bumblebee

That's a great question. This site also has several collections ending in 1922 [not public]. Women's suffrage comes up a lot on that year but I can't otherwise discover why. Also, if you are a NY resident you can access the NY Public Library online databases which looks like a trove of history.

Library of Congress Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers Keep in mind the digitized papers date up to 1922 only. The trick I find to narrow results is to use the advanced search option "with the words" so you can return results that contain the words, for example, "marbles taw" within 5 (or 10) words from each other. Otherwise you'll drown in results.

Here's a major identification list (in French) for Vacor/Mega Marbles: http://www.billes-en-tete.com/liste_billes.php

I searched it yesterday for the exact same query and that was my first hit.

Whoa, be careful you don't share something that will make her cry!

In honor of my first White Christmas in Montana, white slags in the snow.

Here's the same Sparkler on the left next to another, smaller minimalist impostor Master Sunburst Tigers Eye Thingee.

I realize this isn't helping much, but I bought this 0.73" "American Agate" from an old time collector at a show a couple of years ago. I don't see any obvious transparent glass but there is a definite underglow of pink in some areas almost like semi-translucence or opalescence.

Some of his recently sold ones definitely look like the Bulgarians.

Speaking of Goodwill, hoping the person who paid $487 for these got their money's worth.

So it's a Rainbo Pelt 6 1/2 Fingers Shop Class Victim with "V" Tributes?

So is this 0.67" a Vitro Eight Fingers? It has Vs on opposite poles and I is a bit gangly. I've never had one before but the photos I've seen of them are cleaner, neater examples.

Here's some more including a "diving oxblood" where the oxblood is leaping like dolphins into the milky sea. That one left of it has a nice band of transparent glass that's hard to photograph.

Here's a few I like. Wish wish I had deep enough pockets to go wild with Akro...the color variety and quality is amazing just in the corks! Edit: Which of mine do you want to trade for your 11/16" "Blue Ace" ? Any of these except the one in the bottom left.

Thanks, glad I'm not totally senile. #1 is one of my "lost marbles" which is a small but growing number of mibs in my collection whose origins are lost to me.

So I have this marble #1 which is 0.66" and my gut says Akro Sparkler: Then I've got this marble #2 who is 0.72" and I always thought him a Master Sunburst, but when I look at that wide swath of color blending from blue to yellow on one side, it reminds me of a stretched out version of the color bands on the guy above. So who's who?

Here's some of mine with fantasy names. From left to right: two corking candy canes (made in Japan?), a Vitro and Pelt Christmas Bulb, (row 2) a green Akro Blushing Swan, a Master Marble Christmas Milk and Cookies and of course Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus from Akro.

One of his bidders in the past 30 days has placed 174 bids, 90% of which were just for this seller, and he bid on 142 items but rarely placed more than 1 bid. Not saying that's evidence of anything but I find it highly unusual that ANY collector who is that active would not be bidding on more sellers.

Well he does have this incantation in the body of his listing: KEEP CALM AND Bid ON

Did you see they sold a Master sunburst for $172 that he listed as an Akro Sparkler even though the body of his listing says Master? I just don't get it. I could list every single one of my Master sunbursts as Akro Sparklers, including 1" ones, and I'd never sell one for more than $50. Of course I'd never do that but is there some mysterious force that takes hold of people once the threshold of honesty and disbelief is passed?

Bingo! You nailed it. And yes those are the same clearies. I should have remembered this, being a child of the 70s. Here's another with the same nuts.

I went to an estate sale and found this Plexiglas stand for $2, which also included a bunch of 7/8" blue and white clearies. I was amazed I found it because I came late and the house was nearly cleaned out. I put some of my boulders on it and am pleased as punch. Does anyone have this stand too? Can't tell whether it's custom or not. It appears to be fairly old. It looks like something you could custom make. The black pieces are 2 1/2" each and screw together in the middle (to hold the center piece) and then are capped off at top and bottom with a nut, so it's the same on both ends.

His "near mint minus" is a small pile of glass shards.

Well at least he offers returns for any unwise bidder (or of poor eyesight) who actually wins it.

I'm not shocked. Recently I contacted a seller who had about 10 small handmades that ranged from cracked and split to foggy. He was insulted by my offer and claimed eight of them were "mint". The older I get, the more I realize many humans do not partake of common reality.