Is this Brunswick a good find?

M

mattslyk

Registered
Hey all, first post here.

I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, but have been browsing for a table for when I get back. I found one on CL that is about an hour from where my wife is. The plan would be to buy it, have it moved to storage, and then have it set up when I get back this summer. Any thoughts on the price/quality? Here's what I know about it:

-9' table
-the buyer had a "pool table guy" look at it and he thinks it's from the 40s
-current owner has had it for 11 years, says felt/rails are in good condition (I would likely have everything redone anyway)
-One spot where a drink was set on a rail (discolored slightly)

Asking price is just shy of $1000.

Any thoughts? I've attached photos but they're tiny as they came off of CL. I've asked for better photos.

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9ft. Sport King?

mattslyk said:
Hey all, first post here.

I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, but have been browsing for a table for when I get back. I found one on CL that is about an hour from where my wife is. The plan would be to buy it, have it moved to storage, and then have it set up when I get back this summer. Any thoughts on the price/quality? Here's what I know about it:

-9' table
-the buyer had a "pool table guy" look at it and he thinks it's from the 40s
-current owner has had it for 11 years, says felt/rails are in good condition (I would likely have everything redone anyway)
-One spot where a drink was set on a rail (discolored slightly)

Asking price is just shy of $1000.

Any thoughts? I've attached photos but they're tiny as they came off of CL. I've asked for better photos.

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Click to expand...

....you won't lose money on a 9ft. Brunswick commercial table from this time period, at a grand. With new rubber, new Simonis, and the condition being restored some, this will probably be an excellent home table for you.
Can the wife maybe even hit a few balls on it to see how it rolls, and report back to you? "Recon, ya know."
You might go that extra step and even try to negotiate the price a bit, like $850. or $900. disassembled and ready to move. That might help you fade the storage bills a bit till you get home. Good Luck, looks to be a nice vintage table, and thanks for your part in your current line of work!;)
P.S. If any of those cues are say, a Titlist, you could pick up an extra couple of hundred there possibly, too.
 
Sport King

It looks like a Sport King. It's a nice, solid, good playing table. If you like the looks for your house it will make a nice home table. You'll likely have $1500 or more in it by the time you get it the way you want it, which is not a steal for a Sport King, but an ok deal. They don't generally have the value of a Anniversary or a nice old Gold Crown.
 
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Thanks for the responses, guys. You've all been even more helpful than I expected.

The guy sent me a few more details on the table. It does not have a ball return system, but he says it looks like it would be easy to do it as the ramps are there for it. He says it may have been removed at some point.

He also said the table is 9' x 5'2" -- I was expecting 9' x 4'6"...was I wrong on that expectation? I will have to ask him if the 5'2" is playable or edge to edge of the table.

Lastly, he said that he would knock it down to $800 for me...it's getting harder to resist.

I really am just looking for a good practice table that plays well and is affordable enough that I don't care what happens to it 10-20 years down the road. I don't want anything too terribly fancy as I have a 2 year old who will grow up with it and very few of my friends actually know what they're doing on a table. It seems to be a nice table that will fall within my budget of $2,000 when everything is completed on it.

Thanks again for the helpful responses.
 
Every 9' table measures 100 inches by 50 inches inside the cushions.

If it doesn't measure 2:1, then either the table is messed up or he doesn't know how to measure a table.
 
mattslyk...$800 is a good price. Like was said, you will have another $1000 in it, with professional setup (highly recommended), and new cloth and/or rails. Forget about ball return...unnecessary expense. One more thing. If you have your wife buy this, and pick it up (hopefully, as mentioned, disassembled and ready for transport), she should bring at least 2 strong guys with her, to help move the table parts. Those slates are very heavy, but will lay flat, stacked on top of each other, in the bed of a pickup. Good luck!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

mattslyk said:
Thanks for the responses, guys. You've all been even more helpful than I expected.

The guy sent me a few more details on the table. It does not have a ball return system, but he says it looks like it would be easy to do it as the ramps are there for it. He says it may have been removed at some point.

He also said the table is 9' x 5'2" -- I was expecting 9' x 4'6"...was I wrong on that expectation? I will have to ask him if the 5'2" is playable or edge to edge of the table.

Lastly, he said that he would knock it down to $800 for me...it's getting harder to resist.

I really am just looking for a good practice table that plays well and is affordable enough that I don't care what happens to it 10-20 years down the road. I don't want anything too terribly fancy as I have a 2 year old who will grow up with it and very few of my friends actually know what they're doing on a table. It seems to be a nice table that will fall within my budget of $2,000 when everything is completed on it.

Thanks again for the helpful responses.
Click to expand...
 
I agree with the previous posts. I used to have a Sport King and this looks a lot like it. It was the entry level commercial table for Brunswick in the 50's and plays just like a Gold Crown.

For everything pictured $800 is a very good deal. Depending on what the cues are they can also be worth some $$.
That Brunswick cue rack is also worth some money.

Good find.
 
TATE said:
It's either a Sportsman from the 1940's or a Sports King from the 1950's. I can't tell from the pics. Here are a couple of ads from the catalogs:


1952 Catalog:

http://www.palmercollector.com/Brunswick/Brunswick_1952_page_20.jpg


1949 Catalog:

http://www.palmercollector.com/Brunswick/Brunswick_1949_page_18.jpg

The ads tell a little about the way they're built. It seems like a good deal to me. I've seen some great deals on used tables lately.

Chris
Click to expand...

It looks like the newer virsion. The rails look to be Formica. We had one of those in the house when I was a kid. It is a solid playing table and very upgradable. You can take off the side panels and paint them or even cover them in leather or fabric to make it match your room. Even if the side panels are damaged they are easy to replicate.
 
That's a Sport King! Don't redo or change anything, buy it just like it is for $800 and move it to storage and then to your home. DO NOT try to make it a ball return table. Leave it just like it is with drop pockets. That table plays good! You want a good practice table, you've got one right there. Grab it!

P.S. That table will out live both of us. It's heavier than a Gold Crown!
 
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I don't much about tables but if those Brunswick one piece cues come with it, IMO, thats worth a large part of the asking price right there.
Stay safe.
 
I have a Sport King. Paid $900 for it about 1997.

My dream table is an Anniversary, but this is the next best thing.
 
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