Northern Lights

I didn't read all the posts but I sure enjoyed the pictures. Thank you for sharing everyone: don't Akro marbles just make you want more?

Wayne

This run was not done with a Jabo machine. . . . . . . . . . This run was a combination of some special Third Generation marble people,with the help of their friends.

Thanks for clarifying for me Ron - it means more than you will realize. And just to push the point across the line even further (with respect to your partial quote I have highlighted above, the use of my initial car analogy, and at risk of sounding like a broken record) Vw (Jabo) and Audi's (Alox) were made on the same assembly line (marble making machine) by some of the same people (Dave McCullough and others) yet they are unquestionably known for their own individual identity. Thanks again

Wayne

This is all very simple. No hidden agendas. Nancy and EVERYONE present agreeded with her,that for us,we would refer to this run of marbles as " The Third Generation Alox marbles". No one including Dave McCullogh,the Jabo employees or any of us considered Jabo in the name. If they are your marbles and in your possesion,you may refer to them as whatever you like. The same as any marble. Nancy Frier requested that someway she wanted to make marbles once again after 60+ on this machine. Her father is not in good health and she very much wanted to give him marbles,pictures and videos of this last Alox machine making marbles. About one year ago after several contacts were made,it was agreed that it could be done. Alox had direct contacts with Alley,Ravenswood,Master,Heaton and others. The major contacts that made it possible for Nancy's grandfather to get into the marble making business were Alley and Ravenswood people. The realatives of these people were invited to be part of the event. I was the lucky outsider,that was invited to take part. I did help Nancy with some bits of the past history.

After much work and help Nancy was able to purchase the last Alox machine. After much discussion Dave McCullogh agreeded to take on the task to revive this old rusted machine. A little over one year ago Nancy delivered the machine to Jabo. The machine was disassembled,the rolls bead blasted,repairs made,etc. by different people. The rolls had and have holes in them,pits and the tips of the flights are wore bad. But after much work,worry,a lot of faith,the goal was achieved. April 26,2010 the last alox machine ran marbles from a Jabo furnace supplying the glass for a steady six to seven hours without any complaint. The glass did come from a Jabo furnace but EVERY single Third Generation Alox marble came down the Alox machine rolls once again. Most of the run was single color white opaque marbles. The longer the rolls ran the better the surface of the marbles were. We got more than the usual odd shapes of barbells,kisses,etc. Sometimes two or three of the marbles would overflow to the next one on the rolls. Thus causing the odd ones. This is because of the age and wear of the rolls. If the glass stream was to heavy or if the roll speed was slow,the marbles would overflow to the next flight of the rolls. Just one simple reason of many things we all learned from this machine. My shock was,just how slow this type machine actually ran. Being around the newer version machines,the Alox machine looked like it was in slow motion. A few timed counts were made and the Alox machine produced 88 per minute. The other newer machines were producing 168 per minute.

The marbles were not produced just for the reason of sales. That was and still is the last concern of this group. We had a goal and we did it. For me,none of the marbles have the value of what i witnessed afterwards in Dave McCullogh's office. The marbles are nothing but a symbol of what was accomplished. Some of the marbles have been distributed and there has been request from others.

I hope my good friend Nancy Frier does not object to me posting this information. But maybe it will stop or at least slow down some of the questions,misinformation,jealousness,tall tales or just plain out lies.

Thanks for the info Ron, but this post was not about misinformation, questions, jealousness, tall tails or lies. As you reiterated in you comments, and I stated in my original post, if they are your marbles call them what ever you want. I was merely providing some path to clarifying the discussion out there on what to call these marbles. You can also note that I said these marbles will be called what ever the people who reincarnated them want to call them.

Wayne

Good car analogy but I'm not quite sure I get the point. It's pretty clear that a Volkswagon has a VW on the grille and Audi has their circles. Are you saying that if German Engineered cars are assembled in Mexico, all is good? I'm missing it entirely, I'm sure .

Thanks for your feedback everyone.

Regarding the above query, first off the location thing (Mexico) doesn't mean didley. As indicated in my first sentence on my scenario example, "it's location is irrelevant"

The point I was making is in response to the confusion out there on Marble Boards (All Marble Boards) regarding what to call these newly run Alox marbles. Some wanted to call them Jabo in stead of Alox. They used reasoning for this because of the involvement of Dave McCullough, or the use of the Jabo factory or that others who worked on the run were connected with Jabo, that sort of thing. My argument - well it wasn't an argument more just facts - was that if you look at cars such as Jetta and Audi, they are made at the same plant, have the same workers and bosses, use the same material, and when they come off the production line there is no argument that a Jetta is an Audi or an Audi is a Jetta. It is simple: a Jetta is a Jetta and an Audi is an Audi. Just like a Jabo is a Jabo and an Alox is an Alox. Thereby naming these new run 3rd Generation Alox Marbles: Alox

I also added that if these marbles are sitting n your collection, it doesn't matter what any one else says, you can call them what ever you want - or words to that effect.

Hope that clarifies things for you.

Wayne

I have been reading some threads lately that have centred around the issue of some newly manufactured Alox marbles and what or who they really are. Some people are quite passionate in their "labelling a name" on these marbles. Are they Alox? Are they Jabo? Are they Jaylox? Who's to say other than the people involved in their resurrection.

I have an analogy I would like to share with everyone that might help you make up your mind. Of coarse, in the end, they will be called what ever you want to call them.

Picture this:

A car manufacturing plant: it's location is irrelevant. Their main item of manufacture is the VW Jetta. Coincidentally, this plant also spits out Audi wagons. A completely different car: and in the real world this plant exists (one location is Mexico - I own one of the cars). Different cars with their own uniquely beautiful options that attract one group of people versus another. Most important here is the fact that both of these care use some of the exact same parts - particularly the engine parts. In fact, some of the very same people assemble both cars at this plant: they even come off the same assembly line. The finished product is that these cars are uniquely themselves. One is a Jetta and one is an Audi. Why is so so different when we are talking glass? Clearly, by using these lines of thought they are unquestionably Alox marbles.

It is clear to me. If ever I am blessed with seeing one of these 3rd generation Alox, I will be, in my mind, looking at an Alox - not a Jabo.

Seems kind of straight forward when I look at it from that perspective.

Let me know what you all think.

Wayne

Good question(s) Wayne. I think you could say that the majority of collectors agree on certain names either from tradition or current combined weight of agreeing meaning consensus. Then there's thems which are completely out of this loop and are pretty much on their own.

Secondly, I believe that there are efforts afoot to bring some uniformity of understanding to the names. This involves different parties. Already you can plug into this information on various websites. It isn't perfect and I guess time will tell. Only today I heard that although Jim King was not too far away from publication the latest Jabo runs coming as fast and furious as they have will be putting that off for a while. I would imagine that he would be wanting to provide as much documentation for these Jabo runs as is humanly possible.

Of course, we always have the right to call our own marbles whatever we want. I personally reserve that right. David

Thanks for the feed back David - I think the people involved with or simply interested in Jabo are more on top of such matters than the companies of circa 1930/40. First off, I don't think these company's may have necessarily foreseen the collectibility of their marbles. Secondly, if they did and published such material, even if it was simply printed just for the time, it has thinned through the years and is scarce in it's availability.

One thing I forgot to add in my original post was if this initiative is already afoot, disregard everything I just said: I was saying to myself not to forget, not to forget, not to forget the entire time I was typing out the post and of course . . . . . I forgot):

Wayne

Here is a simple question which I hope promotes a simple answer.

Is a marble name only useful if everyone calls a specific marble the same name: if the answer to this is yes, then why has there not been any efforts by marble enthusiasts (people who are trying to promote and legitimize the marble collecting hobby - move it to the next level per say) to create, promote and circulate such a reference.

If the answer to the above 1st question is no: then call your marbles what ever you want.

Wayne

i've got a better story than any of you. i had these two that were so alike you couldnt tell one from the other, like twins. beautiful and i have never seen any like them in 6 years. they were stolen from me..... broke my heart

They stole the picture too!

Here are some of the rarest marbles in my collection. As mentioned above - they might not be rare in the real world but they are rare in my part of the world and in my collection. Hope you enjoy them. You may have seen one or two posted before.

There is a Christensen Agate Multi Color Swirl, a Leighton (ID by Mr. Block), a Christensen Brick. and an old Vitro Parrot,

Wayne

These are all fine and dandy but do you have anything that is worth adding to a collection? (insert smiley face here) Are you kidding me? These marbles are out of this world. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Wayne

thank you David. If I do such a post here, it will be factual and truthful. If I did such a post, dates would be important as well as names of people involved. David, you are welcome to add in, if I do it. You and I are on the same page. I have dear friends in many of the runs that I know would help. I need others to say that we need such a post with pics of all of them. I will not do it if the critics want to disrespect it. Let me know if it's needed.

Hello sissydear,

As a relatively new collector (2 years) and a newly proclaimed lover of Jabo marbles - after all they are what first attracted me to the hobby of marble collecting - I would absolutely support such a reference.

Wayne

Dispit anyones opinion - pro or con - this" Jabo Green Brick with Tail" is a beautiful marble well worth collecting.

Wayne