Steph

Late 1920's

is 1929 the year of the pivotal lawsuit Akro filed against Peltier?

Mid to late 1920's

Mid 1920's

1920-something, Marble production begins

Before Marbles

Might as well start one. :-)

Company history: 1886 to present (last I heard)

Indeed he does. :-)

Early 1930's, Catalogs and other circulars of uncertain age

[coming soon]

lol - "coming soon". How long have I been saying that? Here's one of the pages I keep planning to incorporate. I can't seem to get them all together at once. So I'll just start here:

I have "1930ish" on these photos from Dani.  I have bigger copies somewhere.  





 

....

Here's one example of why they're of such uncertain age! WARNING: it's complicated. I'm still working on a better way to say it. It will likely become easier, or unnecessary, as I include more examples.

This illustration of the No. 32 and No. 64 display cartons was recycled into multiple brochures. This particular example came from the scan Dani posted.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/DisplayCartons_Dani-1.jpg.

In Dani's version, the descriptions of the contents do not match the illustrations.

The original descriptions might actually have been the ones shown in the catalog on p. 17 of American Machine-Made Marbles. Page three of the catalog. Here are the contents from that page:

No. 32:

Quote

Contains six dandy No. 1 Shooters and 4 No. 0 size assorted "Moss Agates," "Moonies," and "Flinties." Retails at 5c.

No. 64:

Quote

Contains 10 beautiful No. 1 Shooters and 8 No. 0 assorted "Moss Agates," "Moonies," and "Flinties." Retail price 10c.

If you are aware of Moss Agates once having been a swirled type of marble, you might recognize them through the windows in the cartons. These are the kind which have "exquisite patterns", as described in some ads. They include the Ades and the Blue Eggyolks. Here is a sample box of that sort of Moss Agate, with salesman's price label affixed.

(click to enlarge) (click the links below the thumbnails for the larger copies)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_MVC-018S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/MVC-018S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_MVC-019S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/MVC-019S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_MVC-020S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/MVC-020S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_MVC-021S.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/MVC-021S.jpg

In post #10 here, Intriguing Akro Box, Clyde describes another box like this.

HOWEVER, though the contents listed on page three of the catalog in AMMM match the illustration on that page, there are several inconsistences between that page and the others. I won't try to be more specific at the moment because if you don't have the catalog in front of you, the comparison would shoot 18 light years past "complicated". And if you do have the catalog in front of you, then you might want to try to sort the consistencies out yourself.

Copyright 1931, The Akro Kings game

There is also Click. What year was that?

Sliding this in:

1931, Big Time Marbles Comic/Ads in Boy's Life Magazine.

Old-fashioned looking cartoon boys - I think the same cartoon boys used on the Ringer Marble Sets

Sometime in 1930, and I'll have to guess toward the end of the year.

This is from a reproduction of a 1930-1931 catalog, image sent by George Sourlis. It places Akro's original Tri-color agates in 1930 (Note, the original tri-color agates were corkscrews, i.e., the mibs we call "specials" today). And it calls 'em Rainbow!



(click to enlarge)

The marbles:



Cover:







Dec. 1930

On p. 11 of The Complete Line of The Akro Agate Co. (1992), the Hardy's show an ad for "this new Akro Agate game called CLICK".

Also mentioned in the ad is a "new Akro Agate Prize Contest". (still waiting to hear the outcome on the old one!)

Also mentioned are "three new Akro Agate assortments with marble bags".





Click game, from a Block auction.

(click to enlarge)

The 1930's

Don't know the year on this, but it's a classic.

Likely after Feb. 15, 1932 considering the size on the Glassies. See later post.

I have some close-ups to add at a later date.

 

1929 - 1930, the birth of the corkscrew and the last days of the slag

1930, The Prize Name Naming Contest

Akro Prize Name box with contest coupons.

(click to enlarge)

(source)

Some text from the enclosure introducing the prize names and explaining the contest:

. . .

In presenting to our juvenile customers this beautiful new line of marbles, we have been at a loss to find a suitable name to describe them, therefore we will put it up to our boy and girl friends to give this new marble a name.

. . .

Attached you will find ten coupons. Give one to each customer who purchases ten of these marbles. They will fill in his or her name and address with with their suggestions for a name for our new marble, and mail to THE AKRO AGATE COMPANY, CLARKSBURG, W. VA.

. . .

As soon as possible after the Contest closes, we will have three judges, men of national reputation in marble games, select the most fitting name from all of the suggestions sent us.

. . .

We now manufacture marbles under the following names: Akro Striped Onyx, Akro Cardinal Red, Akro Moonie, Akro Imperial and Akro Flintie.

MR. DEALER

Then came the contest rules. There were to be five prizes, ranging from $10 to $100. The deadline for entries was Midnight, May 1, 1930. And winners were to be announced in the June issue of Boys' Life. I have a copy of that issue but do not see anything from or about Akro.

Presumably the original color combinations:

I believe that some ads continued to list these combos even though more were available very soon.

1929

April 1929 -- Cracker Jack promotion

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/crackerjackads-2.jpg . . . http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/crackerjackads2-2.jpg

a few extras. A coupon which might have come in a Cracker Jack box, and what is said to be a Cracker Jack prize from 1928. The wrapper says "Genuine Agate". Supposedly the "right" marble to find in the wrapper is a red and blue swirl. This is according to a Cracker Jack specialist, not an Akro specialist. I am not aware of a red and blue marble made by Akro in 1928.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_CJAAGATE_016-1.jpg http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_CJAAGATE_017-1.jpg http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/th_1928_CJ_RedBlueSwirl.jpg

July 1929 -- Jobbers Price List

July 1929 -- Jobbers Price List.  I should have a larger, crisper version somewhere.

Sliding this in ... is 1929 the year of the pivotal lawsuit against Peltier?

(in process of reformatting this one, bringing together material from multiple sources)

1929 and later -- "Imperials"

IMHO, and in the more educated opinion of some others, the original imperials were silver oxbloods. After that many different, premium types of Akros were distributed in the Imperial boxes. Perhaps the originals didn't go over as well as had been hoped and there were surplus boxes.

Letter introducing Imperials, dated January 23, 1929

(click the links below the thumbnails to enlarge)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/akroimperialadp1.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/akroimperialadp2.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/akroimperialadp3.jpg

Part of the progression of "Imperials":

(click the links below the thumbnails)

http://i119.photobuc...erialFromAd.jpg

http://i119.photobuc...o/MVC-010S1.jpg

http://i119.photobuc...ro/MVC-011S.jpg

http://i119.photobuc...ig_mc7055_b.jpg

http://i119.photobuc...orVersion-2.jpg

The 2nd to last box was Craig's but this is the marble Craig calls an Imperial. He had it for sale in December:

Edit: I think Craig's box was backfilled from marbles in a huge lot of new old stock he acquired.

Perhaps 1926 or 1927. The slags and the art make it seem like it could be a 1920's item. To the best of my ability to judge. We might learn a lot from comparing notes with a vintage fashion site, huh? :-)

O' Boy! gift box.

(click to enlarge)

From the Marquee auction description:

Akro Agate Rare "O'Boy" Original Gift Box - Here's a rare find that will be a highlight in any collection. It's an "

O'boy Gift Box

" measuring 8" x 11" the likes of which has been featured in the book

"Complete Line of Akro Agate"

by Roger and Claudia Hardy, you can see an example on page 28. These contained different items, this one has a bowtie, a fancy note pad, and a metal "block" pencil which has a ruler stamped on it, all of which can actually be used or in the case of the tie actaullay worn. Each gift box came with a No.16 "blue sleeve" of marbles, this one is in practically pristine condition with vibrant colors and very crisp construction with no tears or wear, the five pretty slags inside appear original to the box and are in Mint condition with minor box grime. The graphics in the box of a boy dressed in clothing of the time is in excellent shape with no wear or fading, the bottom of the box does have a small tear in one side flap. The top of the box has seen better days with two corners torn with a very frayed flap along the side, the "wrapping" paper over the cardboard is torn and stained with an old Christmas gift sticker placed on one corner of the lid. So, the contents below the lid are in Mint condition, the lid itself falls in the Good realm.

I actually found many ads with ties being sold with various items. But usually only one item. Tie & marbles. Tie & harmonica. Tie & pencil. to name a few examples. So if those came all together I guess that was pretty special.

The tie could be silk or rayon. Maybe others materials. It might be a bow tie or a "four-in-hand". Or just a boy's tie without specifying. The earliest ad I recall at the moment was from 1926. One 1926 ad actually specified the Akro brand. That wasn't the usual practice. Another 1926 ad said the marbles in the tie set were imported.

Anyway, here are a 1926 ad mentioning Akro and a 1932 ad with a drawing of a gift set.

(click to enlarge)

. .

1926

A folded pricelist from Akro, found with a 1926 letter advertising Cornelians. The pricelist is sealed with a 1 1/2 cent Warren Harding stamp.

(click to enlarge)

The Cornelian letter:

1926

All About Marbles, A Little Book for Boys

Published by Akro Agate, Clarksburg, W. Va.

(click to enlarge)

The 4 page advertisement insert starts here:

A closer up shot of the Cardinal Reds and Cornelians. Impressive detail:

(click to enlarge)

A spare block for early to mid 1920's

A block for early 1920's

1922

Ira Freese applied for a patent for a gob feeder. His gob feeder had nothing to do with corkscrews or their eyelashes.

Another Block for 1910's

Original content moved, leaving spare space for now

The white on Rookie's looks like it's intentional to me.

Looks like an "ordinary" white based rainbo with a little something extra in the colored bands. (to me)

Happy Dave Day!

Felicia, I don't know about the burring. One description I read said that the cutter would have burrs right after sharpening, leading to eyelashes. Then they would wear down, and eyelashes would diminish.

Others have argued about that.

My amateur brainstorming makes me think they might due more to the geometry of the marble or of the cutline, and general properties of glass, rather than irregularities on the edge of the cutter. Which other marbles are known to have eyelashes? Masters. Imperials. Anything else?

Here's an Imperial up against Rookie's best eyelash pic.

(click to enlarge)

Reminds me of pleats. Is that tugging? Or is that puckering? Maybe it's a combo of tugging and bunching. If it appears more often in akros than in others, pehaps the torque of corks accentuates it.

just a thought.

Lisa's right. You're a great sport!

SO IT IS TRUE BUT NOT CONSISTANT, SO THEREFORE MISUSED. (MYTH)

FROM NOW ON I WILL ONLY USE IT IN DESCRIBING THE MARBLE NOT DATING THEM.

I do not know what could be considered "true" about using the term "pre-freese" to describe a corkscrew.

The best information we have is that the Freese machine was not used for marble making. It was intended to be, but never made it. Whoever stuck the Freese name on any Akro marbles made a booboo. Continuing to use it perpetuates the misunderstandings associated with it. Your more immediate concern is that it could reflect badly on your auctions. It increases the likelihood of more threads like this on the various marble boards because the use of the term sets off alarms. People who use it are often written off as uninformed or as hucksters. Being mentioned once or twice in a thread like this doesn't mean much. Especially while you're getting the hang of ebaying. But the more often a seller's auctions get flagged, the more likely the seller's name is to be remembered in a negative light. Ya need to ditch the word "Freese" altogether to help that not happen.

You don't need the word. Akro corkscrews are vintage. Period.

If you wish to focus on eyelashes in your auctions, that is a fine thing to do. It would be better just to focus on the eyelashes themselves though. As a classic feature. Without bringing the word Freese into it.

IMHO. :-)