migbar

My guess is that the honey onyx like Bob showned are from 1930-1931. They began making the milkies in July of 1927. They looked like the honey onyx but without the orangey smudge, I believe.

Shoot, wrong again I suspose. Great. So Sellers Peltier made the first guineas. Man, I hate those suckers. Sellers, what a disappointment. (and no, I still don't believe the story.)

I think between 1929 and late 1931 they might have put other marbles in those boxes, instead of primas, such as honey onyx and the others, but probably not after that. I can't see them using Gropper boxes after ending their partnership in 1931.

In answer to a question up there, it was Milton Gropper, I believe.

Hmmm.....those are the ones that I WOULD be leery of.....whether it was 4 boxes in one, or a single box, with those marbles. The honey onyx don't look like they were made before 1929, and I know from the records that they sold boxes of prima agates from 1925-1928. I think that wonderful number five display box that Craig had awhile back may have some real prima agates in it, but they looked like carnelians, as I remember.

Most of the Prima Agate boxes I have seen have honey onyx, or rainbos, or bloodies or something that look to be from a later time period. I think they should be a hand gathered type. Gino Biffany told me once that he thought they were predominately red swirls with a translucent grey and white marbleized body. He didn't seem too sure, he had no pictures, and he seemed curious, also. All I know from the paperwork is that they were very difficult and expensive to make, and they made very few of them compared to their regular onyx marbles, and even compared to the cerise onyx, which were half the price of the Primas. However, they did have a lot of prima agate boxes made up in the mid-20's, and they likely used those boxes until 1931.

Does anyone here know for certain what the Peltier Prima Agate marbles were, vintage 1925-1928 ? How about the Peltier Glassonix marbles, early 1930's ? thanks a bunch, mike b.

So, a guy walks in to a marble show ten years ago, with a few nice Peltier marbles, and two confetti marbles, this one shown, and a blue one with green spots. He says his dad worked at Peltier years ago, and the confetti ones were experimentals. Two big-time collectors/dealers snap 'em up quick. The story I heard didn't mention when the confetti marbles were made. My best guess is that they were made in the 1990's as I susposed above. To be fair, though, which I really don't want to do, I will mention that the guy that brought the marbles to the show 10 years ago, was about 65 at that time. I don't know when his father worked at Peltier, but he died in 1986 at the age of 78 years, so it was likely before that. I'm still sticking to my presumptions stated above as to who made it and when, because that's the kind of hairpin I am. mike b.

Sellers Peltier was indeed one of the greatest marble making experimenters of all time, but I don't believe he had a hand in this beast, and I doubt that it is a vintage Peltier marble. It is conceivable, however, that it could have been made by, for instance, George and Terry Zellers, at Peltier in the 90's, to diminish the boredom of making a run of industrial marbles for paint cans. mike b.

If the marbles only went up to about 1300 degrees or so, they would be only partially slumped like these examples, and not melted flat. mike b.

Doesn't LOOK Peltier.......that would have been my last guess........ mike b.

Clyde, that is terribly sad news. Bruce certainly was a good one. Goodbye, Bruce.......

Thank you for the cuppy cakes Brian, Hansel, and all. mike b.

That may be true, David, I couldn't say. This board, in particular, though, is a hoot, sometimes, as stoned as you please. (edit to add....if my comments offend anyone out there, please accept my sincere indifference.) (edit again....my apologies, Edna, for spoiling your post temporarily.)

Thank you, Edna. I heard our marbles were turd nuggets. I think our friend, James Armstrong took the large tub-nuggets home to slice up and fuse in his art work.

Ooops...I just now norticed there is a second page to this thread, with the correct answers to David's question, already given. Once again, darn that evil weed ! Edna, most of the glass that we used in our marbles, was made especially for our run by Boyce and John Triggs, except for that green mica stuff and some of the purples and pinks.

I think Kugler is them big inch-thick rods of brightly colored glass that the big boys use.

Nice, Bill !

For one thing, Rich, I do not attempt repairs of any marble, because I simply don't like the way they look afterwards. Also, I don't use old cullet or any other glass that I don't know the COE of, because that is asking for trouble. Even with the expensive Bullseye glass that I work with, I try to avoid the colors that flow and bleed too readily. David, I would like to apologize for being a big poophead at times, like after some of those self-rightious smarty-pants rants of yours. Seems I just can't help it, you know ? thanks, mike

I honestly was not accusing you of doing anything artistic with those first 13 marbles, and to my eyes, the "before" damage is still much preferable to the "fix" damage. The two other marbles you show look burned to me, also. Remelting marbles just changes the look of them, in a way that doesn't grab me, I suspose.

Clear glass, as in the sulphide repairs, does not burn as easily as the colored glass that is in the machine made marbles. Yes, damaged marbles can be melted back together, and re-rounded; but I still contend that the marble would rarely, if ever be improved. Whether artistically or not,intended or not, the pattern and look of the marble does change, and in the examples shown, it is not only the oxblood glass that is burning and turning funky. No need to explain it to me, I'm just too awfully dense in my old age, anyhoo. thanks, though, mike

I'm not convinced that any marble can be improved or fixed with a torch. I prefer most of these in the before pictures, because the colors were more crisp, and the patterns had more clarity. Many of these seem to have gotten too hot, causing the softer glass to bleed into the other colors, losing attractivosity, especially apparent in #1,3,5 and 7, as Steph may soon agree. mike b.

I wonder if he ships to Canada ?

Is it really a Peltier ? I can't tell for certain from here.