I used a hollow tube metal tube, ~3ft long, jammed it into the grass and set the marble on top. With my whopping 5MP camera at the time, thought these turned out pretty true to condition and colors as seen in-hand.
If you haven't purchased the lot yet, maybe you can ask the seller for better photos if that's the only marble holding you up. If you decide to pass on the lot, please PM me.
Should I maybe have used the term counterclockwise twist?
The OP's marble in question has some odd features, a nice looker though.
Example of counterclockwise twist below
First two pics are the same marble, right? I agree the red/white/green looks more familiar to a Pelt color combo, but the seams scream Alley. Maybe the pic order got switched up at some point. Nice marbles either way
looks more like a big ol' cold roll mark to me. A lot of industrial grade "clearies" didn't have the same type of quality control as marbles (meant for kids to play with)
Books are a great way to start but the Forums are also valuable. Just because it was printed doesn't make it true and even in the last few years there are notable improvements as we all learn, bounce things off each other and share opinions. Marble on indeed!
If the slurry is thick enough they won't "crash" together, but I agree that a rock tumbler is NOT a way to treat a marble.
Tommy, I'm still curious in hand does this marble look spherical with original surface? My eyes aren't getting any younger and it could just be the photo's/reflections playing tricks with me.
Back in the day I'd sometimes get "unknowns" in with a group of marbles picked up here and there.
My thought process (arguably flawed) would be to consider whatever manufacturers outside of the US were making marbles in a "similar" style to the OP, and where the vast majority were made (and where those countries exported to).
Just my opinion and not to take away from some good points already made.