Ric

Probably my best German . . .

Oh boy, that's a pretty one, Art. I think it might be a Sistersville Alley - a stunner too!

HG World's Best Moon . . .

The marbles really do look much more at home on that beautiful board. 🙂 An original Grenier set surely would be something to behold! And thanks for the reference, to Marble Mania, I hadn't looked at that book for years and that board is a beauty!

I think it wanted to be a member of this family but didn't make the cut, got pitched and then dug up.

Bummer, I feel your pain - the undamaged marbles are costing you about 10X what they should.

I agree with Chad . . .

I think the 1st one may be an Akro Moss Agate, and the 3rd-7th may not be American made marbles. The 3rd may be a Whispler type (English?), the 4th may be Mexican, the 6th may be an Imperial type (Asian) and the 7th may be an Asian Cat's Eye - not sure about the 5th but it gives me foreign vibe too.

Very nice, Galen - thanks for posting. I have seen a variety of different marbles in these Gropper Prima boxes - these look like Peltier's answer to CAC American Agates.

Just a thought . . . I am pretty sure I have seen Vacor Serpents polished in an attempt to make them look more like Peltier Supermen, or at least to bring Peltier closer to the realm of possibility.

To me, pocket wear is what takes the shine off a marble. This seems more substantial to me - light surface abrasion, perhaps.

I would too. From what I have enjoyed seeing of your collection, this board doesn't even come close to making the grade. It'd sure be awesome to see a 17th century scrimshaw or slate board that is similar though. I have to imagine it would be in a museum somewhere. Have you ever seen such a thing? What is the oldest or most ornate board you know of?

I agree, a very messy Peltier Superman - folds, rolls, tongues, etc. Maybe dug?

A corkscrew that didn't corkscrew is called a "patch" in my book - like a "Popeye Patch". I'd probably call this one a "Special Patch".

Some faux ivory scrimshaw (resin) boards from the 1970s have identical decorations and are variously described as "John Adams E. Pluribus Unum" boards. They are apparently based on a 17th century original. Kind of witty, since the point of the game is "E. Pluribus Unum". lol

Many of you know that I am fond of marble-themed engravings. Here is another that is yet to be framed . . . The Marble Mills on the Untersberg. Captured from Nature by R. (Richard) Püttner ca. 1875 (colored wood engraving)

It makes sense to me, and it looks nice too! It really is an intriguing board. Is it wood? The designs are very interesting - I'm not quite sure what to think of them. It looks like a bit of a nautical theme. I like the cherubic character. Can you read what it says on the "globe" upper left? Are there any other markings on the board?

So, 7/8" - the 5/8" ones are even harder to find. 🙂

You definitely have yourself a Vitro Tomato and the green one sure looks Vitro to me too. How big are they?

Another beautiful group of marbles. Since the lutz does look a little out of place and yet you think it might be original to the set, I was wondering if there is any chance that it may have been a center marble originally, and that one of the other "players" went missing. I understand that boards were often sold with a ceramic center marbles, but do you know if any boards were originally packaged with center marbles that were "fancier" than the players? It seems like it would have set them apart from most of the other boards available.

The buyer and seller may be equally ignorant but they are sure not equally lucky! I just don't like to see ignorance rewarded, I guess.

I could see it . . .

These Heaton boxes are great, Art. They are few and far between and they are especially desirable to a WV Swirl head like me. Not so long ago, an incredibly generous collector sent me one of these that has never been opened. It is without doubt, one of the best boxes in my collection, and is especially treasured because it just arrived one day out of the clear blue - without doubt, the finest marble gift I have ever received. Of course, I am dying to get a closer look at the marbles inside but so far have only peeked through the viewing slots - I just can't bring myself to open the flaps. One thing I have noticed though is that these boxes and the No 5 Master box appear to be identical, other than the graphics, of course. Do you have any idea who actually produced and printed these boxes?