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Albright / Cac's @ Morphy's


Steph

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This box is on the block at Morphy's. It appears to be one which was pictured in an IAMC show report, maybe 3 years ago. Only the lid was shown in the show thread though.

Wondering if there is any extra info available about the background of this particular box. Wjhat I know at the moment is general info suggesting an arrangement between Albright and CAC. They were both in Ohio of course. In 1933, Albright was selling 2 color glass agates wholesale in bags of 500 for $1. Also, clay marbles are found together with CAC's in the CAC Favorite Marble Assortment boxes. Pretty sure Albright was the clay marble maker while CAC was in business.

Albright_CAC_2009_Morphy.jpg

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This box is on the block at Morphy's. It appears to be one which was pictured in an IAMC show report, maybe 3 years ago. Only the lid was shown in the show thread though.

Wondering if there is any extra info available about the background of this particular box. Wjhat I know at the moment is general info suggesting an arrangement between Albright and CAC. They were both in Ohio of course. In 1933, Albright was selling 2 color glass agates wholesale in bags of 500 for $1. Also, clay marbles are found together with CAC's in the CAC Favorite Marble Assortment boxes. Pretty sure Albright was the clay marble maker while CAC was in business.

Albright_CAC_2009_Morphy.jpg

I know that Albright was a clay marble supplier, I had a bag of 1000 some years ago. Art

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Yeah, looks like a match. I wish I knew what "professional" meant there!

I just learned that the national tournament required clay mibs as targets during the whole time Christensen was in business. That might have been a good reason to include clays in the assortments.

When I first learned of clays in Favorite Assortment boxes, I wondered what the point was. Glass was where it was at, right? So I thought maybe the clay mibs were cheap filler. And maybe they were. But kids who wanted the best prep for tournament play would need them to practice with.

I guess using clay mibs as target marbles would have kept Chrissies prettier longer. :-)

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Not really sure if this means anything or not in regards to Albright. Plus I got a new scanner and needed to try it on something.

This is a page from the book Collecting early machine made marbles By Robert S. Block

Right side of page first paragraph down mentions Albright.

Hope I'm not going to jail for showing it. Lol

post-720-1233848659_thumb.jpg

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That would make sense, Jo.

If those are what were found in bags such as these, the box would have been a convenient way to show retailers what to expect.

post-279-1191368213-1.jpg

Interesting passage, Terry.

The using up old stock idea is something I toyed with before considering a more active trading relationship between the two companies. That passage explains why Christensen might have had old stock on hand.

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Oops, didn't mean to skip your comment Duffy.

I bet you're right. A lot of kids would have been shut out by cost if they needed glass marbles.

I think the national tournament was pretty much forced to go to glass in 1942. It seems that Albright (or possibly I should say their successor Ravenna Ceramics?) needed to do something defense-related instead of toys.

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I wouldn't think that CAC was offering Opaque Swirls to Albright

to fill jobber boxes.......since the box was "meant" to be cheap.

Note: Auction listing at least provided info that verifies the marbles

aren't the originals. No one had verified that yet in this thread.

RAR

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I haven't seen a listing verifying that.

The only listing I've found so far says possibly not original. I hoped that someone might know for sure whether the contents changed relatively recently.

Quick cost comparison: the price of marbles in the Albright Glass Agates bags was 10 times the price of their undyed clay marbles.

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From what I've read.....I doubt the "Cheapest Glass Agates" offered

meant that CAC Opaque Swirls where in these boxes. "Cheapest" would

be an offer for those who couldn't afford CAC Opaques in a box...just makes

more sense. A couple cheap glass agates and some clays instead of a big bag of clays.

I would think the glass agates were common WV Swirls.

Actually the listing says "may not be original to box". Easiest way to cover their butt.

post-110-1233981575_thumb.jpg

RAR

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The box was at the 2005 IAMC show. If someone said it was empty then, that would settle the issue of backfilling. lol

It still appears to be a Christensen box with an Albright label. And we still have clays and Chrissies being sold together. Cool, there's an ad on p. 73 of AMMM which shows them being sold that way. And now I see that AMMM says that Albright distributed Christensens. On the other hand, it says that Albright sold mostly stock boxes of slags, and clays of course. I'm not totally ruling out WV swirl options, but there's obviously some connection between Albright and CA. Have to wonder how far it goes.

The WV options are limited. Only 2 if we're talking swirls.

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CAC Slags and Clays.

I'm sure Hansel would be the best source to answer

all of the questions in this thread. I'm stick'n with the

"old back stocked #0 CAC boxes being provide for

Albright's Jobber Boxes". If any open widow CAC Favorite

Jobber Box with an Albright label shows up....I think that

would make for a stronger connection between the two.

I could see a "cross the table" swap. CAC got Albright Clays

for their Favorite Boxes. CAC gave Albright OLD #0 Boxes

and Slags to put together their own Jobbers. Again.....the CAC

swirls weren't in the CAC Favorite Jobber Boxes. I doubt they

gave those to Albright. I still think the CAC's in the auction are

to hype the auction in hopes of getting more BUCK for the BOX !

If it was mine......I would have filled it with Clays and Slags.

Better chances for provance....more realistic. ETHICS vs. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Note: What are the "RAINBO" marbles that are listed in the Albright Ad ???

Response #8

RAR

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I think the use of the word "professional" on marble boxes was a sales pitch. It probably gave the kid a sense of pride to have "professional" marbles. If you look in Blocks book "Collecting Early Machine Made Marbles" pages 144 and 148 you will find a couple of examples of Albright labels on CA boxes.

Charles

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Again.....the CAC

swirls weren't in the CAC Favorite Jobber Boxes.

Ever? About half the favorites boxes I've seen had swirls. Would like evidence one way or the other for whether that was "right".

Note: What are the "RAINBO" marbles that are listed in the Albright Ad ???

Response #8

Onyx. Presumably pelts.

[edit: says "onyx" but but I don't think that meant "slag" to the ad writer]

Maybe in 1933 the muslin bag would have been filled with Alleys. I do wonder how Alley's swirls were distributed before his Pressman days.

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