If You Started Collecting Today

Jeff

Jeff

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you were to start collecting Cues today, what builders would you focus on?

I guess collecting can be many things, things you like but may or may not increase in value, and things you collect expecting them to increase in value.

Replies to both are welcome but mainly I am asking about the latter.
 
I would buy a Lou Stone, He's a cue builder out in utah and he makes some pretty cues that hit great. They probably aren't worth a ton in comparison to a SW or something of that caliber but I have always wanted one. After that I would try to find my old Coker (i could kick myself for selling that cue)...An Ebony and Ivory Cogniciti (spellig?) would be towards the top of my list...
 
Any custom cue-maker that's still active and has been making cues since the late 70's or early 80's with razor sharp points & veneers........ CNC cuts allowable only if the cue-maker takes the time to hand mitre all points & veneers...........no shortcuts allowed.
 
I have a few cues but nothing special. To me they are, no one else.

There are a few but I would love to just be able to hold a Balabushka let alone play a few games with it. I know a guy that might be selling a bit of his collection in the future.

If the timing is right (money), I will see.

Altho, with our one hall that has closed, there is no where to play a decent game other than league nights and I sure as heck wouldn't be taking it to a bar.

That in itself has made my desire for one drop a bit.
 
Jr

Jerry R cues. I have never owned one but have seen them, I think in a few years his prices will appreciate. He has been making cues for awhile and I have only heard good things about him and his cues.
 
Bob Runde--I played around with one last week and the cue felt like it was an extension of my arm. The cue is one of his later models --made just a couple of years ago..they are going to go up in value--
 
IMO, lots of bad advice above.

There are only 3-5 makers that I would consider collectable and that will increase in value.

I equate it a lot to cars.

1969 Z/28 - If you can buy it in original condition at a good price, it is a collectable and will increase in value, but to make a ton isn't going to happen, anyone with sense knows what they are worth.

2013 Z/28 - 100X better car, not collectable, will lose value.

Some above say this guy or this guy is a great cue maker and he is still alive and makes a ton of cues, his cues are not collectable.

The time for buying 1969 Z28 Camaros is gone, you missed it.

I don't think there is any cues built today that is going to be tomorrows Szamboti or Balabushka, again that time has passed and you missed it.

JMO

Ken
 
For my own use,I'll stick with my small assortment of Schons until I can make the cues that replace them.

From a pure perspective of cues I particularly likes the looks of,has historical context,etc and price were of no concern,I'd start by looking for the Mike Sigel Joss/Kersenbrock combo. He won the vast majority of his career titles in the 80's with those.

There are just WAY too many cuemakers now that are doing breathaking work,it's just a matter of whose's gonna be around like Szamboti,Richard Black,so if cost were no object I'd buy one of each.

But there are a few I've ran into over the years that would have been worth a nice chunk to ME,based on playability,pure and simple.

The last one I saw like that that made me lust after it was a late 90's Searing my man Ribdoner in Memphis had and I could have gotten it for 1300.

I would have had to trade my Schon,which was the best hitting cue I had EVER picked up up to that point,and probably went all in with the cash I had at the time to boot,but I'd have done it if that wouldn't have left me busted after spending 200 for the weekend at this tournament. If a lottery ticket came correct and cash wasn't a problem,I'd pay twice that just for the way it played and sounded.

One in particular that I just like the looks of is the Crown Jewel Meucci,of 1980's top quality,like the one Cornerman has. I'd even try to play with it some,but not his unplayed one ;). Tommy D.
 
Ken_4fun is right about certain cue-makers will go up in value but I think his number is wrong......only 4-5?

I can think of a lot many more deceased and active cue-makers that undermine Ken's estimate. Here's some I submit will increase in value, especially when a cue-maker is retired or deceased.

Danny Tibbits
Joel Hercek
Ed Prewitt
Dennis Searing
Pete Tascarella
Black Boar
Ginacue
John Showman
Richard Black (not all cues)
Randy Mobley
Tim Scuggs
Bill Stroud
Paul Mottey
Gus Szamboti
George Balabushka
Herman Rambow
Burton Spain
Bert Schrager
Tad Kohara

I won't bother naming any other cue-makers whom are lesser known names at the present but show tremendous potential......everyone has an opinion of course but I think Ken is being too narrow-minded in his list of only 4-5 cue-makers.There are a lot of great cue-makers, but naturally, this is only my opinion. Let's see how other Forum members feel about Ken's estimate versus mine which I want to state is incomplete since there are other cue-makers I could and probably should include on my list.
 
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Ken_4fun said:
IMO, lots of bad advice above.

There are only 3-5 makers that I would consider collectable and that will increase in value.

I equate it a lot to cars.

1969 Z/28 - If you can buy it in original condition at a good price, it is a collectable and will increase in value, but to make a ton isn't going to happen, anyone with sense knows what they are worth.

2013 Z/28 - 100X better car, not collectable, will lose value.

Some above say this guy or this guy is a great cue maker and he is still alive and makes a ton of cues, his cues are not collectable.

The time for buying 1969 Z28 Camaros is gone, you missed it.

I don't think there is any cues built today that is going to be tomorrows Szamboti or Balabushka, again that time has passed and you missed it.

JMO

Ken
Click to expand...

May or may not increase in value. Read the post. IMO bad advice.
Just because somebody isn't a cue snob and doesn't pick Searing Or Szamboti,
It's not bad advice. Cause that's what you are saying.
 
Collecting cues as an investment is a speculative deal at best. As Ken points out, buying Searings or Georges or Guses or Barrys is an expensive proposition to start and all that is left from there is risk as we may have already seen the top of those markets.

If it were me, I'd be looking to buy some medium to high level pre-1990 Tads or some same level 1st generation Ginas. Those are both still relatively affordable and have a chance of appreciating. Maybe Stroud and maybe Scruggs and maybe Cochran.

A better bet? Stocks, but you can't look at/play with/show off stocks. Sticks are way better for showing off.

Kevin
 
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or course people would pick szamboti searing and all those other big big name cues...

i have a small collection.. i would love to add a szamboti to it.. or a few searings.. maybe someday! 10 years ago.. i could have had
a few searings.. he was big then.. but not as big as he is now.. they are for sure the masters!

nobody ever said if money was an issue or not..

you would need a fortune to collect those cues today,.. most people or the average person couldnt do it..

if you take the 0 to 5k range and said collect those only....

and i dont think question is really what would be the next big thing.. i think what everybody is wondering what will hold its value to be worth collecting...

i think mottey, gilbert, white, scruggs, mcdaniels, -r- , murrel , klein... the list could be potentially be endless...

the best thing to do is.. collect what you love and enjoy every minute of it.. thats what i do!

there are cues out there for everybody.. wither they are 50$ or 10k+ ....

enjoy them..love them.. best advice!

chris
 
ChrisOnline said:
or course people would pick szamboti searing and all those other big big name cues...

i have a small collection.. i would love to add a szamboti to it.. or a few searings.. maybe someday! 10 years ago.. i could have had
a few searings.. he was big then.. but not as big as he is now.. they are for sure the masters!

nobody ever said if money was an issue or not..

you would need a fortune to collect those cues today,.. most people or the average person couldnt do it..

if you take the 0 to 5k range and said collect those only....

and i dont think question is really what would be the next big thing.. i think what everybody is wondering what will hold its value to be worth collecting...

i think mottey, gilbert, white, scruggs, mcdaniels, -r- , murrel , klein... the list could be potentially be endless...

the best thing to do is.. collect what you love and enjoy every minute of it.. thats what i do!

there are cues out there for everybody.. wither they are 50$ or 10k+ ....

enjoy them..love them.. best advice!

chris
Click to expand...

Chris

That's really the best advice for collecting anything. Buy what you like. Grinding it out just based on guesses for appreciation is the boobs game, super speculative and takes all the fun out of the thing.

Kevin
 
Every cue I buy. or would ever even consider buying, has to be a cue that I will enjoy playing with as much or more than my other great cues or else it ain't worth a dime to me. IMO....cues are meant to be played with and sans that, at least I know I can always get what I paid for my cues so that isn't such a bad deal.
 
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