Minnesota Marble

I collect Indian Artifacts,modern arrowheads(make them as well probably because of my heritage) and vintage gold wristwatches.

Well where do I start.....beginning would be best. I grew up...well got older anyway on a north central town in Illinois. I can distinctly remember that as a kid of about 7 or 8 we used to play marbles every recess and lunch. I loved these little round things!! We couldn't afford a marble bag so I was content just carrying a couple handfuls around for the chance to challenge a fellow marbler to a game. I played EVERY chace I could and soon became a force on the playground to the point where I had to put 2 to 3 mibs up against another kid's one to get them to play with me. Back then...."steelies" were power and cat eyes ruled!!!......they re my all time favorite. I was not a very serious student those early years so report card day was a dreaded time for me but......that was THE day I challenged a tom-girl to a hi stakes game of marbles because she had the HUGEST clearie ever and I wanted it!!! No sooner had I asked to play did she reming me that older kids played during school amongst themselves and if a younger challenger wanted to play he or she would have to stay after school. I did stay,won that clearie and ran the whole 8 blocks home as fast as I could! I can still see my Dad sitting there in his chair on the porch as my strides slowed to a walk of dread. He asked.."where have you been? " for a second I thought about lieing but remembered the report card in my back pocket so I fessed up and told the truth and then stood there for the worst to happen. "Where is your report card", he asked and I slowly handed it to him. "Let's go inside" he said and I knew there was a whuppin coming my way real fast and fast it was,,,....crack,crack,crack with the belt and then he said......."this one is for playing marbles"....so I asked(big mistake)...."what were all those others for?" and he gave me one more!!!.... That didn't stop me from playing nor diminish my love for these curious round things but when we moved all my marbles got left behind...... 8-[.......untill I read the local paper one day and saw the most glorious marbles ever!!! The article was about a local collector named "Beano".....I called him and we quickly became friends spending hours at his home looking at numerous handmades and some machines that were his life long passion all kept neatly arranged inside a large antique carpenter's tool box made out of oak. Our friendship was special and I made wedding rings for him and Sue. He had I believe 2 bouts with cancer previously but this time there was no more lucky rabbit's foot for him. He died and the last time we were together(he was laying in a hospital be in the living room) I asked if I could put a sulphide I had of a baby lamb in his pocket on "that" day.......he asked me why I was giving him such a nice one!!! Figured he came into this world innocent and wanted to leave the same way with the lamb. Of God beside him. Almost forgot,that last visit he asked Meir Iwouldeverbei treated in his collection andIsaid "yes" shoe told Sue that if the collection ever came available I was the first person to call. He passed away and I believe 7 years later Suecalled me and his entire collection resides in my shop......carpenter's oak tool box and all!!! Well that's my story andI am sticking to it! BernieMMinnesota Marble

These range from 1.70" to 2 1/2". There are 3 latticinos,2 single pontil clouds(one with blue base glass) ,green mica and a caged blue and white solid core!!

Small single pontil clouds rollin into town!!!!!

The lighter purple is most often sun dyed as this one appears to be. There are intentionally made dark purple sulphides. Minnesota Marble

Yes...try tomorrow.

ok so now that Steph has rained on my parade... 8-]....what about the colors?....what are these round thinks worth????

How often does one find any Marble King mibs with adventurine? How do you tell one regular mib of this tyoe from another as far as rarity...anyhting with size?...rarer colors???...number of colors???? ...I just bought a jug of mibs and noticed some are this type....Hand made person who doesn`t have a clue!!!! Thanks for your help. Minnesota Marble

Steph, You taste it!!!!

Thanks for the input....I would say all are chinas except for the white benny with the Grand Slam verbage(I tried to show the "eyes").......................I am still lost but this is very much a curiosity!!!!

I bought this group(came together but of course may not have been together all the time) of Bennintons yesterday and was curious about the smaller one because it had the "sit" marks" or "eyes" associated with the marble touching a plate while being fired. There are a few present but the inscription written in blue-Grand Slam" was what caught my attention. Has anyone ever seen a Benny like this OR another that has an inscription??? Were these given to old time baseball players???.............interested in what you all think. Thanks!

Do you have any true vintage sulfides to compare to? I bought them as genuine vintage. They are genuine.We need a collector with a depth of knowledge. Someone who has an extensive collection.....minimum 200 sulfides........300 souls be better.......clear,colored matrix,exotic figures......animals....double figures.........even perhaps a black squirrel inside clear glass........names please!!!!

Here are the closet pictures I could get of the construction and fit..

Hansel, Good question and I have the answer after viewing with a 10x loupe. The 2 individual "circles" made of brass were made from a flat piece of stock...forged into a circle and soldered(they hid the inner circle`s solder seam). The tricky part is that the second circle HAD to be ever so slightly bigger than the firat because it is on top of the initial ring. There was considerable "fitting" to the fist AND second ring so the circle fit tight to the perimeter of the sulphide shape and tight to the first ring`s circumference. This was not an easy task and any sloppiness would result in a loose fit. The brass circles/rings were soldered together with a very low temp solder most likely a soft solder similar to the stained glass solder. Here is the next TRICKY PART................when you heat 2 same size anyhtings the temperature for both remains constant and they heat up equally.................in this case you have a large piece of glass TOUCHING 2 small pieces of metal and you HAVE to heat the glass at least to the temp of the solder flow........RISKY!!!.very risky. The larger object "SUCKS" the heat away from the smaller object so the heat has to be continued untill the glass and the metal are the same temp...These days we have super hot soldering irons but the probability of that happening is nil to none given the age of the marble and patina of the metal. I do see file marks and hammer marks from the making. I will add the closet pictures I can because this keeps getting more and more interesting as we discuss.Personally,I would never attempt this even with my years as a goldsmith. I believe inside some of these sulphides there is "stress" present and to prove this I will send a picture of a very nice sulphide that had a very tiny "stress" internal fracture...it had some sticky icky stuff on it so I was rinsing it off with room temp water and it fractured terribly right in my hand!!!!.........UUGGGHHHH>>>>>>>what a sinking feeling. I hope I cleared all questions and if not ask away and I will do my best!

I would put 5 cents that the agate you just pictured is a watch fob. I have seen them occasionally. You are correct in that the brass metal adds no value and the sulphides are where the $ is.The brass value is zero but the execution and the type of marble adds multiple to the rarity. I put a value as just sulphides without the cage at $2,000.00 to $3000.00 each. To find a wet mint colored base sulphide with a super nice with the criteria listed below is quite a challenge!!!! I will justify my number now using "my" interpretation of value in any sulphide in my collection; 1-rarity of figure 2-the figures first are very well centered 3-both figures have much better than aveage detail-very nice crisp detail!!! 4-the figures have absolutely no bubble(s) present on the figure to obscure viewing 5-no cracks or missing parts of the figures 6-wet mint glass without even as much as light scratching 7-attractive base (matrix) color-good eye appeal 8-size is nice but average and adds no additional money to base value of previous standards(the only time this matters is if they are extremely large or extremely small) Greg11-the value with the cage is a VERY HARD ANSWER!!!!---not because they are mine but an honest opinion is-name your price! Marbleus1-tell me what pictures you would want and I will take and post....closer?...thanks!

This is a maglite Indian 1/2 marble I made into a pendant with sterling silver. It is clearly newly made. The one`s I started this thread with and original and true handmade vintage sulphides.

Mike, I have made silver bezels on several halves that are very similar to the pictures you sent. There is quite a bit difference in the age of what you posted and what I have. I don`t have an explanation as to the reason to go through all that work on a cat eye but I do this on handmade halves. I believe I have a finished one I can take a picture of.BRB.

Steph They appear to me to be brass. They are pretty cool and I am very glad to share them with the group!

I know you were kidding but those things happen sometimes on the craziest rare stuff!!!

That`s a first for me but it really makes sense!...the drapery weight concept.... Maybe someone can find a picture...that would be great and I would frame it and set next to display. Yea I know what you mean about taking them out but that would be the end the historic record thus far.

I acquired these a while back and need you creative thouights as to what the purpose was to make this cage-like frame around these sulphides. Were they used for Christmas tree decoration???...probably not because they are quite heavy....perhaps a rope like material was strung through the attached rings and hung in a window?. As you can see they display nicely in a pocket watch dome. I have been a gold smith for 30 years and I know good metal work and this is great metal work. There is no question as to them being original because of the patina the metal presents and the sulphides are wet mint without a scratch!!!!! Chime in on what your thoughts are!!! Minnesota Marble-Bernie

Orange,white and green colors There are 5 off the same cane

This is a 4-color latticino core with orange,white green and red. there are 5 off the same cane

Is this by definiton a "fused" cane marble? This was intentional or so it appears to me and some of the other I have seen...like the one I posted earlier in this thread,are after thoughts in my opinion. I will post a clear and green matrix base as well. Bernie

JVV, Given the "equater" line right at where the color ends(and the continuation of the pattern totally withing the clear matrix) I have to give a different opinion. What`s fun and confusing is we all have different interpretations...guesses...some educated and some off the hip. I have several "end of cane" marbles and I have always understood them to have the colored accent canes reaching the outside of the marble.....sorta reminicent of a "flower" opening up. I am by no means an expert and I don`t know everything.....if I did that would be boring and my love of the hobby would dwindle because there would be no more.."discoveries". Cheers!!!!