bumblebee

I am a big Vitro fan with shallow pockets. I see a couple I'd bid up to $15 each for, as much for eye appeal as size and rarity (to me anyway).

Amazing find. So the blue and greens show opalescence when held to light?

Thanks. If you think about it, seeding your local antique stores with real vintage mibs and then forgetting does allow one to at least pretend to discover them for a few moments.

Have you ever sold marbles at a yard sale and wondered where they ended up? Today I found a small antique store by accident right across from where I had a meeting. As always, I immediately asked if they had any marbles. He pointed to a bowl near the register and sure enough nice vintage marbles about five to a bag, for $10 each. I saw Masters and Peltiers and some old hand cut agates. Suddenly I realized: These were all my marbles. Earlier in the month I had sold them for $0.25 each at a garage sale. One gentleman bought $15 worth, he said, for his grandchild. So he asked me to pick the best and oldest ones. That gentleman owns the antique store. I think he was a bit embarrassed at being discovered. He said I could take the 3/4" agate shooter I had regrets selling. I also told him collectors were more likely to pay $5 a bag than $10. Lesson learned: Will sell my marbles to the wild again just for the chance of rediscovering them.

Interesting! I wish I had bought them all at .50 cents each. I would have put them in my Vitro pile for sure if he hadn't said that.

I never paid much attention to Master cloudy marbles but met a collector who claims these 11/16" ones all came from an original box. He had at least twice this many. I was only familiar with the style of the far right column, because the first two columns have a moonie base and Vitro-like qualities, but the patch is clearly constructed about the same. Thoughts?

Great thread there. Some beauties too!

You got some good nines for no special requests.

Oh yeah...like those mushroom ones right?

I picked this 5/8" up yesterday. Some of the photos are higher contrast than it is in hand. It's white with a clear amber/brown base. Any ideas?

Akro Agate Bar Comb Patriot Patch

I think you nailed a new name. Akro Bar Comb

I'm thinking it needs to become a client of The Hair Club for Marbles.

Snapped this pic today from a collector who collects boxes. He said the bags contain the colored clay foils. Maybe a refill kit for game boards?

Most seem to have the semi-round rough pontil about 1/4" wide, but a couple are more obscured and less rough.

My 45 pack showed up today. Very pleased with a few killer nines. I actually requested "nines" so I think it helped me. They offset the ~15 or so too ugly to handle ones. The cobalt "guinea" was much prettier than their usual clear-based ones. For me these are the next best thing to those expensive old transitionals I'll likely never find, so I'm pleased on all accounts.

No luck here, but I did bring my box of "sellers" to my in-law's yard sale. I put a sign that said one free vintage marble with every item purchased. Within a couple of hours the yardsalers cleaned me out paying $0.25 each. Selling them and listening to older folks talk about playing marbles as children was almost as fun as finding some myself. I like to think I spread the fever a bit, especially for the man who bought $15 worth of my oldest ones for his grandson.

Yes about 30 minutes away. There are more than 700 lakes in the park, 131 of which have names. It's finally warm here but it did rain on the way back so you must always be prepared. Stays light until almost 10pm right now which helps make up for long grey winter.

I see it! Neat modernist tribute to Warhol's canned tomato soups. I hiked two miles in Glacier Park to gorgeous Avalanche Lake last weekend. It was grizzly country but tons of hikers so the bears steered clear. Glacial runoff water is as bone-chillingly cold as you'd expect.

It could be a new spa treatment. "Our exclusive handmade old world marbles from Bulgaria will massage your muscles and stimulate blood flow while the rough pontils gently exfoliate your skin."

Apparently a little birdie whispered into the seller's ear that he'd likely get more buyers if he offered smaller lots. I couldn't resist so I'm buying more and hoping I score some nicer ones: http://www.ebay.com/itm/122506985563

I agree. That's why I was saying I'd easily pay $5 each for the nicer nines. They are sort of my way of having the old transitionals I cannot afford. Even if new, the nicer Bulgarians are right up there with the nicest Vacor Atmospheres and will hold that position for future collectors in my opinion.

Maybe they have some sort of bulk shipping options like China does (you can get stuff shipped for almost nothing from China) ? But that many marbles one would imagine costing at least $150 to ship by boat.

Looks like they decide to go big lot under $1 each with free shipping. Wonder who'll bite?: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-1500-piece-Handmade-glass-marbles-1-inch-Ground-pontil-Wholesale-Clearing-/122502916144?hash=item1c85be2830:g:UJQAAOSw-K9ZHaqi

Got mine today. From left to right: Orange Creamsicle, The "As-Made Special", Azure #9, Japanese Pinch Pontil Tribute, Clear-based Guinea, Beer-based Guinea. If I were allowed to cherry-pick their giant bag I might pay $5 each for the best ones I found, but otherwise I'm happy with the price and quantity.