I'm glad you came away with something for your efforts.
I wonder how many Yen 92K USD translates too.
Thanks
Kevin
Willie's cue sells for $92,000.
- Thread starter Frankenstroke
- Start date
I'm glad you came away with something for your efforts.
I wonder how many Yen 92K USD translates too.
Thanks
Kevin
The catalog says it was his "favored cue". No claims about winning tournaments with it.
The Irish linen wrap on the Buska looked heavily used, scuffed and dirty.
The Helmstetter looked unused, but it had his name and the case is dated 1981.
The Helmstetter looked unused, but it had his name and the case is dated 1981.
I think it's a pretty good bet that whoever bought this cue knows everything there is to know about it.
How much can I get for this?
The closet item I found in the catalog was lot 371, a hand-signed picture from the 1940's, sold for $425 plus 15%. Your photo is nice, but not nearly as old and scarce as this one.
Lot 334 was 1000+ pictures, not hand-signed, sold for $115. We'll probably be seeing them and many auction items on ebay soon.
At the Hopkins show, Hunt Auctions was right next to us. I saw the cue a lot and it was definately a favorite cue. It had a lot of play and had extra shafts from a bunch of other cuemakers.
There was also a Palmer deluxe case that held 2 or 3 butts and 6 shafts. It was very unusual and it's the only one I have seen like that.
The Helmstetter was very nice and reminded me of a awards type cue, surprised to see the final on that.
Did you notice what the shorty Rambow went for?
JV
Shorty Rambo went for $800 + 15%. It didn't looked impressive to me. Looked like a cut-down house cue. No vaneers. Rough appearance. Continued use after the ferrule broke off. Used without a tip.
My best recollection is that Willie was still playing with his Rambow well into the 60's and beyond. He began using the Balabushka in the 70's sometime. Remember he played exhibitions four and five days a week, so it got a lot of play. I guess at some point he put his prized Rambow away since he no longer had a tournament to win. He may have used it in the first Fats match in 1976. I'm not sure, but I know that was an important match for him to win.
I'm wondering now what happened to the Rambow. I guess the family still has it. They may well have money (the Mosconi's) but an extra 150-200K never hurt anybody. Trust me on that one. :wink:
P.S. Still curious to see if I won anything. I bid on 23 lots, mostly contracts. They called me yesterday to see if I wanted to continue to bid on the phone and I told them no. I was in the jacuzzi and it was a beautiful day! I have my priorities in order.
I'm wondering now what happened to the Rambow. I guess the family still has it. They may well have money (the Mosconi's) but an extra 150-200K never hurt anybody. Trust me on that one. :wink:
P.S. Still curious to see if I won anything. I bid on 23 lots, mostly contracts. They called me yesterday to see if I wanted to continue to bid on the phone and I told them no. I was in the jacuzzi and it was a beautiful day! I have my priorities in order.
Last edited:
So true. I've got an autographed Willie photo I received from him personally in the '70-ish era when he did an exhibition in Rockville, MD.
When "The Sopranos" became hot on HBO, I ended up buying a lot of 500 Sopranos posters on eBay. I'm not quite sure today why I wanted them as bad as I did back then. I paid $100 for them.
I'm planning on giving one away for everyone who spends $20 or more at my upcoming yard sale later this year!
Jay
I wouldn't be too surprised if the $$ the Bushka brought motivated the family to bust out the Rambow.
In collectibles, provenance is such a huge deal, a fact I think I aptly proved when I sold "Jay Helfert's Crooked Old Butt" Ginacue on eBay for 1000s.
Kevin
Personally, I'd like to see it in the Italian American HOF in Chicago, along with Dimaggio/Sinatra and all the other Great Italian Americans. Lasorta, Marino, forgot the great college basket ball coach, but I think it should be there.
Ok Brewer, you know that cue was stolen from me. I want my commish! :wink:
Love ya baby. I'll settle for dinner down at the beach.
So true. I've got an autographed Willie photo I received from him personally in the '70-ish era when he did an exhibition in Rockville, MD.
When "The Sopranos" became hot on HBO, I ended up buying a lot of 500 Sopranos posters on eBay. I'm not quite sure today why I wanted them as bad as I did back then. I paid $100 for them.
I'm planning on giving one away for everyone who spends $20 or more at my upcoming yard sale later this year!
Yikes. Lots of true Earthquake memorabilia going off in that sale I'll bet. I'm kidding, but only 1/2 way. I DID try to get OMGWTF to consign me her monster heels she wore in her famous TAR Action Challenge where she nailed her opponent (what was that guys' name?) to the wall.
Got any of the clothes Keith wore in The Color of Money?
Thanks
Kevin
Each year they have an Italian-American Gala in D.C. My cousin Janet, who was a Ms. Virginia, was married to the late Vincent Edwards when he passed. Vince Edwards played "Ben Casey" on an hold sitcom for the youngn's who don't know.
When Vince and Janet came to the Virginia area to attend the gala, they picked up my birth mother and her husband, who's Italian, and took them to the banquet in a limousine. They had the time of their life! Here's the link for further info: The National Italian American Foundation
I wonder if Willie ever went to one of these galas.
Interestingly, my partner knew Vince Edwards from the racetrack when he lived in California.
Willie Mosconi should have been invited. I'm going to do a little research and find out if he was.
LOL! Nope. When I met Keith, the only thing he had in his possession were the clothes on his back. He didn't even have a cuestick, as Jose Parica, who was supposed to deliver it to him at a tournament, left it in California. :embarrassed2:
Each year they have an Italian-American Gala in D.C. My cousin Janet, who was a Ms. Virginia, was married to the late Vincent Edwards when he passed. Vince Edwards played "Ben Casey" on an hold sitcom for the youngn's who don't know.
When Vince and Janet came to the Virginia area to attend the gala, they picked up my birth mother and her husband, who's Italian, and took them to the banquet in a limousine. They had the time of their life! Here's the link for further info: The National Italian American Foundation
I wonder if Willie ever went to one of these galas.
Interestingly, my partner knew Vince Edwards from the racetrack when he lived in California.
Willie Mosconi should have been invited. I'm going to do a little research and find out if he was.
That was no sitcom, that was high medical drama!, one of the ancestors (along with Dr Kildare) of the medical dramas that do so well in modern times.
Small world, but I'm friends with Harry Landers, who played Dr. Ted Hoffman in that series. Vince of course was Ben himself.
Kevin
I vaguely remember it being on. It's when TV came in black and white only, if memory serves me right. :embarrassed2:
Willie was elected into the National Italian American SPORTS Hall of Fame in 1973.
The most recognized billiard player of all time, he won the world billiards champion title 19 times from 1941 to 1956.
Mosconi’s father owned a billiards parlor, but wouldn’t let his son play--so Willie began sneaking in at night when he was 5 years old, practicing with a broom stick and potatoes.
He entered his first major tournament in 1937, then won the world pocket billiards championship in league play in 1941 and in tournament play the following year. After losing the championship in a match with Andrew Ponzi in 1943, he regained the title by beating Ponzi in 1944 and held it until 1946, when Irving Crane won a world championship tournament....
Read more about Willie: National Italain American SPORTS Hall of Fame
The most recognized billiard player of all time, he won the world billiards champion title 19 times from 1941 to 1956.
Mosconi’s father owned a billiards parlor, but wouldn’t let his son play--so Willie began sneaking in at night when he was 5 years old, practicing with a broom stick and potatoes.
He entered his first major tournament in 1937, then won the world pocket billiards championship in league play in 1941 and in tournament play the following year. After losing the championship in a match with Andrew Ponzi in 1943, he regained the title by beating Ponzi in 1944 and held it until 1946, when Irving Crane won a world championship tournament....
Read more about Willie: National Italain American SPORTS Hall of Fame
Keith busted? That was probably the first time ever!
Thanks for the laughs.
Kevin
PS - You outta roust his butt and get him playing pool again (although I can't for the life of me figure what would be in it for him, there's no money to be made) now that on-line poker is dead (or has that been resolved?).