How do you ID a pool cue?

justadub

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
I'm a beginner. I don't begin to understand a fraction of what you folks here know, so I'll try and tap into that knowledge base.

Our league team took first place in our league last night, and so I'll have a little money coming, money that I can put back into my pool habit. I would like to try and find a decent cue, and I'm not going to have the budget to go and order one, either custom or production. What I plan on trying to do is surf the pawn shops and see if I can get a decent piece of equipment for a budget price. (There was thread about this a few weeks ago, spurring this plan.) As this will be a major improvement over the department store cue I'm using now, I don't plan on looking for any particular brand, just something nice and that feels good to me.

Thing is, I do not have the slightest idea of how to identify the manufacturer of the cue. Do they have their names printed on them? Or just a logo? I remember reading in a thread a while ago about a particular brand of cue having initials on the butt, though there were a couple of different fonts styles depending on the year for that brand. That made me wonder how an un-educated novice like myself would ever know what I had (or didn't have).

I have tried searching this site, and google, with little success. Maybe I'm over-complicating it (if the names are printed of the side of the cue) and mabye I'm not. I'd appreciate suggestions on where to look and what to look for.

Yes, I'll be better off in the long run ordering something, but I cannot justify the dollars at this time. As time passes, if I'm still as active with this as I am now, I will certainly invest in such a cue. And no, I can't stop in some place and look at them, and try them out. Such a place doesn't exist anywhere near where I live. We have places to play, but not much for equipment is sold at those places. I have tried sneaking a glance or two at other folks cues at the club where I play, and I expect to do more of that, probably more directly asking about them, so that will help as well. But I expect they don't have some of the names I see thrown around here so often. What with the wonders of the internet, I thought that I might see something online, but I've had no success so far.

Thanks for the help. And having patience with a noob such as me.
 
Head into the Wanted/For Sale section and take a look at the photos of cues for sale. That will give you an idea of what the logos look like and what to look for. Some cues, like Schon, actually have the name printed on the butt of the cue, some have initials, some might just have a symbol, like the McDermott shamrock.

Most pawn shops will know what they have if it's a major brand production cue and will charge accordingly. The true finds are when you get a custom cue with initials that aren't well known and the pawn shop doesn't know what to charge for it! Good luck in your search.
 
Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm sure the biggest pawn shop in my area will very likely know what they have, but there are a few smaller ones around that might not be as up on things. It'll be fun prowling around, kinda like fishing I suppose.

Again, my thanks.
 
Cue ID

A good start would be to get a copy of the Blue Book of Cues 3rd Edition.

I would get online or talk to someone to figure out what you want in a cue and be careful buying cues in pawn shops.
Most pawn shops these days have mostly junk and if they get a decent cue they put it on Ebay.

If you want to talk to someone feel free to PM me for my phone number.

Peace

Ted
 
Will the Blue Book have photo's of the logos/inscriptions/etc? That would be most helpful, for sure.

(I don't plan on spending much, so I won't be out much if it doesn't work out. Ya never know, though)

Thanks.
 
Get one here. Without a luck factor that competes with winning the lotto, your not going to find much these days at a pawn shop in the "wow" category. Hell, U'd be lucky to score in the "nice find" category. Probably more effective to keep your eyes on this forum (for sale portion) and browse daily, not only will you educate yourself in the process you'll likely find a very good deal on a very solid used cue.
 
Pawn shops are hit or miss. Generally, everything they sell is used and you have to use caution when buying used cues. If you give us a idea of what your budget is, I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice on what is a good production cue. Custom cues tend to bring $$$ depending on the name on them. I don't know a pawn shop that doesn't have a internet connection and do diligent research on items BEFORE they put out a dime. Just how it is. Most of the good stuff rarely makes it out to the floor these days...
 
Blue Book

justadub said:
Will the Blue Book have photo's of the logos/inscriptions/etc? That would be most helpful, for sure.

(I don't plan on spending much, so I won't be out much if it doesn't work out. Ya never know, though)

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The Blue Book is basically outdated, and just a bunch of pictures.
There is some decent information.
The pricing is totally ineffective and really isn't even a guideline.
You have to read between the lines on the pricing because any price could of been entered, realistic or not and in some cases incorrectly.
It does give you an idea of the pricing structure at least, as incorrect as it is.
Also, there are many more cue builders these days than listed in the book.

AZ is probably the best place to get information.
We may argue about it, hate everybody, whatever, but at the end of the day, the outcome is usually correct.
 
I agree & disagree with cuesblues. I really like all 3 editons of the Blue Book of Cues.

One thing I've learned that anything is worth what someone will pay for it.

Another thing I've learned that Estimated Value Books are someone's opinion. We all have a Nose & an OPINION.

The books do show some good pictures & some good ways to identify cues. To the end that books help identify a cue & give some starting point to eveluate a Cue, I agree...

BUt just because somone says the book states a certain model Joss is worth $xxx.xx amount, I may or may not agree.

Looking at the Wanted-For Sale part of the forum can be benificial info. At this point in history, with a recession among us, prices can be down & might go down even more..

Good Luck in your quest.
 
rugerfan said:
Pawn shops are hit or miss. Generally, everything they sell is used and you have to use caution when buying used cues. If you give us a idea of what your budget is, I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice on what is a good production cue. Custom cues tend to bring $$$ depending on the name on them. I don't know a pawn shop that doesn't have a internet connection and do diligent research on items BEFORE they put out a dime. Just how it is. Most of the good stuff rarely makes it out to the floor these days...
Click to expand...

I'm not going to insult anyone here by trying to quite a budget, heh. I don't plan on spending much at this time, just trying to get something decent to tide me over until I can spend an appropriate amount of money on a nice cue. That time isn't now, so I'm just trying to learn what these better cues might look like or how to identify them, even the production types, in the event that I run into something at the pawn shops.

I realize that most pawn shops have the internet, and do their own research on items, or they wouldn't be very successful. Given how little information I'm finding on the internet, those folks aren't going to be able to know what they have any better than I do. :rolleyes: And I plan on hitting the smaller shops more, rather than the one bigger operation here in town that I'm quite certain will know what they have. We're WAY out in the woods here, so they probably don't get a lot of this kind of traffic very often, in any event. Who knows? I think that part will be kind of fun, fishing around a little. I just wanna know a little bit about what I'm looking for. I do appreciate the help and suggestions.
 
justadub said:
I'm a beginner. I don't begin to understand a fraction of what you folks here know, so I'll try and tap into that knowledge base.

Our league team took first place in our league last night, and so I'll have a little money coming, money that I can put back into my pool habit. I would like to try and find a decent cue, and I'm not going to have the budget to go and order one, either custom or production. What I plan on trying to do is surf the pawn shops and see if I can get a decent piece of equipment for a budget price. (There was thread about this a few weeks ago, spurring this plan.) As this will be a major improvement over the department store cue I'm using now, I don't plan on looking for any particular brand, just something nice and that feels good to me.

Thing is, I do not have the slightest idea of how to identify the manufacturer of the cue. Do they have their names printed on them? Or just a logo? I remember reading in a thread a while ago about a particular brand of cue having initials on the butt, though there were a couple of different fonts styles depending on the year for that brand. That made me wonder how an un-educated novice like myself would ever know what I had (or didn't have).

I have tried searching this site, and google, with little success. Maybe I'm over-complicating it (if the names are printed of the side of the cue) and mabye I'm not. I'd appreciate suggestions on where to look and what to look for.

Yes, I'll be better off in the long run ordering something, but I cannot justify the dollars at this time. As time passes, if I'm still as active with this as I am now, I will certainly invest in such a cue. And no, I can't stop in some place and look at them, and try them out. Such a place doesn't exist anywhere near where I live. We have places to play, but not much for equipment is sold at those places. I have tried sneaking a glance or two at other folks cues at the club where I play, and I expect to do more of that, probably more directly asking about them, so that will help as well. But I expect they don't have some of the names I see thrown around here so often. What with the wonders of the internet, I thought that I might see something online, but I've had no success so far.

Thanks for the help. And having patience with a noob such as me.
Click to expand...

When you find something you like, take a pic and post it here (with the price) before you buy it. You'll probably find out more than you want to know.

Chris
 
If your looking for identifiying trademarks, check out the cue gallery. Keep in mind, a lot of the custom cues your gonna see there are not going to be in the hock shops (unless you get very, very lucky). Your more then likely to see production cues and you should familiarize yourself with their markings. Brand names are OK, but that within itself is no garrentee your going to like the cue until you play with it, unless you find a pawnshop with a pool table:rolleyes:.

I know from experience. I have found some real good deals over the years at local pawnshops. The corridor between Baltimore and DC is loaded with hock shops and high end cue builders and that increase's the odds of finding custom cues. Being I have spent some serious $$$ with a bunch of these shop owners over the years, they tend to cut me better deals then the regular Joe's...

I think your better off dealing with some of the guys here on the classified section. they are more likely to give you a short inspection period on what you buy. At most pawn shops, once you walk out the door, it's yours...good or bad.

Good luck with your search.
 
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Blue Book of Cues

ceebee said:
I agree & disagree with cuesblues. I really like all 3 editons of the Blue Book of Cues.

One thing I've learned that anything is worth what someone will pay for it.

Another thing I've learned that Estimated Value Books are someone's opinion. We all have a Nose & an OPINION.

The books do show some good pictures & some good ways to identify cues. To the end that books help identify a cue & give some starting point to eveluate a Cue, I agree...

BUt just because somone says the book states a certain model Joss is worth $xxx.xx amount, I may or may not agree.

Looking at the Wanted-For Sale part of the forum can be benificial info. At this point in history, with a recession among us, prices can be down & might go down even more..

Good Luck in your quest.
Click to expand...

ceebee,

I did suggest the Blue Book in my first post and I think we are agreeing and agreeing.
Like I said, there is a lot of decent information, and good pictures.
One of the problems is the pricing structure is whatever the cuebuilder felt like putting down.
One cuebuilder told me he could of put $3000 down for a $500 cue if he wanted to.
Another cuebuilder told me his pricing was entered incorrectly from pricing in a previous edition.
I thought 75-bucks for a shaft sounded kind of cheap.

I've seen cues that are worth double or half in any market, so the pricing structure in the BB is what it is, and is definitely outdated and subjective.
I also have all three Blue Books and have used a lot of the information.
Even uncovered some interesting links for one cuebuilder to another as well as identifying cues from those links just by the design.

I do think we are on the same page though

Peace

Ted
 
Beware_of_Dawg said:
Get one here. Without a luck factor that competes with winning the lotto, your not going to find much these days at a pawn shop in the "wow" category. Hell, U'd be lucky to score in the "nice find" category. Probably more effective to keep your eyes on this forum (for sale portion) and browse daily, not only will you educate yourself in the process you'll likely find a very good deal on a very solid used cue.
Click to expand...

I agree with getting one here. It is hard to find a good deal at a pawn shop these days. When and if you do, you could have probably got the same deal here..or better. For the most part, the majority of cues worth anything at pawnshops are McDermott's, Meucci's, Joss, etc. Like people mentioned before, McDermott's have the shamrock on the butt, and Meucci's and Joss's will have their names on them somewhere, for the most part. From my experience most of the cues are junk(Vipers, Minnesota Fats, etc.). In the last few years I have not seen a cue worth buying at the pawnshop. Also, many pawnshops are sticking cues on Ebay, instead of trying to sell them at their store. I know you mentioned smaller pawnshops, so this might not be the case. Really, the more cues you see and learn things, you will be able to spot decent cues and total junk just from looks and feel.

AZ really is probably the best place, wheather your budget is $20 or $2000. I would maybe make a post in the wanted/for sale section and tell everyone your budget. Personally, I know I have some decent cues for sale right now anywhere from $40-$600. Good luck!:wink:
 
rossaroni said:
I agree with getting one here. It is hard to find a good deal at a pawn shop these days. When and if you do, you could have probably got the same deal here..or better. For the most part, the majority of cues worth anything at pawnshops are McDermott's, Meucci's, Joss, etc. Like people mentioned before, McDermott's have the shamrock on the butt, and Meucci's and Joss's will have their names on them somewhere, for the most part. From my experience most of the cues are junk(Vipers, Minnesota Fats, etc.). In the last few years I have not seen a cue worth buying at the pawnshop. Also, many pawnshops are sticking cues on Ebay, instead of trying to sell them at their store. I know you mentioned smaller pawnshops, so this might not be the case. Really, the more cues you see and learn things, you will be able to spot decent cues and total junk just from looks and feel.

AZ really is probably the best place, wheather your budget is $20 or $2000. I would maybe make a post in the wanted/for sale section and tell everyone your budget. Personally, I know I have some decent cues for sale right now anywhere from $40-$600. Good luck!:wink:
Click to expand...

Now I'm getting somewhere! McDermotts have a shamrock, Meucci & Joss have names on them... This is the stuff I was looking for. Cool, and thanks. Any other info similar to this, folks? (I'm really surprised that there isn't a web page somewhere by some fanatic that shows this stuff ;)

And I realize that you are all probably right, that I'll likely have to shop here at AZ or something like that, and that I won't see anything decent at the pawnshops. I just wanna give it a try, as much for the curiosity as anything else. All of your replies and advice is greatfully accepted and appreciated. Thanks everyone!
 
pulzcul said:
Here friend check this out. These guys have a huge Gallery. have fun. Don http://www.proficientbilliards.com/
Click to expand...

Eureka! I just knew that someone here at AZ would know of a resource like this. This is wonderful.

I realize this probably doesn't cover all the "good/great/awesome" models of cues out there, but this is definitely a start,and is exactly the type of thing I was looking for. Thanks so much.
 
Why don't you post how much you want to spend in the for sale section. You never know what might pop up. I've seen cues for as low as $40. And i agree most of the cues i have seen in pawn shops are good for firewood or shooting around corners and i live in a Metro area of about 2 million with lots of pawn shops. Tell ya what if you pop for the shipping i will send you my old Dufferen cue. It has a little wobble when rolled but it is not beat up and plays pretty good. It will beat the hell out of most pawn shop cues that are all beat up.
 
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