold itself. I only mention this to support my assertion that current looking cues sell for more money and faster.

I don’t see the Gus 4&4’s dropping but they aren’t going to $12K anytime soon. Barry’s cues imo will hold up for the foreseeable future.

The cue market in 15 years is gonna be lean, in 20 it’s gonna have problems. However I don’t care. I’m 57 and I’ll have more problems if I make 77. I’m not the favorite. Genetics. No complaints, just the way it is.

Would I drop a big number on a cue today? Absolutely I would, as long as it was a fair deal on the cue. The days of spec buying for profit are slim to none. But I wasn’t ever in it for the money.

Until next time

Fatboy

 

[Bob Farr]

I might know a bit about Szams.

Gus made roughly 2X as many cues as Barry. However I don’t think that’s the reason for the price discrepancy.

Many of Gus’s are 4&4’s (points & veneers) which were in their time were used as players not safe queens.

On the other hand Barry built more fancy cues as a % of total production than Gus did. Gus built working cues. Barry’s cues play as good, but Barry’s cues are more artistic cues.

Also the Gus’s are older(duh) and older cues don’t seem to hold up in value in the market in general. Bushka’s aren’t breaking records. And think about another cue that’s over 40 years old. How are they doing? Go back to the 90’s how were Rambo or Martin cues doing back then? Ok I suppose, not breaking records.

Current trends seem to support value more than quality sometimes. Sure there are the old school cue guys and we are for the most part all old. Who’s the youngest cue collector? Anyone without grey or gray hair? Not likely.

I sold a Boar a few months ago for a big number. Almost 6 figures, I had 2 buyers to choose from ant the same price and the cue sold itself. I only mention this to support my assertion that current looking cues sell for more money and faster.

I don’t see the Gus 4&4’s dropping but they aren’t going to $12K anytime soon. Barry’s cues imo will hold up for the foreseeable future.

The cue market in 15 years is gonna be lean, in 20 it’s gonna have problems. However I don’t care. I’m 57 and I’ll have more problems if I make 77. I’m not the favorite. Genetics. No complaints, just the way it is.

Would I drop a big number on a cue today? Absolutely I would, as long as it was a fair deal on the cue. The days of spec buying for profit are slim to none. But I wasn’t ever in it for the money.

Until next time

Fatboy

Thanks for your thoughts and information.
Makes a lot of sense.

 

[Logdog]

Not likely, that’s a lotta years!
Btw, I should have mentioned I have seen your cue many times when we lived in Ohio, and it is a very, very nice cue!

Will

Thanks again Will. Now since you are the man, I would be quite happy for you to post publicly what you think my cue is worth and I will accept that as true and accurate. Having seen the cue many times and most likely having hit some balls with it you are the perfect person to do this publicly. Thanks

 

[fjk]

Thanks again Will. Now since you are the man, I would be quite happy for you to post publicly what you think my cue is worth and I will accept that as true and accurate. Having seen the cue many times and most likely having hit some balls with it you are the perfect person to do this publicly. Thanks

"Worth" for a collectible, is subjective to what the average collector that's looking to buy is willing to pay for it. I don't mean this sarcastically at all, but put it up on eBay and I, and several other on here, would bid on it. You would absolutely get fair market value. And who knows, you may get two bidders into a bidding war and get far over what the average collector would be willing to pay.

I've sold several high-dollar collectibles on eBay. To my experience, if the item is advertised and described accurately, it will almost always bring a fair price. There are just too many collectors watching eBay to let anything go so cheap it could be purchased and resold for a profit.

The bad part about eBay are the seller fees and taxes for the buyer. Another thought is to advertise it here and reduce the price by $100 per day until sold. It's obviously a smaller market than eBay but after all the seller fees and taxes the buyer needs to consider, you would probably net about the same.

 

[Logdog]

Well, unfortunately, Will doesn't appear to want to put a value on my cue so I will consider some options others here have suggested. From the start, I have wanted everything to be public so that everyone could learn from the information. I have shared all of the price estimates from the hundred private messages I received several years ago. I would be very happy to have Will make a public estimate of the value. I am not interested in hiding anything. I am finding that this is not the normal position many people take. It seems that keeping the prices realized for a Gus cue a secret is one of the goals. Several people have told me I should have never shared the prices people gave me in private messages. I just don't like all the secrecy surrounding the high end Gus cue market which is why I have made everything public the entire time. Thanks again for all the help along the way that many of you have given. Keep a lookout at the Goodwill store or thrift shop because that may be where this ends up after my wife finds it in the safe deposit box 25 years from now (hopefully)

 

[fish2]

First post has no pics...

 

[boogieman]

Well, unfortunately, Will doesn't appear to want to put a value on my cue so I will consider some options others here have suggested. From the start, I have wanted everything to be public so that everyone could learn from the information. I have shared all of the price estimates from the hundred private messages I received several years ago. I would be very happy to have Will make a public estimate of the value. I am not interested in hiding anything. I am finding that this is not the normal position many people take. It seems that keeping the prices realized for a Gus cue a secret is one of the goals. Several people have told me I should have never shared the prices people gave me in private messages. I just don't like all the secrecy surrounding the high end Gus cue market which is why I have made everything public the entire time. Thanks again for all the help along the way that many of you have given. Keep a lookout at the Goodwill store or thrift shop because that may be where this ends up after my wife finds it in the safe deposit box 25 years from now (hopefully)

 

[ideologist]

Well, unfortunately, Will doesn't appear to want to put a value on my cue so I will consider some options others here have suggested. From the start, I have wanted everything to be public so that everyone could learn from the information. I have shared all of the price estimates from the hundred private messages I received several years ago. I would be very happy to have Will make a public estimate of the value. I am not interested in hiding anything. I am finding that this is not the normal position many people take. It seems that keeping the prices realized for a Gus cue a secret is one of the goals. Several people have told me I should have never shared the prices people gave me in private messages. I just don't like all the secrecy surrounding the high end Gus cue market which is why I have made everything public the entire time. Thanks again for all the help along the way that many of you have given. Keep a lookout at the Goodwill store or thrift shop because that may be where this ends up after my wife finds it in the safe deposit box 25 years from now (hopefully)

No one likes to post publicly when they spend car money on a toy

Somehow, your toy is extra special

 

[ibuycues]

Well, unfortunately, Will doesn't appear to want to put a value on my cue so I will consider some options others here have suggested. From the start, I have wanted everything to be public so that everyone could learn from the information. I have shared all of the price estimates from the hundred private messages I received several years ago. I would be very happy to have Will make a public estimate of the value. I am not interested in hiding anything. I am finding that this is not the normal position many people take. It seems that keeping the prices realized for a Gus cue a secret is one of the goals. Several people have told me I should have never shared the prices people gave me in private messages. I just don't like all the secrecy surrounding the high end Gus cue market which is why I have made everything public the entire time. Thanks again for all the help along the way that many of you have given. Keep a lookout at the Goodwill store or thrift shop because that may be where this ends up after my wife finds it in the safe deposit box 25 years from now (hopefully)

Sorry Bob, I will stay away from the hornet’s nest of getting in the middle of price. With my thoughts. Publicly.

I remember a good friend who restored a 1967 big block Corvette years ago. When he finished, he was in love with the car, however, ready to sell. He priced it a bit above the going rate.
After all, he had personally put all the sweat-love into the restoration and thought the car was extra special.
It was.
Just not up to the price he wanted.
He ended up slogging that car around for three years to a dozen shows and auctions (whew, a lot of work that was)
and finally sold the car.
Off it went, for a price he might have been able to sell the car for in three days.
I Never joked with him about the whole affair. He wouldn’t have found it funny.

I only mention this because sometimes a triple is just as good as a home run. Maybe better, because a deal is done.
Rather than asking the Forum every few months what the market is, and how much your cue is worth now,
just take the approx 500 messages of input you have received, consider it carefully because there are some damn smart people that reside here and have given you input.
Some up, some down, some sideways. But a lot of input.

If you really want to sell it, there are buyers here. Trust me. Even some who have never commented but have interest.
Price it based on your input (which you must admit you have) as a triple, not a home run.
But price it! Publicly. Maybe even with an OBO attached.
And off it’ll go.
I wish you well. If you really want to sell it you can.

Be careful you don’t continue to give the cue too much notoriety, it can hurt the market price.

As an aside, during the duration for this discussion forum on your cue, I have sold over 30 high end cues for a
handsome sum, including 5 Szamboti’s. Some one at a time, some multiple at a time. Several I have owned longer than you have owned your cue. I liked them immensely. For several, I was the original owner, like you.
I was very closely involved with the design, choice of woods, inlays, specs, etc.

Most were never chalked. But off they went, always for a triple, not a home run.
And they went quickly, trust me. And I was pleased.

Remember, the buyer has to also feel they did great on the sale as well.

You have a great cue, you will do well with a sale. And it might be a good time to let her go.
My best advice to a brilliant, good friend I‘ve known forever.
Will Prout

 

[Duane Remick]

Sorry Bob, I will stay away from the hornet’s nest of getting in the middle of price. With my thoughts. Publicly.

I remember a good friend who restored a 1967 big block Corvette years ago. When he finished, he was in love with the car, however, ready to sell. He priced it a bit above the going rate.
After all, he had personally put all the sweat-love into the restoration and thought the car was extra special.
It was.
Just not up to the price he wanted.
He ended up slogging that car around for three years to a dozen shows and auctions (whew, a lot of work that was)
and finally sold the car.
Off it went, for a price he might have been able to sell the car for in three days.
I Never joked with him about the whole affair. He wouldn’t have found it funny.

I only mention this because sometimes a triple is just as good as a home run. Maybe better, because a deal is done.
Rather than asking the Forum every few months what the market is, and how much your cue is worth now,
just take the approx 500 messages of input you have received, consider it carefully because there are some damn smart people that reside here and have given you input.
Some up, some down, some sideways. But a lot of input.

If you really want to sell it, there are buyers here. Trust me. Even some who have never commented but have interest.
Price it based on your input (which you must admit you have) as a triple, not a home run.
But price it! Publicly. Maybe even with an OBO attached.
And off it’ll go.
I wish you well. If you really want to sell it you can.

Be careful you don’t continue to give the cue too much notoriety, it can hurt the market price.

As an aside, during the duration for this discussion forum on your cue, I have sold over 30 high end cues for a
handsome sum, including 5 Szamboti’s. Some one at a time, some multiple at a time. Several I have owned longer than you have owned your cue. I liked them immensely. For several, I was the original owner, like you.
I was very closely involved with the design, choice of woods, inlays, specs, etc.

Most were never chalked. But off they went, always for a triple, not a home run.
And they went quickly, trust me. And I was pleased.

Remember, the buyer has to also feel they did great on the sale as well.

You have a great cue, you will do well with a sale. And it might be a good time to let her go.
My best advice to a brilliant, good friend I‘ve known forever.
Will Prout

"well-said Mr Prout.
I really appreciate someone wanting fair value for a rare, collectable cue,
However, IMO,
And personal experience within the cue market,
Trying to ring out every penny looks really bad on the sellers part,
Especially here on az billiards-
We all want our money, for sure,
but seems to me-
We sure want to make good deals with our fellow azrs too

 

[bbb]

Sorry Bob, I will stay away from the hornet’s nest of getting in the middle of price. With my thoughts. Publicly.

I remember a good friend who restored a 1967 big block Corvette years ago. When he finished, he was in love with the car, however, ready to sell. He priced it a bit above the going rate.
After all, he had personally put all the sweat-love into the restoration and thought the car was extra special.
It was.
Just not up to the price he wanted.
He ended up slogging that car around for three years to a dozen shows and auctions (whew, a lot of work that was)
and finally sold the car.
Off it went, for a price he might have been able to sell the car for in three days.
I Never joked with him about the whole affair. He wouldn’t have found it funny.

I only mention this because sometimes a triple is just as good as a home run. Maybe better, because a deal is done.
Rather than asking the Forum every few months what the market is, and how much your cue is worth now,
just take the approx 500 messages of input you have received, consider it carefully because there are some damn smart people that reside here and have given you input.
Some up, some down, some sideways. But a lot of input.

If you really want to sell it, there are buyers here. Trust me. Even some who have never commented but have interest.
Price it based on your input (which you must admit you have) as a triple, not a home run.
But price it! Publicly. Maybe even with an OBO attached.
And off it’ll go.
I wish you well. If you really want to sell it you can.

Be careful you don’t continue to give the cue too much notoriety, it can hurt the market price.

As an aside, during the duration for this discussion forum on your cue, I have sold over 30 high end cues for a
handsome sum, including 5 Szamboti’s. Some one at a time, some multiple at a time. Several I have owned longer than you have owned your cue. I liked them immensely. For several, I was the original owner, like you.
I was very closely involved with the design, choice of woods, inlays, specs, etc.

Most were never chalked. But off they went, always for a triple, not a home run.
And they went quickly, trust me. And I was pleased.

Remember, the buyer has to also feel they did great on the sale as well.

You have a great cue, you will do well with a sale. And it might be a good time to let her go.
My best advice to a brilliant, good friend I‘ve known forever.
Will Prout

Great post
you had to be a great dad

 

[HereWeGo]

I think this might have been pointed out previously but sometimes part of the value of a cue comes down to the seller/seller buyer relationships. While I carry a pretty good name in our community I am not known for dealing with huge big dollar cues while some of our peers deal with them daily. When I do come across a bigger cue and decide to sell them I usually go through them because they have buyers that I just don't have access to. I guarantee you that your cue would bring a different value in someone else's hands that deals with them daily. Some of the biggest buyers in the cue community don't even know how to use a computer/or the desire to use one and they don't buy from just anyone regardless of what's for sale.

 

[Logdog]

I think this might have been pointed out previously but sometimes part of the value of a cue comes down to the seller/seller buyer relationships. While I carry a pretty good name in our community I am not known for dealing with huge big dollar cues while some of our peers deal with them daily. When I do come across a bigger cue and decide to sell them I usually go through them because they have buyers that I just don't have access to. I guarantee you that your cue would bring a different value in someone else's hands that deals with them daily. Some of the biggest buyers in the cue community don't even know how to use a computer/or the desire to use one and they don't buy from just anyone regardless of what's for sale.

That is an interesting point of view

 

[Bob Farr]

First post has no pics...

Go to post 475

 

[Logdog]

"well-said Mr Prout.
I really appreciate someone wanting fair value for a rare, collectable cue,
However, IMO,
And personal experience within the cue market,
Trying to ring out every penny looks really bad on the sellers part,
Especially here on az billiards-
We all want our money, for sure,
but seems to me-
We sure want to make good deals with our fellow azrs too

If you have read through this thread I have wanted everything to be in the open so people could learn from the information. I received lots and lots of private message s with estimates of the cues value and those ranged from approximately 12,000 to 18,000. I decided fair was to land somewhere near the middle and have stated on more than one occasion that $15,000 seemed fair. At no time have I ever wanted to "ring out every penny" but have asked for help and wanted to be fair and especially everything out in the open. So once again thanks to the community for the ton of help I have received. I am still rather shocked that this appears uninteresting to anyone at $15,000. For transparency I will relate an interesting thing that happened with this cue. I made a deal with someone on the internet to sell it for $15,000 and they asked if I would hold it for 3 months with a non refundable deposit of $1500 and I agreed. I received the $1,500 that day and never heard from that person again. I don't know if he left the country or went to prison or died. The internet is a strange place indeed

 

[Dan White]

If you have read through this thread I have wanted everything to be in the open so people could learn from the information. I received lots and lots of private message s with estimates of the cues value and those ranged from approximately 12,000 to 18,000. I decided fair was to land somewhere near the middle and have stated on more than one occasion that $15,000 seemed fair. At no time have I ever wanted to "ring out every penny" but have asked for help and wanted to be fair and especially everything out in the open. So once again thanks to the community for the ton of help I have received. I am still rather shocked that this appears uninteresting to anyone at $15,000. For transparency I will relate an interesting thing that happened with this cue. I made a deal with someone on the internet to sell it for $15,000 and they asked if I would hold it for 3 months with a non refundable deposit of $1500 and I agreed. I received the $1,500 that day and never heard from that person again. I don't know if he left the country or went to prison or died. The internet is a strange place indeed

So drop your price to $13,500 and maybe get a quick sale. Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered.

 

[xX-Wizard-Xx]

15k for a cue seems ridiculous ..

 

[Hungarian]

Im just going to say what’s on my mind. Sorry if it’s offensive. Normally I keep my mouth shut when I don’t have a dog in the hunt. But I’ve endured this thread long enough I feel I’m entitled to speak.

The OP has received so much feedback from some of the main buyers a sellers in the cue world, but still I don’t think he is satisfied. He continues to claim how everything he does here in this thread is in the name of full transparency but I’m not buying it.

I’d venture to bet a large number most if not all want private transactions.

The only thing transparent about this thread is one man’s obvious attempt to squeeze for every dollar he can for a nice cue.

At this point I’d suggest a new, not so transparent for sale thread. Post some pics, specs and a price. Just the basic facts. No stories. Discuss numbers and details over PM like a normal person.

 

[ideologist]

Im just going to say what’s on my mind. Sorry if it’s offensive. Normally I keep my mouth shut when I don’t have a dog in the hunt. But I’ve endured this thread long enough I feel I’m entitled to speak.

The OP has received so much feedback from some of the main buyers a sellers in the cue world, but still I don’t think he is satisfied. He continues to claim how everything he does here in this thread is in the name of full transparency but I’m not buying it.

I’d venture to bet a large number most if not all want private transactions.

The only thing transparent about this thread is one man’s obvious attempt to squeeze for every dollar he can for a nice cue.

At this point I’d suggest a new, not so transparent for sale thread. Post some pics, specs and a price. Just the basic facts. No stories. Discuss numbers and details over PM like a normal person.

If I offered him 18,000 today, he would hold out for 18,001

 

[Hungarian]

If I offered him 18,000 today, he would hold out for 18,001

That's crazy. Yesterday I offered $17,999.