This auction is for a vintage set of Hyatt bicentennial balls in a vintage Brunswick box. Condition of the balls is good with no chipping, there is scratches, scuffing and some sort of discoloration on the eleven ball. The box is in good to fair condition. Shipping will be free in the CONUS.
$150 shipped with paypal
Below is a history of this set of balls.
Made by the Albany ball company in Albany NY. They had been making the centennial balls for Brunswick since 1945. The company had virtually been out of business or slowed down badly for 3 years and few dealers were still carrying their line. When they reorganized the company in 1976, they decided to introduce this new set and design, to celebrate our countries 200th anniversary.
Instead of the traditional darts, or notches on the two sides of the circles on the balls, they put a star, which also helped to distinguish it from the Brunswick sets, even though it was the same ball.
The company had such limited distribution at that time, and the price on the balls was $323, not that many sets were sold. The same is true today, most pool halls or people buy the crowns or Premiums for $100 to $200, rather than spend $400 on the Centennials. Which is why these sets are so rare, and hard to find, and command a premium price. Few are out there. It’s the last, great ball, and set, made by this great company, making it a must for any ball collector to have.
What did not help sales were 3 things, the high cost compared to the cheap imports now flooding the markets, the star instead of the notch, most preferred the dart design and did not like the star, it was like looking at it, that star was not supposed to be there. It bothered me, and others used to seeing the darts. The cue ball was a bad joke, half of it was covered with the numbers, you could not play with it, as it would be too distracting, which is why you rarely see one in any set, everyone threw them away and replaced them with a red circle cue ball that was not annoying.
Ads in newspapers in the NE in 1976 offered them for 99.99 and on sale 79.99 in 1976 in the Pottstown paper Philly Pa area which we have a copy of.
What cost $80.00 in 1976 would cost $323.04 in 2013.
You could buy a Brunswick pool table then for $1049.
Well used sets in fair condition have sold for $300, finer sets have sold for $400 to $499 and up recently. A modern set of Centennials today sells for $404.00.
The Hyatt balls were the standard, for 2/3rd’s of the 20th century. They were known as clays, composition, and the most popular models were the Ivorlenes and Super 0’s, but they had many models over the years. They made the Centennial brand of balls for Brunswick. Cheap imports crippled the company in the 60’s, and by 1973 the company was almost finished. It reorganized in 1977, and then closed in 1986, the last American ball company, was no more, and Saluc, Aramith in Belgium became the new dominate maker of premium professional balls having a basic worldwide monopoly.
$150 shipped with paypal
Below is a history of this set of balls.
Made by the Albany ball company in Albany NY. They had been making the centennial balls for Brunswick since 1945. The company had virtually been out of business or slowed down badly for 3 years and few dealers were still carrying their line. When they reorganized the company in 1976, they decided to introduce this new set and design, to celebrate our countries 200th anniversary.
Instead of the traditional darts, or notches on the two sides of the circles on the balls, they put a star, which also helped to distinguish it from the Brunswick sets, even though it was the same ball.
The company had such limited distribution at that time, and the price on the balls was $323, not that many sets were sold. The same is true today, most pool halls or people buy the crowns or Premiums for $100 to $200, rather than spend $400 on the Centennials. Which is why these sets are so rare, and hard to find, and command a premium price. Few are out there. It’s the last, great ball, and set, made by this great company, making it a must for any ball collector to have.
What did not help sales were 3 things, the high cost compared to the cheap imports now flooding the markets, the star instead of the notch, most preferred the dart design and did not like the star, it was like looking at it, that star was not supposed to be there. It bothered me, and others used to seeing the darts. The cue ball was a bad joke, half of it was covered with the numbers, you could not play with it, as it would be too distracting, which is why you rarely see one in any set, everyone threw them away and replaced them with a red circle cue ball that was not annoying.
Ads in newspapers in the NE in 1976 offered them for 99.99 and on sale 79.99 in 1976 in the Pottstown paper Philly Pa area which we have a copy of.
What cost $80.00 in 1976 would cost $323.04 in 2013.
You could buy a Brunswick pool table then for $1049.
Well used sets in fair condition have sold for $300, finer sets have sold for $400 to $499 and up recently. A modern set of Centennials today sells for $404.00.
The Hyatt balls were the standard, for 2/3rd’s of the 20th century. They were known as clays, composition, and the most popular models were the Ivorlenes and Super 0’s, but they had many models over the years. They made the Centennial brand of balls for Brunswick. Cheap imports crippled the company in the 60’s, and by 1973 the company was almost finished. It reorganized in 1977, and then closed in 1986, the last American ball company, was no more, and Saluc, Aramith in Belgium became the new dominate maker of premium professional balls having a basic worldwide monopoly.
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