An incredible piece of pool cue history. Thanks for sharing 
Here It Is The SILVER GINACUE
- Thread starter kvinbrwr
- Start date
Holy cow, that cue is unreal. I think I would have taken 350 g's for it though.
The first time I had seen pics of this cue was in 1995 when the Denver Post did a article on collectible pool cues and highlighted David Kikel and Ernie Martinez. It says in the article that Ernie Gutierrez had turned down $70,000 for it once. This was a very good piece on cues and the craftsmen who make them.
Attachments
$350,000 is inflation adjusted.
I hear you
. The article quoted Ernie G and he said he was going to make another cue very similar to his silver cue but it would be made out of gold. I wonder if that ever happened.
...............Excuse me while I pick up my jaw!
great return on investment
Who offered $350,000?
Here are some pics of what is arguably the most collectible cue ever made. The way I understand it, the trinity of holy grail cues is the Golden Babushka, the Last Gus and the Silver Gina. Ernie Gutierrez's 69th birthday was yesterday and he celebrated by working all day like he does every day except Sunday. Kam Daswani (Kam here at AZ) was there visiting Ernie's, as was my friend Joe Richland (junksecret here in AZ land). Ernie was kind enough to show the Silver Gina and Joe ran and got whatever camera he had and shot with the light available in Ernie's shop. I was a little surprised that Ernie allowed the pictures and very surprised when he gave me permission to post them on AZ. I consider this a rather rare treat and that's why I'm posting them here in the Main rather than in cue gallery. My thanks to Kam for inspiring Ernie, Joe for taking the best pics he could in those conditions, and of course, to Ernie for the permission (and for building this monster to begin with).
Ernie started the Silver Gina in 1965 and finished it and the hand made case in 1966. He built the cue as a display of his skills and would take it to tournaments and play with it as a way of drawing attention, showcasing his talents and gathering orders. As you can see, the cue has been used as all Ginas are intended to be used, as a pool playing instrument. The cue and case are constructed of silver, ivory, mother of pearl, maple and ebony. Ernie had been building cues for 3 years when he built this cue more than 40 yeas ago.
I deal in high-end collectibles and the Silver Gina is one of the few instances I can think of where a collectible of high value has been retained in the possession of the person who actually created it. Generally a historically collectible piece gets valued by what it sells or auctions for as it gets passed up the chain from collector to collector to gallery and museums. The Silver Gina is valued in a different way, as it has never been sold. It is valued by the offers Ernie has turned down. Starting in 1966 at turning down the unheard of at that time sum of $3,000 all the way up to modern times with him refusing a purported $350K.
Here it is:
Who offered $350,000?
Here are some pics of what is arguably the most collectible cue ever made. The way I understand it, the trinity of holy grail cues is the Golden Babushka, the Last Gus and the Silver Gina. Ernie Gutierrez's 69th birthday was yesterday and he celebrated by working all day like he does every day except Sunday. Kam Daswani (Kam here at AZ) was there visiting Ernie's, as was my friend Joe Richland (junksecret here in AZ land). Ernie was kind enough to show the Silver Gina and Joe ran and got whatever camera he had and shot with the light available in Ernie's shop. I was a little surprised that Ernie allowed the pictures and very surprised when he gave me permission to post them on AZ. I consider this a rather rare treat and that's why I'm posting them here in the Main rather than in cue gallery. My thanks to Kam for inspiring Ernie, Joe for taking the best pics he could in those conditions, and of course, to Ernie for the permission (and for building this monster to begin with).
Ernie started the Silver Gina in 1965 and finished it and the hand made case in 1966. He built the cue as a display of his skills and would take it to tournaments and play with it as a way of drawing attention, showcasing his talents and gathering orders. As you can see, the cue has been used as all Ginas are intended to be used, as a pool playing instrument. The cue and case are constructed of silver, ivory, mother of pearl, maple and ebony. Ernie had been building cues for 3 years when he built this cue more than 40 yeas ago.
I deal in high-end collectibles and the Silver Gina is one of the few instances I can think of where a collectible of high value has been retained in the possession of the person who actually created it. Generally a historically collectible piece gets valued by what it sells or auctions for as it gets passed up the chain from collector to collector to gallery and museums. The Silver Gina is valued in a different way, as it has never been sold. It is valued by the offers Ernie has turned down. Starting in 1966 at turning down the unheard of at that time sum of $3,000 all the way up to modern times with him refusing a purported $350K.
Here it is:
Holy moley. A new standard in cue porn -- and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Thanks for sharing!
Lou Figueroa
I'm not sure I agree.
As in all fields of collectibles, there are those very rare one-of-a-kind items that develop a certain je ne sais qua, a mystique if you will, that only enhances their end value in the community that covets them.
Whether Ernie, or his heirs, eventually sell The Sliver Gina for more or less, it can't be argued that even anecdotal stories like this only enhance the cue's desirability and true end value amongst the rich cognoscenti.
Lou Figueroa
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Lou
Absolutely. The point can't be what he should have ever sold the cue for as in "what's reasonable". Ernie has made and sold, what ? 3000 cues in his time as a cue maker, clearly he knows what a reasonable price for his goods are, he sells them as fast as he can make them. What did Balabushka charge for a cue in 1966? $100 bucks ? Clearly $3000 was an exorbitant amount of money for a cue in 1966 and Ernie turned it down, thus spinning up the value of the cue. Meantime for 50 years Ernie has enhanced his reputation as a cue maker and allure to collectors and thus the value of this cue. Its silly to discuss what he should or should not have accepted for this cue, clearly in 44 years he's had several "reasonable" offers and by not accepting them he has helped create what this cue is. To say what he should have done or what you would do if you were him is silly. What he has done is create one of the most collectible cues in the history of cue making and he has managed to hang on to it himself.
Thanks
Kevin
Here are some pics of what is arguably the most collectible cue ever made. The way I understand it, the trinity of holy grail cues is the Golden Babushka, the Last Gus and the Silver Gina. Ernie Gutierrez's 69th birthday was yesterday and he celebrated by working all day like he does every day except Sunday. Kam Daswani (Kam here at AZ) was there visiting Ernie's, as was my friend Joe Richland (junksecret here in AZ land). Ernie was kind enough to show the Silver Gina and Joe ran and got whatever camera he had and shot with the light available in Ernie's shop. I was a little surprised that Ernie allowed the pictures and very surprised when he gave me permission to post them on AZ. I consider this a rather rare treat and that's why I'm posting them here in the Main rather than in cue gallery. My thanks to Kam for inspiring Ernie, Joe for taking the best pics he could in those conditions, and of course, to Ernie for the permission (and for building this monster to begin with).
Ernie started the Silver Gina in 1965 and finished it and the hand made case in 1966. He built the cue as a display of his skills and would take it to tournaments and play with it as a way of drawing attention, showcasing his talents and gathering orders. As you can see, the cue has been used as all Ginas are intended to be used, as a pool playing instrument. The cue and case are constructed of silver, ivory, mother of pearl, maple and ebony. Ernie had been building cues for 3 years when he built this cue more than 40 yeas ago.
I deal in high-end collectibles and the Silver Gina is one of the few instances I can think of where a collectible of high value has been retained in the possession of the person who actually created it. Generally a historically collectible piece gets valued by what it sells or auctions for as it gets passed up the chain from collector to collector to gallery and museums. The Silver Gina is valued in a different way, as it has never been sold. It is valued by the offers Ernie has turned down. Starting in 1966 at turning down the unheard of at that time sum of $3,000 all the way up to modern times with him refusing a purported $350K.
Here it is:
Anybody that refuses 350k for a pool cue is just plan goofy.
Chris
What happens when you buy a cue of this magnitude (not that I know) is your balance goes way off kilter. If you carry your wallet in your right rear pocket, you find that area all of a sudden way light and its tough to stay down over a shot with your butt floating up and away like that. That's where all the silver work comes in, weighting you back down.
Look at those shafts. Ernie would screw this baby together and break and play with it.
Thanks
Kevin
Nice Kev!
While I did indeed take the pictures, I've seen the cue many times and never thought to shoot it before, so you did the most important part, asking Ernie's permission and making me grab a camera out of my trunk. While I wish I'd of had better camera gear with me and more time to use it, I'm pleased you're able to share the cue with so many people.
The previous poster is correct that Ernie doesn't need the money (certainly not in cash) and that cue's value, like so many of Ernie's cues, will only go in one direction, up.
Ernie and I are good friends and I have spent 100's of hours in his shop. I believe I have seen him perform every step in his cue making and having done so only increases my respect for him as a cuemaker, and my pride in having him as a friend. I've never seen anyone more exacting with their product or less willing to accept an imperfection.
I used to think that him using a CNC meant he put material in and cues came out, which couldn't be further from the truth. While I think it allows him to be more exacting, it often increases his time for a task vs. doing it by hand. I would guess if he produced cues in a production line fashion, the opposite would be the case.
Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox and just add, that cue is an amazing piece of history.
Joe
P.S. Here's a couple of abstracts that I like, both of Ernie's cues
While I did indeed take the pictures, I've seen the cue many times and never thought to shoot it before, so you did the most important part, asking Ernie's permission and making me grab a camera out of my trunk. While I wish I'd of had better camera gear with me and more time to use it, I'm pleased you're able to share the cue with so many people.
The previous poster is correct that Ernie doesn't need the money (certainly not in cash) and that cue's value, like so many of Ernie's cues, will only go in one direction, up.
Ernie and I are good friends and I have spent 100's of hours in his shop. I believe I have seen him perform every step in his cue making and having done so only increases my respect for him as a cuemaker, and my pride in having him as a friend. I've never seen anyone more exacting with their product or less willing to accept an imperfection.
I used to think that him using a CNC meant he put material in and cues came out, which couldn't be further from the truth. While I think it allows him to be more exacting, it often increases his time for a task vs. doing it by hand. I would guess if he produced cues in a production line fashion, the opposite would be the case.
Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox and just add, that cue is an amazing piece of history.
Joe
P.S. Here's a couple of abstracts that I like, both of Ernie's cues
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What a treat for us to see.
I think I peed my pants a bit.
I think I peed my pants a bit.
