How Much Would You Pay To Get Your Cue Back?

[Scaramouche]

Finally got around to reading On Snooker The Game an the Characters Who Play it by Mordecai Richler.
A section recounts the story of the theft of Stephen Hendry's cue.
I've added some other stuff:

Stephen Hendry started playing at 12 when his parents gave him a 6 ft kids snooker table for Christmas.
When he was 13 he bought for £40 a cue that he used to become the most dominant player of his era.

In 1991, at the Rothman's Tournament in Reading, the cue was stolen from the practice room at the Ramada Inn.

A reward of £10,000 was offered - nearly $20,000 U.S. at the time.

The cue was delivered to the police a couple of days later and the reward was paid. No charges were laid.

In 2003, the cue did not survive the return trip from southeast Asia. (After 9-11 cues had to be carried in the baggage holds.)

He never found a suitable replacement.

 

[mmedford]

Well .308 is around $1 a round.. so I'll say $5...

If I ever got into reloading, could be less.

 

[pogmothoin]

The correct answer depends on a couple of factors. Therefore, it's basically a moving target.

Do you know who currently has the cue, where the cue is located, and whether or not that person knows it to be stolen.

Can you prove it is your cue, not a similar cue (lots of red corvettes in the world).

Has the cue, with all unique identifiers, been reported to the proper authorities?

If you can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt it's yours you either pay whatever you feel the value is or you take it by force.

If you choose force, talk to OJ beforehand to learn the pitfalls of that strategy. Not many cues worth 10-20 in the Graybar Hotel.

It's a good idea to remove the butt cap if possible and have something meaningful to you etched into the top where it's not seen. That's important when forced to prove something is yours to the authorities when there's a legitimate dispute as to ownership.

 

[alphadog]

Had a friend tell me he sold his 100$ cue for 150 at noon
Was so miserable about it,he bought it back for 175 that night.
Sold it for 200 the next week.This time when he tried to buy
It back,new owner said no,plays too good!


He is a good player who can play with a broom.Says he would
still buy that cue back.

 

[tommyceilings]

It depends on 0 factors. How much would you pay to get your cue back was the question.

The correct answer depends on a couple of factors. Therefore, it's basically a moving target.

Do you know who currently has the cue, where the cue is located, and whether or not that person knows it to be stolen.

Can you prove it is your cue, not a similar cue (lots of red corvettes in the world).

Has the cue, with all unique identifiers, been reported to the proper authorities?

If you can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt it's yours you either pay whatever you feel the value is or you take it by force.

If you choose force, talk to OJ beforehand to learn the pitfalls of that strategy. Not many cues worth 10-20 in the Graybar Hotel.

It's a good idea to remove the butt cap if possible and have something meaningful to you etched into the top where it's not seen. That's important when forced to prove something is yours to the authorities when there's a legitimate dispute as to ownership.