Steph

The Vitro bag looks good though, right? It has that seam in back which we like to see.

That sounds right.

Here ya go.

I think it's a good bag. I almost want to buy it myself .... still looking for that ad. BRB.

Hiya. Even though it doesn't have the seam on the back that folks look for with older bags, it has appropriate marbles. I don't know what exactly the bag should look like in the early 1950's. But those are 1940's Alleys, which Berry Pink used to fill his bags in the early 1950's after he bought the Alley plant and turned it into the Marble King company. But before he developed Marble King's signature style. I'll go look for an ad which might show them.

Also ... just checked ... the Marble King site has 1" and 7/8" cat's eyes listed. I guess I could have checked that first. But I did enjoy taking my pictures.

A lot were made over the course of the decades. Room for many variations.

I think that's safe to say, yes.

Also, a 7/8" one with almost-black amethyst vanes. Came with a lot of other amethysts which I really really really wish I had saved.

I posted this in another thread. I'll add it here because it sure is a lot of nice color for a cold winter day.

I have big ones which I bought in bulk around 2004 or 2005, including big four-color ones, 15/16" to 1". But I didn't keep good track of them since I was just starting my serious collecting then. I got rid of most of them because I hadn't yet learned to value modern marbles and can't swear there was no cross-contamination with old lots. But the four-color ones have to be modern and I'm pretty sure some of the single-color ones are also.

Another Vitro cat. Not sure what's giving the milkiness.

Not Vacor. From China. Often called "Imperial".

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

yes

yessir!

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