Pool Ball Collecting.

A set of Romanique II balls in an Aramith box was listed on eBay in a straight auction yesterday (not mine).

It has quickly jumped from 99c to $600 overnight!

www.ebay.com

RARE VINTAGE Hyatt Romanique Billiards Pool Ball Set - FULL SET | eBay

I have a set of really rare Hyatt Roman Numeral pool balls. I believe the company called these “Romanique” and I also believe they were manufactured sometime in the 1970’s. I will do my best to describe them. The balls are in good shape with only a few scratches and scuffs. They have aged...
www.ebay.com
 
Is it unviable for manufacturers like Aramith to make small runs of older sets again?

There is obviously a market for balls like the Roman numbers, Card Ball/Poker Pool balls with suits on them, and so on. I mean if they see, that these old sets sell for a big amount second hand, won‘t they think about making a re-run and cash in on the hype? I have no clue how the balls are exactly made, but if they produced them once, they still should have moulds/templates or whatever is used to produce said ball sets again.

Just curious here… 🙃
 
Last edited:
Hello, Mr M.

Much of the value and desirability of these vintage sets to collectors like me is because they are exceedingly rare and not made anymore.

There is also tremendous pleasure to be gained in treasure hunting them and then researching their provenance. I love learning the history of famous sets and the exclusivity of them. The thrill of acquiring something really rare keeps me searching.

But perhaps that is just me. 🙂
 
Last edited:
I can relate to the treasure hunting, i get that. But won‘t the original sets not stay rare and sought after anyway? I am just thinking, if some people just pay premium prices because they have no other alternative in finding a specific looking set. Aren‘t the 2 sets from the Billiard Museum a good example for that?

It‘s just that every other year another 8-Ball set is released, with slightly different colours, maybe another style, but yet nearly the same thing. While other sets seem to make pretty money but get completely neglected. Of course it‘s a market thing as well. They won‘t sell thousands of a set, which most people either don’t care or maybe don’t even know about. At least I am happy, Aramith did another Poker Pool set, and I could get that one, even though I would love to get one with suits as well, not just the letters J to A 🙃

Edit:
My question was more towards a business/marketing kind of view, not us collectors. I understand why people collect these sets. I am just curious why manufacturers don’t observe the second hand market more and follow a little bit more where the money is heading 😊
 
I think we’re a relatively small band, Mr M, and rather too niche to cause a blip on the radar of ball manufacturers.

It really isn’t a viable business model trying to cater for collectors like us, dear chap. It’s frightfully expensive to commission a small run of high quality balls. I get involved purely as a labour of love really and hoping to leave a legacy for future generations.

To be frank, I am content as long as I don’t lose too much money. 🙂
 
Last edited:
I asked a Chinese manufacturer once about a custom set, but they told me 500 sets would be a minimum order and that was out of the question for me then. At least, if I am the only investor in that 😄

I am less then 3 years into this hobby, but from a business perspective I don‘t really understand it at all. Except they only produce for the mass market, which seems to be the only priority here. It‘s even hard to find and acquire new sets as well. I asked Aramith once if they may supply me with a list of available ball sets they just produce, but never got a reply. So I had to search different online shops all over Europe, and order sets from Netherlands, Czech, Germany, Italy,… I asked a few local shops in Austria, if they can order the same sets from Aramith, as they stock their range. And all replied they cannot order these specific sets from Aramith. One of this sets was the new Poker Pool set.

That’s all really strange to me, making it that difficult (and expensive) for customers to get specific items. In all my other hobbies this was never the case, and all merchants gladly ordered different products from manufacturers with their next big batch, so I may save at least shipping costs. I thought it’s normal that a company provides some kind of product range catalogue for merchants, and they can order from it whatever they like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top