Bo444

Thank you to all of you. Sure is nice to know you have as many friends in so many different places and walks of life as I do. 57 it is this year and no holding back. Here's to hopefully seeing everyone at least once this coming year. Thanks again!!!!

Thanks Charles. (The free marble was pretty cool also) Sorry Roger. ain't happennin. hehehe

but I just wanted to thank each and everyone of you folks who did not bid on these 2 marbles. a transparent red snake with a blue/green cork on the surface and a black & brown popeye. thank you! Thank you ! thank up !!

wow ! :Emoticon-jawdrop:

Not to add to the confusion but rather to help explain it a little more.... Lots of times you will see folks "sculpting" glass on the streets making various items. Roses, wizards, sun catcher's, etc. Typically EVERY time they are using borosilicate or pyrex glass, which as Scott explained fairly well is a specific COE. This glass, (the same stuff you use in your kitchen pans) is VERY hard and can take a LOT of stress. That is why you can see many of the glass artist make a glass item and leave it to cool down on their graphite slab that they work on. It is NOT annealled, however, normally if the temperature is not too cold, it will be ok and will never show fractures because it has cooled down slowely enough to not stress the glass to the point that it will break. One of the main reasons is the thickness being made. It is normally not that thick and can cool down rather evenly. However, a marble on the other hand is really thick in comparison, even a 3/4" size probably will fracture if not cooled down evenly and slowely as Scott has previously said. The compatibality issue especially with the aventurines and goldstone (Lutz) is that it is normally so soft that it is virtually impossible to anneal evenly. Here again a main consideration being thickness as it is used sparingly (due to cost) and even if just on the surface will cause too much stress in the glass for some fracturing, or "checking" of the glass not to occur. It can be said that it is the effect the artist was looking for. I would have to say that is what was decided to say after the fact when the fracturing or checking showed up and they did not want to throw it away due to losing too much money. As I am not a glass artist, but a hobbyist I get to play with the glass. I do not have to make glass that will sell. I get to make LOTS of tests and mistakes and like Scott I catalog them so when we do start to make marbles we want to sell, we know what glass we can use, normally how thick we can get away with its use, even if we can use it on the surface and not the interior or vice versa. Fractures are BAD glass. If you pay for "broken" glass, (except crackle glass, which is A highly refined technique) you are buying someones mistakes. Either bad compability or not enough annealling. Regardless, it is still bad glass. Bo

We’re down to one month. Only 30 days until the first ”Virtual” marble mall show. April 10th, 11th & 12th. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Come & see vintage & contemporary machine & hand made marbles for purchase and potential trades. Talk to each dealer directly. This is not an auction. You will be dealing directly with each individual dealer @ one internet site. Dealer’s, If you have not started with your pictures yet, you might want to get started very soon. Please remember to take the time to place size, grade and the price within the picture. It’ll take your customer’s a lot less time to make their decision’s on your marbles and related items and your chat time with each potential buyer more expedient. If you are not sure how to edit your pictures like this, email me ([email protected]) and I can help you with this task. If you have any questions, please email me and if we need to talk in real time I can call you back. Just email me your telephone number.

You want to truly be "fair"? Start the auction @ a dollar and let it run its course. The buyers know what something is worth, even if the sellers dont have a clue. One of the marble collecting community's many faults..... soooo many folks into marbles JUST for the money !! as proof, see the "I just don't get it" thread.

Glad to hear everything is looking up Ms. Edna Sorry for the previous confusion folks. I blame it on my old age

After him being there for over 24 hours, here's the latest I have from Edna... They have given him 5 pints of whole blood trying to get his white blood cell count up from 4 point something. After the lab work came back they have given him Iron and potassium as his blood work up showed him low on both of those as well. He is scheduled for the camera from both ends today in hopes they can find where the blood is leaking from. "IF" there is no leaking then they have to start trying to figure out if the bone marrow is not making enough, or, if something like the spleen is absorbing too much.. Regardless, Edna says he looks better even though he says he doesnt feel any different after 5 pints of blood. She did ask me to tell everyone thanks for the thoughts & prayer's. She was going to print them off & take them to him to read once she gets enough time @ home. Thats it for now. More when I get it. Bo

Just send them towards Houston. Weldon (sissydear or Edna's husband) has been placed in the hospital. Seems his blood count is very low. They are running tests. Sorry, there's not more info, but thats all I know. I will update when I get more. Bo

Sorry, didn't mean to think you were being ignored, however...... I know i'm not selling any of mine and I can't think of anyone who does have one that wants to sell theirs...... @ any price. Sorry.

From their home page, they are shutting down. Turning off the furnaces. Really sad news for the glass world. Blenko glass website

Thats a very cool piece Griff. VERY nice.!!!

round rocks is what they look like to me. When I was a kid I dont think I would have ever even wanted to play for one, much less spend my money to buy some of them. Personally, I have never considered "ground rocks" as marbles. They are not glass. They are not made by a machine intended as kids toys and they are certainly not an art glass marble made on a torch or in the off hand method. ok, the boxes are printed as "marbles", but so do the boxes I make and they too are not marbles, just little pieces of glass. Lots closer to being a marble than a polished rock imho. just my opinion...

Although the pictures are great, they really do not do justice to the glass in hand :Cool_653: Thats right........ IN HAND. as in yep, those marbles are right here where I can touch and hold them. hehehehe :Cool_049: oh yeah, we be partyin in the desert. :4Party:

Ron, my condolences. Bo

Since Roany said the "temperture" was STILL 29.95 (hahahaha) I'm not gonna make it this year. Just way too much other stuff going on.... besides Tucson. Dangit, I am sorry I am gonna miss Griff's blowout sale. Man does have SOME marbles!!!! Tucson, New Philly, Kansas City and Orange county all within 6 weeks of each other !!! 4 GREAT shows and there is just no way I can make 'em all. 2 is my limit with the travel and all. Sure makes the "Virtual" MARBLE MALL in April WAY cheaper to attend (subliminal plug hahaha)

I would like to believe these pictures are real and not "photo shopped", however there is no provenence. Where did these pictures come from? Who has/had these boxes? When were the pictures taken? the 1st Bo

Happy birthday there Mr. Bill (dang kids! hahaha)

.....otherwise known as Mrs. Terry T. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY !!!!!!!!!!!!! :4Party: :Party_fest30: :thewave:

the big 50!!!! I had to start you a whole seperate thread for turning 50. You dont get NO slack for this one. hahahaha

Thats right, the BIG 50 Sorry Jo, this just needed to be MUCH bigger. hahaha

in all my born days I would never have even though of hearing, much less SEEING something like this offered for sale. NEVER from ebay's "everything else, weird, totally bizarre category I give you... chicken gizzard marbles, rocks, shells, nails & screws. No, i'm not kidding. That's the sadddest part. LOL!!!!!

Scott, I got your email. All 3 of them that you sent in about 3 hours. and the private message you sent through the board. LOL!!! Dude, you've got to chill out. hahah A little patience. I really do have other stuff to do other than read emails and the boards. I see you got my reply. You ok now? hahaha

Over the past 10 years or so we have seen many changes in our hobby. Ebay alone has made a HUGE change in how we collect marbles. At least now we have “MIBBAY” to help offset some of the associated fee’s with selling on ebay. A lot of folks have come into our hobby and left impressions. Some have brought new marketing idea’s into our hobby. A few folks actually buy & sell marbles as their prime source of income these days. Yes, our hobby has become THAT lucrative. Sadly, a lot of our friends have also passed on and we sure miss them. I noticed more and more of our marble collecting friends not attending shows any more, largely due to monies needed for traveling expenses. Motel room, air fare, rental cars. All of that added up to the point that you had to give away a good marble every day just to pay for the opportunity to sell or trade marbles for your collection with others. Today, I am announcing yet another change in our hobby. The Marble Mall. A VIRTUAL marble show A “virtual” marble show that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home, VIRTUALLY any time of day (for a set 3 day period) you can sell, trade and buy marbles from your desk, work bench, kitchen, garden, porch or yes, even your bathroom. So what exactly is a “virtual show” ? A link to the MARBLE MALL will be posted and when you click on it, your screen will change to show you in a lobby about to walk into a large hall with lots of booths inside the hall. You will use your arrow keys on your keyboard to “walk step by step” towards whatever booth you want to go to. You will also notice a section of your screen show lines of text messages scrolling along as everyone who is connected to the marble mall types in messages. A continuous chat room if you will. You can type a massage into the chat room at ANY time just by clicking in the text box and typing away. Your message will be available to be seen by everyone who is connected at that time. As you walk up to an individual booth, you can click on that dealer’s name and chat with them JUST one on one and no one else can see what your typing so you can buy, sell or trade with no one else knowing what or how much is involved. As you finish your browsing with that dealer, use your arrow keys and walk over to any other dealer in the MARBLE MALL . Same as you would walk to another dealer’s table at a marble show. Same room, just a few click of the heel’s (or keyboard key’s) away. No hotel’s or motel’s. No airlines. No rental cars. No time off work to get to a show and then back home in time to go back to work. No having to argue over where to go to eat because your at your home. Eat what you want, WHEN you want. You can even wear your PJ’s or “jammies” or parade around in your birthday suit. It’ll be just fine. There are NO camera’s. (Thank GOD) LOL!!! If you want to take a break and go take care of some business, hang a sign on your booth that says you will be back and approx; when. Take off. Get a nap, do the laundry, eat supper, take out the trash or a dog for a walk, go to bed. When you get back, you can go right back to where you left off. Chat REAL TIME with every person who is registered and who has entered the virtual hall. Too many to talk to all at once? Then chat “1 on 1” with whomever YOU want to chat with. Chat “1 on 1” with ANYONE who steps into your virtual booth, anytime. The 1st showing of the Marble Mall will be: April 9, 10, & 11 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) Dealer’s will have about 25 days to prep their booth and how it appears to others online prior to the actual show days. During that time you may upload your pictures, details, etc. You will be responsible to verify all info is correct and pictures are as you want them. I can help you with this, but I’m no mind reader. I will need a picture of each dealer so I can post it on an easel, with your name, internet name and ebay name so folks will know with whom they are dealing as they step into YOUR virtual booth There will be NO CHARGE for buyer’s to enter, browse and buy or trade in the virtual hall with ANY dealer. Real time chat with everyone in the convention hall, Real time “one on one” chat with any individual dealer. Buyer’s MUST log in with email and mailing address before being given an entry code. The mailing addy is for dealer’s use ONLY and you will NEVER be mailed any info for the virtual show. ALL info will be sent via email unless your email acct kicks back your email addy. Then and only then will your mailing address be sent a paper copy of the info for the next virtual marble show. One time only. Since you will need to re-register each show, you can update your mailing addy @ that time. DEALER COSTS ?........................ here it comes---------------------> ONLY $20 total !!! (per 3 day event) No sales tax. No seller’s fee’s. No hidden costs. No buyer’s fee’s. No listing fee’s. NO other costs. Just 20 bucks ! Seriously, the TOTAL costs to any one dealer is a one time charge of ONLY $20 per each 3 day event For more indepth dealer information, please email me via the email addy below: [email protected] Thanks, Bo