Next BLUE BOOK; Will it reflect depressed collectors market?

[Balabushka]

All collectibles are off. Way off. Cars are soft, paintings, on and on. Collectible cues seem to be off also. I wonder if when a new edition of the Blue Book comes out, (and at the time of press this slump is still with us), will it reflect the lower values?

 

[Kevin Lindstrom]

My opinion

No I don't believe it will. Beside I hope the cue market is back up by the time the next Blue Book is released. I anticipate that we will not see another Blue Book of Pool cues for at least 3-5 years.

Kevin

 

[manwon]

All collectibles are off. Way off. Cars are soft, paintings, on and on. Collectible cues seem to be off also. I wonder if when a new edition of the Blue Book comes out, (and at the time of press this slump is still with us), will it reflect the lower values?

I do not think it matters either way, because The Blue of Cues is worthless as a pricing guide. However, it is a great book to help identify collectible cues and for information on little know cue makers. In the end this is the major contribution not the pricing guide portion.

Take care

 

[Cuaba]

All Collectibles?

All collectibles are off. Way off. Cars are soft, paintings, on and on. Collectible cues seem to be off also. I wonder if when a new edition of the Blue Book comes out, (and at the time of press this slump is still with us), will it reflect the lower values?

Do you really follow collectible markets? I was just working last week on the East Coast as a consultant for one of the big auction houses. They are still setting records at every sale. The best items are strong as ever, especially with the weak dollar. Europeans are getting 30% off, just from the exchange rate. So the stuff they are buying is going higher than ever.

Mediocre stuff is down, as are low end, or poor condition items. Cues have never broken into the high end collector market, so they are soft. But good cues are strong overseas. I was very happy with the sale I made on a collector cue in Asia this Spring, and the buyer was going to make more money at his end.

The only guy I know who says sales are way down sells baseball cards.

 

[thedude]

Speaking of which... Anyone know why Bob Frey is absent from the blue book? This is goes for other cuemakers as well... What is the criteria for being listed in the book?

 

[Balabushka]

Yes I follow collectible markets. I have collected bought and sold many categories. Published a magazine on antique toys, and blah blah blah. Cars are so way off it's not funny. (Seen Mecum lately?)The high end ones still sell but at about the same as houses; off 15-35%. High end toys are way off.

The cash is not there across the board to support the higher prices. There are Euro collectors for sure, and US goers, and some auctions do well. But the large crowds clamoring for collectibles in this country has waned, hence price drop.

Do you really follow collectible markets? I was just working last week on the East Coast as a consultant for one of the big auction houses. They are still setting records at every sale. The best items are strong as ever, especially with the weak dollar. Europeans are getting 30% off, just from the exchange rate. So the stuff they are buying is going higher than ever.

Mediocre stuff is down, as are low end, or poor condition items. Cues have never broken into the high end collector market, so they are soft. But good cues are strong overseas. I was very happy with the sale I made on a collector cue in Asia this Spring, and the buyer was going to make more money at his end.

The only guy I know who says sales are way down sells baseball cards.