Royal3

If MFC went to size 10 that would equate to 1-1/4” (6=1”, 7=1-1/1/16”, 8=1-1/18”, etc.) They definitely made slags those sizes and larger, at least up to 1-5/8” (size 16, my grandson’s shoe size lol,) though slag experts like greg11 would know what the largest one made was I’m sure. I wonder if the 11-16s all had to special ordered?

Vance I’m sorry but I can’t seem to focus on your picture - it’s a bit too close. I will say most inclusions in marbles are pieces of unmelted sand or chunks of fire brick from older furnaces. I look for such things because I like oddities - I’ll try to post a couple of pics later.

Very cool! I would think that the glass had to be well annealed to take the thermal shock, and I wonder how they secured the one pictured to that metal plate because it took a pretty good blow on landing, enough to buckle the plate. A 28 oz. marble is pretty hefty, too - 3” range?

That seems logical, doesn’t it? I wonder if anyone had had success digging at old schoolyards in and around Illinois?

Put your UV light on that yellowish Akro slag near the center bottom of the second photo and it’ll light up nicely.

If you can get to one of the Ohio marble shows each year, Michelle, you'll learn a lot quickly. You can get good examples in hand, have more experienced collectors around to help, and you will be amazed at how much your knowledge of the hobby will grow in a day or two. Bonus - you'll have a blast! Oh, and you'll probably buy a few marbles, too..

What a labor of love. That birdcage is certainly a knockout!

Out of this world

Great pics - those Vitro clocks are new to me, really nice to see.

My deepest condolences, Scott, to you and all of your family. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Alan’s look like Gerry Colman’s work - nice group!! Steph’s photo is off the hook...

I just want to add an opinion here regarding one marble, the CAC Moonie - while it is often overlooked as a collectible, the blue Moonie that I have is one of the brightest, most attractive marbles in my collection. Granted I have a particular fondness for all things blue, but when you open the display box it just glows with an inner fire unlike anything else. No photo will ever do a Moonie justice, you have to see one in hand, and CACs are the just best ever made. Were they more costly to make than a guinea? Probably. Did the kids of the 20’s think Moonies were the cat’s pajamas? Well, tastes do change, and I know my absolute favorite mib when I was a kid was a ruby red clearie shooter (worth about dirt then and today) and not the more colorful Marble Kings, Vitros or Master Glass. Beauty and cost are two different beasts, and kids only care about one of them.

That’s an awfully lovely ‘dinosaur egg’...kudos, Galen! What a score!

Keen! A trio of 50’s faves.

You’re welcome! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention another excellent site hosted by the fine gent and Marble Connection member Swissmarble: https://www.glasmurmeln.com/ Ron’s collection and pictures are fabulous (witness the one above,) as is his identification guide for contemporary marble makers. You can scan through there and see a wide range of styles.

That’s a murrini marble by either Ro Purser or a Noble Effort joint venture by him and his partner Richard Marquis. Each one takes days to produce, but the preparation of the individual canes - the little pictures you see - that make up the marble takes weeks or months. A good website to check out a wide range of contemporary artists and learn a lot about them is http://www.pbase.com/bkbowden/marblesforsale You can dive deeply into the site and see some amazing collections, too.

Shoot, Ron, so would the horse...

Hand ground finely faceted bullseye agates in good shape are definitely valuable, though probably not as highly prized as they once were. I’ve seen 3/4” mint ones go from $15-20 and up depending on pattern, color, seller, and market whim. You need a loupe to see if yours is machine ground (totally smooth) or hand ground - if the latter, under 10X magnification you’ll see little facets in the surface. Unfortunately yours was well loved by someone and has a lot of moons and damage, probably negating any value it might have.

Awesome collages, Alan and Ron!

Wow! Great find, schmoozer! I’ve never seen one of those. Joe k, once you see even a few oxblood examples in hand you’ll know it forever, it’s usually pronounced and very distinctive. There are always exceptions, but that’s what makes horse racing. And marble collecting, for that matter.

Much appreciated, Ron! I’ll pass it on. Always nice to hear from you - I hope things are good in your neck of the world.

A friend has been unsuccessfully looking for information about contemporary sphere maker Randall Burnett. Does anyone have contact or other information they’d care to share? Thanks.

Those would look great in anyone’s collection.

I was so sorry to see this tonight; Leroy was a kind and generous gentleman, and a true friend to the marble community. He loved what he did, too, and nobody did it better.