bumblebee

Anybody else find a melon ball like this? It's a tad under 5/8" and has a ground pontil and opalescent white glass. It came along with two similarly sized ones, white and apple green, both with regular pontils.

I gave up trying to photograph the pontil.

Neat but would love to have one in a much bigger size!

Thanks, Al. That's very helpful.

I won't have them for a week or so but I am very curious to know what they are if not MFC. A lack of visible nines or cut lines is baffling in the group shot. If not MFC maybe they are from some toy or game perhaps of later vintage? For $10 it's fun to hope and wait, sort of like a lottery ticket.

3 minutes ago, Steph said:

Nice colors.  I can see why you're hopeful.

Worth the gamble.  

Heck, even if they're just oversized game marbles ... they would be quite pretty for what they turn out to be.

Thanks for a bump of hope. My thinking is it would be quite a coincidence to find game marbles in this size and just these colors. According to MarbleCollecting.com:

Quote

Generally, you can find them in green (“Imperial Jade”), light blue (“Persian Turquoise”), and yellow.

Can you blame for me spending $10 on Buy it Now on these thinking they might be MFC opaques? I do not have them yet so I only have this one photo that does not show any nines or cut lines, but it seemed a worthwhile gamble considering:

• They were found at an estate sale
• They measure about 3/4"
• They are the three common MFC opaque colors: Persian Turquoise, Imperial Jade, and yellow.

What do you think? When I get them will I discover nines and cut lines, or will I discover I paid $1.66 each for six overweight Chinese checker marbles?

Like the bloody marble! I bet it had a nickname. I'll call it the Bloody Knuckler.

Finally beat you guys to a Buy it Now. Both lots for under $20 with shipping. Seller didn't put the sizes but I was pleasantly surprised all were over 5/8". Four had facets (bottom group) but I could not spot facets on the bigger group. Also included an Akro moss agate not shown here.

From a previous I.D. on another forum, I believe this bruised 3/4" is a "bifurcated lemon lime" with a very neat blended aqua ribbon stretching across one side. Wish those kids hadn't played with it but I can hardly blame them.

Nice lot! Wish I had not missed it. Collection feels very incomplete without those examples.

43 minutes ago, budwas said:

I usually say. "Ya, I lost mine a long time ago, been buying them back ever since." It seems to leave them laughing and more open to bickering over prices. 

That's perfect! I will try that next time.

I've lost count how many times I've heard non-collectors grin and say they've lost their marbles in response to me being a marble collector, but last week it happened twice in a row in two antique stores.

My first response was, "If you had lost all your marbles, you wouldn't be saying that. It's proof you still have a couple."

She did not respond to my comment.

In the second store, I should have just grinned but instead I told her the store I was just at said that. She seemed a bit taken aback then said, "Well, they called ahead."

So I need to think of a clever response to this next time it most certainly happens. Do you have any good come backs? Here's a couple I am considering:

"I wasn't going to say anything, but since you said it, I was thinking the same thing."

"You shouldn't have played for keeps."

Nice alley...I see the CAC color separation being more distinct but it is uncanny how close the actual colors are between the two. Makes me wonder whether that was coincidental or intentional competition.

Here's more photos of the cac alley pelt superman.

8 minutes ago, Al Oregon said:

CAC or Superman Alley or Superman Peltier???

I did initially think superman colors but I saw the patterns and flames and just assumed CAC. Sounds like I need to post it in the ID forum,

In Montana there are seemingly more grizzlies than mibs in the wild so imagine my surprise when I opened the drawer in an antique store and found the NLR in mint condition and the NM CAC in the same $7 bag! Grabbed the handmade for $8 just because. I thought I'd take a picture of me holding these and post it in the hunting trophy cork board at the local sporting goods store.

1 hour ago, greg11 said:

Christensen Guinea found at local estate sale

Agreed. CAC Guinea Exotic Sandlayered Sundae, but I am not a marble expert so please see photos for condition and bid accordingly.

It appears that right now 42% of toy marble listings contain jabo in the title.

No glow on it at all.

That is just an optional listing detail a seller can choose to add (and as you can see only ~1200 listings out of ~20k used it). Still no date subcategories exist under Toy and Hobbies > Marbles, which means when people list them, they aren't offered those listing subcategories like they were before.

eBay's primary goal is $. They also watch metrics like traffic. No doubt since removing the subcategories they are getting increased traffic as we desperately surf and squint through the mess of grouped listings. This means somebody at eBay got a bonus at our expense, but how it affects sales may determine ultimately whether we get those categories back.

Winning bid $1,225.00

1 minute ago, Steph said:

What a strange and pretty end that fly met. 

Yeah, can you imagine seeing three Master Marble sunbursts with fly eyes?

This fly chose to die between three Master Marble sunbursts.

How about here:

Fun! Enjoyed the whole thing including the music. Just wish they showed more of their collection.

2 hours ago, J_Ding said:

I agree, an Akro carnelian.  Carnelian is a color type and also a variety of agate.  No doubt they were trying to mimic the appearance and color of aggies. Don't find them so big that often. John

I was thinking the same thing. I have a smaller Carnelian and the brown is an exact match, so maybe the base glass on the bigger ones just got a bit wilder as often happens with the bigger ones.

I wouldn't pay more than $5 for a NM 5/8" oxblood but you can bet somebody is bidding $20 each for the marbles alone.

This marble is 15/16" and I assume it is Akro but what makes it very odd is the feel of the glass. It has a more "mineral" feel to it. Notice also the wispy white gray base glass.

Maybe it was kept underwater for a long time?