Wall cue
Three 15 year old kids racing to the pool room after school, all seeking the holy grail of wall cues, a 19oz, straight as an arrow, Balabushka, of wall cues.
The winner of the race was assured of not having to pay for their pool time the rest of the day. The cue was that good. Or, was it just mental? It really didn't matter because the three of us all played the same speed with all things else equal, we all just seemd to play much better with that cue in hand.
Being the slowest runner of the three, I was always having to slip out the side door of study hall to get a head start if I was to have a chance at this magic wand. This was in 1962, when bought in bulk a wall cue cost the owner of the pool room $1.50-$2.00 each.
One Monday afternoon I stroll into the pool room and see my two friends scrambling through cues on the wall looking for our magic cue. When they see me they run from rack to rack but the cue isn't there. I walk behind the counter, reach up under it and start to unwrap the two towels I had put around what was now MY magic wand. I had paid the owner $5 for a cue he had at most $2 in. Lot of money for a kid back then but it made me the top player in our room and it was,,,,,,,,,,,,,,my first cue.