Ivory balls

[Bondy2011]

Hi

Whats the deal with ivory balls?

I've heard many different stories about if they are or not?

I have a full set in full size and was wondering on a rough guide price to sell them. Also have a Victorian ball basket they was always in .

[jrc750]

Put some close up pics on and the experts will tell you if they are ivory or not. Go for good money if they are, like well over a grand, maybe 2

[Bondy2011]

They are defiantly ivory no doubt. 51mm full sets are quite these days

[Bondy2011]

Quite rare I mean. Still debating about whether to part with them. Plus would it be legal to sell them?

[ADR147]

right now £120 a ball - pre ban you can sell them yes. most ivory sets are smaller than 51mm.

[Bondy2011]

These are defiantly a rare find. I would rather sell them as a set. Shame to split them up don't you think? Defiantly 51mm on a micrometer. Easily preban late 18th century.

[Bondy2011]

Is this thread appearing in the sub section as I cannot see it?!

[ADR147]

These are defiantly a rare find. I would rather sell them as a set. Shame to split them up don't you think? Defiantly 51mm on a micrometer. Easily preban late 18th century.

at 51 and for snooker they are far more likely to be 1920's

[Bondy2011]

Yeah always a possibility ADR. The exact date will always be here or there. Is it legal to send them abroad?

[ADR147]

depends were to but the ban was not until 1946 i think.

[Bondy2011]

I have interest in china.

[100-uper]

Hi

Whats the deal with ivory balls?

I've heard many different stories about if they are or not?

I have a full set in full size and was wondering on a rough guide price to sell them. Also have a Victorian ball basket they was always in .

Snooker was universally played with composition balls from its earliest days in England. Although ivory sets did exist, most of those you see today are made up, in part or full, from individual ivory balls from various sources of which there are still plenty knocking around. Last time I looked at prices, a full sized ball (2 1/16 inches) was worth about £35 if in reasonable condition (fair colour retention and limited polar cracking)

Prior to the 1920s I can find no firm evidence that ivory sets of snooker balls were ever sold - and believe me I have looked. As far as I can tell, even when new, they were purchased as a set of Pyramid balls supplemented by individual Pool balls. In the 1920s special boxed sets of ivory snooker balls were advertised for sale, but they are very rare.

To increase the value above that of a collection of individual balls you will need to convince a purchaser that you have one of these sets. A good starting point is having an original box. After that, all balls the same size (which is difficult to achieve in a later collection) and of course, colours that match what they should be.

A common mistake is to assume that a games compendium box is for snooker balls. These are actually designed to hold a set for the games of Pyramids, Pool and Billiards. These are more frequently seen than snooker sets.

The CITES ban on resale of ivory applies to items made after 1947. No ivory ball was turned in England on a commercial basis after the 1930's and as the Far East had better use of ivory, any balls you find in this country will certainly pre-date the ban.

A photo would be nice

[ADR147]

I have interest in china.

thats where they all end up.

[Bondy2011]

I have uploaded photos to my selling thread!

http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...an-ball-basket