Pawn shop finds

cuenut

cuenut

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have not seen a post about Pawn shops and great finds. Any others out there similar to mine.

Here have been my finds over the past 10 or so years:
1) Solid forearm Schick (1987), 2 shafts in a 1X2 It's George case - $97
2) 6 point Hunter Classic with 2 shafts, Paduak in rosewood - $135
3) 4 point Toeboy with 2 shafts, It's George 1X2 case - $115
4) plain rosewood forearm early Jensen with 2 shafts - $20
5) Old Brunswick Titlist 2 piece cue - $45
6) Huebler Custom Shop cue (rose inlays in butt), 2 shafts and case - $185
Dozens of 4 point Meuccis and McDermotts for less than $150 in cases
7) Meucci propellor cue, lucasi jump cue, in Guiseppe 2X4 case - $185
8) 4 pt Viking in 1X2 It's George case - $75
9) Unknown custom jump cue with 2 shafts - $20
10) 4 point Espiritu - $50
11) plain forearm Espiritu - $80
12) Old Adams Grand Prix (1st catalog) - $15
13) Plain forearm Palmer -$30
14) 4 pt Jensen - $250 in 2X4 case
15) Schon R-11 - $250 in 2X4 case

Only cues above that are still in my possession: Huebler Custom, Meucci Propellor, and a couple of the cases. I like to trade, but really wish I had kept about 5 of them.
 
Sorry

Sorry, I meant to put this is the Main Forum. Please disregard. I will copy and paste the text into one.
 
cuenut said:
I have not seen a post about Pawn shops and great finds. Any others out there similar to mine.

Here have been my finds over the past 10 or so years:
1) Solid forearm Schick (1987), 2 shafts in a 1X2 It's George case - $97
2) 6 point Hunter Classic with 2 shafts, Paduak in rosewood - $135
3) 4 point Toeboy with 2 shafts, It's George 1X2 case - $115
4) plain rosewood forearm early Jensen with 2 shafts - $20
5) Old Brunswick Titlist 2 piece cue - $45
6) Huebler Custom Shop cue (rose inlays in butt), 2 shafts and case - $185
Dozens of 4 point Meuccis and McDermotts for less than $150 in cases
7) Meucci propellor cue, lucasi jump cue, in Guiseppe 2X4 case - $185
8) 4 pt Viking in 1X2 It's George case - $75
9) Unknown custom jump cue with 2 shafts - $20
10) 4 point Espiritu - $50
11) plain forearm Espiritu - $80
12) Old Adams Grand Prix (1st catalog) - $15
13) Plain forearm Palmer -$30
14) 4 pt Jensen - $250 in 2X4 case
15) Schon R-11 - $250 in 2X4 case

Only cues above that are still in my possession: Huebler Custom, Meucci Propellor, and a couple of the cases. I like to trade, but really wish I had kept about 5 of them.
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Never found anything good in a pawn shop
 
I agree, especially here in SoCal. I've stopped stopping. Places over here might have have a beat up and warped sportcraft cue and ask $74.00 when it might be worth $3.00. Several times I've been quoted a higher price used than the cue is new, retail!!

Martin

macguy said:
Never found anything good in a pawn shop
Click to expand...
 
Pawn Cues

I owned a pawnshop for six years. I heavily advertised that I bought cues. In 6 years I was able to buy a few realy good cues. One time I got a phone call from a gal who said she had 2 Balabushkas and three other cues, which she couldn't identify. I went over and took a look. She indeed had 2 of those Balabushkas (from Adam). The other three were a Martin, a TAD, and a really fine Adams (not Adam). She was convinced that the Balabushkas were the ducks nuts and she wanted $3,000 each for them. I told her that was out of my league, but I'd give her $1,500 for the other 3 mystery cues. She agreed and told me to let her know if I'd reconsider the Bushkas. As far as I know she still has 'em.

Now I'll tell you what else my pawnshoip experience showed me. In 6 years I spent about $60,000.00 advertising that I bought cues. Brother did I buy cues. And you've got to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. I bet I bought and sold 1200 to 1500 rather ordinary production cues and sneaky pete's. I figure it cost me around $40.00 to $50.00 to get each one of those cues in the door (advertising expense). This isn't counting what I had to pay for the sticks. Overall I think I could have done better just buying what I really liked from dealers like on this forum and cuemakers themselves.

It's pretty unusual these days to find a deal on a fine cue in a pawnshop. Pawnbrokers are a fairly sharp bunch. Mostly they know what they've got.
 
Well since I am by nature cheap, I've browsed a few pawn shops in St Louis. The only cue I've bought is my current jump/break (I only use it to break) with a 1x1 case for $10.

I've seen Meuccis, McDermott, Vikings, and others but the only one I found that had a straight butt and shaft was a Nick Varner. I think he wanted 40 or 50 with a case.
 
pawn shop find

just cruiding the pawn shops on a day off. stopped in at one and found a huebler 4 pointer in 97% shape for $29.95! cleaned off the ferrule and butt cap with a magic eraser and stick looks great. this is the same place i have gotten a george"V" vinyl ostrich case for about $7 and a george soft suede case for $5. no i am not going to tell you where:D happy new year to all of you!! be safe, woody
 
Sorry but I've found lots of great deals at pawn shops but the time to shop is first thing (first customer) on a Saturday morning. That's the time when I found really good deals on Snap On tools, for instance. But yes, most pawn shops price things way too astronomically but if you spend some time looking around in any big city, you might find a shop or two that consistently offer reasonable prices for their goods.
 
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I once heard a story about a guy getting a SW for $60 at a pawnshop in Reno once. I don't know whether it is bull or not.
 
my best find

1996 San Diego. I found a 1974 or 73 Tim Scruggs, original 2 shafts with original Kelli Case.

The cue had turned orange/yellow cause of the laquer finish, wrap was in horrible condition. the was what appeared to be a huge ding in the front just above the wrap. Put the shaft on and it wobbled when rolled (dirt on the face of the joint of the shaft).

4 points with abalone cut diamonds in the points.
4 windows with 4 cut abalone diamonds inbewteen the windows. Rings at every spot.

The Kelli case had a couple of scars on it.

I paid 250. Had Tim refinish and rewrap for 150.

Tim wrote a nice letter, gave me an original catalog showing the cue with options.

And the cue plays exceptionally well. The feel is what I strive for in a cue.

I think I got one hell of a deal
 
Sometimes those sales people in pawnshops aren't too knowledgeable. I mean, I picked up a Snap On 1/2 inch drive torque wrench for only $40. The owner's wife sold it to me and I got the feeling that there was a significant case of wife-beating that evening following the sale! ;P
 
only ever found two nice cues ih a pawn shop,,,,,,,an older schoen ans a black,,,,,,,,,,,,,both were stolen from friends, so i notified the owners

funny thing about it ,,,,,,one was like two doors down from the pool hall
 
pawnmon said:
It's pretty unusual these days to find a deal on a fine cue in a pawnshop. Pawnbrokers are a fairly sharp bunch. Mostly they know what they've got.
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.........and the cues go straight to Ebay.
 
I was there when a friend of mine bought a plain jane TAD cue for 215. The owner of the pawnshop wanted 300 and insisted it was a huebler but couldn't be sure because there was no marking. My buddy bargained him down to 215 and sold it later that month for 1500. What a score. I've heard a bunch of stories too of high end cues that sold for 60-125 dollars. But none I was there to witness. I'm going pawnshop hunting today hope I find a score. lol.


Tony
 
A Tad and a Gina

Not a pawnshop - but.....

Upon opening the trunk of a recently repossesed vehicle (it had been abandoned and we had been called by the police to come pick it up) - we found a lot of stuff. Included were several pool cues of which one was a Tad and the other was a four point Gina.

(I was the only one of the bunch of us that knew a Tad from a JC Penny pool cue.)

We waited the obligatory 90 days and then I took charge of dispensing with the contents of the vehicle..... Guess who got those two cues.

This was about 10 years ago and, at that time, I was always a little short of $$$.

I sure wish I would have kept those cues instead of selling them!
 
cuenut said:
I have not seen a post about Pawn shops and great finds. Any others out there similar to mine.

Here have been my finds over the past 10 or so years:
1) Solid forearm Schick (1987), 2 shafts in a 1X2 It's George case - $97
2) 6 point Hunter Classic with 2 shafts, Paduak in rosewood - $135
3) 4 point Toeboy with 2 shafts, It's George 1X2 case - $115
4) plain rosewood forearm early Jensen with 2 shafts - $20
5) Old Brunswick Titlist 2 piece cue - $45
6) Huebler Custom Shop cue (rose inlays in butt), 2 shafts and case - $185
Dozens of 4 point Meuccis and McDermotts for less than $150 in cases
7) Meucci propellor cue, lucasi jump cue, in Guiseppe 2X4 case - $185
8) 4 pt Viking in 1X2 It's George case - $75
9) Unknown custom jump cue with 2 shafts - $20
10) 4 point Espiritu - $50
11) plain forearm Espiritu - $80
12) Old Adams Grand Prix (1st catalog) - $15
13) Plain forearm Palmer -$30
14) 4 pt Jensen - $250 in 2X4 case
15) Schon R-11 - $250 in 2X4 case

Only cues above that are still in my possession: Huebler Custom, Meucci Propellor, and a couple of the cases. I like to trade, but really wish I had kept about 5 of them.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine recently found a '70s Josswest, four point, with a ton of abalone inlays, very nice shape in a pawn shop. He got it for $300!
 
I have a friend who buys and restores electric guitiars(?)from pawn shops
and had mentioned my hobby so he was keeping an eye out for me.
well one day he calls me and says he found one for 900.00 ,but no name
on it. long story short, he get the guy down to 400.00 including a case and
the owner took an imprint of his c/card to front it to him.
gets to my house, i open it up and theres a maple cognoscenti!!!
joe gold offered me 3500. before he refinished it 3-4 years ago
and said don't sell it for less than 4500.
 
One day I almost got a Martin Guitar from a pawn shop for $40...until the owner walked in and jacked the price. :(
 
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