david Chamberlain

My "snap and pop out" comments were made only to point out the ease with which these trays can be changed; it was not a commentary on the age appropriateness of the marbles in this tray or their originality. Actually twelve of this variety are not necessarily that far fetched but If I were to state an opinion on the matter it would be that these marbles used imply originality more than anything else. Also I have seen numerous trays with marbles other than plain opaque ones. If the marbles were more demonstrable than I might look at it differently but I just can't imagine anyone going to any great extent to 'replace' with these. If that sounds confusing I am flatly saying that I deem them original. The majority of the trays were made between 1935 and 1941. Trays have been seen at several marble shows with Jabo classic marbles, Marble King and Vacor....(Johnson 2006). It is not hard to imagine old stock of the empty trays being filled later on as a normal manufacturing production event just to deplete the inventory. There were numerous design and patent variations during their period of production. David

They are a snap to pop out and replace. I've done a couple because I wanted one of complimentary color to show off the marbles I displayed in the tray. Still have it! The other I just couldn't resist putting in all Champion mid-1980s Pumpkins. I'll tell ya, those marbles with the tray polished made it look like it was about to burst into flames! It's not a regular practice of mine to mess with an original marble artifact but these two trays were begging for something different. David

That is definitely a respectable Jabo marble but I'd probably sell it from that particular run along with a few others of similar attributes/aesthetics straight out of the shoot at $12 to $15 each or in combination with a fine mix averaged out to around $7 or $8.....and I'd still be out of the ballpark with the prices that some of these guys are offering them at. For full disclosure I should say that I have never been much of an auction person/buying or selling. David

Champion is a good bet on those Randy, David

Thanks Winnie. I'll try a grey background card. Actually I got one when I originally bought my camera and lens Mar. 2004. So I'm shooting 35mm with a Canon Rebel 2000 and a Sigma Macro Lens 28-80mm. Has held me in good stead. Mostly outdoor shootin'. David

An Addendum: Was picking up Patti Smith's "Just Kids" at Barnes & Noble today and spotted one of those boards w/stones while in line. Couldn't help writing down some of the shuck and jive associated with it. Let me first say that the 32 stones were unexciting; kinda like processed stones....you know, processed meats! So, 33 semi precious stones touted as STONES OF THE WORLD $49.95 a solitaire set w/cards(!) "A timeless game of strategy from the court of King Louis XIV" For ages 8+. Personally I'd opt for the Chinese marble set at only $10 more. Some of those Chinese marbles show talent. I suppose after making a thousand of the same thing (or 10,000) you begin to deviate from the proscribed approach. By the way Patti Smith's book won a National Book Award and it reads as if it should have. The woman is a force of nature! David

I love the way we get carried away here. Rather monolithic a few of those! David

That's the guy. Great marbles and you can't go wrong. Why pay premium prices when you can get a premium mix and be assured of enough high end examples to make most any eBay offering pale in comparison. Besides, he's a nice guy! David

How to go Craig. Count on you to have some of the finest vintage marble photographs! David

Lilewise CatFish. And when you get those larger groups at a discount and I could name one good chap who sells quantities @ $2.40 (or thereabouts) each you get to have your own personal hunt through them including the ever enjoyable experience of sorting. David

Yeah Rich but would you have them perfectly aligned? Now that would be scary! David

Winnie, You've probably explained elsewhere but what sort of camera and lens do you use and what generally do you have in the background of your marble photographs? David

No one's producing a fake Jabo Burt; just chock it up to a moderately excessive use of the word facsimile to basically say that I have examples that for all intent and purposes will easily substitute for the marbles that m!b$ is endeavoring to acquire without the overwhelming presence of the dreaded white color. You're maybe taking me too seriously here. And if I'm somehow stepping on your Jabo sales territory in suggesting this I apologize. Incidentally I have a variety of Andy's marbles as well as his brothers and the rest of the family. Been buying Davis marbles since Jim first arrived at Amana and the Ohio show in the mid-1990s. David

Unfortunately they are handmade as opposed to machine-made and 'economies of labor' to put a fancy name to cheap Chinese labor are why they can be imported and offed still relatively cheap all considered. We're only talking $2 each here! Otherwise you have a lock on what I've referred to as commission by omission. David

Well it's not Dave but it is David......I could easily send you on approval with no obligation to buy true Jabo facsimiles and premiere examples of the kind you see here with no white or white exceedingly diminished and from a variety of runs at decent prices. Today alone I sent to Canada 96 Jabo marbles from 9 different runs and I have Jabo examples from over 40 different runs. David

Machine-made folded pontil. Could even be American but I'd go with your two likelihoods and it's is enough different from any of the Japanese ones that I've seen to maybe put it in the German camp. Tough one. David

To get back to the Red and Blue marble as an example you actually don't get blending. Any diminishment(or perceived change) of one color by the other color would occur when a transparent or translucent layer of one color is over the other color. Splitting the marble open would reveal this immediately and the underlying color would be revealed in it's full glory (red or blue). David

What do you figure that is.....a pinched pontil? Never seen the likes of it w/aventurine. David

Not eBay.....right. Probably eBay tomorrow though. Six of one/half doz. of another. And no matter how you parse it the terminology used encourages a buyers imagination by omission. I kind of side with Morrison & Terrison re. origin of the General Grant Board. The cover of their book (either the yellow or red cover) has a General Grant Board w/German Swirls and on the back cover they give credence to the Union soldiers during the Civil War carrying and playing the game. That early example of the board also having an under compartment that swung out to reveal the marbles. For full disclosure I'd refer you to Paul Baumann's 4th Edition in which he also puts forward the Civil War period as somewhat definitive but provides a European component with two other solitaire boards: "Fox and Geese" and "German Tactics." both games employing different strategies. Or strategeries! David

The Eight-Finger's marbles could be considered cat's but it might also be considered heresy. Even Castle & Peterson in their landmark book broached the subject of numerous ol' standby marbles (Master Sunbursts, Peltier Sunsets,, etc.) having distinct cat's-eye characteristics in the manner of their making. It is very much still open to debate I believe. I'd have to say that Winnie's cat's-eye with Black & Brown vanes in addition to white in blue glass is about as an unusual color combination and rare color usages in an uncommon blue medium as you will ever find in a cat's-eye. Of course, I know with that said someone will right away top it for rarity, nevertheless it's a winner. I would characterize Chordus's cat's as possibly collapsed Cage Style cat's. Rich's 16 vane I believe was discussed elsewhere and could as easily be Vacor as Master but I'd go with Master. Sometimes it's a toss up with Master as to whether it's a Sunburst or a Cat's-Eye. I'd weigh in with Vitro cages on Nancy's cat's although some are a bit wild but not wild enough to be random swirling. And lest anyone have doubts.......Vitro Hybrids rule! David

This Thread and Chinese marble listing is an excellent object lesson. At least 10 years ago Marlow Peterson was selling groups of 40 these self-same Chinese marbles (Maybe not as spiffy as these!) for something like half the price. So here ignoring the Board we're only talking $2 each. No biggie! I don't know about most of you but in my marble experiences I am called upon quite often to provide some estimation for marbles that are fraught with background experiences that are enough to make you quaver(sentimentality, Dad's favorites, Grandpa's shooters, someones buy of a lifetime and on and on). Galen has it nailed here! Aside from the over'blown' nature of the verbiage in this listing I believe we have to accept the fact that the general public will never-ever catch up to us in marble knowledge and on those occasions where we are called upon to make marble pronouncements a bit of humbleness might carry the day, even if, God forbid, the marble in question is for want of a better word.....ugly! Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, someone should take the necessary steps to advise this seller and eBay that the information provided is not fully accurate. David

I use to decry the appearance of a hole in a fantastic bead for wanting it to be a marble but I think there are plenty enough marbles to get excited about to offset the disappointment. You know, this marble in question actually has a hatpin look to it and I've felt that all along since the very first posting with or without metallic remnants that seem to have come into play. David

Definitely a continuing standard of excellence. David

Rich, No slags in the Alox family I am aware of. They made solid chinese checker marbles, Opaque Swirls, translucent and transparent swirls and clearies. Some of their marbles even have striping or a brushed-like patch. I most all of these types except the Chinese Checker marbles. Too many marble when you visited last month. Not a chance to get to the Alox marbles. David

That's the one mineral marble that came to mind but I couldn't think of its name but you'd expect the surface to be much smoother if ground and polished; this surface looks textured like pottery. David