If I knew then...

Kobachi

Kobachi

Scarred but Smarter
....what I know now. Digging through the closet, found a box full of correspondence, back in the day I used to write to just about everybody in the back of the billiard mags, and sometimes they'd write back (before internet). Found some pics of cues, with prices that will really make some here sob. I've got quite a few of these, if there's any interest I could post more, and we can all reminisce of what could have been...maybe some of you out there own some of these? Enjoy. ps, most of these are from Hercek here in the Chgo area, (Healthware Fitness and Billiards inc.)
 

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Yeah,

I remember back when I got correspondence from John Wright. SW's, Black Boars, Scruggs, etc... fairly cheap. Of course there were also Dale Perry's, Stouts, etc... cues that you practically can't give away today. And many other cuemakers whose value has remained unchanged.

I remember going over to Wright's house and looking at cues. I had the opportunity to pick up a fairly fancy Ron Haley for $850. I didn't because, dare I say, it "hit" poorly. I also remember seeing a website that was selling nice looking cues by the name of Searing, who the hell is that, I thought? Over a dozen of them, each selling for around $1,200. Seemed like alot at the time for an unknown. Did buy 3 Randy Mobleys for $200 a piece. They were ok, nothing to write home about.

Makes me wonder whick of today's cuemakers will become legends? Ernie Martinez, Murrell, Gilbert, Zinzola..."? It seems that there is alot of hype surrounding some of the "top tier" cuemakers. Without naming names I've seen some really crappy work from some of these "legends" of cuemaking. However, conversely, I've seen some amazing stuff from knowbody's.

There's another forum member who has several of these "mailers" posted on his website (can't think of the name right now). Fun walk down memory lane. I think that he even had a comparison of what the cue would be valued today, campared with it's value back then. ??? he also shows old palmers, schons, etc...???? "Palmer collector"???
 
Last edited:
Salamander said:
The website was....

http://www.palmercollector.com/

Clink on the link...."Blast from the past".
Click to expand...

Well whataya know...very interesting. Thanks for throwing that link out here, I have a bunch that he didn't post, might contact him to see if he'd like to add them. So I'm not the only one that never throws anything away... Found a flyer in the box for Schrager cues from 1991, got a full cover picture of Lou Butera, never knew until the light hit it just right, Lou autographed it, over a black part of the picture, with a black ballpoint pen, interesting.
 
Great catalog, and nice to see what Barry´s cues sold for - some time ago.:grin:
I know where one them is, and i don´t thing there would be a chance under 10k :rolleyes:
Thanks for sharing that great pics and history.
Erich
 
Wow, not sure I've seen that particular flyer from Joel. These prices are probably from around 15-16 years ago. Pretty neat, it has my rosewood Barry which was made for the 1992 trade show in Kansas City. Also, a monster Gus for $5k and two sweet Hoppe CPs for around a dime. :eek:

Absolutely......"if I knew then, what I know now"....there's a lot of us that can truly relate to that.

Thanks for posting this.
 
I really enjoyed looking at these pictures. I was thinking the same thing as salamander; what current cuebuilders are with us today that will be comparable to these folks in 20 years?
 
This post brings back such memories of a simpler time. I too used to write to everyone and I had two big binders full of brochures.

I remember drooling over the Scruggs and Joss and Schon brochures, memorizing the entire McDermott catalog, my first Schon bought from Danny Barrouty.

My first dealer account through Mali.

God I loved pool and pool stuff back then.

Thanks for the memories.
 
Simper times indeed JB Cases...

...remember just having a beeper? No internet...having to put a stamp on an envelope? And carefully writing your name and address on it in hopes of it getting a response? No cell phones, the big block cells were $1000+, now we get texts, emails, PM's in seconds, send me the picture of the "forearm of the Szamboti", while driving in your car? Forget about it. The cuemakers back then were pumping out their cues, and word of mouth was just about all they had, with exception to the few dealers like above. I'm curious, what do you think about the better cue makers of today, 20 years from now, do you think we'll be just as floored by their pictures and prices like we see from 15-20 years ago? Makes you wonder...as the song goes, video killed the radio star? Will technology kill the cuemaker star? I guess only time will tell. I'm gunna dig in the box and post more...
 
Mailers were fun! If anybody wants to scan any and email them to me, I'll put them on the web site. email is palmercollector@aol.com


When I published the first set of mailers, which were provided by "Guycrunch", a number of the cues featured were recognized by owners.

Chris
 
flyers

could have had a World Class collection by just picking up the first 3 or 4 cues from this flyer!
gus 8 point, gus yellow veneer 6 point, gus window, gus rw>rw 4

not sure whose flyer this was!?
prices are written on the butt.

scan i made from one of ribdoner's flyers.

4145582432_bd3bbf6645_o.jpg
 
Old Palmer Receipt

Here's the original receipt for the Palmer that was stolen from my mothers husband almost 20 years ago. We know who stole the cue as we found out about 10 years ago. We found out last year that he thinks he knows where the cue is and he is working on returning it. It has not been returned yet.

The person who stole the cue just moved back to the area last year and he is playing at the house almost daily. Unfortunately, every time I am home visiting, they don't invite him over because they know I will say something. I think it's pretty pathetic that somebody I used to play with and was allowed to come over and play any time he wanted, even if nobody was home, would pull shit like that. His friends tell me he feels really bad about it. I don't buy it. If he did, he'd make more of an effort to recover the cue.

Anyway, here's a copy of the original receipt, which we dug up while I was home this Thanksgiving.

palmer.jpg
 
icon2 said:
could have had a World Class collection by just picking up the first 3 or 4 cues from this flyer!
gus 8 point, gus yellow veneer 6 point, gus window, gus rw>rw 4

not sure whose flyer this was!?
prices are written on the butt.

scan i made from one of ribdoner's flyers.

4145582432_bd3bbf6645_o.jpg
Click to expand...


DAMN, can't recall which closet i hid em in:confused:
 
Kobachi said:
...remember just having a beeper? No internet...having to put a stamp on an envelope? And carefully writing your name and address on it in hopes of it getting a response? No cell phones, the big block cells were $1000+, now we get texts, emails, PM's in seconds, send me the picture of the "forearm of the Szamboti", while driving in your car? Forget about it. The cuemakers back then were pumping out their cues, and word of mouth was just about all they had, with exception to the few dealers like above. I'm curious, what do you think about the better cue makers of today, 20 years from now, do you think we'll be just as floored by their pictures and prices like we see from 15-20 years ago? Makes you wonder...as the song goes, video killed the radio star? Will technology kill the cuemaker star? I guess only time will tell. I'm gunna dig in the box and post more...
Click to expand...

I think that in some ways the brochures and catalogs made you yearn more. Now I think it's really hard to fall in love with cues because of overexposure. Cuemakers are notorious for not presenting their work properly online and there are so many of them who can keep up?

There was something pleasurable and tactile about flipping through those brochures. Who remembers Andersen cues? I don't think you can get that by viewing them on a screen. Not really.

I just made a book of my cases over the past two years. Even though the pictures in the book are not as detailed as on the website the book just feels better, it's much nicer to flip though it and you can almost feel the leather. That's how I used to feel about the cues in the brochures. I would fantasize about playing with them, how they would feel in my hands. Then when I got my first Schon it was an ecstatic feeling when I took it to the poolroom and played with it.

It was a simpler time. A much nicer time.

I don't think we will have such fond memories of cue makers and the business as it is now in 20 year's time.

I think that with the internet we are so "on top" of the latest information all the time that hardly anything is new or exciting anymore. Although I think that people are still getting the same thrill when they get that cue that they have longed for.

1990 was another world. I haven't even seen a stamp in years. Now all the mail I get is barcoded.

I get pissy when I have to handwrite a UPS Label. :-)

Sometimes I wish I just those binders full of brochures instead of this laptop.
 
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