SNYD

Nice job. Do you do this for others. I have a friend that owns land that is an old dump site and he lets me dig. I have some really neat old cullet and he said that I could have marbles made from them. I tried getting some others to do it but have not heard back from them. Would you do it? What does it cost? How clean do I need to get the glass? What is the smallest size you can make into a marble? Some of the neatest colors are cullets that are 2" x 3" x 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Are they too small? I would pay to ship to you and marbles back to me with you fee. SNYD

I collect for alomost all the reasons you listed. The selling part is slow for me because I have a hard time letting them go. I do sell some of the most common, but the harder to find marbles, I just can't relax my fingers enough to let them slip away. Bad or good, I do want to someday have a source of funds from my hobby. I got started collecting about 25 years ago, it started as a joke. You see my wife has owned and operated her own upholstery business since we got married some thirty-one years ago. We would go to auctions where she would buy old furniture to redo and sell. One day, after the sixth auction in one week, the wimp I am came out. Do I really have to come all the time I stated. I knew right then I said the wrong thing. I could tell that she really enjoyed my company and that I just let her down. But being the girl she is, she came back with, you just need something to collect that you can look for at auctions. Just then they held up four jars of marbles. I raised my hand. (being a smart ass). The next thing I know I am the owner of four jars of old glass balls. I paid five bucks a jar, She laughed, I was frustrated at spending $20.00. I guy came over to me and asked if I collected marbles, "no, not at all" I replied. He said he had a good friend that collected marbles and lived near me. His friend called me and came over. He went through the marbles and said I had four real nice marbles, high end and some really neat hard to find Ravenswood, Alley and others. I had no idea what he said. I had a guy come to me at an auction and offer to buy the four marbles. Dumby me sold them way to cheap, but at that time $500.00 for four marbles that I had twenty bucks into made sense. Then I started getting phone calls several times a week from folks looking for marbles. I bought and sold just as fast. Then it hit,,,,,the days of buying jars for under $25.00 was gone and they were not showing up as often. I relized it was time to hold onto them. Then it hit me, after looking over them time and time again, I was hooked. Looking at the special look of each marble. I started putting them away until one day my wife hugged me and said, I knew you would find something to collect. That was ten years after the auction that started this whole thing, she never forgot. SNYD

I do not think that the Jabo comment was meant that they made them, it was the fact that the special runs end up being everywhere. There is not really that be there get a special marble or two and that is it. You found the lucky charm type of deal. I understand where he was coming from. By the way, the marbles (Cat Eyes) I was talking about were made by Marble King in Paden City WV. Yes, the prize run that was at Sistersville show this past fall.

I am not sure if it is just my luck or if I just don't know enough to say no or I just make bad investments, but what the hell. This past fall while in Sistersville I had what I thought was a great chance to get into somehting great Yea buddy, once again it turned out to have been an over paid loss. You see I was asked if I would like to purchase some new, special run Cat Eyes and that they were not offering them to everyone, so of course I said yes. I bought $100.00 worth, which was seven marbles. See each jar had different colors so the prices were different. I put these away and hoped to have something that not a lot of folks would have.Then bang there they are showing up on ebay for $7.99 for three. Not just one or two offers, but I have seen listings ten times. Next time something like this comes along someone please beat me over the head and stop me........... Suckered in again.... SNYD

To be honest with you, it was more than I could have ever expected. It's much like digging for gold. It was a warm day, sunny and I had my woderful wife and two close friends with me. We spent two days in the dirt and it was exciting when a marble would pop up, then to see them in the dirt oh boy. You can not imagine how much this means to have a friend who allows me to do this. You know for years I thought "whats the big deal about digging" most marbles are junk and noone wants them. Then after doing it, knowing that so many years ago these were put into the ground (dumped) and now so many years later they come to life again. I now have a collection of most of the marbles I dug. I think these mean more to me now than many of the purchased marbles. It's not the marbles that I dug though, it's knowing I have a close friend that would let me dig on his property, it's knowing I have friends that enjoy digging with me, it's knowing that my wife loves me enough to spend two days up to her knees in dirt and loving it. I am truly a blessed man. SNYD

Hi all, I have been lucky enough to have been given permission to dig on private land for marbles. In doing so I have got several really neat looking cullet that I heard Sammy Hogue could make into what is called reheat marbles. I would love to contact him to see if this can be done with the cullet I have. Does anyone know Sammy's contact information? Oh, yes we did get some really cool marbles. I can't believe how some of them look as nice as when they were made. We got a couple of ten gallon tubs full. I will be sortin all winter,,,,,,,,come on snow who cares now!

(My opinion) I would say it is on the Alley side.

I would like some help IDing some Kokomo marbles. I am having a tuff time between some Pelts and Kokomo, if they are Kokomo at all. Some photos please. I print them out and put them into my IDing notebook. Thanks in advance SNYD

Do you have the picture of how it was " Glass Factory Hollow"? I would love to get more information on this history. I am making the five hour drive back down to Sistersville this weekend, I just got two marbles at a local auction that you just have to see. My thoughts are one is a true gem of an Alley, super wow factor with this one and a Ravenswood that just seems to have alot going on. Would you be around this weekend that we could meet up somewhere> SNYD

So, who really owns it now? I was talking to a guy at Sistersville who had some really neat old Alley mibs who sated he got them at the old site. He said that what he had there would be the last of what he had or would get because he got caught by the owner and it did not go well. So, someone owns it, so how did this guy get into it if he did not pay for it. I would not let someone move in wihtout paying/ SNYD

The color is what is throwing me off. But I just read another post and saw some great Alley mibs that just don't fit the Alley colors. I am interested to see what Ron thinks.

I found these on ebay, Item # 160488333740. I do not know my Alleys very well yet, but these don't seem right to me. The seller has a long listing and seems to have quite the story. Any input would be a huge help. SNYD http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160488333740

I wanted to make the ten hour drive but I have to get ready for winter, so I can't make it. If anyone goes please let me know what I missed. I tlaked to the auctioneer and he said they had some really good handmades. He also found two mint peltier comics, not the group of contemos he has on the web. Senn lots of alley and akro in the photos. Not sure what shape they are in, auctioneer says really good????????????? I would like to hear from anyone going. SNYD

WOW, thats all I can say, if I could talk right now. I can't stop drooling. That is one great looking marble for sure. Thanks for giving me a look and a goal to try and reach. I am not sure how common these are, but I should come across one someday. Thanks for sharing. SNYD

Your Grrrr is bigger than mine , but I still will arm wrestle ya If anyone knows of any coligrafre (spelling ?) Alleys that would be for sale, I would be interested. I only have one, which is beat up. I would like a few mint ones for in my collection. I may have around 150 Alleys in my collection so far, so I am open to other Alleys too, I need to find some nice flames too. I am going to do a visit with Ron Shepherd, he don't know yet, to see if he can spare some nice ones for a good price. And I am ready to discuss . But any help from others is welcome . Ron, I 'll be stopping down to see Jim & Mary King in October sometime.........hint - hint

It's funny how ones interest or views can change in time, if it's age or just getting wiser, life is always changing. For many years collecting I desired the most popular marbles, high end pelts, akros and christenson. In the past two years and more this year, I have found a new, stronger and exciting drive. I found that I am attracted to Masters, Alleys and Champions. I am not sure how I missed so many great looking and interesting marbles for so many years. This past Sistersville show I had Ron Shepherd help me identify a huge lot of marbles,after getting home and looking at them ( each one) I have found a true depth to the awsomeness of the marbles. I am glad that I have had this change of heart now, and now wish it happened years ago. I feel that I have missed out on some truly fantastic marbles. So to all the folks only looking for high end, well known marbles, stop! Take time to truly look at some fantastic marbles from other makers that are not so desired companies, you will be so surprised. My search has now given me a true understanding of emotions for the beauty that the "low end" marbles have. But "low end" is not a respectable tag for such marbles, just one I have heard so many times. I think less desired would fit better. Once you see the true marble I think you will agree that some older champions and alleys are some of the greatest works of art you will find. Ron, thank you for helping to open my eyes and mind to see the great beauty within a marble. To all, keep your alleys and older champions under lock and key, I am on the prowl and searching high and low. SNYD

Check out Ebay, I see there are three of them in a group listed. SNYD

I had a wonderful time this year, better than past events. I want to make sure I do one very important thing before I go any further. I want to tell everyone how great a special person was. This person spent an hour and twenty minutes going through one hundred plus marbles for me that I saved through the year as ALLEY. I asked him if he could go through them and help me identify if in fact they all were ALLEY. There was no hesitation at all, he said bring them over. He identified all the marbles for me and even told me which were good ones, hard to find. I ended up with Ravenswood, with two really hard to find examples.One of which several peple said you could look for ten years and not find it, I had it. Heatons, Davis and Alley. One of the marbles was a hard to find Davis marble, there were two so I offered him one and he would not take it. He said he was doing this because he wanted to, he would not take anything, not even a dinner. He was so nice it really makes being his friend easy. Along with all that he spent time on and off all weekend telling me about the different WV marble makers, I learned so much this weekend from him. THANK YOU Ron Shepherd You are truly a friend and great person. You make coming all the way down to WV worth it If you ever get to meet Ron, you will be graced! SNYD

I would be very careful with any type of clear coat. Even when they say non-yellowing, most after time will turn a yellowish color. The best way to get it back to perfect if there are no real deep chips is to have it polished. There are some real good folks out there who would do that for you. SNYD

Just a friendly reminder too, please stop by the Senior Centers table to purchase your Marble Festival Mug. The senior center truly needs funding to help them enjoy their prime of life. The mugs are donated to them from a fellow marble collector that has a community spirit You can do so much for a few bucks and you get a great mug that captures the marble festival. The seniors sell the mugs at the festival, you may be able to contact Jim Kng to reserve your mug or to get one if your not planning on making it to the show. Remember, it's really to help the aging in a small town that let's us enjoy our hobby for three days in their streets. Also, if your traveling the country and need a drinking container, I feel it fair to let you know that the companies that make this possible for the senior center is Whirley Drinkworks! and Kim's Custom Works. Please support them too. Always look at the bottom of the mug for the Whirley logo. Kim's custom Works is a local upholstery business in northwestern Pa. A big THANK YOU to them for sure. SNYD

I have an Akro bag for sale. It does not have the Akro logo, but it did come in a box from Marble Allan, which he had listed as original. I will try to get a photo, send it to scoop to list. I was going to sell it at Sistersville this Sept, I am asking $125.00. SNYD

Smitty, I'll be there for sure...............I got a hotel lined up so I don't have to drive all that in one day. Maybe we could have time to talk about me visiting for a hunt (BOW) God Bless SNYD

I spoke to Jim King the other day. The dates are Sept 24 - 25 - 26 .

I would like to take a quick minute to make a special thank you to a very kind, helpful and pleasant member of this forum. I have never met this person, yet the kind actions and support this fellow mibster so freely gives is so refreshing. I can not get photos on this board, I send them to SCOOP and poof there they are for everyone to enjoy. Here is something very deserving and heart felt: SCOOP - Whoever you are, where ever you are, YOU ROCK !

You know I would like to sell one of the GR's, but I can't.. They both are now part of the family. It was a long time coming and it took a lot of overtime to get the funds for the group. But hey, I would let you see them anytime I am sure that I will be taking them to Sistersville this year to show. Thanks to all for the supportive comments. It's nice to know that my fellow collectors are there to help one enjoy common desires. Again, thanks everyone! ! ! ! ! SNYD