Ric

Let me relate the story about how I put this group together . . . First, they all have stilt marks. The center two are 7/8" and the outer two are just under 13/16". I showed the 2nd and 4th marbles above, and I will show the 1st and the 3rd below. If I had any sense I would have organized things better. I found the 1st in the wild probably about 18-20 years ago. About 15 years ago, I acquired the 3rd one from Bill McCaleb, and this is where it get interesting. Billy swore up and down, on several occasions over about a three year period, that he found this marble while he was digging the Peltier site in Ottawa, IL. Of course, I was skeptical so I pushed him hard about it on multiple occasions and he continued to insist that was the case. And I can tell you two things about Billy, 1) he never would have lied to me about this - he honestly believed that is how he acquired it, and 2) sometimes his memory was not that great. I acquired the 2nd and 4th ones from a German seller about 10 years ago, as I mentioned above. Here are photos of the first one I found (1st in the row) . . . And here is the one Billy insisted was dug at the Peltier site (3rd in the row) . . . As you can see, the first marble I found is similar to the one I purchased from the German seller in that they both have pretty much a 1/2 & 1/2 wash of two colors. These are certainly not "Benningtons" but they do remind me of those uncommon 1/2 blue and 1/2 brown ones. The marble I got from Billy is not as neat but it too has a similar pattern of coloration. You can also see that the 2nd-4th marbles all have a pronounced striping that appears to be variegation in the body material, similar to a variegated earthenware or a "Jasper". The only one of these marbles that does not have blue, green and brown with some other tones is one of those that I acquired from the German seller (2nd in the row). Another notable feature is that the marble I got from Billy may actually show signs of having been buried - you can see the finish is not nearly as glossy as the others and it looks like it has considerably more "pocket wear". So there you have it. That is all I really know about these marbles. Although I did see a few similar ones at the Buckeye show in Canton several years ago. If you have any information or thoughts about these marbles please let me know. I welcome any and all comments about them.

That is a beautiful piece of pine and the marbles are very nice too!

That's why I added the clarification. I am often too short with my responses and I need to remember that not everybody knows me. I'm pretty sure I saw you at the Decatur Show this past November but I was sort of preoccupied and didn't have a chance to introduce myself. People that know me know I am a pretty nice guy - not really the confrontational type, it's just not my nature. So if I ever come off as snippy please give me the benefit of the doubt, chances are I am just being lazy. 🙂 Now back to marbles . . . If I remember right the "All Red Line" was a pretty early offering from Vitro - maybe as early as the 1930s. Initially, it might even have covered marbles like TriLites. But I think the marbles that were packaged as All Reds came out in the late 1950s (the Black Line variety) and, if I am not mistaken, the Yellow Jackets started being produced in the mid 1960s. I think that the marbles we typically think of as Yellow Jackets and the All Red (or at least All Red-like) marbles in that poster were likely produced about the same time. And if the company wanted to get the most bang out of their "Yellow Jacket bucks" it seems like an easy way to do it would be to "dilute" their packages with what are, essentially, newer style All Reds that all have a yellow patch (Certainly, the Yellow Jackets were more expensive to produce because of the additional color). Of course, this is a lot of speculation on my part and is really just my opinion of why the marbles might have appeared together in the poster. Eventually though, and probably about the same time or shortly after, and perhaps in an effort to lower production costs, the more common new style of All Red without the black line began being packaged. My bet is that you really could never tell those marbles in the Yellow Jacket poster from the similar marbles that were packaged as All Reds (the newer style). Sort of long winded but that's my story - at least until Steph or someone else who knows better comes and straightens me out. 😄

It just means what it says Joe, looks like a WVS to me!

West Virginia Wednesday is my favorite so here are a few more . . .

Sure looks like Alley to me - nice one too!

That's a nice marble, Joe. Pink is always good and the blue bonus is good too!

Sweet Baby Grays . . . Named by Nola M.

Me too.

Any idea how the two color "Yellow Jackets" in that poster differ from newer All Reds? And please know, I am not being confrontational at all, just trying to lead the conversation in a direction I think it needs to go. 🙂

All Reds with no red?

Are you referring to Bennington-like marbles that have no "eyes"?

I agree they are unusual. I have wondered if they are reproductions or just new. It almost looks like the first is further along in the embellishment process than the second. I have another that is very similar but came from a different source. I'll try to get a pic of it up later.

If that's a weak bit of blue running on one side of the patch I'd stick with Vitro.

I wouldn't be too quick to rule out Peltier, Joe. Hopefully, you'll get some more feedback on this one.

Ha, I wanted to say the same thing but thought people would think I was nuts and chickened out. lol

I was just thinking about you and some of the great Cat's Eye threads we used to have on Marble Mental. It's really a shame they have all disappeared.

You wish! I was counting on you for a recommendation though. 😁

Here are a couple of more I came across - just under 13/16" & 7/8" These are interesting. I got them from a German seller about 10 years ago.

I know this guy who'd be happy to help you sort those WVS. He's honest and trustworthy, although he does sometimes struggle with obedience. He likes to travel too. I'm pretty sure you've met him at least once at an Illinois show long ago, and he'll work for nothing more than a little fun and some good marble conversation. If you want to get in touch with him just let me know - I've got his number. 😁

😄 Reminds me of high school.

Showing a full moon in the second view . . . 😀

I want to say the metal pins may have stuck up through a ceramic "button" to make the stand. I'll have to ruminate on it a while and see if I can recall the original source of that information. That is a very cool relic from AM&T and I have noticed that none of my marbles from them show evidence of any kind of stilt. I do think I had a few ceramic ones that did show evidence of a different style of firing stand though. I'll see what I can find.

Just another thought, I think you have to exercise some caution when looking at more round "stilt marks". Since it seems to me that the top marble in a four marble pyramid, which I imagine would be a common arrangement when batching them together more like Benningtons, could also appear as stilt marks.

I haven't checked every ceramic I own but there are obvious stilt marks on this 1 13/16" one. I'll try to look through more later and get back here. I have also heard that the stilts changed over time and that the ceramic ones were the earliest while the later types used pointed metal pins that left much smaller marks. Do you know anything about that?