david Chamberlain

The thing that is still rather confounding is why with the box and bag being kinda spiffy even though bogus that this person or anyone would scuttle matters themselves with such a strange mix of marbles when you could as easily provide some continuity with relatively inexpensive Akro patches or whatever. Bizarre! David

I still have some Rainbows that Duffy sent me that are 3/4"+ and a lot like this one. The tales we spin when dollar signs we perceive. David

I dunno. To be that primo mint and then for the marbles to be sort of a hodgepodge leaves it open to suspicion. Think about it. David

Everything about it seems right and you sure didn't have aventurine in the repros. David

Actually those could easily be accurate Jabo colors. I'm of a mind that this person knows that most of these Jabos are 3/4" and she is giving herself an out by mentioning that she's approximating the size by measuring with a ruler. It could be one of the 3/4"+ ones. What gets to me is the cloying nature of her rambling drivel. It looks like a Jabo from the Rainbow run. I'm wondering if anyone out there associated with this run might know this person and the chuck 'n' jive schtick she's giving to this marble. This is the kind of thing that turns people against Jabo marbles unfortunately when it's a perfectly nice and innocent marble. David

This would be Dr. Jeff Hale, I presume. There are a couple Jeff Hales who are marble enthusiasts. No aspersions aside but I suspect he has a life! David

The colors on the far left one in your first post are Akro and I see all of the marbles in both posts as Akro. As for Oxblood I am pretty much conditioned by my acceptance of it in Akro marbles(and others) that I first saw in the late 1980s. Purely a visual determination. Technicalities aside, I feel so much safer forging ahead with that simple acceptance. I know it when I see it! David

Whoa! Spacey! It's worth getting stoned to watch those iterations computerized! David

I don't think so. I can see where you might want to identify them as Sparklers(foreign) but they have too much the characteristics of multi-vaned cat's-eyes. Some similarities to the Bogard cat's-eyes we talked about last week that got me to calling Marlow Peterson about. That's the Bogard cat's-eyes that had previously been identified as English Caged Fat Cores. You for comparison can go to my CAT'S-EYE SERIES at Marble Mental and check out the two 9/16" approx. cat's-eyes by Vacopr to see the similarities but you're going to have to wade your way through the 87 photos to find the right one. A good learning experience!!! David P.S. I'd go over there and find it myself but as you all know I'm banned.

Bo, Is that a Mandelbrot Set pattern in your Avatar Marble? It definitely has a fractal appearance. David

Are they all, every last one, a slag in that box of 100? No swirls snuck in? I've had a box of 100 9/16" CAC slags but it had something like 4 or 5 swirls. David

Allright! David

Sami, I recommend Stan Block's book titled SWIRL MARBLES(2001) Schiffer Publications. I'm sure you could obtain it through Schiffer or the MCSA. Stan has an abundant supply I would imagine. It runs about $40 and is well worth it. David

Do you recall the circumstances by which you came by these? They are a multi-vaned variety. Vacor made one but it was a little smaller(5/8"- or 9/16"+) in the 1990s and the colors were brighter(primary colors). That's about all I can provide at the moment. David

Ah! I just freaked out at the one word 'stamps.' Didn't realize I could click on it. David

The white solid core almost looks lobed in a couple of the pics and the transparent colored bands almost appear to edge the lobes but in the other pics the core appears smooth and the colored bands seem to be slightly above the core. It's a 2 1/2 Stage forsure! David P.S. And superbly executed.

I ran down that list.....Stamps? They must be talking about something other than stamp collections I'm familiar with. Like, what's up with that? I have a significant collection of Art on Stamps(architecture, paintings, sculpture, artifacts and such). Confusing! David

Maybe substitute Beginning and End for Top and Bottom. Just a thought. David

I took a closer look at that 3rd pic as well and although you'd naturally want to have it be oxblood and think all you have there is a bit of diminishment of the red by overlapping into the white. Still a lotta nice color! David

Actually I think the more shows the better and it just goes to show the good health of the hobby and makes it convenient for people far and wide who aren't necessarily into great treks either due to finances or whatever. David

Yes, I got Alley and Champion mixed up there. Senor moment! David

I'm just conjecturing but maybe Catholic Bowling League, There's two relief images shown and one although sideways has a Madonna & Child look to it and I am exceedingly sensitive to that image. The other relief image has a vague halo. Anyway, definitely not Masonic from my perspective. David

Hard to say.....but I've always been partial to yellow and this screams "Yellow!" I'd accept it for just what it is.....a nice marble. David

You people that have made it to the show are definitely to be commended. The roughest I've had it have been rain white-outs, hellacious micri-cells and tornadoes a couple times in my Summer and Fall back 'n' forths across the country many times catching the Vayder's show in Minneapolis, Bert's show in MA and then I forget OK on the way back or one of the three TX shows(Houston, Dallas or Ne Braunfels). That would be in the Fall. Then in the summer I've drive from CA to Amana and on to New England again spending the summer and catching a show in Texas on the way back. And that doesn't even count time times bet. 1988 and 1996 when I was caretakling for my Mom in Mass. and I'd drive to OH or Chicago for a show. I was insane! I did 925 miles only once but 725 in a day twice. I like the 350 to 500 range these days. Buick has 292,000 miles on it. I think I got off the track here but there should be a Show Award for the person who has accomplished arriving through the roughest weather with factoring for distance. David

Al's picture Post is not a coral and Mike's three are all Alley Agate Co. It has been fairly well established that the CAC corals were Alley. And I have never seen a Ravenswood coral look-a-like. David