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Master Tigers Eyes

finally cracked…seeing marbles everywhere

I’m on board with VanGogh….but if it was the rabbit would only have one ear🔥 RAR

About 350 pounds of mostly Vacor. I got the lot for 80.00. It was a bitch moving them from the sellers second floor.

Like "All About Marbles" told you, this is an Alley. We all have marbles we would like to be something other than what they are, but it's not a CAC. Agree with Fire and with AAM.

I appreciate being recognized and being asked to “personally” help ID a marble in a new thread. There are Marble Elders here that have 25 plus years of collecting marbles that predate the internet. They went to the shows in the 70’s-90’s. I stumbled back into the hobby and rekindled my interest in 2000. I’m kinda at a loss on how to say this other than thank you. Please remember that my responses are a small fraction of everyone else’s here. Does that make sense???🔥 RAR

I’m not quite done. I wish I could have gone to shows back then with marbles for trade and cash and coins in hand. Face to face exchanges and memories made. No PayPal,Venmo,Apple Pay and all those other ways to buy something that are ever changing. Save your pennies now. It’s not going to be to much longer until these little round flat pieces of copper aren’t going to be made anymore. 🔥 RAR

Seems like forever since I got a good mk score. My first St. Mary’s Green Hornet.

I was just messing with you... Here's my Sparkler. It was about 100 by itself... My only one.

Here is one that was a friend to the marble collecting community for many years. Nadine MacDonald. Marble--On!!

Some of mine from a few years back.

Totally see a rabbit knuckling down! I still have marble hallucinations too even after backing away from them for awhile.

Here is my latest score and I am happy!! I won this on Ebay for 60 Canadian dollars, whatever that equates to..lol. Pennsboro calligraphy, the colors on listing ws not what you see here at all, so I was really surprised when I received it, just a beauty. Thanks for looking!

Mine are mostly on solitaire boards or jars, although the cabinet is a bit overcrowded now!!

Sunsets are on a clear base glass. They can have one red,yellow or orange ribbon but always have one white ribbon. I hope that helps🔥 RAR

Boo Yah 1 inch MK’s🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 RAR

It's Wednesday (barely!) Ric, you should recognize this one I appreciate you buddy!

I'm a little early if that's OK? Ignore that big amber slag 😊

Welcome back Linda, I like your new Avatar

I’m going with Mushroom on this one. The blue just pinched off by the white IMHO🔥 RAR

Might be Davis. Good one. Always good to find any Davis.

You would recognize the similar kind of marbles showing up on a Japanese auction.

Found some decent ones today. When you travel as much as I do you deserve some scores on the road.

But are gold.

Ribbon or divided core

The 0.80" size also makes it extremely unlikely to be CAC.

A friend sent me these two for free! 1.02" almost naked lightly lobed english solid core .75" aqua blue banded lutz

Aren’t there X’s on treasure maps🔥 RAR

Might of posted these 😁

😁

She says that it reminds her of, that the blood of Jesus turns us white as snow. We are having a family reunion today and I am giving it to her. The base glass is really white. It's whiter than any of my other oxbloods.

Hybrid

If I remember right Ric was pretty much the only one that could ID WVS on LOM in 2002ish. Everyone else where chasing Hand Made and Machine Made ID’s. No Newbies knew diddly squat about WVS that I knew about at that time. I was gone and didn’t tap back into the marble Boards until 2017ish. Since then Ric,ChadG ,Cheese and Ron Shepard had started to nail down the different ID’s in common WVS. Sure CAC and Alley Flames were easy. But it was the commons that they started to post and helped everyone with all the different manufacturers. Color combos,swirl patterns and glass types. Guess what. They are still the hardest marbles to get a solid ID on. Some of them grew up where the factory’s were and got to dig after they were all done and out of business. I call them Marble Archeologists and WVS Wizards. I think that’s a worthy daily name to call and recognize them as as we wait for them to nail down an ID for us they provide us with here every day. Lucky us. I can only dream of being a Digger. 🔥 RAR

Hello friends, I'm Sean. I'm from Canada, and am still pretty new in the hobby. When I start something new, I jump in with both feet, as seen in my marble ID posts. I've learned a ton here already and really appreciate all the help I have received. In real life, I've been a mental health nurse for 33 years. Married for 28 years (wife in picture) with 2 boys in university. Other hobbies are photography, golf, and thrifting. Thank you for including me in your little world!

M&M, where would you price these? They come with the boxes. Under or over 200? Thanks, man!

Reference Information This excerpt is from: 「機械技術」1991、Vol. 39. No.4. 連載第5回「技術に生きる　開業」（株）細井工作所　細井俊明　pp. 111–115. 「多量生産と日本人気質」pp. 113–115. Mechanical Engineering (Japan), 1991, Vol. 39, No. 4. Serial article No. 5: “My Life’s Dedication: Technology – Opening My Own Business” By Toshiaki Hosoi, Hosoi Works Co., Ltd., pp. 111–115. The section translated here comes from: “Mass Production and the Japanese Temperament”, pp. 113–115. About Toshiaki Hosoi Toshiaki Hosoi (b. 1925) was a Japanese engineer known for his innovative machine designs. Early in his career, he improved marble-making machines, which dramatically increased production efficiency in Japan's postwar industry. The sudden rise in output had a major impact on the global market, leading some manufacturers in Western countries to close down. The excerpt from his memoir deals with that episode. Hosoi also achieved success in other fields. He developed the “Hosoi theory” spiral-edge drill, designed to reduce cutting resistance, improve chip evacuation, and maintain accurate centering in tough materials. To manufacture this complex geometry of the spiral edge consistently, he created the U-nice drill grinder—a dedicated machine that allowed factories to keep drills at peak performance for years. Both the drills and grinders were adopted in Japan and overseas, with well-maintained units remaining in service for decades. In this memoir excerpt, Hosoi uses the phrase “Japanese temperament” to describe a business mindset focused on mass production to overpower competitors, rather than fostering originality. This reflects his own postwar experiences and should not be taken as representative of all Japanese business culture. Within the marble industry, for example, Naoyuki Seike was known for his originality and innovation, standing as an exception to Hosoi’s description. In Japanese cultural context, such remarks—written for a domestic audience—would typically be understood as self-reflection rather than a sweeping generalization. Translation 「多量生産と日本人気質」 “Mass Production and the Japanese Temperament” 当時この地区には、ビー玉と称する硝子玉の製造業者が集中しており、これが全国の生産量の大半を占めていた。 At the time, this area had a high concentration of manufacturers producing glass balls called bīdama, which made up most of the nation’s supply. Translator’s Note: Toshiaki Hosoi moved to Kami, Osaka, in 1949 at the age of 24, so “this area” refers to Osaka. It was the center of Japan's marble production. Before the war, there were as many as 17 companies in the industry association at its peak. By 1950, after the war, that number had dropped to just five with the annual production of 900 tons. ("Glass" Diamond Industry Encyclopedia, 1950) 若干量の輸出も行われ、当時貴重だったドルも稼いでいた。 A small portion was also exported, earning Japan valuable US dollars in those days. Translator’s Note: In 1947, under Allied Occupation (GHQ) guidance, toy exports restarted. 終戦直後の日本は貧しかったので、子供たちも今のようにぜいたくな玩具は与えてもらえず、ビー玉を路上で転がして遊んだ。 Right after the war, Japan was poor, so children were not given the kind of luxury toys they have today—instead, they played with marbles in the street. 当時は自動車が希少だったし、国道ですら舗装されていないところが多かったのも幸いした。 Cars were still rare, and many national highways were unpaved, which made it easier for children to play marbles. これ以上に安価に入手できる遊び道具がないということから、引っ張りだこで、ビー玉作りは造幣局がお札を作るよりボロいとさえ言われた一時期があった。 Because there was no cheaper toy to be had, marbles were in such high demand that people said making them was like printing money. それだけにこの製造設備は極秘で、機械を作るときも、ビー玉工場の経営者が特定の鉄工所の親父さんを呼びつけ、注文をつけて作らせるという手順が取られていたようだ。 Production equipment was therefore kept strictly confidential. Even when machines were built, marble factory owners would call in a seasoned ironworks master and have the machines custom-made to their specifications. Translator’s Note: “Because of the circumstances in which this industry had developed, each manufacturer possessed its own closely guarded production methods and specialized techniques. As a result, the design and specifications of machinery and equipment varied from one maker to another.” (The Reorganization of Small and Medium-Sized Industries in Osaka Prefecture, 1943.) I know of one ironworks from Amagasaki, Hyōgo, that specialized in marble-making equipment. Its owner, Mitsuaki Ando of Shinko Glass Mfg., began his business in 1934. Sometime after the war, he moved to Izumi, Osaka, and started Mikura Ironworks there. ガラスの扱いは玄人でも、機械について知識のない人が、職人そのものといった町工場の親父さんに指図して作らせたものであるから、およそ機械としての形態をなしていなかった。 Since the people ordering these machines were skilled in handling glass but had no knowledge of machinery, they gave instructions to small-town factory owners—true craftsmen in their own right—to build them. As a result, the finished products hardly resembled proper machinery. Translator's Note: In this passage, Hosoi—then a young, capable engineer—was describing both of the owner and ironwork master lacked understanding of marble-making logic and mechanisms. ところがある時、この経営のひとりから「もう少し能率が上がるよう知恵を貸してくれないか」という相談を持ちかけられた。 One day, however, one of these factory owners approached me and asked, “Could you give me some advice on how to make the operation a little more efficient?” そして工場を見せられた。案内されるままに現場の設備を見ると、理屈っぽい私には、この機械の持つ問題点がすぐに読み取れた。 He then showed me his factory. As I followed him to the production floor and looked over the equipment, my analytical mind quickly spotted the problems with the machine. つまり、熔解炉から棒状の粘体として出てくる熔解硝子が、切断されたのち、整形ローラに乗るために必要な要素や、ローラ上で球形に整形されるに至る条件をよく理解しないまま、根拠なしに作られている。 In short, the machines were built without a proper understanding of the factors needed to transfer the molten glass—emerging from the furnace as a viscous rod—onto the forming rollers, or of the conditions required for the rollers to shape it into a sphere. よく話を聞いてみると、これまでの機械は一応形ができあがって試運転を始めてから、ビー玉ができるようになるまで、延々と試運転を続け、手探りでその都度、改造を繰り返したそうである。 When I asked further, I learned that up until then, the usual practice had been to assemble the machine into a rough shape, start trial runs, and keep them going—making repeated modifications by trial and error—until marbles finally began to form. Translator’s Note: From the context, it appears that this client was one who entered the marble industry after the war, rather than a prewar manufacturer like Seike, who had developed his own machinery. そのうち偶然に条件が整ってビー玉ができ始める。この時やっと完成ということであったらしい。 Eventually, the right conditions would happen to come together and marbles would start rolling off the line—at which point the machine was declared “finished.” 理屈を理解しない作業であるから再現性がなく、機械が納入されてから何日後にビー玉ができ始めるかはやってみないとわからないという。 Because the process was carried out without understanding the underlying principles, it lacked reproducibility. No one could tell how many days after installation the machine would begin producing marbles—it was only known when it happened. そこでやたらに難しい機械ということになり、極秘とされたのであった。 This unpredictability made the machinery seem extremely complex, so it was kept under the strictest secrecy. しかし理屈がわかるとなんでもない。 But once you understood the principles, it was actually quite simple. これを踏まえて設計し、製作した機械は、スイッチを入れると同時にビー玉を間違いなく確実に成形した。 With this understanding, I designed and built a machine that would reliably and consistently form marbles the moment it was switched on. これをもとにさらに改造を加えると、その製造能力は2倍、3倍と、みるみる向上し、私は面目を保つとともに感謝された。 Further modifications to this design quickly doubled, then tripled its production capacity, allowing me to save face and earn their gratitude. こんな時スマートボールというものが流行した。 Around this time, a game called smart ball became popular. 今のパチンコに相当するもので、鋼球の代わりに、直径25mmくらいの乳白色のガラス玉を使う遊戯機によるゲームである。 It was similar to today’s pachinko, but was played on a gaming machine that used milky-white glass balls about 25 mm in diameter instead of steel balls. Translator’s Note: Smart ball is a type of pinball game that uses white shooter marbles. It was introduced to Japan in 1933. In the chaotic postwar era, many adults turned to drinking and gambling—pachinko, bicycle and horse race betting, mahjong, and other forms of wagering—prompting government concern. In 1955, restrictions were imposed on automatic rapid-fire pachinko machines, and as pachinko lost its appeal, smart ball suddenly surged in popularity. このガラス玉を作るために、私の機械が脚光を浴びて奪い合いとなり、ついにはプレミアさえついた。 To produce these glass balls, my machine quickly came into the spotlight and was in such high demand that it eventually commanded a premium price. ここまでは業界は順風満帆の感じであった。 Up to this point, the industry seemed to be enjoying smooth sailing. Translator’s note: In a 2022 interview, Matsuno Industry reported profits from supplying glass balls for smart ball machines. Suekichi Matsuno anticipated the business opportunity and purchased large amounts of recycled white-glass cullet in Osaka. However, white glass emits nitrogen compounds harmful to the environment. As the area around the factory was mainly farmland, complaints about withering crops led Matsuno Industry to buy neighboring land—making them substantial landowners. That area is now known as the Matsuno Industrial Estate. 業者の全てがこの高性能機を数多く設置して増産し、同業者を圧倒し去ろうと目論んだ。 Every one of the operators installed multiple units of this high-performance machine, aiming to boost output and drive their competitors out of business. Translator’s Note: Around this same time in 1954, the Azuma Brothers Glass Factory was established in Kawasaki (far from Osaka and closer to Tokyo) to produce milky-white glass shooters and other products under the brand name “Earth Ribbon.” With a single machine, it could produce 800,000 marbles (two tons) per day. According to the trade magazine Tokyo Toy Bulletin, it was equipped with the latest machines—possibly made by Hosoi. The factory caused nitrogen oxide pollution, which led to complaints from nearby residents, and it went out of business in the mid-to-late 1950s. 今思うと、業者は生産効率が高くなったのであるから、生産量をそのままに、高収益を求めるべきであった。 Looking back now, with improved production efficiency, they should have maintained output and focused on higher profits instead. 私もまた仕事であるから求められるままに、さらに高性能化して納入した。 As for me, it was my work, so I kept meeting the demand, supplying even higher-performance machines as requested. やがてビー玉の生産量は一桁増大した。 Before long, marble production increased tenfold. その結果、一時の工作機械業界に見られたような受注のための熾烈な値引き競争が始まり、数年前の儲けは夢物語となった。 As a result, a fierce price-cutting war broke out—much like the one once seen in the machine tool industry—in the scramble for orders. Profits from just a few years earlier became a distant memory. そしてまずヨーロッパのメーカーが犠牲となって消滅した。 The first to fall victim was the European manufacturer(s), who disappeared from the market. Translator’s note: The original Japanese text does not indicate whether “manufacturer(s)” here refers to more than one company; Japanese nouns do not mark plural forms. The specific identity and number of European firms affected remain unclear. 業者のもくろみどおりに進展するかに見えたが、桁違いの増産による被害は、これだけではおさまらなかった。 Things seemed to be going just as the marble factory owners had planned, but the damage from this massive, off-the-scale increase in production did not end there. この仕事の性質上、いったん重油炉に火を入れると、半年ないし一年は作業を止められない。 By the nature of this work, once the heavy-oil furnace was lit, operations had to continue for six months to a year without stopping. 火を落とすと、再び操業するには、炉の修復と、ガラスが溶け始めるまでの燃料の無駄による出費が大きく、作業をやめられなかった。 If the fire was put out, resuming production would require costly furnace repairs and consume large amounts of fuel before the glass began to melt again, making it prohibitively expensive to stop operations. そこで新年に炉に火を入れると、盆休みまで、当然２４時間連続で生産を続けなければいけなかった。 Thus, once the furnace was lit at the start of the New Year, production had to continue nonstop—24 hours a day—until the Bon holidays in mid-August. この種の企業で生産過剰となれば、受注が大変である。 In this type of business, once production exceeds demand, securing orders becomes extremely difficult. しばらく注文が途切れて出荷が止まると、工場内はビー玉で溢れて作業の障害となる。 If orders dry up for a while and shipments halt, marbles quickly pile up in the factory, obstructing further operations. そこで経営者は受注に奔走するが、当面の国内向けの発注者は名にし負う大阪商人の代表格、松屋町(まっちゃまち）の問屋である。 The marble factory owners would then scramble to secure orders, but their main domestic buyers at the time were the wholesalers of Maccha-machi in Osaka—famed for being shrewd representatives of the city’s merchant class. ビー玉の製造者は足下を見られ、思う存分たたかれて、なお拝み倒して買い取ってもらう。 The marble makers, with their weak position exploited, were beaten down on price as far as possible and still had to plead for their goods to be bought. ビー玉のような商品は需要に限度があり、食料品のように値を下げたからといって需要が増える性質のものではない。 A product like marbles has a limited demand; unlike food, lowering the price does not lead to greater consumption. 第２の犠牲としてアメリカの業者が廃業する。 The second victim of this glut was the American dealer(s), who went out of business. Translator’s note: The original text does not specify whether “dealer(s)” refers to importers, distributors, or manufacturers, nor does it indicate how many businesses were involved それでも需給のバランスは好転せず、価格も回復しなかった。 Even so, the supply–demand balance did not improve, and prices never recovered. この時点においてもなお、日本人の特性は強烈に維持され、生産を調整しようと提言する人はなく、 Even at this stage, this particular Japanese trait remained strongly in place, and no one suggested adjusting production. Translator’s note: Before the war, the Japan Glass Marble Industry Association coordinated joint purchasing, quality control, and production adjustments. It restarted after the war, but no records of its activities survive. During the war, marble-making rights and machinery were consolidated under a joint company of Seike, Nakanishi, and Yanagawa; all other machines were confiscated, with half scrapped for military use. Postwar returnees and newcomers to the marble trade likely preferred to operate independently, distrusting organizations and authority. 「そのうちにどこかが消滅する。すると業界を独占できる」と、どの経営者もなお激しく競り合った。 They continued to compete intensely, thinking, “Sooner or later, one of us will disappear, and then we can dominate the industry.” Translator's Note: As far as I know, the one who dreamed of becoming the last remaining manufacturer was Suekichi Matsuno. The Osaka Glass Industry Association’s journal contains a passage to that effect. (Osaka Glass Industry History: A Chronicle of the Osaka Glass Industry Association (Osaka Glass Industry Association, 2019), available at: https://www.osaka-glass.or.jp/book/) In an interview I conducted at Matsuno Industry in 2022, I was told that the survivors of the price cutting competition were Matsuno and Yasuda. As his strategy in the competition, Matsuno chose to stop production for a year, yet continued paying salaries to his workers during that time. Some manufacturers disappeared soon after the price war began, but others continued production for years. One was Aichi Denkyu (Azuma brand), located in Nagoya, outside Osaka, which continued exporting marbles until the late 1970s. Another was Union Glass Industry, run by Shuichi Utsunomiya, which made toy marbles until 1965. Utsunomiya had worked for many years under Seike before the war, eventually becoming factory manager, and went independent in 1939. After the war, in July 1955, he filed a patent for a marble-making machine (JP Utility Model Showa32-1736). In 1960, his factory restarted production of glass bottles and toy marbles. While many manufacturers adopted Hosoi’s machines, it is worth noting that there were also makers like Utsunomiya who produced marbles based on their own ideas. Both Aichi Denkyu and Union Glass Industry also had other product lines—Aichi Denkyu made light bulbs, while Utsunomiya’s factory manufactured glass bottles. しかし、日本が豊かになり始めるとともに、子供の遊びも野球などに移行し、ビー玉の需要が減少したこともあって、 However, as Japan began to grow more prosperous, children’s play shifted toward activities such as baseball, and demand for marbles decreased. Translator’s note: The decline of traditional games like marbles in Japan is often linked to the growing influence of mass media in driving new trends. Television advertising in particular shifted children’s attention to popular toys such as anime and manga character goods, robots, radio-controlled cars, and later, computer games—each promoted as the “must-have” entertainment of its time. この業界は見る影もなく衰退し、実質上消滅した。 The industry then declined to the point of being unrecognizable, and effectively ceased to exist. Translator’s note: Japan’s marble industry did not come to an end. Hosoi’s statement reflects a misunderstanding. While production declined sharply from its peak, marble manufacturing continued beyond this period. Today, about 30% of Japanese marbles are for toys—featuring various colors and patterns—while roughly 70% are for industrial use. そして機械を高性能化し、生産効率を格段に向上させた私は、ビー玉の経営者たちから「業界の儲けは、細井がかき集め、独り占めした」と皮肉られた。 After upgrading the machines and greatly boosting production efficiency, I found myself the target of sarcastic comments from marble factory owners, saying that I had “scooped up all the profits in the industry for myself.” 確かに私はこの機械が売れて、経済的に余裕ができたし、運転資金にも事欠かなくなった。 It was true that sales of this machine gave me financial breathing room, and I no longer had to worry about working capital. そして易者の言葉を思い出したりしたが、この事態は、大きな教訓となって心の中に残った。 I even recalled the words of the fortune teller, but this situation remained in my mind as a significant lesson. Translator’s note: The fortune teller had told Hosoi that when he turned 30, his business would take off and he would no longer have financial troubles. He turned 30 in 1955—the very year that rapid-fire pachinko machines were banned. That same year, his improved marble-making machine began to catch on among manufacturers, so the prediction proved accurate. そして退職時の理想に加えて、絶対的に優秀な機械を、数少なく供給する、これを貫こうと思った。 In addition to the ideals I had when leaving my former job, I resolved to maintain the principle of producing only a small number of truly superior machines. Translator’s note: Hosoi left Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to start his own business. His ideals at that time are likely described in an earlier part of the memoir, but I have not read it. しかしこの考え方は一般に理解されず、のちに取引先の商社マンや、転任してきた銀行の支店長から However, this approach was not generally understood, and later, trading company representatives and newly assigned bank branch managers told me— 「貴君は根っからの技術職で、経営というものを知らない。仕事を楽しんではりまんなあ」と批判され、揶揄され続けた。 —“You’re a technician to the core, with no head for business. You just enjoy your work, don’t you?” Such comments were repeated in both criticism and jest. 私は思う。個性的な才能を認めず、量産によって他の企業を圧倒し去ろうという経営思想が日本人の頭から離れない限り、世界から嫌われ、貿易摩擦はついて回るのではないだろうかと。 I believe that unless Japanese business leaders learn to value unique talent instead of trying to overpower other companies through mass production, Japan will continue to face resentment from the rest of the world, along with the trade disputes that come with it. Translator’s note: Hosoi’s comment here looks consistent with views he expressed in “Hishō! New Venture” (1983), where he recounted several successes achieved by trusting his own instincts and defying “established wisdom”—including a compact profiling milling machine with no loss of accuracy at high speed, a tungsten-carbide end mill usable with that high-speed mill, and a drill press bit with a 140° tip angle instead of the conventional 118°. Although all were commercial successes, he often struggled to secure development funds. In the same account, he remarked that while Japanese manufacturers excelled at producing standardized products in large quantities, they tended to be poor at creating new technologies based on their own ideas.

Weird is a good thing. Pinched up and can’t laugh at self is a buzz kill. When or if I get called a dork my response is “I got tired of being cool.” Being a dork and a weirdo is easier🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 RAR

Today we did make it to Rolley Hole. I did a 3 hour combo of talking and playing the game. Got some folks hooked on it now. We used quarters instead of the key rings since I lost them.

Tomorrow will be the big marble day, and I’ve been telling folks to prepare to set aside the time. I’ve been hyping folks up, and have been able to continuously talk about Rolley Hole for upwards of 2 hours with no stops, all while keeping people engaged. It’s been a wild ride, but I’ve gotten roughly 20 folks who are committed to go to Rolley Hole. Since many full time positions are filled by the people in this program, it looks like there will soon be a large base of full-time folks who love and appreciate it.

Rate it?On a scale of 1-2 I give it a 1.68🔥 RAR

I've got one! 🥳 A Pelt Nova 15/16"

I thought this was quite interesting. Someday I may own one but until then I can learn more. Thanks for the great and informative video.