Mr. Alley Agate III

L. E. Alley did work at Akro, in a much higher position, for a short time in 1927. He had previously, in 1926 or 1927, worked for a short time in Cumberland, MD. Then, in April 1928, he helped start Ravenswood Glass Novelty Co. (According to L. E. Alley, Jr. and documented in my L. E. Alley Book)

Book 5, Page 99

I now recoronize a total of 11 Alley Animals. See Alley Agate Collector on Facebook. (www.facebook.com/Alley.Agate)   posts starting in Oct 2015 on to Apr 2016. Much has chnged since the 2014 posts above. Sorry about not updating my finds on this page since my previous posts.  Pictured here is page 98 from my Photo Book 5. Page 99 is in next post.

Low resolution page 2

low resolution page 1

Page 2 of Alley - Smith analysis Differences Between Alley Agate and Smith Figures XLT page2.pdf

The Squirrel with the small nut is the only Alley. I have learned more about the differences between Alley and Smith since I wrote the Alley Book.

See the attached 2 pages for my most recent analysis of differences between Alley and L. E. Smith figures.Differences Between Alley Agate and Smith Figures XLT page1.pdf

More comments I have received about the Alley Book:

I ordered your new book and very much like it. Amazing detail, new and unusual information, a unique combination of information and entertainment. Great job! (Terry in Happy Valley, OR)

Larry,

Thank you so much for sending me a copy of your fabulous new book!

I plan on reading, sharing and enjoying this for a very long time.

The hours of research and work it must have taken you to put this together cannot be put in words. You must have a sincere sense of accomplishment in regard to documenting your family's history. The timing of your book's arrival could not have been better. The night before I had a chat with a fellow Akro collector, and he spoke of Ron Shepherd and the new marbles being made at Sammy Hogue's. I was really surprised to see it in print the next day. (I think the book was still warm from the press) Was also impressed to see the number of collectors that contributed to the book. This just proves you left no stone unturned.

Your work is truly inspirational,

Ron (in Earlville, NY)

Some feedback about my book that I have received:

Hi Larry: Received the book this morning. Very fast International shipping time and very attractive covers. I scanned the book content very fast and was extremely pleased with what I saw. Pictures are extremely clear. One of, if not the best, books on marbles that I have ever seen. I will certainly read it cover to cover as soon as I can, and, will probably read it at least twice (you always miss something important first time around). You have to be congratulated on the knowledge, dedication, foresight and planning that it took to produce such an excellent masterpiece on Alley Agate products and all that it entails. Sincere thanks also for autographing it for me. It will always be one of my most treasured books on marbles. I am a very happy collector. Sincere best regards and have a great day, Bob ___ (in Ontario, Canada )

Hi Larry, What a FABULOUS BOOK !!!!!!!!!! Thank you very much......I will be talking up your book up with glass friends for certain!!!!!!!! You covered it ALL when it comes to ALLEY AGATE GLASS......I hope the book adds many collectors of ALLEY AGATE to help preserve all the interesting things they produced.....Best wishes, Albert____ “Akro-Al” (in Lowell, MA)

Al ___ let me look at his copy. I guess I'll need one for myself. Tom ___ (in Wilmington, MA)

Hi!
I received your book last Friday and spent some time this weekend going through it. It's a really good book. I was surprised at the photos of the stemware you included. Over the 40 years I've been buying and selling glassware I had so many people bring me stemware with similar style of cuttings and I had no specific answer for them, just check so-and-so. So here is another company I can mention.
Many thanks for telling the story of another glass manufacturer, one that was seriously overdue, so more of the "unknowns" can be identified. Roni ___ (in Lansing, MI)

Books available at: http://alley-agate.webs.com/
I was pleased with the accurate color reproduction that the printer achieved. Larry Alley

For your convience, here is the link to purchase the book:

http://alley-agate.webs.com/

Larry Alley

i found and purchased a set with purple on Ebay. Box lid with checker board is copywrited 1943.

Answer to red box question - Box is all red with no printing, labels or any ID.

The earliest mention of Hop Ching I have found is an ad in The Utica Observer Dispatch on 22 May 1936. There is also an article about Girl Scouts playing Chinese checkers. In the ad is a BW drawing of a plywood board, like the all red one, and a mesh bag of marbles. The ad reads,

“HOP CHING CHINESE CHECKERS $1 The most popular game of the year. Universal appeal for young and old”

Larry

Here is a picture of a Hop Ching bag that does not appear to have yellow and does have the purple. However, it is just a picture that I had saved off the Internet back in 2006 time frame - no idea what source.

I had given up. Glad you found one. Definitely light purple, red, green not turquoise, blue, black, white. I tried using Photoshop to take the pink out of the label and back ground. The marble stayed purple. So, the photo color is accurate.

Correction in first entry; It is finally confirmed. Alley did supply Purple instead of Yellow, but not often. Nearly all bags have yellow rather than purple. Green was some times substituted for Turquoise never both at once.. Blue is used

On further investigation This traditional story, which my family passed on to me is not true. Sets with Alley Agate yellow are the ones I find. So, the question is, "Are there any sets with Purple rather than yellow?" Here is a very early set in a red box. (I added the dividers.) The Hop Ching board was also in a red box.

Up date to previous post: Poly Bag of Penny King with Pittsburgh, 10 Pa. address

Since it is poly they must have moved around 1950 to 1952.

Addresses for Penny King:

Postal Zone 10 bags are the oldest. I have not found exactly when they moved. The poly bags make it around 1950 and 1952. I found a bag with the Zone 10 Label on the web and now I saved the label photo, but I am having trouble locating it again.

Billboard - May 18, 1946 - Google Books Result

(Through)

Billboard - Jun 26, 1948 - Page 98 - Google Books Result

1037 E. Worthington Pittsburgh, 10 Pa.

Billboard - Jun 28, 1952 - Page 117 - Google Books Result

(Through)

Billboard - Feb 8, 1964 - Page 55 - Google Books Result

2538 Mission Street Pittsburgh 3, Pa.

Thanks for all the pictures. Do you know if the Hop Ching bags you have look like Alleys? Although the detail photo of the green bag is fairly good, I would like a better photo of a red Hop Ching label, but no rush, whenever it's convinent.

The Vitro label uses the 4 point fan wheel that is in the corner of these labels all the way around the label. I have a mesh bag of Vitro Helmet marbles in this bag. Don't have a photo of it yet.

My Penny King poly bag looks just like your red label. The red and white swirls in my bag look exactly like my Alleys - a red transparent base glass with white glass. But most of the marbles don't look that familiar. So maybe mine are also Champions, Looks like Alley and Champion used the same label design.

Will post photos of these 2 bags later.

.

Does anyone have marbles in bags with this label design? I would like good resolution photos of the labels as well as the bags with marbles, to use in my book about L E Alley. This knowledge can help date Alley Agate marbles.

Red mesh bags with black printing on the label for Worcester Salt give-away marbles were advertized in March 1938 in The Kingston Daily Freeman, Kingston, NY. I have photos of three of these bags containing marbles, one Vitro (with Helmet marbles) and two Alley Agate. The pattern of the rectangular boarder is unique to each company. The same pattern appears on other bags of both companies. Two Alley Agate bag names also appear on packages with the J. Pressman Co. name. The Penny King bag is poly, thus after 1950 and not packaged by Alley Agate. The marbles are Alley's. Marble King must have later used the same label design and packaged them.

Alley Agate bags I have pictures of are:

30 BIG B. B. SPECIAL MARBLES (red letters & green boarder)

60 HOP CHING MARBLES (red letters & red boarder) Bag looks like the one in a 1941 Pressman ad which is a blurry drawing.

60 BIG SHOT MARBLES (red letters & green boarder) (Big Shot was used by other companies.) Name on J. Pressman product.

20 PENNY KING (all black print)

The Worcester Salt bags are all black printing. I don't know which bag was used when the 1938 ad appeared.

See the photos for the details of the label.

The red and green label has been simulated since I don't have a photo with good resolution.

According to Beri Fox, Howdyshell at Marble King bought several machines that he did not use simply to keep competitors from getting them. They were taken apart and stored in Payden City.

Here are a few more hope this helps.

What does the label on the chinese checker mesh bag say?. Do you have a better photo?

Larry

The 1955 post card would contain Peltier Marbles. Sellers Peltier was one of the men who bought Alley Agate Company. they were Berry Pink and Sellers H. Pettier, the son of Victor Peltier who founded Peltier Glass Co. of Ottawa, IL. Corporate papers were filed 24 June 1949 under the name Marble King, They sold Alley Agate, Peltier and their own Marbles.

Hey Rich,

We're hiding off the beaten track in the woods of PA.

Stop by if you can find us.

There are gallons of Chinese Checkers here in the basement.

I'm Hip.

Alley Agate only supplied red, turquoise, green, black, white and purple marbles for J. Pressman Hop Ching boards with the same colors.

Do you have 1 or 2 sets of these marbles you can sell me?

Alley's grandson, Larry

Correction; Alley did supply Purple instead of Yellow, but not often. Nearly all bags have yellow rather than purple. Green was some times substituted for Turquoise never both at once.. Blue is used

Wanted - Hop Ching Marbles (With Alley Agate Purple, No Yellow In Set)

Alley Agate only supplied red, turquoise, green, black, white and purple marbles to the J. Pressman Co. for Hop Ching Chinese Checkers. I would like 1 or 2 sets of these marbles. Or if you don't want to sell, I would like a photo, to go in a book about L. E. Alley.

Alley Agate Sample Box Rows 24-30

Alley Agate Sample Box Rows 16-23