Steph

Stark difference between a paper which fires its photographers and one which still values them: http://suntimesdarktimes.tumblr.com/post/53967466726/front-pages-june-26-2013 Be sure to click the pic to see the whole Trib page.

Here's what Wiki said about it, including the source of the "flint" name: Elsewhere I read that the name eventually became so general that any clear, colorless glass was called flint glass. However, I also read that flint glass wasn't always transparent and could be any coloring. So the question is what it meant at the time Akro said it. Maybe Helmer's book will help.

Flint glass is described in Encyclopedia Britannica as "heavy and durable". So maybe it really was something special. Seems that in some usages it's what is known as lead crystal. But that's not the only thing which has been called flint glass. So I still

Well, flinties (and moonies) existed at least since April 1928, per Boys' Life. Akro said they used flint glass in some marbles as early as 1926, in the booklet All About Marbles. (here's a copy) Here's the part where I saw they mentioned flint glass -- in the Cardinal Reds: http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/1926_Akro_CardinalReds_Cornelians.jpg They just called the Cornelians "hard as flint", at least on that page.

I don't know if flint glass referred to flinties. I think they were talking about the whole line so I guessed it referred to the onyx and cornelian that year. But now that you mention it ..... I'll have to look for when they first started talking about flint glass and when flinties were introduced.

I've been going through my treasure trove of items from George Sourlis -- four years worth so I needed refreshing -- and I found two more N. Shure ads which had a similar layout. One had the Hot Shot picture on the left and the Moss Agate picture on the right, and again only mentioned Akro in the Moss Agates section. Uncertain about the date. The other was from 1936 and had a full page of Akro items. It had the Hot Shot on the top left and the Moss Agate on the top right and the rest of the page was filled with Carnelians, a Popeye box and three gift boxes. And this ad mentioned Akro in the Hot Shots section. Said, "Marbles packed in mesh bags. Any boy getting Akro Agate Mesh Bags glows with pride. Warms with enthusiasm, and becomes a 'hot shot' marble shooter." Three different versions of text on the Hot Shot side but the same photograph. The 1936 version actually offers the 25-count bag for sale.

Just looking at old ads. Here's what Akro said about their marbles in 1928: So was there something special about the glass Akro was using? Something that made them more sturdy than say a Peltier Rainbo a few years later or a Vitro Tiger Eye or a Jabo Classic?

Well, my call for ephemera didn't turn out how I expected, but this has been fun.

Spiffy! Cute ID. I see how someone could make that mistake.

I've already been outbid. Besides, I'm saving my funds for that coral snuff bottle.

Hello amski. Thanks for the info!

Bag of boulders: ... and Al's bag. I'm probably the one who made it into the montage. I did that with several pics and then wished I hadn't. Al's description of the contents: "mainly Akro corkscrews with a few patches and 4 Carnelians"

I want it!

That lunch box is too fun!

Hmmm .... I don't have much to go on to tell how much of a clue that one mention of being made by Akro is. I'll let that simmer. As dedicated as we know Akro to have been about branding, the general lack of ads in later years could mean they weren't so dedicated about it later. (Or the lack of later ads I've seen could just mean I haven't been looking in the right places.) But maybe it was stressed on the Moss Agate because maybe that was the style which they were most proud of. Moss agates were more expensive than Sparklers on the one ad where I saw a price. What kind of marbles do you think are in the Hot Shot bag in the ad? To me it looks like corks. Maybe they were vague because they were keeping their options open about what would be in them. I just noticed the "Special Assortment" bit. Gotta file that away with my other "Special" references.

Oooh, I didn't see your ad when I posted, Ric. Nice to see something so late. If you ever see something from the 1940's, please post it! (please oh please oh please :))

Hot Shot was an Akro brand. They advertised it in circulars. I think this is the opposite side of the bag Steve showed:

This book, MacRae's Blue Book, Volume 1, is supposedly 1966 and mentions Alox Old Cobbler brand Shoe Laces and polishes. It has the same postal zone mentioned even though I'm pretty 1966 is after when zip codes were introduced. This link might take you to the right place, "alox old cobbler". Edit: no, that didn't work. I'll try it one more time. Will it work now?

Nice info about the trademark!

Someone asked about my list of marble makers. In case anyone else is interested here it is. http://glasswizzards.yuku.com/topic/1784 It was compiled with the help of contemp collectors and has all the names I knew as of August 2011.

I have a list of about 400 contemporary marble makers and that set of initials doesn't show up in it.

Well, the "14" postal zone could give an estimated date from 1943 to 1963. Edited: Within those two decades, the "Made in Japan" could put it at 1952 or after ... but I'm still reading about that so this is subject to another edit. (Would something before 1952 definitely have had "Made in Occupied Japan" or is it possible that it would just say "Made in Japan"?) I remember hearing once that Alox was a fiercely "made in America" company ... and of course they specialized in shoe laces ... so I've wondered when and why they would have laces made in Japan. And don't have a good theory for that yet.

Sounds possible too ..... thanks for putting me back on the fence, Ric.

Here's hoping I did these justice -- well, I didn't -- but it was fun trying.