psia-antique

I love the work of Peltier, Israel, Fiedler and collect them all. Their work does not make McCoullough's better or worse. They are all beautiful and each deserves to be recognized as such. When people use micro economics 101 to choose how they spend their money, they have not hurt the value or prettiness of older pieces. Those people have chosen in a "guns and butter" sense to apply their dollar votes to buy what they deem to be pretty, not what you think they should buy. The seller of any marble cannot make someone else buy it. The buyer and only the buyer can make that decision. You see gang. Prices of vintage marbles cannot continue to go straight up and appear to be hitting their "tin ceiling". The average marble collector cannot nor will not pay $500 on a regular basis for great old CACs. There are very few of these marbles and even fewer people willing to pay that kind of price for such a small piece of glass. So, their prices will probably continue to go up, but at a much slower rate and they will probably become more effected by big price swings to the down side every time there is a rumor or something goes wrong with the economy or the new Congress. JABO and contemporaries are a lot different. Neither are a mature market and because the entry prices are relatively low, their downswings will be much smaller when there is negative news and their upside is much higher when there is good news. JABOs are current. They are what is happening today. They are every man's marble and are affordable by all. Most marble collectors can afford a $10 or $20 marble if they choose. They can now afford to own the top of the line of a particular manufacturer at an affordable price. JABO is the Microsoft of the future if you choose to look at marbles as an investment. I, personally, do not look at marbles as a good investment. They are not an investment. They are a hobby. Those who collect "pretty" marbles will have great collections. Those who "invest" in marbles, particularly expensive ones are very liable to be very disappointed. Buy "pretty" marbles and just enjoy them.

Bo, You obviously don't really want the facts. If you doubt me, then do your own research.

Bo, I am correct and you just proved it for me to yourself. This thread is about Dave McCullough and his work-an article about him and his work....not a marble discussion of the quality of his or any one else's. That came to thread when it was hijacked.

No Bo, you are not being objective. This thread WAS about an article complimenting Dave's work. Period. No one who has posted had anything to do with the article. Galen changed the thread. As you missed reading post # 30 that answered your questions. I suggest you read post #1 so you know what thread was originally about. For the second time in this thread, I will say, I think the article was outstanding for all of our hobby. It is one of the few pieces outside of the hobby to talk about the hobby. Maybe because of it some new folks will start collecting.

Bo, Obviously you spoke before you read. Please go back and read post 30 and you will find 2 very specific answers in the first paragrqaph that end the multiple crucible issue forever. David's first multiple crucible machine was at Champion! He was at Champion prior to 1991. As for the mica/ aventurine marbles, we wrote about them and pictured them in our second book so if you want the specific information, you now know where to find it.They were both 5/8 and nearly 1". They do have a name.

Galen, You never seem to be responsible for what you say, nor do you respond when proven wrong. I have proven to you that Dave did the crucible thing first, and the aventurine thing first. I still can't find in my notes in which year around 2000 DM was talking about multiple crucibles but I will. I will also tell you the first time he had a multiple crucible machine was when he was at Champion!!! Be this as it may, we were talking about pretty marbles not patents. Really all of these machines are dependent on MF Christensen's work to make them round. So all of us can dance around patents etc forever, but it proves nothing. Each is but a step in the improvement of the art of machine made marbles. Many known and uinknown people have each contributed in small ways to get the art and hobby where it is today. I, too, love the work of Peltier, Israel, Fiedler and collect them all. Their work does not make McCoullough's better or worse. They are all beautiful and each deserves to be recognised as such. When people use micro economics 101 to choose how they spend their money, they have not hurt the value or prettiness of older pieces. Those people have chosen in a "guns and butter" sense to apply their dollar votes to buy what they deem to be pretty, not what you think they should buy. The seller of any marble cannot make someone else buy it. The buyer and only the buyer can make that decision. Why not use your vast knowledge for good? Why not be happy for the hobby in general that JABO and David get some recognition in a piece that is not in the main line of marble collecting? The Poor Richard's Almanac piece was/is great for the hobby. Admit it.

No he does not. Most are remelted. The whole area behind the plant is on concrete so not many get away. Those that do probably go "over the edge" behind the concrete. There is an urban ledgend that there is a JABO dump site in/around Parkersburg, but that story is not true.

Michael and Bo, I accept your expert opinions graciously. I still disagree however and will say that we discussed what other very sophisticated marble people have said about David's work in our books.

aah! Under read grasshopper, I will tell you the facts. The first aventurine/ mica marble made by Dave was made in 1997 so you and your friends would be wrong on that count. The multiple crucible idea is something that is documented in the notes and manuscript of a book that was finished before 2002 and will be published this year so you would be wrong on that count also. I will look through the manuscript for an exact date if you need it. Be careful to whom you listen as your sources seem to lead you astray regularlly.

Galen, Patents are nice, but don't look at the colors of a patent or a gob feeder. Dave has set new standards that exceed CAC and Pelt in terms of aventurine you can actually see, mica, different colors of oxblood, most complex swirl patterns ever, and the number of colors per marble and this imparticular vastly exceeds CAC

The real importance of the Poor Richard's Almanac article was lost on the negative people. It's importance is that it is the first article of which I am aware that is outside the marble community that recognises the greatness of JABO and David's body of work. It is also the first to name him as the best machine-made marble maker ever.

JABO: A Classic. January 14, 2009 Posted by ourfriendben in wit and wisdom. Tags: David McCullough, JABO marbles, machine-made marbles, marble collecting, marbles, toy marbles add a comment A while back, our friend Ben wrote a post called “We’ve lost our marbles” about how the great tradition of American toy marble-making has almost become a lost art. While elaborate handmade marbles continue to enjoy a niche as (often pricey) collectibles, the great companies that dominated the world market from the 1900s through the 1950s with amazingly elaborate machine-made marbles have died out one by one. M.F. Christensen, Akro, Christensen Agate, Peltier, Alley, Ravenswood, and dozens of others are now just names reverently intoned by marble enthusiasts and collectors. As I write, our friend Ben knows of only two companies still making machine-made “toy” marbles in America. One, Marble King of West Virginia, is still making some of the marbles that made it a household name among marbles-playing kids back in the 1950s. But the other, JABO, is doing something that every marble enthusiast should be watching: It is making American marble history, right before our eyes. JABO’s beginnings were humble, like most great American success stories. It began in 1987 when Jack Bogard of the Bogard marble family joined forces with accountant and marble enthusiast Joanne Argabrite to create a new company in what had been the Heaton marble factory in Cairo, West Virginia. Today, JABO operates out of Reno, Ohio, and has become something of a pilgrimage site, thanks to far-seeing marble collectors who recognized the genius of JABO’s marble maker, David McCullough. If America had the good sense to establish a Living Treasures roster, as Japan and other countries have, David McCullough (along with such great artists as Hopi potter Dextra Quotskuyva) would be on that list. David’s talents as a marble-maker were evident when he worked for Champion Agate, another classic American marble company, and are especially evident in his series of Champion “Old-Fashioneds.” Jack Bogard and Joanne Argabrite had the great good sense to hire David to make JABO’s marbles, and the first intimations of a sea change came in his first year with the company, 1991, when he produced the first run of JABO Classics, limited-production special marbles. Let me quote Robert S. Block, a leading marble authority, on these Classic runs (from his Marble Collectors Handbook): “The company produced industrial marbles, mainly opaques. However, Dave McCullough would produce three or four limited runs each year of ‘Classics’ in sizes from 5/8″ to 1″. Each run was different from any previous run, and the marbles were not like any other company’s. Many fluoresce, and they contain many innovative colors and were produced in very short runs.” (The shorter the run, i.e., the fewer marbles produced, the more collectible they are.) When Robert Block wrote this, David, for many years now a full partner at JABO, was only warming up. The marbles he has produced in the last couple of years—2007 and especially 2008—are arguably more innovative and gorgeous than any machine-made marbles ever previously produced. His JOKER, Madyia, JINKS, Dark Knight, and Last Dance runs display incredibly ornate patterns, and showcase rare materials formerly only found in handmade or single-company legendary marbles: oxblood (an opaque dark red), aventurine (glittery green, blue or black sparkles), lutz (gold glitter), mica. Even the less spectacular marbles from various runs are being named by collectors, like the famous Peltiers and Akros of old: JABO’s Captain Megan, Rebel, Punkin Peewees, Tie Dye, Lilac Expression. Extraordinary marbles like the Woodstock shooters (shooters are the big marbles, in this case about an inch) are so outstanding, they belong in museums. Every JABO marble is different, but there is something about JABOs that makes them instantly recognizable, even by rank amateurs like our friend Ben. Perhaps it’s the depth of the transparent glass, the intricacy of the designs, the unusually rich glow of the clear colors. JABO marbles simply stand alone, like all the great marbles of the past—the Christensen Agates, with their unbelievably bright, pure colors; the Akro corkscrews and Popeyes; the M.F. Christensen “9″ slags. You know when you’re seeing a JABO, just as you know when you’re seeing a Peltier. It’s an incredible achievement. What makes it more incredible is that this is 2009, not 1909 or 1939, when labor was cheap and marbles were a hugely popular kids’ game. In these days, when everything tends to come down to the bottom line, Dave McCullough’s and JABO’s achievement is nothing short of a miracle. And it’s ultimately a five-part miracle. Let’s break that down into its five compenent parts. First of course is David McCullough’s extraordinary talent and willingness to experiment, and Joanne Argabrite’s and Jack Bogard’s willingness to support him in his work. Second is the enthusiasm 0f private collectors to fund special runs like the extraordinary JOKER run of 2008. Third is the dedicated work of the JABO historians, which I’ll get to in a moment. Fourth is the group of handmade marble makers who recognize the glory of JABOs and use them in their own work, such as Eddie Seese’s Rebel Shooters and other JABO remelts by such contemporary marble-makers as Joe Schlemmer, Sammy Hogue, and Jim Davis. And fifth are the ordinary everyday collectors like you and me who support David McCullough’s and JABO’s work by buying their marbles for our collections. Let’s backtrack to those marble historians for a minute. There could be no history without historians to record it, and this is as true of JABO marbles as it was of the Revolutionary or Civil War. JABO is blessed to have dedicated enthusiasts following what’s happening as each new development in David McCullough’s marble-making adventure unfolds. Steve Sturtz and Michael Johnson have already written two books documenting the JABO phenomenon, JABO: A Classic and David’s JABO Renaissance. Thanks to Sturtz and Johnson, we can follow along as living marble history is made before our eyes. Our friend Ben understands that a third book by collector and JOKER patron Jim King is also in the works. I hope that many more will follow, and that David McCullough and JABO keep on forging new ground. It’s incredibly exciting to be present when history is being made, and you’re aware of that, be it marble history or statecraft! What a privilege, and thanks to Steve, Michael, Jim, Dave, and everyone who’s making it possible. Want to pick up a few JABOs and/or JABO books of your own and get in on the ground floor of the most exciting development in American machine-made marbles in our lifetime? Forget about the official JABO website (www.jabovitro.com). It’s shockingly behind the times in terms of picking up on what’s going on with its own company and the marble-collecting community. Instead, head to eBay, where JABO enthusiasts like JABO historian Steve Sturtz offer books and exceptional marbles for sale. Prices are starting to skyrocket as marble collectors finally realize what JABO is doing, however, so get over there now if you want to own a piece of marble-making history for a bargain price! Because these special runs are being supported by collectors and investors rather than the open market, there’s no telling how long JABO can remain viable, which adds a poignant urgency to the whole story. But for now, you too can still be instrumental in marble-making history.

Edna "Spike", Please put me on the list to buy some of your great boxes too. Have you gotten your Joe Hogue experimental runs box? If so please post it so we can all see it.

Effective December 31,2008 David has resigned at JABO as a day to day owner. He still retains his stock and is as interested in making great marbles today as he was last week and for the last 17 years at JABO. David will turn 61 on March 17 (St. Patrick's Day). He and Bonnie will continue to live in Pennsboro. Although he will not be active on a daily basis, he will still be available to answer questions on the phone and answer emails. He will, of course, be very available to help any and all with their private runs of JABO Classics. He says he is going to enjoy it more and work less. My bet is you will find him hanging around in the trailor on most days. I, for myself and many more, want to thank David for his great body of work. I think anyone who has ever been to the factory knows how infectuous his Dennis the Menace smile is. More importantly, we all know how helpful he has been to anyone who walks through the doors. David, thank you for so much! Congratulations. PS for the inquiring minds: there are no health problems or problems within the company.

I am very complimented and thankful for David's posting such a nice letter and telling all what really happened and how the "time sharing" "experimental" runs came about. Now that the Tribute "Last Dance" run is over and hence the end of the Jabo Classic Experimental Runs of 2008, I feel comfortable in making some observations and telling some things I have been told. I am very pleased for JABO and David since the experimentals helped keep the doors open for another year and kept a few American jobs on shore. These runs met our first goal of keeping the machines running. More importantly, from the perspective of a marble collector, the marbles made in these runs have set a new standard of excellence in many arenas ( oxblood, mica, aventurine, # of colors per marble, and lutz). Each run has a few great marbles. There were less than 1,500,000 made so they are all very rare. Most machines can produce over 1,000,000 in a week. Over the short term, the market may seem flooded to some, but over the long term, there were not enough for each marble collector in America to own one! As each run approached, both David and I were like expectant fathers, nervous and then proud as each "glassy eyed gal" fell into the lehr. At 5AM the morning of our last run, David and I sat in the trailor and had a very quiet conversation about the year of the experimentals. He is very pleased with his work and results (he should be), is very thankful for the financial participation of so many patrons of the arts, and as always gives most of the credit to God. He said "OH God!" with a huge smile to my last sentence to him at the end of the conversation. It was..."David, I have an idea, let's get a few folks togehter and...."

"I plan to be there,wearing a WV cap." Ron I have just spoken with Ron's butler. He tells me that Ron will be much better dressed. He won't be wearing a WV hat. He will be wearing a Notre Dame hat!

Sissy, This is a perfect place to talk about and remmeber Patry. It is a a vibrant lively place so there is no more appropriate place to remember such a wonderful friend. I have heard many cry today. They all seem to be the tears shed by those who already miss a great friend.