What is the Most Expensive Case Ever Made ? What is the Limit ?

JCIN

JCIN

TheActionReport.com
Gold Member
I was reading this thread about an artist who works with leather http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=2718614&posted=1#post2718614

It got me thinking. We see $50K cues. Some are rumored to have went for more. What is the upper limit in cases ? I know some of the Justis/Ross works go in the $2k-$3K range and you could probably get a bigger one than that if you had it made out of Unicorn skin or something.

I asked Jack during an interview why he thought more people were not making cases. It seems some new talent has come to the front since then or maybe I have just now learned about it. Its safe to say that for cases to reach the level of art cues they themselves would probably have to be appreciated as works of art in and of themselves more than a practical tool.

So what are the limits? What will push those limits and expand the possibilities ?

I have some ideas but I would like to see what others think.
 
I saw a Chas Clements case that was selling for 3K. That's a lot of cash for a simple envelope case. I was told Balabushka made a few cases. Though I have never seen one, nor even been certain that they exist, such a case would surely set a new mark for most expensive. I think the most expensive I have seen is an exotic skin Justice...maybe 4K or so.
 
Interesting stuff Justin, I think the work Cyrex is doing moves casework into the artwork realm. The Red Headed woman and Spiderman cases are incredible. Before his work I have seen very little case work that moved beyond traditional tooling and exotic animal skins. If I had the dough I would like to have that leather etching artist (Mark Evans) make me a case with my Rottweiler and Great Dane represented on the backside of the case.

Rep to you for generating what I think will be a cool thread.

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving Sir.
-don
 
A guy I know who lives a couple of hours away from me has a Jack Justis case made out of real Rhino skin. 2x4, shoulder strap, pockets. He told me that there are only 2 in the world and Efren has the other one. He wanted $16,000 for it. I seen it, held it in my hands, and I got to say it was beautiful. Next time I talk to him I'll tell him to get me some pics of it.
 
I'd have to say that the most expensive cue cases ever made would have to be the ones by Mel Larsen. http://www.onthebreaknews.com/melscases/

What's Ernie's Silver Gina cue case worth? By itself without the cue.

We sold a case by Jiasen to a guy at the US Open two years ago for $1700. At the Derby City Classic a few months later he sold it for $5000 as he reported to us.

Most expensive made and sold to a customer directly from the maker?

I'd have to think that probably Jack Justis/Ron Ross and Mel Larsen share that distinction, although I think that Chas sold his for real strong money but I don't know what his highest was. Chas was getting upwards of a $1000 for knife sheaths. I will ask him.

The only two things that make a case expensive from us are the price of the leather/material and the amount of work. I saw a crocodile skin priced at $30,000. If I were to buy that one I'd get probably three case' worth out if and maybe only one where the skin wrapped all the way around the tube easily.

You could fill a case up with gems, same as cues, and make it cost more. You could go to some super high end toolers and get them to decorate the leather and it will cost a lot. You can commission a guy like Mark Evans to work on your leather and you will pay him a lot. These are all things which can make a case expensive.

To make a good case doesn't cost a lot. To make an expensive one that's really worth it costs a lot more.
 
Jack sells a lot of 3,500 BUCK TOOL CASES. But the Problem with getting a Alligator or Crocodile Case is the Part of the Animal's Skin that is the most used is in a Cue Case would be the BELLY (underside) , and their Reptiles when they walk DRAG THERE BELLIES in the Sand or Rocks along the rivers edge.

So the bellies in many cases are not free from rubs marks, nicks, cuts, and what is desirable part of the skin to make a Big Pool Cue CASE.

A gentleman I know that lives in Louisiana told me the amount of bell shin need from a Alligator for one of his 1 x 2 would come from a Very Large Skin in the Desired Condition that would cost 1500-2000 BUCKS for the Hide most of witch he would not use.

FYI.
 
A couple art cases from 2008

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About $1800 each.
 
where are ya'll getting your alligator skins?


If they are not coming from here.....they are not the best.....those big time super high dollar french purse makers they buy their materials from us.........reason being? Well we been doing this longer than anyone else......its a cajun thing lol, obviously now they got us on discovery channel lmfao

not that it matters but the best fabrige egg maker on the planet is from here too.....many great artists around here in all kinds of fields.

like justin wilson used to say........

I guarontee...............

i grew up next to an alliagtor farm........i know a handful of these guys if any of you want more direct access to skins or happen to be interested in the meat too (good stuff) just holler

-Grey Ghost-
 
Realizm said:
greyghost said:
where are ya'll getting your alligator skins?


Come on down to sc we hunt gators . Get them while there still moving.
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not bad homie not bad.....i got to get that pic of the 19 footer from my grandmother from way back when my grand dad used to hunt......from way back in the 50's, crazy sh*t.

you might not know but the carolinas were settled by "cajuns" also....the french that were exiled to Nova Scotia.....they made their way down here.....some of those people settled in the areas that are now the carolinas, mississippi........

the best of them settled in a small area of southern louisiana and became known as Cajuns..........

some of them......the unluckiest ones landed in texas.........and they got some names they call us.....but don't you worry we got names for them too lmfao.


thanks for the pic whats that about 11ft 900lbs? nice one

when we were kids Mr. Bojo Lemaire (alligator farmer) used to pay us neighborhood kids a small fee for bringing back the babies that would get out........and by babies I mean from 6" to about 3ft..........we used to walk the coolies, canals, ditches, crawfish ponds around here with a wide pitchfork and a 6ft cast net with some rope in a red flyer wagon

if we didn't get any gators we always came back with some alligator snapper turtles.........real good eating right there.

-Grey Ghost-
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CocoboloCowboy said:
Realizm said:
Is it not true that Alligators, and Crocodiles when on land or the shore DRAG their Underside meaning find a Nice Gator, or Crock Belly Free from defects hard to find. Plus when you do you pay a deer price for the skin.
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cowboy I'll tell ya many of the gators I remember seeing all the time alive and in process of cleaning.......the belly was usually very clean and nice......yall are thinking that gators live in the f*kn grand canyon dragging butt in rock all over the place..........they live in the marsh......the ground is very soft.......their skin is tough as 7 kind a sin

they don't live in the city and walk on concrete.

-Grey Ghost-
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I think a case could be exotic skinned and have all the hardware in gold and quickly move into the 6 figs if there was someone to pay for it.

I have another ??? since my good friend John is in this thread. Will there EVER be anything from China ever classified as a niche collectible? I mean really, they have been sending over pool cues since the 40's, all relative pieces of sh*t, and even the cues today, no one is collecting new Adam cues (not anyone with a brain anyways)(or Sterlings), the old ones are from Japan have a little following. So my question is if anyone knew a a case or cue was from China what kind of "SECONDARY" market value would you allow for it?

Why I bring this up, is that John is making a nice case. But when someone plops down 5-6-7 hundred what they are doing in their mind is saying, well if Jack built this, or Whitten it would be a 3k case. Yes, John's cases are very nicely done, they might even be the best cue protection device in case Al Queida nukes your town, and they look great, and for the initial outlay a lot of bang for the buck.

Does anyone buy anything from over seas thinking about resale value? (not talking dealers and mass produced items)

In the same breath, cues. Arthur and Vollmer make nice cues as do I am sure a bunch of other craftsman outside the US, but I am pretty biased in my old school schooling and I wouldn't trade into anything not made in the US, and not made "classic". So I am looking for other opinions.

Sorry Justin, didn't want to hijack your thread but... oh well... :)

JV
 
Barton hit on it. I would guess the most expensive case I've ever seen, based on total speculation of what the seller could get for it if he was inclined to sell it, would be Ernie's Silver Gina case.
 
greyghost said:
CocoboloCowboy said:
cowboy I'll tell ya many of the gators I remember seeing all the time alive and in process of cleaning.......the belly was usually very clean and nice......yall are thinking that gators live in the f*kn grand canyon dragging butt in rock all over the place..........they live in the marsh......the ground is very soft.......their skin is tough as 7 kind a sin

they don't live in the city and walk on concrete.

-Grey Ghost-
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Ron Thomas who live in Lafayette, Louisiana told me years ago, when I asked why he don't use REAL Gator as he is like in Gatorville USA. Instead he uses a Cow Hide that is stamped to look like Gator.

Ron mention the Cost of Gator Skin, and to make a 1 x 2 it would take a piece of Gator approx. 6" X 39", and Ron said the cost was too high, as the Bigger the Gator, the more the skin fetches.

Ron does do Real Elephant, and Real Hippo in several colors, but honestly I could never bring myself to pay 800-1200 for such a 1 x 2 NO POCKET CASE.

In the TV Show, Swamp People in one episode a Italians Buyer goes out with the Gator Hunters, and talks about what Designer Gator Belts, Wallets, Shoes and Jackets cost.

Very very pricey!
Click to expand...
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
greyghost said:
Ron Thomas who live in Lafayette, Louisiana told me years ago, when I asked why he don't use REAL Gator as he is like in Gatorville USA. Instead he uses a Cow Hide that is stamped to look like Gator.

Ron mention the Cost of Gator Skin, and to make a 1 x 2 it would take a piece of Gator approx. 6" X 39", and Ron said the cost was too high, as the Bigger the Gator, the more the skin fetches.

Ron does do Real Elephant, and Real Hippo in several colors, but honestly I could never bring myself to pay 800-1200 for such a 1 x 2 NO POCKET CASE.

In the TV Show, Swamp People in one episode a Italians Buyer goes out with the Gator Hunters, and talks about what Designer Gator Belts, Wallets, Shoes and Jackets cost.

Very very pricey!
Click to expand...

yea no doubt its not cheap......and the designer stuff sure aint cheap either lol......
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I spoke at length to Ron on Friday. There is a reptile tannery in Lafayette that mainly deals with commercially raised gators. They don't raise them to be the size he would need. Prices for nice tanned hides from them cost about $15 per centimeter!!!!!
 
cuenut said:
I spoke at length to Ron on Friday. There is a reptile tannery in Lafayette that mainly deals with commercially raised gators. They don't raise them to be the size he would need. Prices for nice tanned hides from them cost about $15 per centimeter!!!!!
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yea there are quite a few commercial operations here, from what i remember as a kid the biggest you would ever see in the hatchery was around 3-5ft b/f either processing or release back into the wild. At that size thats way to small to get anything the size for a cuecase I'd imagine

Its was pretty cool to see the humongous incubators and holding facilitys.....tho it smelled like pogey fish and was humid and 120º lol

at one time the farmer down the street where I grew up had big busses coming in with tourists.......lol and they paid to see it too.
 
classiccues said:
I think a case could be exotic skinned and have all the hardware in gold and quickly move into the 6 figs if there was someone to pay for it.

I have another ??? since my good friend John is in this thread. Will there EVER be anything from China ever classified as a niche collectible? I mean really, they have been sending over pool cues since the 40's, all relative pieces of sh*t, and even the cues today, no one is collecting new Adam cues (not anyone with a brain anyways)(or Sterlings), the old ones are from Japan have a little following. So my question is if anyone knew a a case or cue was from China what kind of "SECONDARY" market value would you allow for it?

Why I bring this up, is that John is making a nice case. But when someone plops down 5-6-7 hundred what they are doing in their mind is saying, well if Jack built this, or Whitten it would be a 3k case. Yes, John's cases are very nicely done, they might even be the best cue protection device in case Al Queida nukes your town, and they look great, and for the initial outlay a lot of bang for the buck.

Does anyone buy anything from over seas thinking about resale value? (not talking dealers and mass produced items)

In the same breath, cues. Arthur and Vollmer make nice cues as do I am sure a bunch of other craftsman outside the US, but I am pretty biased in my old school schooling and I wouldn't trade into anything not made in the US, and not made "classic". So I am looking for other opinions.

Sorry Justin, didn't want to hijack your thread but... oh well... :)

JV
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Well let's see, a Chinese vase just sold at auction for 62.5 million dollars in the UK. Found in an attic. Didn't have "made in China" anywhere on it.

If you're talking modern consumer goods then probably not much.

Thanks for the backhanded compliments though. I am sure that Ralf Ganz feels like he just got a "poor man's Justis"

palacegarden-a-front.jpg


And I am positive that Chris Davis thinks the same thing;

chris-a-front.jpg


And of course Will Prout was just telling me how he wished that Justis would have made this instead of us;

wildrose-b-back.jpg


I think that the proper attribution would not be "if Jack built this, or Whitten it would be a 3k case." but instead if those two COULD build this or WOULD build this then it would cost me 3k. The follow up to that would be IF the buyer could then get 3k out of the case if either Jack or Dan built it.

As for resale value who can say really? I build my cases for use now. They are to be thought of as daily cue insurance first and as investments later. Would anyone have thought that a $65 Fellini would bring $300 today?

I related my story above about the man who bought an $1800 Jiasen Masterpiece one of a kind case from us at the US Open in 2008 and sold it at the Derby City Classic in January 2009 for $5000.

Not a bad appreciation on his money for a four month investment. Of course this was a unique situation as he just happened to meet a guy who fell in love with the case and wouldn't take no for an answer.

And what about the Brunswick import cues from the catalogs in the 20s-40s? Put one of them on Ebay today and see where it goes. A lot more than $2. And for that matter, some old "Brunswick" cases and other old tooled cases which sometimes get sold for a couple hundred - were made in China.

You know that there are VERY VERY few cuemakers doing work TODAY who's cues bring the retail price or better once they leave the cuemaker's shop at retail. Everyone else's are speculative investments at best.

Kaz Miki is building some WAY out of the box cues with his Exceed line. It was shown at the last two ICCS shows and his cues got lots of attention.

Keith Andy from Japan is a world class cue. Reyes from Taiwan is a world class cue. Edwin Reyes cues from the Philippines have started to get collectible now that there will never be any more of them. (RIP my friend).

I do find a little funny that you are telling all my customers they have no brains? I'd like to think that some of them are buying my cases for their potential collectible status. Well in fact there are a few people actively collecting them now.

Is that a good strategy for you since so many of them are pretty big cue buyers?
 
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