Harold Worst cue, more info needed

[BHQ]

this cue belongs to an older fella that plays where i play. he's just looking to get some idea of value and entertain any offers.
original shaft is crooked. not sure if plastic ribbed wrap is original, due to the lack of being even with the shoulders of undercut. can't tell if ferrule is ivory.
any other info someone can add would be appreciated.
thanks, brent

 

[GeraldG]

Harold Worst was a 3C Champion in the 1950's and 60's. I think this cue was one that was called the Harold Worst model built and marketed by A.E.Schmidt Co. To my knowledge Harold Worst was never involved with building cues and I think A.E. Schmidt was the only companay that ever built one bearing his name. They were marketed in the 1960's. I don't know anything about value for the cue, but you might find something about it in the Blue Book..... try looking under A.E.Schmidt.

 

[Pizza Bob]

this cue belongs to an older fella that plays where i play. he's just looking to get some idea of value and entertain any offers.
original shaft is crooked. not sure if plastic ribbed wrap is original, due to the lack of being even with the shoulders of undercut. can't tell if ferrule is ivory.
any other info someone can add would be appreciated.
thanks, brent

Sorry to disagree with GeraldG, but these aren't AESchmidt. That being said, I can't remember the name of the company that did manufacture them. I've seen about three or four of these - most with the company's decal still intact - and it wasn't AES. It was an Illinois company I believe. The vinyl wrap is correct for this cue. The ones I saw went in the $75 to $150 range - but they're worth whatever someone is willing to pay. The company name may come to me....give me time, I'm getting old <g>. Something simple like Cue, Mfg. Help?

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[BHQ]

Worst Cue

I Saw In Bluebook That A.e. Schmidt Did Make This Model Cue, Endorsed By Worst.
Page 576 Second Edition
Says $180 At 70% To $350 At 98%
Have To Say This Is A 70%er With Shaft As Warped As It Is.

 

[pawnmon]

Sorry to disagree with GeraldG, but these aren't AESchmidt. That being said, I can't remember the name of the company that did manufacture them. I've seen about three or four of these - most with the company's decal still intact - and it wasn't AES. It was an Illinois company I believe. The vinyl wrap is correct for this cue. The ones I saw went in the $75 to $150 range - but they're worth whatever someone is willing to pay. The company name may come to me....give me time, I'm getting old <g>. Something simple like Cue, Mfg. Help?

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Bob,
I've got one of those Worst cues. Bought it off ebay ($45.00 incl. shipping) for a laugh. Always wanted to have the "worst" cue made. It's in about 85% condition and straight. It has the label-decal you mention as well as the wierd ribed vinyl wrap. Something like Cue Mfg. Illinois with a line drawing of a guy shooting pool. Info I have is that A.E.Schmidt distributed these cues but someone else manufactured them, hence the label. Overall I'd say the cue is a piece of crap by today's standards.

Regards - Pawnmon

 

[TATE]

Bob,
I've got one of those Worst cues. Bought it off ebay ($45.00 incl. shipping) for a laugh. Always wanted to have the "worst" cue made. It's in about 85% condition and straight. It has the label-decal you mention as well as the wierd ribed vinyl wrap. Something like Cue Mfg. Illinois with a line drawing of a guy shooting pool. Info I have is that A.E.Schmidt distributed these cues but someone else manufactured them, hence the label. Overall I'd say the cue is a piece of crap by today's standards.

Regards - Pawnmon

I think you bid on the E-Bay unknown cue with a receipt sold in 1969 by West Coast Billiards, Don Lee's company. I outbid you. What are your ideas on this cue?

Chris

 

[pawnmon]

unknown cue

I think you bid on the E-Bay unknown cue with a receipt sold in 1969 by West Coast Billiards, Don Lee's company. I outbid you. What are your ideas on this cue?

Chris

Chris,

I don't know about that cue. Just had a good feeling about it. I was in L.A. around that time. There were very few quality cuemakers at that time. Most off the rack cues were crap from the far east if they weren't Rich or Adam (a little later). From the looks of that cue it sems to me that MAYBE it was made by Adams (not Adam) or TAD or maybe someone connected to those guys. Remember that $35.00 was a pretty good tag for a plain cue in those days. Incidentally, that is the second cue exactly like that on ebay in the last six months. I lost out on the first one as well.

I thought if I got that cue I'd take off the bumper and possibly the wrap to see what I had. It may turn out to be nothing but it's too nicely made to not wonder about. If you find out anything please let me know. If you get tired of it I'll pay you what you've got in it. BTW, is it straight?

Pawnmon

 

[TATE]

Chris,

I don't know about that cue. Just had a good feeling about it. I was in L.A. around that time. There were very few quality cuemakers at that time. Most off the rack cues were crap from the far east if they weren't Rich or Adam (a little later). From the looks of that cue it sems to me that MAYBE it was made by Adams (not Adam) or TAD or maybe someone connected to those guys. Remember that $35.00 was a pretty good tag for a plain cue in those days. Incidentally, that is the second cue exactly like that on ebay in the last six months. I lost out on the first one as well.


Pawnmon

Pawnmom,

You really know your stuff. West Coast Billiards was Don Lee's company and they were a seller of Tad.

I took a real flyer on that one. I was hoping it was a very early Tad but there were too many "not Tad" things about it. For one, most of them had stainless joints although it was exactly the same joint, 5/16 X 18 1" long, .75 diameter - pretty common to a lot of cues at the time. But he also did use brass as well. He rarely used a short butt cap ala Paradise and Palmer and if he did it was black. The rings, joint, etc. screamed early Tad.

So I took a flyer on it. I knew it wan't an Adams cue because, for one they didn't exist here in 1969. Their similar first catalog model of this design in 1970 did not come in birdseye for some reason.

You hit the nail on the head. It's a National Cue. Before Helmstetter started Adams cues, he was a cue maker and was hired to open a division of National Tournament Chalk, who wanted to get into the cue business. They employed Craig Peterson, Bob Meucci, and others. If you go back and look at the receipt photo, just imagine the first letter is an "N". Because it's a carbon copy, the cross on the "t" didn't show though. The receipt says "National Cue" 1969.

I probably overpaid for it. That's Ok. I found out the seller was an older woman who was raising some cash to pay for her sister's funeral expenses. In the "can you believe" department I was just blessed with an old Eddie Laube window cue and a Brunswick leather case for a pittance.

Chris