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J.H. Leighton’s 1891 patent for the manufacture of solid glass spheres marks a major step forward in early American handmade marble production.  His process began by hand gathering molten glass on the end of a steel rod, carefully building up the amount needed for a single marble. While still hot and workable, the glass was rotated within a grooved former, shaping it into a near perfect sphere while remaining attached to the rod. After the marble was formed, it was cut from the rod, leaving a small rough projection where the glass had been severed. Rather than leaving this as a simple cut mark, Leighton refined the surface through a controlled finishing process. The marble was exposed to a concentrated flame, softening the uneven area without disturbing the rest of the sphere. Once properly heated, Leighton applied a specialized concave tool similar in appearance to a small golf tee to the softened spot with light pressure. This action pushed the remaining glass back into the body of the marble, smoothing and blending it into the surrounding surface. The result is the distinctive “melted” or “pressed” pontil, a defining characteristic of Leighton’s work and an important innovation in the evolution of American handmade glass marbles.

Marble mail days are the best days of the week! Sincerely grateful to add this piece to my Leighton collection. Always on the hunt for great Leighton made marbles! Measures 1 7/16”. Thank you for looking!

🙏✝️🙏☺️

Master Tigers Eyes

Here's kind of a neat one... Peltier "Poison Bee"

Another shout out to the York Nebraska marble museum and cateye1212 on ebay! Scored these two awesome deep amber pinch pontil Yasudas. One of them even has some nice teal inclusions!

Kim here. Favorites are JABO/DAS and more recently NLG. Have only been collecting about two years. I go to a lot of estate sales so have quite a bit of "everything"... or they might be nothing. Time & ID videos will tell🤭. This group has been super helpful... so glad I found you.

Been awhile since I dug these out for some fresh air. Enjoy

Thank you, Tommy. Another note: That packaging was a second generation. The first generation (2003) had the trimmed bag top up inside the header. The marbles were trapped (not removable). I decided to invert the bag so the zip-lock was at the bottom. That allowed the marbles to be removed for enjoyment.

Its not sounding my JABO memory, but It could still be. Vitro is my guess.

A Jabo we recently added and some MK and this pretty little box

19/32” 4-color Popeye.

Oh I really like this one. So glad for all the close up shots too! Wonderful collection and great video you put together. Thank you! Click on the link to You Tube Worlds Largest Marble King Collection - Curated by George Armann The sound effects and background music is always a plus. You are a funny one Stephen, I'm a big fan. Thanks!

.80” corkscrew double ribbon auger with akro dug cullets

there is also the "Destroyer" which was a black based speckled marble made by Vacor style up to the year 2000...these are fairly rare and hard to find. "Destroyer" second set down in the photo below:

I've added a few new marbles to my collection. Thought I'd share ☺️

Wasp

I never did get a watermelon

good Sunday! 🎧 3.mp4

Today I received a letter from Maxx's father, who turned 93 years old this January. The letter was written by his wife. I am withholding his name for privacy. "Maxx's father was a seminary student preparing for the ministry around 1956 or 1957 when the company went bankruptcy. The cause was a trusted employee who took all the company funds and disappeared. This was something I heard from my mother-in-law many years later. After the bankruptcy Naoyuki spent his remaining years battling illness. He attended our church wedding in October 1963 in a wheelchair. 2 years later on the morning of 13 October 1966, he told his wife 'Smile, smile. Heaven is here,' and passed away that night at 10 p.m., surrounded by family."

Heaton, htf color.

I really do see what you're getting at. These which you are showing today are nicely constructed. Wish I could be more helpful. Signed, Here for moral support

Forgot about this one, was with my Popeyes… 5/8” there are 4 black hairs tracking the yellow.

And I am thinking Vitro... Agree with pretty awesome mib either way!

Master with aventurine 3/4”

Needless to say, Linda and I are huge Akro fans. The 1 inch uv slag is the newest addition to our collection. ☺️🙏✝️🙏

May have one or two Akros or Vitros in here

Marble King Sunrise

Alley - Jolly green giant 0,866+ (22mm+) 🎧 13.mp4

Like this set of Fiestas from Vacor - 50mm down to 16mm

This is my best quality German Handmade, although still not perfect, it is at least closer to Mint than any of my others

I would not call the Destroyer "speckled". It has a very rough frit surface.

Scored this .75" latticino razor ribbon for $19

Yes. The other is 5/8. I do have quite a few 1 inch marbles. Here are a couple Hercules shooters. One is a hybrid.

I had this pink one from Jabo too that had glitters of metallic in it…one of kind

I agree with you and your statement. The German handmade marbles and the “Stone Agates” were the main competition at the time the glass marble industry started in the USA. Notice that many USA marble companies used the term "Agate" to describe their glass marbles. Good observation here— Nice “Master Made” as well. Thanks for sharing it along with your thoughts. Marble—On!!

Vitro trilite

Certainly a really nice Vitro Superior. I'll leave it to others as to whether it qualifies as a Buttermilk, but seems like one to me.

I support Akro.

Seemed so simple... Marble King Bumble Bee... but when I went to put them with "known" others... they don't quite look the same. Headed as the newbie to a marble show in a month and want to be sure I have labeled correctly.... opinions welcome!! Thank you. A = .63 B = .66 C = .69 D = .62

Akro IMO

I have always appreciated the faceted agates. I know that @bumblebee does too. I will never forget the images of workers lying on their stomachs in California, grinding these down and polishing them. It is amazing, the amount of hits that one of these can take and still stay intact. I love to back light this type knowing that they really destroyed a lot of the glass marbles that we all enjoy today. Here are a few images. Marble—On!!

Ravenswood

Also 5 5/8” crystal red corks.

Marble King Sunset

It's Akro Friday ❤️