What should I do with this?

[Gus]

Question for all of you cue collectors from a novice. I have here a 1 piece brunswick house cue from about 1925, with a pretty good label. Rolls straight. It looks like the tip got buggered up sometime in the last 80 years, as it only measures 54".

My wife and I hit the flea markets on the weekend, and she went into a library flea market during the summer and spotted this cue. She asked the woman "What are you asking for that cue"? The woman answers "25". My wife says "Oh,I'll have to check with my husband to see if he wants to pay 25". The woman answers "25 CENTS"!

My options as I see them:
1. Leave it as is & sell it.
2. Have it converted to a 2-piece, restore the finish, preserving the label.
3. Firewood.
4. Trade it.

Any other suggestions?

 

[ribdoner]

Sell it to me for a HUGE profit!!!

 

[cueball1950]

Question for all of you cue collectors from a novice. I have here a 1 piece brunswick house cue from about 1925, with a pretty good label. Rolls straight. It looks like the tip got buggered up sometime in the last 80 years, as it only measures 54".

My wife and I hit the flea markets on the weekend, and she went into a library flea market during the summer and spotted this cue. She asked the woman "What are you asking for that cue"? The woman answers "25". My wife says "Oh,I'll have to check with my husband to see if he wants to pay 25". The woman answers "25 CENTS"!

My options as I see them:
1. Leave it as is & sell it.
2. Have it converted to a 2-piece, resore the finish, preserving the label.
3. Firewood.

Any other suggestions?

GUS;
When someone else asked a question very similiar to yours, a very wise person on this board gave the best reply i had ever heard.

If you are going to use it to play then either refinish it or convert it.
otherwise just leave it original...So that is the best advice i can give you. I hope it helps......................................mike

 

[nick serdula]

Hay!

Who dat was? I say that now and then exaactly. Leave it origional unless you are going to play with it. If you play with it you will need to refinish the thing to keep it from falling apart!
Good advice!
One other thing the refinish will kill the collectability!
Nick

 

[cueball1950]

Who dat was? I say that now and then exaactly. Leave it origional unless you are going to play with it. If you play with it you will need to refinish the thing to keep it from falling apart!
Good advice!
One other thing the refinish will kill the collectability!
Nick

Well nick... to be quite honest it was indeed you who spoke those words to me about doing a refinish on a willie hoppe....was just waiting to se if you recognized your own words....give the man a gold star..........mike

 

[xidica]

Wow. If it was me I'd have it refinished, and converted into a real nice ole' sneaky

 

[Gus]

Thanks for your replies, I really don't need another sneeky, and I hate to ruin whetever value it has by refinishing it. Not being a collector, I guess I'll put it on Flea-Bay, unless someone here wants to buy it or trade for something!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[runscott]

Thanks for your replies, I really don't need another sneeky, and I hate to ruin whetever value it has by refinishing it. Not being a collector, I guess I'll put it on Flea-Bay, unless someone here wants to buy it or trade for something!

Thanks for the advice.

I disagree to some extent. If you like the way the cue looks in its current state, then leave it alone. On the other hand, if you want it to look similar to how it was intended to look when new, then refinish it. I have had some terrible-looking beaters that when refinished, looked almost brand new.

Most of these old cues now look nothing like they did originally - lots of surface damage, wood might be a different color because of old yellowing laquer, shaft is dirty and grey, etc. So unless you have a valuable cue that is still in reasonably good shape, I think it's usually a benefit to refinish them.

The more valuable 2-piece 4-veneered cues such as the Hoppe Professionals are a different story. I don't normally touch those unless they look really bad, but I've cleaned up a couple and the results are amazing.

That cue that you have is not a rare or particularly valuable one, since it doesn't have veneers, but it is in nice shape so I would leave it alone.

If you want some before and after shots of how these cues can change in appearance, just email me.

 

[runscott]

Question for all of you cue collectors from a novice. I have here a 1 piece brunswick house cue from about 1925, with a pretty good label. Rolls straight. It looks like the tip got buggered up sometime in the last 80 years, as it only measures 54".

Another note - I think that cue is from the mid to late '30s. That fancy 'weight number' font was used in the first Titlists, and also in the 1940 Carom King, both had it stamped in the forearm like yours. The earlier Brunswicks used a less interesting font, and it was stamped on the butt. (Just a trend I've noticed, nothing for absolute certain).