Poplarhead

David: I was just trying to make th epoint that there was an original Peltier rainbo with somewhat those type of colors (pink base with orange and yellow). I definitely know the difference as I posted this Champions picture from my collection when the topic first came up on this board a few weeks back on same marble.... Don

After all the controversy on this one and I believe it is a Champion asi have soem in my collection , I found an unusual Peltier rainbo in a lot I listed today. It has the same colors on a light pink base-hah! See second picture. Don http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2573&item=380217226120

Nice box and definitely original to it. I have always classified these and box to Ravenswood. One of my earliest looking for marbles in early 1990s ran across a handfull of these marbles and I thought I had early transitions based on books descriptions ! Hah! But it brought back those memories of early marble hunting adventures, Thanks Don

Now Buddy - You know the war wasn't fought over race but economic issues.... Here are some antiwhities, would love to see some antiblackies.... Don

Here are some more and some of those like Jack posted..

Good catch Manddrakes - I was posting that as you posted! I was looking at old small thumbnails when posting and did not catch that error until after posting. Don

By the way in next to last picture above there are a lot of non-Vitros in lot including the Japanese Wales Marbles that look like conquerors....Examples of these foreign marbles below: Don

Here are some examples from my picture vault - from common to rare...

Looks like a polished marble from cullet to me. Don

54 Don

Jack sent me this marble - here are some different pictures of same marble. Definitely old marble based on glass and blacklight flourescence. I am pretty sure this is a Master Glass or Master Made marble. Has strands like a Master Made marble , neat flourecence only in strand glass. Don

Here is what I wrote and was put in West Va Marbles Club newsletter a few years back, may help you. The Vitro helmet trays come in several color combinations. I don't have my pictures right yet but will try to post later. Don Art Fisher’s Trays of Jewels In the middle of the 1930s as America was coming out of the depression Art Fisher owner of Vitro Agate was looking at another way of marketing his marbles. He came up with the idea of making an ornamental tray for use around the house. It would be a metal tray surrounded by marbles and marketed as a jewelry tray, like a ring and watch holder. According to Greenberg’s Guide to Marbles by Dennis Webb (see reference for this out of print book, this is still in my opinion the best effort to date at documenting marbles of the mainstream books and is a necessity for the beginning collector) Art Fisher was not a smoker and so the trays were discussed around the plant as the “Jewel Trays” although from my observations of tobacco stained trays the majority ended up used as ashtrays and were purchased for that use. Per Webb’s research the patent dates on the trays date these to mid 1930s (First appearing is 99,857which was applied for on October 21, 1935 and granted on June 2, 1936 and second appearing as Patent No. 2,094,529 (applied for September 20,1935 and granted September 28, 1937 with the second patent more concerned about manufacture information). Over the years several varieties of trays were made which make it an interesting collectible for the marbles collector. You can find trays that have the different patent dates and some with none which were probably sold before the patent was granted. There were also some marked Vitro Agate Parkersburg West Virginia Patents Pending. (Figures 1,2,3,4)The Vitro trays and non marked examples are scarcer . In 1939 in an attempt to market a souvenir for the 1939 New York Worlds Fair a special tray was made that has stamped inside the tray the classic perisphere and trylon symbols of this “World of Tomorrow “ themed fair. (Figure 5) This tray brings the most interest due to crossover collecting from both marbles collectors and Worlds Fair collectors. All of the preceding trays contain 12 marbles of 5/8 th inch size and are approximately 3 inches wide. An additional tray was marketed that is about 5 inches wide and contains 14 marbles that are 7/8 th inch size. This tray is marked as the Fisher Master -Jewel-Tray with the first patent date. (Figure 6) These trays are the scarcest of the regular trays and seldom show up for sale. While I am not sure how long these trays were continued to be made , I would imagine the war metal shortages dampened sales and that the majority of these trays were made from 1935 to 1941. The trays surfaces are different and some have a hammered bronze surface, some have a smooth surface, and some are chromed. The smaller chromed examples are very hard to find and I have seen only a couple examples . Most of the Vitro Trays have a smooth surface so I suspect the hammered finish came later. The Master Trays come mainly in a bronze finish although there are also chrome surfaced examples. Some books state that some of these trays were sold without backs. Personally I have not seen ones that did not originally have a back other than those that had lost the back or were soldered later to hold the marbles inside the tray. My personal belief is they all contained backs. The trays appear to have been sold as singles and as sets of four (Figure 7). The interesting thing to a marble collector though is the marbles inside the trays. In the early Vitro Agate trays are found some of the most interesting marbles including “Akro “ helmets ( I believe Vitro Agate actually made these) and Vitro Agate multicolored patches. The majority of the trays have Vitro Agate opaque marbles, however a few have opaque marbles with interior designs that look like Peltier rainbows. (Figures 8,9) Some of the colored opaque inside are also interesting and contain many different colors which makes these trays interesting to collect, but beware as the trays can be altered to add marbles that did not originally come with the trays. While I have seen interesting varieties such as red, white and blues and alternating colors which are original I have also seen some that were “created”. As with any collectible study before you leap. There are also some trays that come with clearies of different colors (Figure 10). These often have smooth surfaces and are not marked with a patent date and or marked as Vitro Agate which may mean they were earlier trays. The Master Trays came with opaque large marbles, although we have in our collection a salmon one with swirls that look like a newer day Jabo Vitro swirl but are not and we have one with alternating colors of turquoise and white. There are definitely enough styles, colors and types of these trays to keep a collector busy! In addition to the regular trays I have seen one of the Master Trays with a clock inserted inside, I am sure it came from the factory this way. I had a person write me about one they got from their aunt’s estate . I have also seen a few customized trays like this U.S. Marine Corps tray in our collection (Figure 11) and a few were used to advertise businesses. I am sure Vitro Agate also made other items from marbles over the years (like this lamp Figure 12) but Fisher’s Jewel Tray captured the most sales in the 1930s and 1940s and interest from collectors . Thanks to West Virginia makers of a neat marbles collectible! Don Miller (Poplarhead.com)

My opinion is they are Ravenswoods - definitley old marbles late 1930s to 1940s and lot contained other marbles form thsi period. Don

No doubt about it Don

Jack: Looking at it again , it looks like a type of Bogard marble. Hopefull Ron Shephard will see and weigh in on it. I know I do do not have one in my collection. Don

Great looking marbles Ken. Don

I got this in a small lot off Ebay last week 7/8 th inch+ size, once in a lifetime Marble King Green Hornet catch! only one I have had in my hands. 5/8 th inch Vitro for size comparison. Don

Don't beleive they are Jacksons ( Ihave a case and they don't match these) , I am waiting on a response from a friend to see what he says but I think Al is on right trail..........Becky doesn't like them :-) . The blues and whites picture did not come out right - the blue is a dark blue. I am going to take pictures of a couple cases I have from known sources of what I think they are this weekend and will post. Don

I bought these on Ebay a couple weeks ago. I think I know what they are but would like to hear from others. Was a lot of 750+. Thanks Don

Yes but no way that tray came with those marbles originally.... Don

These were from same run - cool oxblood and blue mica types.... Don

I picked these up from a 2009 run - love them... Don

That is a Marble King. they had a run a few years back that was close to old Vitro Blackie in red and black color. Don

Got these in mail today from a terrific $1 Ebay buy - yep $1 still some buys out there. A month or so ago there was a question if these type were Vitros - I have no doubt they are Vitros. All same run with color blends ranging from blue and tan to tan to green and tans. Don