So, what is your "THE ONE" ?????????????????

There are so many, wouldn't know where to start.

Probably the nicest cue I ever owned was the ebony Gina with the herringbone handle. Hurts me to look at pictures of it.
 
Great stories, guys...and certainly some great cues. Keep 'em coming, with pics if you have them. The older I get, the more important & interesting these cue stories seem to become. Or maybe just feeling more nostalgic. :)
 
1983 rosewood on rosewood 4 point 4 veneer (blk, org, green, natural) Gus with 3/8-10 flat-face ivory joint and diamond inlays front and back, veneer stitch deco rings, made with slightly more slender handle than was usual for the time. White with brown spec linen wrap. Waited only 4-5 months because I was recommended by someone Gus knew and liked. Had several memorable long distance phone calls with Gus (he also made me a 2 shafted ebony sneaky pete from a Dufferin butt I sent) Paid $635.00. Sold it in July 1985 for 1k with Fellini case to the guy who introduced me to Gus, John Skinner. I saw a similar cue with no inlays about 6 years ago at SBE. The ask was 35K. I never knew what became of the cue and was not able to locate John Skinner to find out. I assumed the cue ended up with Lucky or another collection.

I'd love to see my first Scruggs cue too, 4 point 4 veneer ebony into stained birdseye Rambow style (now called Hoppe) with 3/8-10 ivory joint and leather wrap, bought in 1979.

Martin
 
The Paradise cue made for Mickey Mantle. I probably would not have bid enough for it, but it was listed in an auction that was going to be live online. I signed up as a bidder, and at the time had my wife ok $9000 bid (which was a major undertaking in and of itself!). Estimated auction time was something like 10:30am my time. I logged in at 9:30 just to make sure my connection would work and I found out that it had already sold. I know I am not the only one that missed out on bidding. Apparently the auction went quicker than expected and the cue sold early, from what I understand, to someone present in the auction house for something like $4500. Have seen in posted since then for $30,000. Still makes me sick.
 
I let go a bocote sneaky pete one time.
I should have kept it.
It had a shaft you'd kill for.


I had Judd JT3 one time. BEM with 8-points of ebony.
I wish I kept it. Last time I saw it, the owner beat it up pretty good.
I felt bad for it . It was my first real good custom cue.
 
6 point

The 1st. time I went to the SBE was 1995. My head was spinning looking at so many beautiful cues, and I was totally confused. I met a cue broker from Asia who introduced me to Tony Scianella of Black Boar cues. I bought a beautiful 6 point cocabola with recut points . I loved and played with that cue for 8 years . A high end cue came along and my 1st. 6point was involved in the trade to acquire it. Every cue or tournament after that I searched for it , I really missed owning that cue. In 2012 I received a call from Bill Grassley telling me he had my cue for me. I have it back and am thrilled there is a lot of memories ( all good ) in that cue, it will never leave ( while I'm alive ) me again.
 
One of Luther Lassiter's Balabushka cues came through the Wagon Wheel at a tournament I was at in 1988 or 1989 and sold for $1000. The same week Gus passed away one of his cues sold in my neighborhood for a $1000 also. But the Bushka was the one I missed out on that I regret the most.
 
Here is one I sold to a buddy.

This and by the way his one hole Cue was mine too. I sold it to a friend Robbie Larceny. He loaned it to his best buddy. He came up short and sold it to Mike for $700 ouch. It was sold with the stipulation I would buy it back.
When Mike got ahold of it he did it proud.
RIP Old Pal.
I sold this to my buddy Michael Surber





It fell in a puddle and came back Yellow and Green.
Nick :)
 

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franko said:
The 1st. time I went to the SBE was 1995. My head was spinning looking at so many beautiful cues, and I was totally confused. I met a cue broker from Asia who introduced me to Tony Scianella of Black Boar cues. I bought a beautiful 6 point cocabola with recut points . I loved and played with that cue for 8 years . A high end cue came along and my 1st. 6point was involved in the trade to acquire it. Every cue or tournament after that I searched for it , I really missed owning that cue. In 2012 I received a call from Bill Grassley telling me he had my cue for me. I have it back and am thrilled there is a lot of memories ( all good ) in that cue, it will never leave ( while I'm alive ) me again.
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Frank, glad you were able to get that cue back. Bill said he would get it back to you and he is a man of his word.
 
Ken_4fun said:
I guess I am different from you guys.

I have bought and sold tons of cues, and how I have done it was buying some purely to flip and then some that I wanted to keep.

The ones I bought to keep, I have generally kept, unless I have a cue that I have wanted pretty darn bad.

I got my first Gus from Ken at High End Cues, and sold and traded to get the cash to get the cue. In that trade with Ken, I let go the best playing Southwest cue I have ever played with. It was Jason Miller's cue that I had refinished and it was incredible. It really doesn't bother me, as I would much rather have the Gus.

The second Gus cue that I picked up, I paid cash for it from a friend, and then sold about (4) of my "keeper" cues to pay for it. My friend wanted cash and the cues I sold, sold for more that what I could have traded.

So when I look back on cues I let go, I look at what I wanted a little more. I have been lucky in selling cues and making a little or trading and adding a little cash to get something a little better.

Ken
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I'll second that on the South West Ken,our little buddy in Cinci found that cue through me,played with it quite a lot,it was one bad azz cue.Kinda of a rare combo as it had a ebony butt sleeve but maple points and ivory ferrulles.
 
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Mine is a Ivory handle Gilbert. I should have kept it could have. But like most use
Colloctors after awhile saw something I wanted more at time ha.
 

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Yeah, Dusty.....that first one of Andy's was truly a neat cue !!

Great stuff, folks. Keep 'em coming. Love these these stories about great cues.
 
It played as good as it looked plus I loved the fact that
For atleast a little while I had his biggest lol. This was my daily player
For a yr while i was inbetween Sponsers. Mr Andy loved it that I made
It my player he said he was dying to know how she hit. Played lights out, also
A trip to bust out in pool rooms. Would draw a crowd that and my albino
Rhinoceros jack Justis I was using at time ha.
 
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