A thing of beauty for sure.... And still worth a very very pretty penny :yeah:
Is it time to sell my JF SW?
- Thread starter skins
- Start date
A thing of beauty for sure.... And still worth a very very pretty penny :yeah:
Its true that Southwest has been 4 or 5 production people...of which 2 or 3 have remained constant. 2 for 20+ years...
The debate for me is what EXACTLY did each person do? JF could have done many parts of production, to none of it. Thats the range...Who knows. It probably also varied by year or even production batches. Again who knows.
What I do know is that people are suited to particular jobs. Somebody is good at shafts. Somebody is good at finishing. Somebody is good at wraps. etc etc. Thats typically how work gets done in small operations.
But my JFs arent for sale.
The debate for me is what EXACTLY did each person do? JF could have done many parts of production, to none of it. Thats the range...Who knows. It probably also varied by year or even production batches. Again who knows.
What I do know is that people are suited to particular jobs. Somebody is good at shafts. Somebody is good at finishing. Somebody is good at wraps. etc etc. Thats typically how work gets done in small operations.
But my JFs arent for sale.
Its true that Southwest has been 4 or 5 production people...of which 2 or 3 have remained constant. 2 for 20+ years...
The debate for me is what EXACTLY did each person do? JF could have done many parts of production, to none of it. Thats the range...Who knows. It probably also varied by year or even production batches. Again who knows.
What I do know is that people are suited to particular jobs. Somebody is good at shafts. Somebody is good at finishing. Somebody is good at wraps. etc etc. Thats typically how work gets done in small operations.
But my JFs arent for sale.
My understanding is Jerry could do everything, and did build complete cues by himself. The type of build and demand I think is what caused the need for help. I wasn't privy to the exact goings on in the shop's early years (80's) but talking with John Wright back then led me to believe Jerry was an intergral peice to the puzzle at that time.
Oh I agree. I mean HE had to instruct others when hired yes?
My point was though..once business picked up, how much could he have done realistically? Full cues? Perhaps. Bits and Bobs...more likely.
JF era should command slight premiums. JF and DPK era, should command a bit more. IMHO. What sort of percentages? Who knows. Thats a supply and demand thing at market timing.
Having said all that, I do think production quality is better now, than in the 90s, for sure the 80s.
Design quality is in the trash though. I would never allow mismatched veneer colors like I see nowdays. Some just have ZERO class.
You could always tell a Southwest from across the room. Nowdays you can tell one from across a carnival.
Not just that, but UPS/FedEx/USPS are hot garbage between late November and mid January.
Oh I agree. I mean HE had to instruct others when hired yes?
My point was though..once business picked up, how much could he have done realistically? Full cues? Perhaps. Bits and Bobs...more likely.
JF era should command slight premiums. JF and DPK era, should command a bit more. IMHO. What sort of percentages? Who knows. Thats a supply and demand thing at market timing.
Having said all that, I do think production quality is better now, than in the 90s, for sure the 80s.
Design quality is in the trash though. I would never allow mismatched veneer colors like I see nowdays. Some just have ZERO class.
You could always tell a Southwest from across the room. Nowdays you can tell one from across a carnival.
That's pretty funny
A guy I know bought a nineties Samsara cue with multi-colored wood points in the
buttsleeve, so i asked him if he was pretending to be the court jester
Oh I agree. I mean HE had to instruct others when hired yes?
My point was though..once business picked up, how much could he have done realistically? Full cues? Perhaps. Bits and Bobs...more likely.
JF era should command slight premiums. JF and DPK era, should command a bit more. IMHO. What sort of percentages? Who knows. Thats a supply and demand thing at market timing.
Having said all that, I do think production quality is better now, than in the 90s, for sure the 80s.
Design quality is in the trash though. I would never allow mismatched veneer colors like I see nowdays. Some just have ZERO class.
You could always tell a Southwest from across the room. Nowdays you can tell one from across a carnival.
I dont agree that the build "quality" is much if any better today then from any earlier year... I'm not trying to debate. It's just my opinion from my experiences.
I sold my JF era ebony Southwest to get the Balabushka. While I loved the SW and it played incredible, they are thousands of Southwest cues out there, and Southwest are making cues today. George is long gone and his cues, I fear there are few that are in the US.
Ken
Ken
Do you use it as your playing cue? I would not sell my playing cue unless I needed the cash to avoid homelessness.
I see far less well known cuemakers cues being advertised for a lot of money. It's hard to imaging a JF era SW wouldn't hold its value. I'd say keep it unless it isn't your playing cue and you need the cash.
It's not my playing cue and I don't' need the cash at this point. It's also not a cue that holds a huge amount of sentimental value to me but is more investment. It's rare being that it's an 87' JF Ebony nose with original dome top black delrin joint prots. You don't see those around anymore. In fact I haven't seen any other JF era cue ever posted here on AZ that still had them with the cue. I'm sure they have to be out there but I haven't seen it.
Funny but....no. If I really wanted to sell it it'd be gone. No shortage of high offers....
I've had the cue for more than a week so I'm not in Dean's class yet..
I've owned a few JF SW's and loved all of them. I never paid anywhere near what is being asked for them now. Are they really selling for what's being asked? Who knows. I see the same ones going round and round in the 'for sale' forum. Some have been modified, some are missing LOA's, some have been re-wrapped or refinished, some have skinny or non-original shafts. It's nuts.
If you want to sell it, put it up for sale at a ridiculous price and see if anyone bites. I don't see them going any higher any time soon, than what's being asked now.
If you want to sell it, put it up for sale at a ridiculous price and see if anyone bites. I don't see them going any higher any time soon, than what's being asked now.
Funny but....no. If I really wanted to sell it it'd be gone. No shortage of high offers....
I've had the cue for more than a week so I'm not in Dean's class yet..
That is why I said "almost".
The difference is Dean's are always for sale..mine are not unless the investment is shallow.. So "almost" is a ways away...unless I sell soon..LOL
There are many being sold just about as they're delivered. And they aren't cheap.
Seeing the same ones "going around" is a good sign that the better ones may be holding their value.. As for them going any higher I'd guess the overseas market may be a good barometer??
You did good Ken... I had a similar opportunity to trade for a Gus and turned it down because it wasn't the "right" cue... I may have to keep that option on the table.
This is so true sir what I have been saying for along while now. sw continue to pile up by the hundreds. At some point the market will hit a down trend! It happens to all cues.
My spot is a couple years out, so probably right after that.
True
Sad but true.
Look at Coster cues. My friend has a fancy one and turned down 20k cash for it 10 years ago (true story). Now, I doubt he could get 5k for it.
I think there comes a time when very old things lose value, becaue the only people who valued them high are dying off, and the newer generation does not care about it.
Me, if I wanted a SW, I'd prefer a new one over a 30 year old one.
IMO
Sad but true.