Steph

Ron, why do you think older MK? Any clues to look for between newer and older?

yes

yessir!

Post from Mike Barton on facebook today: To my marble collector friends...with great sadness and a heavy heart, I am here to report that Lloyd Huffer, long time marble collector, author, and all around good man, passed away peacefully at home yesterday morning, after several years of declining health. Such a joy Lloyd was.

They guy who invented the marble rollers which have been used for the past 115 years first invented a machine to make steel bearings inexpensively and reliably round. That was a BIG deal back in 1902. He was Martin F. Christensen. He sold his patent for a lot of money but retained royalty rights on the production of bearings. It let him retire in comfort. And THEN he switched over to making marbles. Which has nothing to do with your question! But it's interesting, no?

Put 'em in a jar in some out of the way place and forget about them until you find someone who goes gaga over steelies.

That last picture looks like something from outer space.

Not sure. The fuller the vanes the more likely I am to wonder if they could be Marble King. But I'm not seeing enough detail to have a feel for that. So, early Asian (likely Japanese) ... or Marble King. Hard to tell age on Marble Kings. Could be early. Could be modern.

Keep them away. Save or not. Ball bearings were sold as marbles. I had an old newspaper ad or story about kids going to the bike shop in the very early 1900's to get ball bearings to use for marbles. And ball bearings were sold as steelies. There's a more special kind of hollow metal ball which some like to think of as the only kind of steelie officially made as a marble. But bearings were sold as marbles. And of course they were used as marbles. But they're brutal on glass, so keep them away. You might not have any but there are also some cute little metal balls which have figures etched into them, which are used in Pachinko games.

Neat. Where's all the green coming from in the first picture? Is it from the vanes and the pale green base or is there even more green in it? And am I seeing yellow in addition to the red, white and green vanes? Asian cat's eye. Yes, furnace brick debris. Not sure about "blowout". Are you seeing a bubble in the vane?

Yes. Check out the lavender ones with a blacklight.

Yes, Peltier. You would be safe putting it in with your Peerless Patches. Probably 1930's. (Looks like a translucent base so I don't know if technically Peltier was making what they called Peerless patches at the time this was made, but if it's not a Peerless it is a very close descendant.)

Akro Moss Agate

So, somehow the material of the mill ball itself was used to give that enamel-looking effect?

Thanks, Al.

Vitro cage style cat's eye. I don't know if they go back as far as the 1950's. They were still being made in the late 1980's. Maybe 1990.

It's a keeper. Vitro hybrid cat's eye. LIkely 1950's. I count three colors. Two is "common". Three is less common.

2nd picture. #1 ... don't know #2: Asian ca'ts eye (or Mexican) #3 and #4, Vacor de Mexico. The group shots have a mixture. Lots of modern Asian or Mexican. Some of the 1960-ish Veiligglas wirepulls from Amsterdam. Maybe a few older American patches.

Top picture needs more views .... first glance looks like a Vitro Conqueror on the left and a Peltier Rainbo in the middle. The ribbon on the right is interesting.

You have hard ones!

Japanese?

With the salmon and blue I want it to be Peltier. But if that's just three ribbons then maybe MK?

After a few decent snowfalls, with a couple bordering on massive, our snow mounds should last awhile. It tickles me to look outside in April or May and still see snow.

oh decadent!

Bok choy day That's my reward for making it to the post office before dark.