Oak Park sold iconic pool tables and other pool antiquities. Here's the article:
...Deno Andrews first learned to sink shots inside a smoky pool hall in Oak Park. As a teenager during the 1980s, the scenes he took in at Oak Park Billiards were reminiscent of sets from Paul Newman movies: exposed brick walls, stone floors, chrome spectator chairs and enough smoke to make the ceiling disappear.
“It was always very dark with just enough light to light the tables,” Andrews recalls. “It was a very deep building so you felt like you were walking into a tunnel of billiards tables.”
When Oak Park Billiards suddenly closed 10 years ago, the 32 vintage Brunswick pool tables Andrews remembers so fondly remained in the 8,500 square-foot building.
It then sat vacant for a decade before going up for sale earlier this year. Andrews tried to put in a bid for the space–he wanted to maintain the facility as a pool hall–but wasn’t able to afford the asking price of $575,000. Instead, the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, which operates out of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed church in the neighborhood, purchased the building in August in an effort to expand their services.
Among the hundreds of dusty items left over from the pool hall’s heyday are cues, balls, racks, light fixtures, vintage furniture, statues, arts, books, DVDs, signs and posters.
For Andrews, who collects antique billiard artifacts, the vintage Brunswick pool tables are the highlight of the sale. The tables date back to the 1920s, when Brunswick was the leading brand for such equipment. Weighing in at 2,800 pounds, the massive and highly ornate tables range in price depending on their quality: $500 for those with smoke or water damage; $2,500 for those that need less restoration.
The sale has already attracted Oak Park residents interested in owning a piece of local history, as well as regional collectors, or “table flippers” as Andrews calls them, looking to restore them. Most of the tables, when refurbished, can sell for $15,000, according to Andrews.
“They are gorgeous and they have these great facades, but the way they come apart and how they were constructed is just so genius,” said Andrews. “It takes less than an hour to take it apart. The simplicity is incredible.”
Andrews looks back fondly on the days when he would bring in a permission slip from his parents that allowed him to play pool at Oak Park Billiards as a teenager. He remembers the business as being family friendly but also as a place where pros would bet thousands of dollars on games.
“It was very peaceful and respectful and everyone knew one another,” said Andrews. “Walking by those tables now feels like walking back in time.”
The sale took place Saturday, Oct. 1, from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Oak Park Billiards, 1019 South Boulevard in Oak Park.
Did anybody go?
Source: Oak Park Church to Sell Iconic Billiards Tables
...Deno Andrews first learned to sink shots inside a smoky pool hall in Oak Park. As a teenager during the 1980s, the scenes he took in at Oak Park Billiards were reminiscent of sets from Paul Newman movies: exposed brick walls, stone floors, chrome spectator chairs and enough smoke to make the ceiling disappear.
“It was always very dark with just enough light to light the tables,” Andrews recalls. “It was a very deep building so you felt like you were walking into a tunnel of billiards tables.”
When Oak Park Billiards suddenly closed 10 years ago, the 32 vintage Brunswick pool tables Andrews remembers so fondly remained in the 8,500 square-foot building.
It then sat vacant for a decade before going up for sale earlier this year. Andrews tried to put in a bid for the space–he wanted to maintain the facility as a pool hall–but wasn’t able to afford the asking price of $575,000. Instead, the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, which operates out of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed church in the neighborhood, purchased the building in August in an effort to expand their services.
Among the hundreds of dusty items left over from the pool hall’s heyday are cues, balls, racks, light fixtures, vintage furniture, statues, arts, books, DVDs, signs and posters.
For Andrews, who collects antique billiard artifacts, the vintage Brunswick pool tables are the highlight of the sale. The tables date back to the 1920s, when Brunswick was the leading brand for such equipment. Weighing in at 2,800 pounds, the massive and highly ornate tables range in price depending on their quality: $500 for those with smoke or water damage; $2,500 for those that need less restoration.
The sale has already attracted Oak Park residents interested in owning a piece of local history, as well as regional collectors, or “table flippers” as Andrews calls them, looking to restore them. Most of the tables, when refurbished, can sell for $15,000, according to Andrews.
“They are gorgeous and they have these great facades, but the way they come apart and how they were constructed is just so genius,” said Andrews. “It takes less than an hour to take it apart. The simplicity is incredible.”
Andrews looks back fondly on the days when he would bring in a permission slip from his parents that allowed him to play pool at Oak Park Billiards as a teenager. He remembers the business as being family friendly but also as a place where pros would bet thousands of dollars on games.
“It was very peaceful and respectful and everyone knew one another,” said Andrews. “Walking by those tables now feels like walking back in time.”
The sale took place Saturday, Oct. 1, from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Oak Park Billiards, 1019 South Boulevard in Oak Park.
Did anybody go?
Source: Oak Park Church to Sell Iconic Billiards Tables
