Old 70s-80s-90s American cue discussion

Welder84

Welder84

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I purchased what I think is an 80s era Viking for a travel cue. I chose Vikings because they are American made and inexpensive. After adding a couple ounces of weight, boar's hide wrap and a used OB low deflection shaft, I have $300 and change invested.

My opinion is the simple older American cues floating around are still a bargain (Mali, McDermott, Viking, Huebler ETC) compared to most imports.

Please share thoughts and pictures...
 

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Welder84 said:
So I purchased what I think is an 80s era Viking for a travel cue. I chose Vikings because they are American made and inexpensive. After adding a couple ounces of weight, boar's hide wrap and a used OB low deflection shaft, I have $300 and change invested.

My opinion is the simple older American cues floating around are still a bargain (Mali McDermott, Viking, Huebler ETC) compared to most imports.

Please share thoughts and pictures...
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You changed the wrap, weight, and shaft. What does it matter who made the original butt.
 
Welder84 said:
1). Well, I like to reuse things. 2). I like buying U.S mostly. 3). My thoughts are that you pay as much for a painted plywood cue. 4). Some of us like the nostalgia...

Happy Friday 😀
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I wasn't being a wiseguy. I used to built cues and I often reworked older cues. As long as it doesn't have a buzz or something and is reasonably straight you can make almost any cue play to your liking. Unfortunately, unless you can do it yourself it may not be worth the investment. The cue I play with most of the time I have used over 30 years.

I have modified it a number of times. Most radical was to thin down the butt. That by the way was the biggest improvement for me. That is what I am referring to. Most players can't do something like that, their cues regardless who makes them are often expensive trial and error experiments hoping for the magic cue.
 
garczar said:
Most older American cues are either A.Beat to shit or B. In mint condition and the asking price is stupid.
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Many have become a poor mans collectable. They can't own a Balabushka or SW but a nice old name cue like early Adams, Meucci, McDermott's and so on can add to a collection. I never collected cues, they just came and went but I still have a few around. I have an old National cue that was no more the $35.00 when new I bet would bring a few hundred if I offered it up for sale. Abe Rich cues sale, not for a lot but they sell.
 
middleofnowhere said:
Many have become a poor mans collectable. They can't own a Balabushka or SW but a nice old name cue like early Adams, Meucci, McDermott's and so on can add to a collection. I never collected cues, they just came and went but I still have a few around. I have an old National cue that was no more the $35.00 when new I bet would bring a few hundred if I offered it up for sale. Abe Rich cues sale, not for a lot but they sell.
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Only older Amer. cues i would have interest in buying right now would be a nice Huebler.
 
middleofnowhere said:
I wasn't being a wiseguy. I used to built cues and I often reworked older cues. As long as it doesn't have a buzz or something and is reasonably straight you can make almost any cue play to your liking. Unfortunately, unless you can do it yourself it may not be worth the investment. The cue I play with most of the time I have used over 30 years.

I have modified it a number of times. Most radical was to thin down the butt. That by the way was the biggest improvement for me. That is what I am referring to. Most players can't do something like that, their cues regardless who makes them are often expensive trial and error experiments hoping for the magic cue.
Click to expand...

It's good to hear about your cue experiments. I have been playing with the weight of cues for years.

I do agree the biggest improvements to a cues playibility are adjusting to fit the individual.
 
garczar said:
Only older Amer. cues i would have interest in buying right now would be a nice Huebler.
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I sold a Hubler on ebay a few years ago. I bought it around 85, my wife played with it. A few years ago I took it out of the closet and figured might as well sell this. I put it on eBay as an auction thinking maybe $300. It sold for $750.00. So you never know.

I sold an old Master Stroke on eBay and got $350.00. I think it is because you are in a price range anyone can afford for a collectable. The reason people pay good money for prints. They can't own the original painting but can get a limited edition print.
 
middleofnowhere said:
I sold a Hubler on ebay a few years ago. I bought it around 85, my wife played with it. A few years ago I took it out of the closet and figured might as well sell this. I put it on eBay as an auction thinking maybe $300. It sold for $750.00. So you never know.

I sold an old Master Stroke on eBay and got $350.00. I think it is because you are in a price range anyone can afford for a collectable. The reason people pay good money for prints. They can't own the original painting but can get a limited edition print.
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My favorite things have a patina! That's it in a nutshell. I just love simple, durable stuff that works. I still have my first construction jacket (black Carhartt from the nineties).
 
That's a nice little Viking Tim. Over the years I have owned some very nice older 70's 80's Cues : Adam, Helmstetter, Green Label Mali, Biagio, Julio Stramboulini, Hubler, Meucci Originals, Vikings, McDermott D series, Mohawk and more. Some of these cues were affordable, very well constructed and felt good in hand, played nice after fine tuning. I love the old Japanese Cues that came out of Helmstetters factory in Japan. Very good quality. I am seeing these prices/value go up over the last few years.

I have also owned many Custom built cues ( no super high end ) that did not feel any better to me. Just a name, logo that added 1-2k. I am always rotating players. About 9 ago years I had 25 in collection. Stashed all over pad under beds in O'Neal cases. I thinned down about 5 years ago and now am holding about 7 of my favorites.

Play and or collect whatever you can afford and enjoy...life is short (y)

Have a good weekend,
kat
 
Dave-Kat said:
That's a nice little Viking Tim. Over the years I have owned some very nice older 70's 80's Cues : Adam, Helmstetter, Green Label Mali, Biagio, Julio Stramboulini, Hubler, Meucci Originals, Vikings, McDermott D series, Mohawk and more. Some of these cues were affordable, very well constructed and felt good in hand, played nice after fine tuning. I love the old Japanese Cues that came out of Helmstetters factory in Japan. Very good quality. I am seeing these prices/value go up over the last few years.

I have also owned many Custom built cues ( no super high end ) that did not feel any better to me. Just a name, logo that added 1-2k. I am always rotating players. About 9 ago years I had 25 in collection. Stashed all over pad under beds in O'Neal cases. I thinned down about 5 years ago and now am holding about 7 of my favorites.

Play and or collect whatever you can afford and enjoy...life is short (y)

Have a good weekend,
kat
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The 'Helmstetter factory' was ADAM. Four of the cues you listed are all ADAM products. They did(and still do) make good stuff. Most is Chinese now except for the super hi-end Musashi line.
 
garczar said:
The 'Helmstetter factory' was ADAM. Four of the cues you listed are all ADAM products. They did(and still do) make good stuff. Most is Chinese now except for the super hi-end Musashi line.
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Thanks I knew that but for those that don't.....
 
I had a Bert Schragger I bought from Bert in the 70’s, sold it to collector. Cue was Plane Jane, Cork Wrap, Butt & Forearm we’re different wood.

Cue sold to collector, and I made some money.

Plus used it for 30 plus years.
 
garczar said:
Only older Amer. cues i would have interest in buying right now would be a nice Huebler.
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Having a lot of experience with most of the older U.S. production lines of cues, I am not knocking any of them, but I do agree; whenever I get my hands on a very good playing older Huebler, to me, it plays better than any of the other older productions. My Huebler H-A compares very favorably to my customs in terms of playability and my prior Huebler from the late 1980s did so as well.
 
I'm with you on vintage Cues. My personal take is... "They just don't make them like they use to."

I either own or have owned several Hueblers, C & D series McD's, Mali's, Jackson's, Vikings, Brunswick's. Etc

When you compare what it would cost to have something like it made custom. It's really a no Brainer.

I also own several imports but have noticed z I favor the "Old wood & Craftmanship" sharp veneered points traditional inlays & Rings... "Classic/ Timeless" type of cues.

May not be "best hitting cues" but damn that looks Great! Feels Great why not aquire them!

Still can sell later for more then I typically paid to own it. Even if it isn't thousands, it's hundreds!
 
Old Malis were good. Old (straight) Abe Rich's were good. The "warptist" cue I ever owned was a Huebler. It's still the Indian, but cues are fun.
 
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