Traveling with Ivory cues

The Dragon

Registered
Has anyone traveled with Ivory cues into the US?

any suggestions?

Shipping or bringing it on the plane (checked bags)
 
Don't do it. It is a crime and they have started prosecuting people for importing and exporting Ivory here in the USA.
 
Definitely do not travel with them. Just went through the Atlanta airport, they are displaying an impressive collection of confiscated ivory items.
 
Go ahead the the1988 international endangered species act is just ink on paper.
And all the little fines and taking your pool cues away from you is just idel threats.
And the fact that they could arrest and throw you in jail with a bunch of drug crazed
gang bangers are pure scare tactics.

I don't know if you noticed or not but no one is paying any attention to all the poach elephants the have been killed in the last couple of years, mainly by Asian countries like CHINA.

And just because you ran this topic in a international public forum doesn't mean you are knowingly and willing conspiring to commit a felony.

And if customs gives you a hard times you just tell them Mortuarymike said it was ok
 
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Unless you are prepared to have your pool cue confiscated either when you enter the other country, presuming they signed the endangered wildlife agreement and a lot of nations have, or definitely when you try to bring your cue back into this country.

The only thing that will protect you is if you have legitimately obtained a CITES certificate for your specific pool cue and I don't think that's even possible due to the extraordinarily hard challenge of "proving" the actual ivory in your pool cue was legal. The chief biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife for ivory verification told me that they can perform a test but it requires taking core samples from at least 70% of the ivory in the cue for testing the ivory's age........the test they do literally destroys the pool cue.......assuming they decide to test the cue to start with.......simple confiscation is a lot easier but if it became necessary to validate the ivory, your cue would get destroyed in the process.

So that's what you are faced with........I say leave the cue at home and bring another.......overseas sellers of cues with ivory that list the cue for sale and say the shipping is completely at the risk of the buyer, well, they might as well just post some photos of that cue in the Cue Gallery and look for compliments about owning the cue......because it's never going to sell to any buyer in the USA. No one in their right mind wants any cue so badly that they risk losing their payment and the cue from confiscation.......might as well just flush your money down the toilet if you're dumb enough to buy any cue under those terms.

Why do it? There's so many more other great cues that can be located already here in the USA by that same cue-maker and with zero risk of the cue you're buying being confiscated.........DUH! Until the ivory ban gets straightened out or relaxed, overseas sellers pretty much are stuck with their cues or can try selling their locally but the USA market is dead for those type sales except for buyers are prepared to lose their money for a cue they'll never get..........99.9% of the time.......occasionally you hear some story......probably fictional......about someone saying their cue was shipped and arrived safely......the system is not a 100% foolproof but I betcha a lot of those stories are just fabricated bullshit....why bother taking the risk to even start with but always remember....CAVEAT EMPTOR....and remain skeptical of advice urging you to ignore reality. It's much safer to allow those persons to go risk their own money and/or pool cues rather than yours.

Matt B.
 
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Go ahead the the1988 international endangered species act is just ink on paper.
And all the little fines and taking your pool cues away from you is just idel threats.
And the fact that they could arrest and throw you in jail with a bunch of drug crazed
gang bangers are pure scare tactics.

I don't know if you noticed or not but no one is paying any attention to all the poach elephants the have been killed in the last couple of years, mainly by Asian countries like CHINA.

And just because you ran this topic in a international public forum doesn't mean you are knowingly and willing conspiring to commit a felony.

And if customs gives you a hard times you just tell them Mortuarymike said it was ok



The sarcasm is a nice touch...

I'll definately tell them you said it was cool...
 
I've traveled several times inside the US from the east coast to Vegas and not once have the airlines ever allowed me to carry my cues on the plane with me so that's probably pretty much out of the question. As far as the legalities of shipping or bringing post ban ivory into the US.......probably not worth it, but that's just me.
 
It's preban ivory but I don't have a permit, so might as well be post ban ivory. I think the best bet is to sell it here while I can. Shame it's a beautiful Carmeli one of two.
 
It's preban ivory but I don't have a permit, so might as well be post ban ivory. I think the best bet is to sell it here while I can. Shame it's a beautiful Carmeli one of two.

You're right, absolutely do not bring it into the US.
 
Unless you are prepared to have your pool cue confiscated either when you enter the other country, presuming they signed the endangered wildlife agreement and a lot of nations have, or definitely when you try to bring your cue back into this country.

The only thing that will protect you is if you have legitimately obtained a CITES certificate for your specific pool cue and I don't think that's even possible due to the extraordinarily hard challenge of "proving" the actual ivory in your pool cue was legal. The chief biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife for ivory verification told me that they can perform a test but it requires taking core samples from at least 70% of the ivory in the cue for testing the ivory's age........the test they do literally destroys the pool cue.......assuming they decide to test the cue to start with.......simple confiscation is a lot easier but if it became necessary to validate the ivory, your cue would get destroyed in the process.

So that's what you are faced with........I say leave the cue at home and bring another.......overseas sellers of cues with ivory that list the cue for sale and say the shipping is completely at the risk of the buyer, well, they might as well just post some photos of that cue in the Cue Gallery and look for compliments about owning the cue......because it's never going to sell to any buyer in the USA. No one in their right mind wants any cue so badly that they risk losing their payment and the cue from confiscation.......might as well just flush your money down the toilet if you're dumb enough to buy any cue under those terms.

Why do it? There's so many more other great cues that can be located already here in the USA by that same cue-maker and with zero risk of the cue you're buying being confiscated.........DUH! Until the ivory ban gets straightened out or relaxed, overseas sellers pretty much are stuck with their cues or can try selling their locally but the USA market is dead for those type sales except for buyers are prepared to lose their money for a cue they'll never get..........99.9% of the time.......occasionally you hear some story......probably fictional......about someone saying their cue was shipped and arrived safely......the system is not a 100% foolproof but I betcha a lot of those stories are just fabricated bullshit....why bother taking the risk to even start with but always remember....CAVEAT EMPTOR....and remain skeptical of advice urging you to ignore reality. It's much safer to allow those persons to go risk their own money and/or pool cues rather than yours.

Matt B.


So that's a "no" then...
 
are the people at the airports educated enough to know the difference in ivory and delrin
how do they know how to check if its ivory
is there a device that beeps like those used to verify diamonds

im just curious as I have no idea
 
are the people at the airports educated enough to know the difference in ivory and delrin
how do they know how to check if its ivory
is there a device that beeps like those used to verify diamonds

im just curious as I have no idea

Probably not, but if you attract their attention you will find it pretty unpleasant.
The problem is, if they look at your pool cue and ask as they will, what do you say? Obviously you will have to lie if they have ivory in them and you know.

I am pretty sure they will be able to tell or at least have enough suspicion to cause you a problem. If I had a cue with ivory like inlays that could be mistaken for ivory such as bone or Alternative Ivory or something.

I would carry some kind of proof, maybe a letter from the maker so you are covered. You don't want a problem if you are in fact innocent. I don't think this question is silly,

I could see people being stopped with pool cues. They are known for having ivory in them and would be on the hit list of things to check.
 
Has anyone, one person, had a cue confiscated?

Anyone?

Lou Figueroa
Bueller, Bueller, Bueller?
 
Has anyone, one person, had a cue confiscated?

Anyone?

Lou Figueroa
Bueller, Bueller, Bueller?

Probably no one on here or we would have heard about it. I am sure it has happened though. I would think it is only an issue traveling international. No one is opening luggage in the bottom of the plane looking from ivory as you fly from Miami to LV..
 
I have heard of one big cue that was confiscated when trying to ship out of the US. I am sure there are plenty more of course.
 
are the people at the airports educated enough to know the difference in ivory and delrin
how do they know how to check if its ivory
is there a device that beeps like those used to verify diamonds

im just curious as I have no idea

I'm pretty sure they use a scanner technology
 
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