ANTIQUE METAL SCORING BEADS
(Circa Late 1800s-Early 1900s)
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I don't deal with many antique items, but I stumbled on this bit of billiard history and thought I'd make it available. Here's something for the billiard antique collector, or, someone trying to create an old-school environment in their home billiard room. I have two, actually - two sets of old metal scoring beads (one is sold). Both are complete, going from 0-50 on each side. These were common in the late 1800s up through the early 1900s. Sometime in the first half of the 1900s, beads began to be made of wood. These pre-date those.
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When I obtained these, I was told they were made of magnesium. However, doing research on old beads like these, I found them typically to be advertised as aluminum. In fact, I've found none that were made of magnesium. So, I hesitate to say these are in fact, magnesium. But, they are exceptionally rare, and old, and they may be aluminum. Either way, they are classics.
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Most players of my vintage remember playing straight pool in the old rooms, using beads suspended above the table to keep track of the score. I remember the wood ones, but frankly the metal ones, whether magnesium or aluminum, predate my days in the pool room. But I do remember it was a lot easier to keep score in those days on these rather primitive, but very useful, beads.
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As I said, I have two sets. They are both well used and show lots of old pool room aging. Both are still on what I assume is the original wire. One set is absolutely perfect, with numbered markers at 10, 20, 30, etc., and a small dangling tab at every five (5, 15, 25, etc.) SOLD. The second set (STILL AVAILABLE) is near perfect, but does have the tab missing on one of the "five" beads (the bead is still there, just the tab has broken off.)
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I'm selling the perfect set for $400, and the slightly damaged set for $350, plus shipping. If interested, let me know.
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