Would it be possible that some of the advertisements used 'stock' illustrations and were built to order ie: contact us with your current request and we'll make you something similar to what's shown. Yes it will be round and glass.
For some reason I want to say the original post, left most one may be a bit older than the rest. The big red one in the same pic, so that's a blue base?
Makes you wonder if some of the larger German handmades were really intended to be used as marbles? I think around 1-1/4" was about as large as most American marbles were made
Interesting info in this thread. The part I'm having difficulty with is how the so-called color layer 'burns off' under a torch. To me that would indicate it's not really glass but some type of coating.
Looking at post #4, to get a colored layer of glass one would assume after it was added that the marble would need to be beat to sh!t for those types of chips. Whereas a thin coating could have been dipped or brushed on an already chipped/damaged marble to give that appearance. In-hand it might be a different story.
IMO if I sent a colored sulphide to be polished/fixed and it came back clear I'd be wondering what the heck happened
JVV, I sure miss Alan's postings. Always interesting marbles and good pics + angles to look at.
Greg,- loss for words, that's a tough past year. You've lost some good friends young..