Should you play with a collectible 100%er?

Hunter

Hunter

The King of Memes
Silver Member
Hi Gang!

A slight dilemna on the cue front... I'm a big believer in using things. I can't imagine having a Ferrari just sitting in a garage not being driven. My question is, if you had an awesome, collectible cue by a well known cuemaker in 100% condition, would you play with it? This sounds strange, I know, but even though I have some nice cues, and actually have more expensive cues than this one I just got, I bought virtually all of them used, with the exception of a couple that were made specifically for me, which I've used extensively. Looking at the old Blue Book, I see that sometimes the value difference from 100% to say 95% might cost you $700-1,000 or more at sale time. Opinions please!

Thanks!

Steve
 
I guess it depends on if you ever plan on selling it. Is it to collect or to use?

Jim
 
I played with my Gus Szamboti every day from the time I bought it until the day I sold it. As far as resale value goes? I sold it 1.5 years after I bought it for better than twice what I paid for it.

I've also done the same with a Schick cue, but I only broke even on it when I resold it.

And, my everyday cue, Jerry Franklin Southwest, that I bought for 857.00 in 1995 is worth every bit of 2-3 times what I paid for it way back when.

Currently, I am playing with a TAD, although I am about to retire it. Wonderful cue, just not good for me. I have no doubt that if I chose to sell it, I will get damn near what I paid for it, if not more.

So, my opinion is buy it and play with it. I would never buy a Ferrari and let it sit in the garage, and I would never buy a cue and let it sit in the case.
 
The majority of pool cues were built to be played with.Some people forget this. Ive got a couple of what some people would consider collectable cues.They are two Barry Szambotis and I play with both of them. I even use them to break with (a hush falls over the crowd). If you cant break with a cue then what good is it ?
Part of the pleasure of owning a high end cue is being able to play with it. Some cue makers get offended when people dont play with cues they build. Dont let that collectable gather dust, play with it. A cue has a soul and if you dont use it , it will slowly die.
One of my cues is at Barrys shop. I hope he hits some balls with it just to keep it on life support while its gone. Soon it should be back and Ill play it back in.
After a cue maker dies he lives on through his work.
 
I firmly believe that cue makers make cues to be used. To lock a cue in a case and not use it, is being disrespectful to the cue maker and the cue. JMHO.

BTW, last year, you may have seen the Dragon cue, made by Mike Lambros, in the magazines. It is a very beautiful cue with many inlays in an ivory butt.
Rumor has it that it had a sale value in the six figure range. I have been told, from a very good source, that cue is used and it hits very well.
 
For myself, if I buy a cue, I have to be able to play with it. It being a collectible is just a bonus to me. It has to feel good in my hands and nicely balanced. I've built up a small collection and I do rotate my cues to play with. I've had some people ask me to bring some of my cues out to see the beauty and construction and usually my first statement to them is "go ahead and hit some balls with it".
 
I absolutely would play with a collectable. I didnt trade up my Mottey and a Searing plus cash for a Gus Szamboti just so it could sit in a case. Now days you wait a minimum 5 years to get a cue from a top cue maker and it would seem like such a waste to finally get that cue you waited all those years for just to lock it away.
 
My 0.02

I used to feel the same way--but if they are really collectible, the demand and market will bring buyers regardless and a shaft can be buffed and ferrules cleaned--ultimately the cue can be refinished. To boot, if you think about each of our limited time we have on the planet, and also most of us have a limited time in which we can play pool, do with them what you like--if I had a Gus or Balabuska I would play with it all the time (Id have wicked insurance on it). I would be willing to break in any new cue for you so you might not feel as bad playing with them regularly :D
 
If you bought a Mantle Rookie card would you put it in bicycle spokes or "flip" your friends? Or in your case Paulie a Ted Williams rookie card :)

Joe
 
I dont know Joe

classiccues said:
If you bought a Mantle Rookie card would you put it in bicycle spokes or "flip" your friends? Or in your case Paulie a Ted Williams rookie card :)

Joe
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Apples and Oranges :confused:
 
For the last 5 years my play cue was a fairly rare 6 long point wrapless Franklin SW with 3 shafts and matching jp's..on the cover of the first Blue Book, bought it from Brad. It's gotten pretty collectable and I can't feel right about taking it to the bar. I've retired it and am playing with my Sailor....which, it turns out, I like just as much.
 
paulybatz said:
Apples and Oranges :confused:
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Why? When baseball cards initially came out, they were not collectibles, kids spoked them, flipped them, burned the Red Sox cards (here in NJ) lol. Same with cues, you played with them, bang them on the floor, chuck them across the room in fits of rage LOL, so really its close. I don't know any serious collector that would use an unused Balabushka shaft persay, and I don't know anyone buying a Topps Mantle and flipping it.
But translated into new cues/cards.. right now Cano rookies are hot in our area just like a Searing is a hot cue now. There will be collectors in both genre buying them and vaulting them away for the future.

Joe (---as long as their are collectors, everything is a collectable.. (Yogi Berra) LOL j/k
 
Analogies / Analogies

I understand what you meant perfectly Joe--just busting a little. I guess I think of a custom collectible cue is quite different than a baseball card is--unless the person with the cue does not play pool, then it is fine to collect them, a pool cue collector. But in my opinion to have a pool cue that plays tremendous, the finest craftsmanship, feel / feedback / hit and to not play with it--why?
When the world / life can end in an instant--as the recent tragedies in the UK, it makes sense to enjoy what blessings are bestowed upon you. Just think how many people and what people would do or have to do to earn enough money to buy a bushka, szamboti, searing, hercek, SW....etc on and on; either your a collector or a player.
The thing about cues is that any minor damage dings etc can be easily repaired by either the person who made the cue or by (Mike Webb--who has done tremendous refinish work on many of my friend's cues) Anyway, I think we have exhausted this thread--its like any major social opinion there are those on one side and those on the other. I used to be on the, why play with it side, it will be worth less--now its OK, if I have it Im going to use it or Im not going to keep it around to collect dust. Cues were meant to be played, there are only a few and you know which ones that were made for artistic purpose--but enjoy it.
 
Collect memories. Some things you must use to appreciate. You don't marry a hottie just to put her in a glass case do you?
 
I am speaking as somebody with a small gathering - not a collection yet - of cues. I don't have a real high end cue yet. My best and most expensive is my Capone 6 pointer with veneers. No ivory or precious materials etc... I have bought my cues for a variety of reasons I suppose, but all of them have hit balls. All of them have hit break shots. No, I guess I wouldn't bring my Capone to the worst bar in town to play, but then again I don't go to the bars to play. I have enough cues I could bring something else. I will get more cues. I want a Ginacue. I want a Josswest. I want a few others, some maybe not huge names. But I just don't think I will ever buy a cue I can't play with. I doubt I will ever buy anything like a rare Balabushka for that reason. Too much money for no functional use. If I had a Balabushka I'd at least hit balls with it sometimes. That is my outlook, so I doubt I'll ever have a huge collection. I will have a bunch more good hitting cues than I need though. ;-)
 
What I do is have an extra set of shafts made if I have a collectible cue that's never been played with. That way I can keep the original shafts pristine and still play with the cue.

Here's another question I've often wondered about. If you do have a collectible cue refinished, does it matter who does the refinishing? It seems like it would be better to get the original cuemaker to refinish it (if he's still living), because he can refinish it exactly the same way he finished it when it was made. Does it really make any difference? I have one of my Danny Tibbitts cues being refinished now, by Danny Tibbitts. I could have sent it to any number of other cuemakers in the area to be refinished...would it have made any difference in the value of the cue? One thing I know for sure..the cue was originally wrapped with Green/White Cortland linen. Danny is the only one I know that still has some of that stuff left, so I wouldn't have had the original wrap if I had taken it to someone else. Plus, the cue was originally finished with Emron clear. I'm not sure how many people are still willing to spray Emron. I know Danny will put it back just like it was to begin with.
 
Guru said:
Collect memories. Some things you must use to appreciate. You don't marry a hottie just to put her in a glass case do you?
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THAT'S exacly what Cindy Crawford said to me when we got hitched. So, I didn't!! :D

"If you can't break with one of my cues, it's not right." 1978, Bill Stroud.

Play with the cue. If it is a piece of art, then put it in the vault. Otherwise, break it out and run a few racks occasionally. Like the above posts have said, you will take care of it and any minor dings can be fixed.

In my limited experience, the original cue maker is more than happy to refinish one of his cues. They really do think of them as their "babies". I've had them ask, "How does it play?" And when I give them the straight answer, and if anything is not quite right, they say "I can fix that." If there are no "complaints", they just smile; and I don't blame them. :D

Cue are made to play with. Well, most of them are . . . . .Mine are and they will get played.......AND taken care of! :)
 
JPB said:
I am speaking as somebody with a small gathering - not a collection yet - of cues. I don't have a real high end cue yet. My best and most expensive is my Capone 6 pointer with veneers. No ivory or precious materials etc... I have bought my cues for a variety of reasons I suppose, but all of them have hit balls. All of them have hit break shots. No, I guess I wouldn't bring my Capone to the worst bar in town to play, but then again I don't go to the bars to play. I have enough cues I could bring something else. I will get more cues. I want a Ginacue. I want a Josswest. I want a few others, some maybe not huge names. But I just don't think I will ever buy a cue I can't play with. I doubt I will ever buy anything like a rare Balabushka for that reason. Too much money for no functional use. If I had a Balabushka I'd at least hit balls with it sometimes. That is my outlook, so I doubt I'll ever have a huge collection. I will have a bunch more good hitting cues than I need though. ;-)
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Tap, tap, tap.

My sentiments exactly. :)
 
GeraldG said:
One thing I know for sure..the cue was originally wrapped with Green/White Cortland linen. Danny is the only one I know that still has some of that stuff left, so I wouldn't have had the original wrap if I had taken it to someone else. Plus, the cue was originally finished with Emron clear. I'm not sure how many people are still willing to spray Emron. I know Danny will put it back just like it was to begin with.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but you're a big cheater . . . . . because you know Danny and he lives in your neck of the woods!! :p

I'm just kidding, because I completely agree with you. Let the original cue maker refinish a cue, if possible. They LOVE it when a cue has been played enough that it needs a refinish. Plus, I think (deep down in their cue-loving heart) they really like to see how one of their "offspring" has "grown up". Don't we all???

I have a 1980 Richard Black, with a piloted ivory joint. I played, and broke (call me a dumb-ass!! :p ) with it for 9 years. Guess what? It is as sound as the day Richard shipped it to me. I sent it to him in 2003 because the 23-FRIGGIN-YEAR-OLD finish was was starting wear. Guess what his response to me on the phone was after he got the cue back? "Yeah, the cue looks 'alright', but the finish sucks!!" You have to laugh. :p

He refinished it, and re-signed it, and it looks like new. I don't give a shit that it doesn't have the original finish or the original hand-drawn signature . . . because it was made to be played with; and it HAS BEEN.

On the other hand, if I had access to a Balabushka, it would be tucked away. I don't care how good it plays . . . . "they ain't makin' no more of them!" :eek: But, if I had a Gus . . . . . I would play with it. I dunno. Call me stupid.

Damn.....what a fence sitter I am. Oh, well. ;)
 
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