Hey guys. I have an older cue that has an Ivory butt and Ivory inlays. Does having the Ivory make the cue worth any more money, than the same cue would be with an Ivory alternative material?
Value of ivory in cues?
- Thread starter scassidy77
- Start date
I will never buy a cue that has Ivory in it.
So to me it adds no value.
So to me it adds no value.
Depends on who made the cue
Some guys, nowadays, have a thing about ivory -- and I respect that.
However, that being said, most knowledgable cue collectors know the value of materials like ivory, or gold, or silver, or abalone, or MOP, etc in a cue and will appreciate the value it brings. No different than exotic, well-figured wood that can be very hard to find and even harder to work and craft into a beautiful pool cue. Some of the greatest examples of the cue makers art are laden with ivory. It was, perhaps, a different era. But the cues are beautiful and will not, ever, lose value.
Lou Figueroa
Thanks for the great feedback Lou!
The "prohibition" on ivory will be the same as the prohibition on alcohol was. It will drive up price for sure and possibly demand on the underground market regardless it what it does on the "legal" market. Humans always look for ways to obtain the hard to find items that earth offers. Gold, diamonds and platinum are all markets of hard to obtain minerals. Even the rare wood market is the same, just look at the cost and restrictions of rare wood.. Most everything is available until it is financially unavailable to a certain consumer base, then they scream that it should be unavailable to everyone because they can't afford it. Or they consider it unethical because they feel that way and want you to feel the way they do...
Today, having ivory in a cue is as useful as having a buggy whip in a 2020 automobile.
Not even remotely the same thing, but you go ahead and virtue signal till your hearts content
I've always been a huge fan of ivory in cues. Because of the law changes I haven't really pushed the use of ivory in any of the cues I've ordered or bought since the law chances. I still have a few cues with ivory in them. As most others have stated, the value that ivory always had should still be viable if not worth more now since it's harder to obtain.
I also believe that any cuemaker still using any ivory has obtained it legally years ago when there weren't such laws in place. I don't think any cuemaker has gone out of their way to continue to buy more illegally.
I also believe that any cuemaker still using any ivory has obtained it legally years ago when there weren't such laws in place. I don't think any cuemaker has gone out of their way to continue to buy more illegally.
Can anyone name a cue maker charged, or convicted, of committing a crime using ivory in a pool cue
that was made, or was in construction, for any domestic buyer(s)? To the best of my knowledge, it has
never happened and Ginacue’s offense involving selling cues to international buyers that were leaving
the USA. It was not because Ernie used ivory in the pool cues that was actually categorized as Pre-Ban ivory.
Based upon the historical value other collectible items down through the decades, once something becomes
unavailable, or extremely scarce, the value of that item increases over time. Scarcity always increases the price
of most anything and so the less there is of something, which can be categorized as availability, the more valuable
that item becomes. There will always be select buyers for high quality pool cues that use elephant ivory. The only
question is where and how the sale gets consummated. When there’s the will, there’s always a way to get it done.
My cues are going to my children when I’m gone. I have a one year old grandson who will be playing with one of my
cues 40, 50, 60 years from now and even longer, the good Lord willing. The cue he plays with will be very rare and he
will tell people how his grandfather designed this cue that used ivory which most people likely wouldn’t have seen a
lot of by that time in the future. And ask anyone that owns a cue with an ivory joint and ferrules. They likely wouldn’t
switch if you gave them the choice, except that nowadays with carbon fiber shafts that might not hold true any more.
Any way, folks like to think that ivory is the kiss of death for pool cues but for those already possessing them, it just
could be a bonanza of a sort. Time will tell and the billiards market will have ups and downs. Nonetheless, the more
scarce something starts becoming, like Cortland Linen for example, the more the price of the item increases for anyone
that wants to acquire it. It’s just supply and demand, plus legality doesn’t matter. Remember the Volstead Act? When people want alcoholic beverages, someone is going to make & sell it and people are going to find it. Supply & Demand
that was made, or was in construction, for any domestic buyer(s)? To the best of my knowledge, it has
never happened and Ginacue’s offense involving selling cues to international buyers that were leaving
the USA. It was not because Ernie used ivory in the pool cues that was actually categorized as Pre-Ban ivory.
Based upon the historical value other collectible items down through the decades, once something becomes
unavailable, or extremely scarce, the value of that item increases over time. Scarcity always increases the price
of most anything and so the less there is of something, which can be categorized as availability, the more valuable
that item becomes. There will always be select buyers for high quality pool cues that use elephant ivory. The only
question is where and how the sale gets consummated. When there’s the will, there’s always a way to get it done.
My cues are going to my children when I’m gone. I have a one year old grandson who will be playing with one of my
cues 40, 50, 60 years from now and even longer, the good Lord willing. The cue he plays with will be very rare and he
will tell people how his grandfather designed this cue that used ivory which most people likely wouldn’t have seen a
lot of by that time in the future. And ask anyone that owns a cue with an ivory joint and ferrules. They likely wouldn’t
switch if you gave them the choice, except that nowadays with carbon fiber shafts that might not hold true any more.
Any way, folks like to think that ivory is the kiss of death for pool cues but for those already possessing them, it just
could be a bonanza of a sort. Time will tell and the billiards market will have ups and downs. Nonetheless, the more
scarce something starts becoming, like Cortland Linen for example, the more the price of the item increases for anyone
that wants to acquire it. It’s just supply and demand, plus legality doesn’t matter. Remember the Volstead Act? When people want alcoholic beverages, someone is going to make & sell it and people are going to find it. Supply & Demand
Nope…..maybe you should read my post once again……already covered that but you are correct he broke the
International ban on ivory prohibitions & was cited after the Taiwan buyers were caught but the ivory used was
legal. The CA ivory ban didn’t take effect until July 1, 2016. The crime was because Ernie knew the buyers were
not leaving the cues in the USA but he still sold the cues, however, the ivory used in the cues was legal to use.
But I do not presume to have the final say on what happened. Maybe someone else can cite a source for Ernie’s
actual criminal offense. What I originally asked was whether a cue maker has been busted for using illegal ivory
and I know there was an incident some time back but I vaguely recollect it involved a distributor of some pre-ban
ivory and not an actual cue maker that was charged with using ivory that was illegal or poached elephant ivory.
The Ginacue situation was an illegal sale that was before the CA ivory ban took effect but violated International Law.
I'm pretty sure this is correct.
The last time I visited Ernie's shop I asked about his ivory and he mentioned his tusks were over 100 years old and legally bought. It was the buyers leaving the country that created the issue and they may have sold Ernie down the river about what he knew about where the cues were going.
Lou Figueroa