Royal3

#2 is an interesting mib

Tabbies are the best! 😺

These were some of the most expensive marbles produced and sold by any manufacturer and you have to see them in hand to appreciate them. CAC’s moonies, white and blue, are equally if not more impressive. Below is a CAC Blue Moon and a box of Akro orange...

Ron you should open your own museum. I hadn’t seen a few of those - the complete ‘buddy’ kit and towel holder, e.g., are just beauties.

I wish I could help you on the Blenko/marble connection - and I have to assume there were some links given their proximity to the marble plants - but I just wanted to say you have a lovely collection of their glass, schmoozer! Nicely displayed too. I used to live not far from Blenko (Barboursville) while I was a traveling salesman as a much younger man and I kick myself I never took an interest in stopping there or learning much about them. Ah, youth!

I commend you for your intelligent approach to the market and your attempt to keep it safe - if only all sellers had your scruples! As you’ve unfortunately found such is not the case, there’s always a Fast Buck Freddie out there willing to “screw the other guy and pass the savings on to you.” Keep up the good work and the good fight, and caveat emptor.

Gorgeous work - and thanks for the primer on clay firing, that’s enlightening!

Thanks for sharing this, Jason! What a great haul those folks found over the years, such an interesting mix, too.

Out-of-round machinemades happen - very few marbles from any manufacturer are perfectly round under a micrometer’s unforgiving measurement. If one is seriously out of round, however, showing flat spots or an egg or oval shape then steer clear - it’s been badly made or possibly polished. When approaching any marble to buy look closely at the surface - is it overly slick? Feel it between your fingers, does it want to squirt out when light pressure is applied? Polished or buffed marbles are extremely slick. Look at the surface thru a loupe - are the edges of the surfaced air holes sharp and squared off? Are they filled with a white substance (polishing compound.) Polished. Then look at how light reflects on the surface of the glass. Normal surfaces have imperfections, so as you turn the marble the light wavers. Polished marbles are nearly perfectly smooth so the light won’t waver or dance as you turn it. Reputable sellers will never knowingly sell a polished or buffed marble without stating so up front. I’ve bought a couple that were, and it stinks. It pays to know your source, and to study your good ones - and your mistakes.

Klay-taw-n you’ve certainly made some interesting looking mibs! They remind me of more colorful lined crockeries or jaspers. Welcome to the board and I hope you have a blast following these little round things...

Never, ever knowingly sell a polished marble without stating clearly up front that it has been polished - doing so is a fast ticket to huge problem and a loss of your reputation as a reliable seller. Polishing any marble dramatically reduces the value, often to a small fraction of the original. In the case of some large handmades there may be a case to made for polishing - I have a few in my personal collection, e.g., examples I really liked but were otherwise beat up so badly as to be unviewable. As for “naked eye mint” but loupe imperfect, there’s nothing wrong with describing the marble that way. Very, very few marbles can stand up to the scrutiny of 10X magnification without exposing a few problems. I think more information is always better - describe what you see.

Just for the record, I agree with Sami, I’d never polish any machinemade marble nor would I advise else anyone to do so. I’ve yet to see a polish or buff that has improved the look of one, and you’ve ruined a perfectly good marble that was well loved by some child or children - it had history. As for handmades, some larger heavily cased (lots of clear) marbles can be polished to good effect, but it does take a skilled, knowledgeable polisher. Sadly Leroy was the best - he was one fine gentleman, full of marble knowledge, life and good humor.

Akro made a few with an odd mercury-like coating, giving the marble an oily, iridescent-like finish. I picked up a small blue oxblood with it at a show nearly 20 years ago and Roger Hardy confirmed that it was a genuine production item. It’s a bear to photograph and I’m up to my knees in alligators right now - I’m recovering from hip replacement surgery and a dead car too - but I’ll try to get a photo posted soon.

Craig you deserve a medal for doing this. If you ever want to pass the hat to help offset costs I’m in, and I’m sure others would be as well.

I’m so sorry. I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time with him over the years. His generosity in sharing the Peltier Mansion run at JABO was truly impressive. We lost a great guy.

Wow...I don’t know what that top beauty is either but that’s one heckuva tree trim! Tinsel needs to play catch some serious catch-up. Merry Christmas, Steph, and thanks for the posts, it’s been a lot of fun. Thanks for all you’ve done for the us and the hobby, and may the rest of your holiday be as shiny and bright as the first marble you dream about tonight... Happy holidays to everyone! Royal

Sounds like it a contract “hit” lol - I’m sure one of Santa’s helpers has a tag somewhere.

Really well done, Stephen, thanks for sharing your extensive collection and knowledge. I just love those Guacamayas - and about 50 others, natch.

Andre is looking pretty good for a ghost 😆 That’s one fine Bee! Sweet MM too - is that a Liberty?

I just started my own letter to Santa Claus after that one! 😍

I’d say it’s highly likely from anecdotal evidence and the absence of other strong candidates.

Great work on saving all this history, Chuck. The contrast in the two cullet checks is interesting - the MK cullet is a penny a pound, pretty typical I think. The one to Bogard Cullet Co. is a lot of cash.

I wish I may, I wish I might... - a 7/8” turquoise German “9” slag with oxblood & egg yolk - a 7/8” black clambroth with sharp white pinstripes - a four-color lightning strike (red/green, blue/yellow) - just one drop-dead gorgeous Joseph’s coat and banded opaque (B.Bee, we might have to talk - I have a purple & yellow Canadian trans 😉)

Member wvrons club keeps an excellent listing of the nation’s marble shows @ http://westvirginiamarblecollectorsclub.com/news/

That’s just a fabulous handmade, and a nice size, too. I wonder if there’s a whole solitaire board of those out there (he says hopefully😉?)