bumblebee

I made them grayscale to make this more challenging.

I will post the answer and the color version on Sunday evening.

15 minutes ago, akroorka said:

This looks like a cool thing bumblebee---I just cannot make the video work on my PC.

Marble--On!!

Maybe the YouTube will work:

Definitely a fun truly vintage group to sort through with some interesting looking ones.

Unclear to me whether you can use your own game marbles on it. That seems a must-have feature to me.

Scored some Reverse Blackies in an estate sale jar today. $25 for the jar. Not shown are a bunch more common mibs including a couple of nice Akro corks and the usual beat-up slags and a few rusty steelies.

Looks like Czech bullet molds to me. What size are they?

11 hours ago, Gladys said:

That is gorgeous !!! mine do not look like this? this is so colorful and beautiful WOW!!!

True yours look more classic but I just got lucky on this one. Very hard to find these so I've not seen many.

Yes they look like large Tri-Lites. They can get pretty wonky and glorious at that size. Check mine out:

Nice!

Seems like marbles are becoming a better investment these days. Cedarman just sold a Vitro Wedding cake for $178.

Here's two Gucamaya bag images I found recently. The marbles in here look like later run Vacors often do, more chalky and cheaper.

1 hour ago, Ric said:

If they were hand-gathered MFC Persians I might be able to see it, but I don't think you're missing anything here, Tommy, although the seller may be.

 

I confess I bought marbles like that on eBay hoping they were MFCs but I only paid about $12. They were definitely not MFCs.

Wow! Makes me wonder how may fires were started with discarded clearies?

44 minutes ago, Fire1981 said:

That's funny 🤣

I figured I had to post something for April Fool's Day!

1 minute ago, wvrons said:

A little out of round. 

This is why I think @Da Roberto may be right about CAC on this one. Vivid colors, out of round, and a super unusual size. Hot dog! I scored again...

Pretty sure on this identification. It's very wet mint.

That makes me hiccup!

Seriously, if you're going to have bubbles, go full tilt like that.

It took this article to inspire me to bang two handmade agates together in the dark. I was quite delighted by the repeatable results: an orange spark.

Apparently on the massive red sandstone grinding wheels of Idar-Oberstein, due to the intense speed and friction, this sparking becomes something of a fireworks show as the agates "become throughout splendidly luminous with red light and at the same time transparent."

1874-The-Philosophical-Magazine-Light-In-The-Grinding-Stones.pdf

Both remind me of Vitro, especially the second one, a larger Tri-Lite.

On 3/28/2022 at 2:05 AM, wvrons said:

 My Latest additions to my claw agate collection. 

 

@wvrons, those are really nice looking.

I was curious do you know whether the agates in the claws have any flat spots ground on to them to make them fit better? Once and a while I find an agate with a flat spot and wonder whether it had been removed from a piece like this.

An article on collecting marbles from 1971 with some interesting content, in particular the mention of black or carnelian agates being rejected jewelry pieces that received their facets based on how long they spent between grinding stones in the mill. I had not heard that one before although I had heard the best round agates were used for jewelry or display pieces rather than marbles.

They also mention "glass blowers" imitating real agates in the 1930s.

Also, @hdesousa would find this interesting. They mention the most expensive marble, the Taw: "It was made and used in the middle to late 1700's, and is known to be pink with dark red veins running through it. It's value has not been determined but would possibly run into thousands or dollars."

Welcome, Bill!

Here's a great shot of the Vitro Agate veneering on a Tiger Eye that lost its "cap".

Tried to backlight some Vitros with a 35mm negative viewer along with lots of side sunlight. Sort of worked!

"Poetry for Neanderthals" was silly fun with my children. In the right mood I think adults could totally enjoy it. Maybe after a beer or two.

Basically you have to describe concepts or scenarios with just one-syllable words and it can be surprisingly challenging and hilarious.

Just scored another unusual hand-faceted agate. This 5/8" has what looks like a moss agate bullseye. Have not seen one like this before.

Too bad it has taken such a beating on the top but I imagine this one battled its way into many pockets.