I am keith naylor.. 2 x eastern england darts champion/national finals/ news of the world etc/ many county titles etc. I have written for darts magazines, bbc book of darts etc. I have collected darts memorabilia for over 40 yrs, and have sold many on ebay.

I would advise that you buy the best condition old darts you can afford. 1 good set is better than 10 damaged onesTry to get the old dull tungstens c 1970-80. better grip and good investment.I dont believe all these modern rare element additions to tungsten. ther a money making gimmick. If you average 60 with ordinary old darts you will not start hitting 180s because the darts are 20 times the price of yours.

To start buy a large collection of mixed old darts/study them and then specialise. Occasionally you see 4 or 5  sets + extras. flights/stems etc, listed together. snap em up. vg investment

 Some times you have to settle for less quality if the item is really rare.

 The best investments are JIM PIKE.[THE ROLLS ROYCE OF ACCURACY.[ To get these in v good condition is becoming harder, as every body is after them]. Buy them when you have the chance. you can always sell them for a profit when needs must] just simply cut the wooden rattan cane stems to your size to adjust balance Occasionally a set appears with no printing on. mega mega rare.[same with newsteads]]. LEO NEWSTEAD[made by pike]- These are mega rare and hardly ever seen in  superb condition..  PIKE FEATHERS WERE VERY GOOD> DORWINS[unique and deadly accurate]. Look out for DORWIN HEAVY 'SWIVELLERS'[ the 4 parts of the barrel  turn independently to prevent bounce out. + DORWIN MINIS. FAIRBROTHERS made fantastic flights. Johnny ross was a member of the pike/newstead team and had darts with his name on v rare. he was my eastern counties news of the world organiser in the 1960s,

WELBECK darts with wood.feather stems are v difficult to find. with their box they are a great investment.

KWIZ DARTS are becoming v rare, and i have  in my collection  2 of the original 1950/60/70 KWIZ  travelling salesmans MASSIVE cases which contain in MINT condition one of each of every darts barrel they made[well over 120], one hundred and twenty styles. I have had £750 offered, but  not for sale. So if you collect old darts  why not specialize and see how many kwiz models you can get. I list sets of these from time to time to encourage younger players to see what us wrinklies used .. AND WE  STILL HAD PLENTY OF 180s with them. 

SCHOFIELDS ARE VV  rare -  hand made at scarborough. light/med/heavy. [just a brass tube/]LEAD] wouldnt be allowed now[health/safety]steel point. get em if u can...... HEAVIES now MEGA RARE. buy all schofields. they fetch a high price at antique fairs.

[never saw one of these bounce out]. with rattin cane stems and paper flights. These will be the top inflation beaters for investment/collection.

BEELINE darts are v seldom seen and are v collectable. They had push in feather flights[no threads] and were made in small numbers,and sold at selected stores. The rarest is i think with the HARODS label on the box. vv accurate.

V rare items to look for are SWIFTSURE DARTS with the RAF roundel on the box[ strange shaped barrels with wood stems and real turkey feather flights]. made by sports and games ltd COVENTRY england.

Also SPALDINGS special wood darts[ lead balance and feather flights]. made at pitt st NORWICH england.

SERVICE brand ERA,s are hardly ever seen. brass barrels/rattan wood canes with steel rings and paper flights.

Old unicorn darts were very well made ,[ LOOK OUT FOR THE RARE TOM BARRET DART made by unicorn 2 x newsof the world champion.}. i played  in the now 1969 finals as did tom. nice bloke.  MAKE SURE his name is on the box or case  as there are many copies. ORIGINALS are well worth collecting[try to get them with original feathers and box. If you can get a set of UNICORN SILVER COMET DARTS.. CHECK they are genuine .[they will each have a patent mark or number on the barrel]. HIGHLY COLLECTABLE.

I had a liking for the early MY darts, and these are now becoming collectable. KWIZ and SILVERTRIM were good workmanlike darts ,and these are getting harder to find.[I corresponded with KWIZ  quite a bit  40 yrs ago].

I have been searching  a set of the MEGA RARE  victory spring flight darts made in perrenporth cornwall. I believe they were made around the end of ww2 and are called the victory set . They are made from steel coil springs  and have 1red/1 white[clear]/ and 1 blue flight to commemorate i think the rafs battle of britain victory.

WELL BINGO I have now got a fabulous boxed set[ albiet the springs are a bit rusty,but after 40 yrs searching i now believe in miracles.

Advertising promotion darts are now expensive ie dorwin ESSO.  CAPTAIN morgan rum did a fabulous set which look just like LEO NEWSTEADS and these had sturdy plastic  screw flights with morgan on them.

 I have found that being honest and truthful with descriptions, and offering an answer service breeds success,as  i would be nowhere without my customers. Good photos are essential  as is all helpful information and proof of who or what you are. I include a photo of one of my  darts exibitions from circa 1969[which i use in some of my listings]. Hope this review is interesting and i,ve enjoyed submitting it. REGARDS to all the ebay family. keith

I used Leo newstead darts for most of my career which were made by jim pike darts.

 I met LEO when i played in the 1968 nodor national finals. LEO sent me canes/darts/flights throughout my career and personally signed the letters. I have recently obtained LEO NEWSTEAD TUNGSTENS[ which i never knew existed[superb investment for the future..] If you EVER see a set snap them up. the balance is fantastic,. wish id had them 40 years ago.. they know where to go on their own[well nearly]. Had 2 x 180s the other night with them[nov 2008].

Try to find darts with really long barrels as a future investment. They were usually v poor balance and never caught  on, so unusal items to collect. I tried them a couple of times and used to hit myself in the eye on the back swing.

I was sponsored by ZEBRA flights[the paper ones] I also had help with equipment from. DORWIN/MY/HARROWS/UNICORN.. many letters from kwiz/frostys darts and dozens of firms. Some times you come across unusual items. i have a set of darts made in solid brass,inc the stems/flights. these were apprentice made and not for throwing. i listed these on ebay july 2009.

In  the 1970,s i broke the world 12 hr record scoring 203,000 at an average of 70.3.[ retrieving my own darts].[180s x 12] 3x t19- 17 times. Must have had some bad uns to lower the average.Try it for 1 hour and see how you can do.

I won holidays etc. I also received help from such firms as WRIGLEYS/IRISH MIST/VASELINE/MANY WHISKEY firms  etc.

I  wrote games for many publications inc darts world magazine and a full chapter in syd waddels bbc book of darts.

I will offer any advice i can on darts  providing i have the answers.

 A good tip. NEVER polish  brass darts. they are hard enough to throw without making them slippery.[ THE VARIOUS GRIPS ARE THERE FOR  THE REASON INTENDED.

 If your darts dont grip these modern bristle boards,carry a small piece of COARSE ABRASIVE with you.  a touch on each point will save you  a lot of darts coming out.

When at work as a shift chemist i used to aim at a hole in the door and one day stuck a dart in the bosses safety hat as he walked past.

I once played a guy who threw underhand[ no one would mark], and also an ex circus knife thrower who threw from 12 feet...............................................................................................................

# get your mate to hold a metal tray upside down below double 3 and you will get 3 in most times bouncing the darts off.

 hope this is interesting. happy darting to all keith.

 To get 3 in bull, put a pigeon ring round the points  to lock the 3 darts together & practise/practise.

I once had 5 darts in a row bounce out off the wire.[ must be a record]

We used to use boards made out of elm,which were soaked over night. They used to make your dart points rusty.

# They would dry out as the evening progressed as most boards in old pubs were over fire places.

 We also used plastercene boards which were rolled out and the wire pressed on. If you ever see the mega rare GOLF DARTBOARD made by nodor pay whatever it takes.[wonderful item]

Questions. What is the lowest score you CANNOT GET with 1 dart on a standard treble dart board... YES CANNOT GET.

 ans you can get 0 and 1-20 on singles/treble 7 is 21/ double 11 is 22 , so 23 is the answer.

 more memories soon. keith.

I was asked how to put paper flights in canes. I f you have trouble,carefully insert a nother dart point in  one of the cane splits and gently

prise apart. its easy with practise.

If you want to beat any opponent for a small wager, simply tell them they can DOUBLE any score they get. They can then NEVER get the odd number off,therefore unable to finish. Even if you get stuck on double 1 you can take as long as you like to beat them. I've known players get down to requiring 3 before they realize.. more soon keith.

I won a holiday at pontins[lytham st annes nr blackpool] 1n 1969 for winning the news of the world easten england title at ipswich baths hall in front of 12oo spectators.

I had to play in the pontins darts comp as part of my prize. It was 1 game of 101 start and finish on a double.

I was drawn on at 0930 hrs in the morning[yes am].  After a few 1/2s the night before my unknown opponent got off on a double 1st dart and left 32. I got off with my 3rd dart and left 61. He finished 1st dart and i was out.

 On leaving the hall a lady asked me what time the news of the world national finalist was due on[ME]. I quietly said im not sure and went back to bed[well i was on my trial honeymoon.]. more tales later. cheers keith.

I once played in a very important super league match and won my singles comfortably 2-0. When i came to play my doubles match,i couldnt find my darts. A young lady who shall remain nameless yelled 'there they are'. I picked them up and burnt my hand. She had put them on top of a wood burning cast ironstove. She was the guys[whom i beat in the singles] girlfriend and this was her revenge. We still won the doubles 2-1 at

a BLISTERING pace..................................... more later.

I dont see players with beer on the stage nowadays[good]. i once played had a half too many and

got in the wrong car. people looked for me 2 hrs after closing time. i was asleep. What odds on 2 identical cars being parked next to each other and  one with the door unlocked. Stay sober stay focused and select the correct darts that suit YOU, not branded ones that charge double for a name. more later.

I saw a guy in 1968, who said he could go round the board on doubles in under 2 mins. I bet him  10 shillings he couldnt[weeks wages then]. He took the board off the wall,put it on the floor,and walked round the double wire,in appx. 3 seconds. He then told me he made £5 a week with this con. Moral[if it sounds impossible its probably a con].

If you get a chance to obtain a set of throwing nails[4.5 or 6 inch], get them, and practise in private,then thrash your mate with his £50 titaniun ceramic  carbon fibre gold plated swivel top case hardened miracle darts.

happiest moment. becoming the only player to win 3 successive scunthorpe titles[and each time representing a differant club.

saddest. wanting 118 to reach the 1969 news of the world final, i hit TREBLE 20...TREBLE 18 and then hit the wire of double 2.

1 once set off with 3 double tops using 6 inch nails on a doubles board.

We got plenty of 180s and big finishes with our old newsteads/pikes/schofields. Its the players skill and practise that wins, not the equipment.[ ie would you knock 20  shots off your score using tigers clubs, or win  wimbledon using nadals raquet. Just practise/practise/practise, theres no easy way. more soon. keith. hope you find this interesting,because i like sharing my darts memories.

SOLID SILVER darts were awarded to very special players by news of the world in the 1930s/40s and later silver plated ones. The original hallmarked ones are priceless and seen once in a blue moon, and fetch up to £300. I have a set and who knows may sell one day. CREDIT CRUNCH RULES OK. I  remember when credit crunch was a breakfast cereal.

I recently was asked about strange stances/styles. i remember in the 60s a guy  who lined up his dart left handed, 2 up and down motions then changed hands quickly to throw. HE WAS abolute RUBBISH. keep your action as simple as possible.. less movement the better. You will get better.. keep keep at it.

 Never share a set of darts in a game[ let them become part of you]. walk round with them in your hand 15 mins before a match.[ and have a good practise session pre match] You would never see tiger woods or any pro sharing equipment or starting without a warm up.

Try to get a set of throwing nails. they are great fun and aid co-ordination.

 ALSO keep a sharp eye out for the c 1940s/50s 5 and even 7 sided brass darts[ the brass used in these was top gear.

 The grips is amazing[just slips into the correct hand position.

 Try differant types of darts/flights. Find the one that suits you not one just because a top player uses it.

You will know when you find your 3 friends and they will become part of you. Handle them regularly[ie watching tele etc], and youll then feel great on the oche.

I think many of the modern tungstens although  great for the 180s etc will never have the charisma or presence of the old brass characters with their early papers. and feathers. Collect all you can now before they all become unaffordable.

I was in conversation with an antique dealer at a large fair the other week and said darts people were asking him on a regular basis for DORWIN DARTS. i have letters from them[1960s] signed harold lishman director. These darts were made in light/med/heavy , by the dorwin pencil co of slough bucks. brass barrel and a pointed plasi cone shaft. These often carried adverts in ie. esso/st dunstans  etc. I think the ones with clear dorwin graphics are best. models inc. 712. 722 etc, early ones came in flatpack dorwin cases, then leatherette and cardboard boxes. They all had a super grip.the real early ones had solid ivory colour stems with paper [1] coloured flights and came in flat cases or card packs. later boxed with see through stems for advertising etc.[ESSO ONES  v rare in good cond.].

Many old sets 1950/60s have rattan canes  are are v scarce. The accurate dart player would ruin his paper flights regularly. I was lucky to have pike and zebra flights supply me free. Other players used to jump in the ash trays to get my discards. Wish id saved them now, but who knows the darts valuables of the future, so save all darts stuff, and it will reward you in the future... Players in the 60s nearly all wore ties and cardigans or suits. Must be easier nowadays with the special loose darts shirts. Among my early sponsors were hush puppies/strad[anagram of darts] trousers. wrigleys/nesquick/vaseline/red hackle/irish mist  who sent me items. I still have the letters MEMORIES??????. more later keith.

We once c 1969 had a semi final team game 5 miles away, and set off at 7pm as the fog began to come in. 1/2 hour later it was that thick you wouldnt have seen a dart board from the oche.  Well we decided to sit it out as we were not sure exactly where we were. We were worried we would be left out the match. After 40 mins the fog cleared  v quickly.Guess where we were.... in the middle of a farmers yard 300 yds from the pub we were due at.

No sat nav in them days. We arrived .6 darts practise.and yes we won the semi 2-0 and the final 2-1.

Im seeing jim pike darts at antique fairs occasionally fetching up to £ 50 in complete g condition].

If you cant get sets of paper flights for your pikes etc use an old one as a template and make your own from thin craft card[loads colours], and personalise your own.

try and get old copies of darts world magazine edited by tony wood. ps yours truly did a darts game series for them[ i modestly admit].

The old 180 certificates are v rare. they were given by unicorn darts for a 180 in an official match.

Another little tale. On holiday at skegness in 1964 i would spend 2/6d each night on the pier stall. score over 50 in 3 darts to win. By wed  i

had taken all their tickets with 1 win on  and had to lend them some back. i went home with appx 60 prizes. apoor man had 44 goes to win a football for his lad. he could have bought 10 with what he spent. I also won 33 coconuts at  darts at a local gala and sold them to the coconut shy man at double price. recycling even in those distant days.. mor later. happy christmas to all, and good darting. i met a guy the other day who said he could give phil the power 100 start at 1001. im sure he could but would lose by 600 instead of 500.

HOW MANY WAYS ARE THERE OF FINISHING ON 101[double finish] with either 2 or 3 darts. on a standard  double/treble board.  i cant remember the answer. ill have to work it out again.