Well, thats almost what came out of my mouth today! 
As some of you might know I am a plumbing contractor, and I had a service call today for a new customer. As I was following him down the basement stairs I noticed a table covered in a back room.....right away I scoped out the dead give away white GCI leg/foot. I said to Mr Pearson...."not many people have a Gold Crown I in their basement these days"....he looked at me puzzled, and said...."even fewer folks KNOW what a GCI is!" we laughed, and started chatting about pool. He looked to me to be about 65 and said he was from New York and played mostly at Ames and a few other places in the 60's......he went by the name Long Island Whitey.....and had some great stories about all the old timers.....wait it gets better...
I finished my work and he asked if I want to see his playing cue....I said uhh....YEA! ....he smirks and said....now we'll see what you know! He open the case and right away I say.....thats a SWEET Hoppe conversion...then he hands it to me and asked if I"m from New York?...I said no, why? he said look at the brass joint....I asked why puzzled...he said "have you ever held a Bushka?"
Now, I have heard a million Bushka stories, and I am NOT an expert, but I believed him right away. He purchased the Hoppe for $19, and spent $225 for the conversion with 3 shafts by none other then Mr Balabushka! He talked with him many times and said George used to make the rounds to the pool rooms collecting up cues for repairs, and taking custom orders....thats when he gave him the cue t convert.
So, I'm scheduled to go back for some more work in a week or so, and I plan to get some pics!......and mention AGAIN how much I would like to talk with him about just maybe ohhhhh buying that old cue he no longer uses!
I'll keep you all up to date...
As some of you might know I am a plumbing contractor, and I had a service call today for a new customer. As I was following him down the basement stairs I noticed a table covered in a back room.....right away I scoped out the dead give away white GCI leg/foot. I said to Mr Pearson...."not many people have a Gold Crown I in their basement these days"....he looked at me puzzled, and said...."even fewer folks KNOW what a GCI is!" we laughed, and started chatting about pool. He looked to me to be about 65 and said he was from New York and played mostly at Ames and a few other places in the 60's......he went by the name Long Island Whitey.....and had some great stories about all the old timers.....wait it gets better...I finished my work and he asked if I want to see his playing cue....I said uhh....YEA! ....he smirks and said....now we'll see what you know!
He open the case and right away I say.....thats a SWEET Hoppe conversion...then he hands it to me and asked if I"m from New York?...I said no, why? he said look at the brass joint....I asked why puzzled...he said "have you ever held a Bushka?" Now, I have heard a million Bushka stories, and I am NOT an expert, but I believed him right away. He purchased the Hoppe for $19, and spent $225 for the conversion with 3 shafts by none other then Mr Balabushka! He talked with him many times and said George used to make the rounds to the pool rooms collecting up cues for repairs, and taking custom orders....thats when he gave him the cue t convert.
So, I'm scheduled to go back for some more work in a week or so, and I plan to get some pics!......and mention AGAIN how much I would like to talk with him about just maybe ohhhhh buying that old cue he no longer uses!
I'll keep you all up to date...
