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Value of an 1870s Samuel May Pool Table


Value of an 1870s Samuel May Pool Table

We're trying to find out how much out 150 year old 1870s Samuel May pool table is worth.

It was destroyed by fire, and I need help trying to put a value for a replacement model.

I'm sure this antique pool table can't be found anywhere. What is the closest thing?

What is this Samuel May pool table worth?

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Value of an 1870s Samuel May Pool Table

Replies & Comments

  1. user1623761020billiardsforum on 6/16/2021 3:12:42 AM

    Wow, it was a beautiful Samuel May pool table. I'm sorry to hear about the fire and the resulting loss.

    Are the design patters on the legs and aprons carved out, or are they made from some inlaid material? I can't tell in the photos.

    Usually on these very old antique pool tables, the "inlaid" designs are done with a via a technique called marquetry (which actually isn't the same "inlay"). It was very time consuming, but the results were stunning.

    Marquetry is a decorative technique where wood veneers are sawn into a pattern and then assembled like a jigsaw. Inlay is similar but instead of assembling a large panel of veneer, the decoration is inset into a recess cut into a larger panel of wood.

    Marquetry—the art of making pictures or designs with thin slices of wood, shell or other materials—has long enhanced the beauty of tables and cues. The art form has been practiced in Egypt and the Orient for more than 3,000 years.

    I ask because if it was done via marquetry, it would command a much higher price than if done in a carved style.

    Here's a Samuel May pool table with a very similar style to yours (at least in the legs), and it appears to be done via Marquetry:

    samuel-may-dragon-pool-table-2.jpg

    samuel-may-dragon-pool-table-3.jpg


    The only pricing reference I have is for another Samuel May pool table from 1870 that was for sale in British Columbia, Canada, in August 2019.

    In my opinion, it's not quite as nice as yours - especially if yours features marquetry as mentioned above. It was made from a burl walnut, according to the classified ad.

    This one was for sale for $12,000 CAD (which was about $9000 USD at the time). It didn't sell by Feb 2020 when the ad expired.

    1870-samuel-may-pool-table-1.jpg

    1870-samuel-may-pool-table-2.jpg

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Value of an 1870s Samuel May Pool Table

  • Title: Value of an 1870s Samuel May Pool Table
  • Author: (Brandon Sobel)
  • Published: 6/15/2021 5:43:41 AM
  • Last Updated: 6/16/2021 2:31:26 AM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)