The Old Cue Thread

[jrc750]

I've got a story for you.

Having just moved into a new flat I was on the lookout for additional furniture and paid a rare visit to a Yorkshire saleroom after seeing Biedermeier setee being advertised as a featured lot. While I was viewing, I spotted a couple of old tin cue cases and naturally had a look inside. One contained an unbadged machine splice cue, quite old, but a bit tatty. The other, when I pulled it out of the case, was a wonderful marquetry cue c.1870. The lot was estimated as £15-20 in the catalogue. I looked round to make sure nobody was watching and quickly slid the cue back in the case, put them both a bit further back in the corner of the saleroom before returning next day for the auction. As it happens, there was a telephone bidder against me, so someone had spotted it, but he dropped out a £350 which I still regarded as a bargain, although I would have preferred £15-20. Oh, and I got the Biedermier as well ... that cost £1,100.

Could of so easily been a great day for you

[jrc750]

Could of so easily been a great day for you

Had a quick look on ebay for those settees, seems you did have a good day lol

[itsnoteasy]

Well from feeling really deflated after perpetual saying it's mostly about money, up pops two great stories, thanks 100 and Jim, they are exactly what I was after, pure gold.

[kev267]

The Sydney club in which I began playing in the early ninety's had in its racks approximately 40 old cues some of which are rare. I remember seeing a Mannock, Tombstone Rileys and Burroughes and Watts cues. These cues simply vanished from the club and I did not seen another old cue for nearly 20 years as old cues like these are simply difficult to find here in Australia. Money is secondary ,in my view, sentiment is the main factor.

[kev267]

A very romantic view, but not really how it happens for most collectors most of the time.
It's usually a case of seeing something you fancy and offering a large sum of money to try and tempt the seller into selling it to you rather than posting it off to Australia!

Mike, if you need help with posting a cue or need someone to pick up a cue in Sydney I'm happy to help out. There are a fair few collectors in Australia that would be happy to help UK collectors

you never know some of the cues I have may well go back to the UK

[mythman69]

you never know some of the cues I have may well go back to the UK

Or move to another home in Sydney

[perpetualboredom]

Well from feeling really deflated after perpetual saying it's mostly about money, up pops two great stories, thanks 100 and Jim, they are exactly what I was after, pure gold.

Mostly but there's always the odd exception.

The recent marquetry cue I bought, someone contacted me several months ago - knew full well the value of the cue and offered it to me a 'someone who'd appreciate it' at muich lower than their valuation, and the valuation I put on it myself. Then they held the a few months and I met them around 30 miles from my home (they were setting off on a holiday from deepest darkest Scotland). He also have me a Joe Davis advertising he'd picked up in the past - the cue had hung on his walls for about 40 years, both he and his wife were lovely people and he's even contacted me since to check I was still happy with it!

Another one that springs to mind was travelling 250 miles to arrive on someone's doorstep in south wales at 10am (early start) - the chap selling his cues had fallen on difficult times and had to sell his collection. I bought 4-5 cues myself and put values on the remainder of his cues. He's been basically ... on by a collector local to him and been sold so reet crap, made me angry as no one likes to give bad news to people, but we all have to do things we don't like. He offered me one cue for £90 which I turned down (I'd run out of money but thought it was steep anyway) - it later sold for over £500! What do I know about cues eh?

Opposite to that.... I bought an Alec Brown cue from an old man who'd owned the cue for 30+ years, but couldn't send me any pictures because new fangled technologies were beyond him. Because I hadn't seen the cue I didn't may as much as I might have, but he took some persudading to post the cue as it was nervous about it getting damaged/lost, so it still wasn't cheap.
I waited for the cue, but it didn't arrive when I got a message from him asking if I was happy with it. I didn't have the cue but he'd been told the was delivered and the courier company had a signiture (mr a brown or similar) clearly not me! Great stuff, so his fears were confirmed and I was going to have to have an awkward conversation with an old man who was fretting about it.
Then I had brainwave just to check the phone book and see if one was local, I found one 5-6 houses up the road gave him a call "I don't suppose you have.." and found the cue! I went round straight away and collected it, the cue was massively overpackaged so couldn't get in to it, so I called the chap saying it had arrived safely. He went on to say he was so relieved as he knew it was rare and valuable and had had it so long so would have been devestated it it was lost or stolen. I walked home with a warm feeling inside. Then..
When I opened the sodding cue it was a crappy peradon cue with an Alec Brown badge superglued on. Didn't have the heart to tell him, I genuinely belive he knew no better..
I think I gave the cue away to someone on here, it was a whippy ash cue with maple front splice and green veneer - I hate the badge to Jason Owen - think the bugger later sold it on!

[billabong]

Good tales Mike, and tell me, do you always take a tape measure to all auctions now ?

[perpetualboredom]

I have a tattoo on my shoulder.. I hope I dont shrink with age...

In fact I don't have much luck with auctions, bought this last week:


Yep you guessed it, 56" again! I had meant to go and view the cue first, but never got around to it and took a flier.

[jrc750]

I have a tattoo on my shoulder.. I hope I dont shrink with age...

Or forget you're wearing the high heels that day

[jrc750]

A few more

How many do you have in total ?? and have they all been shipped in from UK ???

[kev267]

Have around 70 cues and yep the postage from the UK ain't cheap

[hotpot]

Mostly but there's always the odd exception.

The recent marquetry cue I bought, someone contacted me several months ago - knew full well the value of the cue and offered it to me a 'someone who'd appreciate it' at muich lower than their valuation, and the valuation I put on it myself. Then they held the a few months and I met them around 30 miles from my home (they were setting off on a holiday from deepest darkest Scotland). He also have me a Joe Davis advertising he'd picked up in the past - the cue had hung on his walls for about 40 years, both he and his wife were lovely people and he's even contacted me since to check I was still happy with it!

Another one that springs to mind was travelling 250 miles to arrive on someone's doorstep in south wales at 10am (early start) - the chap selling his cues had fallen on difficult times and had to sell his collection. I bought 4-5 cues myself and put values on the remainder of his cues. He's been basically ... on by a collector local to him and been sold so reet crap, made me angry as no one likes to give bad news to people, but we all have to do things we don't like. He offered me one cue for £90 which I turned down (I'd run out of money but thought it was steep anyway) - it later sold for over £500! What do I know about cues eh?

Opposite to that.... I bought an Alec Brown cue from an old man who'd owned the cue for 30+ years, but couldn't send me any pictures because new fangled technologies were beyond him. Because I hadn't seen the cue I didn't may as much as I might have, but he took some persudading to post the cue as it was nervous about it getting damaged/lost, so it still wasn't cheap.
I waited for the cue, but it didn't arrive when I got a message from him asking if I was happy with it. I didn't have the cue but he'd been told the was delivered and the courier company had a signiture (mr a brown or similar) clearly not me! Great stuff, so his fears were confirmed and I was going to have to have an awkward conversation with an old man who was fretting about it.
Then I had brainwave just to check the phone book and see if one was local, I found one 5-6 houses up the road gave him a call "I don't suppose you have.." and found the cue! I went round straight away and collected it, the cue was massively overpackaged so couldn't get in to it, so I called the chap saying it had arrived safely. He went on to say he was so relieved as he knew it was rare and valuable and had had it so long so would have been devestated it it was lost or stolen. I walked home with a warm feeling inside. Then..
When I opened the sodding cue it was a crappy peradon cue with an Alec Brown badge superglued on. Didn't have the heart to tell him, I genuinely belive he knew no better..
I think I gave the cue away to someone on here, it was a whippy ash cue with maple front splice and green veneer - I hate the badge to Jason Owen - think the bugger later sold it on!

Can you remember the guys name in South Wales or where it was

[perpetualboredom]

depends how many you send over, that's about one shipment for some collectors isn't it?

[kev267]

Usually have 6 sent at a time Mike