bumblebee

Yes looks like a Tri-Lite to me. I once got a jar of all Tri-Lites and a number of them had weaker colors than usual. Even had a couple with very little red.

Haven't asked her but they sure look 7/8" to me? Yes I think that second one may have gotten its vanes goofed which results in the gorgeous flowing pattern.

Most of her marbles seem to be late 40s, early 50s and common but these large cats caught my top. Darker one looks like a Vitro hybrid? What about the more colorful one?

Yes, Vacors surprised me. I once got rid of many, many pounds of them...silly me. I do enjoy the shows of course but to me it's always been the thrill of the chase, just like treasure hunting but with a bigger chance to make a score. I have met a couple of collectors who seem to have no end of new scores. I call them marble whisperers.

I sometimes wonder where marble collecting is headed. I have not been to the shows lately to get a feel for any newer generation of collectors. I have no market evidence to support this but I think fancy handmades will continue to grow in value as wealthy antique collectors discover and covet them. I think fewer new people will collect machine made simply due to the diminishing supply in the wild. I haven't found a true keeper marble in a year at least. What do you think?

How about this one? Another seller:

Thanks, Steph. Doing that thing you do!

Shrug! I'd nickname it a green ghost and give it its own special case. Maybe the intrepid @Steph can intuit its origin.

Great work. Very similar large flecks of AV.

This one definitely looks like a mirror clean surface but construction wise, just like mine. There was some talk ages ago about these being maybe MK Dragonfly marbles but those have the MK construction from what I can see. I'll dig mine up later and take close-ups to illustrate my point.

I have a few but the surface of mine aren't as smooth and pristine as my other Masters. Mine almost felt more like foreign made. Maybe I had something by a different maker?

eBay fees and now much higher shipping costs means I haven't sold in ages. Doubt I will again unless I make some huge score I need to offload.

I think a good rule of thumb is "if it makes you smile, keep it". The problem with that rule though is I have several keepers that I keep because they're unusual and therefore rare, but they don't otherwise make me smile. But giving them up would mean I'll never see the likes of them again, so that makes me frown. So maybe a better rule is "If it doesn't make you frown to imagine never seeing it again, get rid of it."

I'm in the same boat if only because I have fewer and fewer scores each year.

This is a good point. To properly display my favorites I'd need a few more large solitaire type boards. I have a ton of Vitro tiger eyes, many of which are similar. I almost feel as though having so many distracts me from the ones that stand out. On the other hand, the colors and patterns of them bunched together also bring a smile to my face. I think I would be more willing to let many go if I knew they were going to a newer collector who would get more joy out of them.

My collection is not huge but too large to display reasonably. I have a lot of commons in very nice condition. I was thinking of downsizing but I pause because I have regretted selling every marble I have ever sold except bulk dinged up lots. Has anyone downsized and actually become happier with their collection as a result?

My first and only Royals with aventurine, all in the same score a few years back.

Wow some killer marbles he has sold but many look odd in the photos. Might be his lighting.

As a boy I remember my favorite marbles were the older ones which were always beat up, but I don't remember being upset about that until they were missing so much glass that we retired them and used them for other purposes. The older ones intrigued me because they had more exotic colors and swirl patterns. Now that I know what wet mint looks like on the older ones, I am harder to please but I still enjoy my big tub of place holders which still evoke that memory of the exotic old marbles I remember seeing as a boy.

Too young!

Welcome back!

I got my copy too. Definitely worth the price, but not much description for identification, but pictures are good enough for that.

Very neat and handsome marble!

I'm really surprised it is that high with that much damage. Imagine it being mint!