3oranges

It's really great being part of this forum. The only other person I can get a dialogue about marbles from is my 3 year old daughter, usually resulting in her saying "Papa I want THAT marble for my bag" Great response Roger! I will use similar wording for future auctions. Now, if only we can get to them fast enough..... I think a lot of people check the new listings quite frequently. I know it becomes addictive once you make a decent score or two on "Buy it Now" listings. My three best scores have been two "Buy it Nows" and a jar at an antique store ON CLEARANCE! This thing was loaded..... Incidentally, the seller of that last auction I listed contacted me and said he will list them individually starting tonight. Looking forward to seeing more angles of the marbles in that collection.

I wanted to touch base with other collectors on the ethics of offering low ball Buy it Now offers to uneducated Ebayers. When I first saw this marble on ebay.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/271143669191 I sent an immediate message asking the seller to please let it ride. I was interested in the marble and wanted to bid fair and square. The owner replied that he has already had an "incredible" offer at $400 and could really use the money. I told him that was a low ball offer and he replied that he would sell it to me for $600. I was in an ethical conundrum and really almost took the offer, but realized I was about to do what I just pleaded with him not to allow and ultimately let it ride. He wrote me a VERY kind thank you letter and I felt good about my decision. Last night this auction popped up! http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MARBLES-LUTS-PONTIL-ONION-SKIN-SUPER-MAN-MANY-MORE-/261181894580 Needless to say I was interested. Again, I pleaded to not allow any low ball offers and even recommended someone like Zaboo to consign them. This morning....Auction has ended to item being "no longer available...." I know that the "score" of the hunt can be the most exhilarating part of marble collecting but is this really the way???? I'm interested in thoughts on this. Am I actually hindering the savvy collectors by playing the good samaritan or am I doing the right thing? On the same token, some of my best "scores" have been grossly underpriced "Buy it Now" auctions. I certainly did not send any messages, instead trying to frantically press "buy it not" as fast as I possibly could. Thoughts?.?.?

Peewee collecting is very difficult with the 1/2" rule. I bought Gage Blocks to make sure my calipers are accurate and most marbles listed at 1/2" are not really 1/2" Since sending back the CAC I have concluded that I should have kept it as my smallest CAC and will do this with other makers as well. I have my smallest Akros but have yet to find one at or under 1/2" that has not been polished down. Does anyone have an Akro Peewee that has not been polished down to that size? I honestly did not think you even could polish marbles that small. An interesting auction to note: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marbles-Rare-Wet-Mint-1-2-Akro-Agate-Peewee-Sparkler-w-360-Degrees-of-Color-/330882652379?pt=Marbles&hash=item4d0a2498db It has that polished look but hard to tell without a loop. I DESPISE polishing of marbles by the way. Granted, I will still have my PeeWee collection that is absolutely 1/2" or less but with machine mades I am adding the "Smallest of my" title to future marbles. Maybe just an excuse to collect more marbles

I must admit I started to miss it as soon as I walked out of the post office. If only I had more money it would have been a no brainer!! Does anyone on this site own one of the peewee boxes? I would love to know what CAC considers a peewee.

I went ahead and returned it I tried 2 other calipers with the same results. I really wanted it to be a peewee but my budget is limited and I would rather put that kind of money toward a true peewee or a good size CAC. The search continues... If she relists the marble and someone is not as picky about the size, BID! It is a lovely marble.

I'm not real sure what you are getting at about the add being acceptable or not. This post is by no means trying to discredit anyone and they do offer 14 day money back. However, when shopping for a peewee, a listing titled as such from a high end seller also claiming the size to be 1/2" is about as clear as it can get. I usually do inquire further with your average marble seller. I truly respect the seller, just a little heart broken because i'm a peewee collector and thought i had a jewel. It measures 0.52 on an accurate set of calipers.

I won on ebay the most beautiful CAC Striped transparent PeeWee that was listed at 1/2" My heart was so broken when I measured it at 33/64. I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to my peewee collection but this marble is STUNNING Trying to decide if I should return it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAC-CHRISTENSEN-TRANSPARENT-STRIPED-PEEWEE-ELECTRIC-MARBLE-/330873940585

Pretty sure the buffalo figure looks like a Thornburg but wanted input from the pros.