Steph

Oh my, how would you know there were any you didn't get? I guess Windy's photos might be a clue! I'm not sure I've found matches to everything she showed! Not sure about the Flamenco yet either. I still have some to sort.

Nice work! Three questions: Do all Blue Tangos have goldstone? Are any families not showing? I was about to start lumping some together which I thought seemed different. Then it dawned on me that some might still be in reserve, like if someone else is naming them. What about #37?

I like the error marbles which are flat on the top and the bottom. I call them Square Dances. http://www.instantrimshot.com/

So the ones still unnamed are 22, 27, 28, plus Bruce's? And which unnamed ones have a gold lutz version?

I'm surprised by the 80's/90's date there. I'm trying to reconcile that with what I learned while researching this post: Fine Print On Marble Packaging

I landed there a coupla months ago. Cool site. I registered just so I could post a message back then. I'd add an avatar now if I could remember my password. lol

MibAuctions would allow him to take checks, wouldn't it?

Some interesting threads, webpages, events, groups which have resulted from or benefited from Nancy's outreach: Here: Alox Shooters Quick Alox Cat Eye Note at LOM:Today's History Lesson...Alox Toy Company..Long Read but informative!!!By kite collector, Jeff Duntemann: John Frier: American Inventor Alox Kites and the Man Who Made Them More:World Kite Museum

Sassy, have you been trying to upload it as an attachment and it's not working? how large is the picture in kilobytes?

That's hilarious. I'm so glad I asked. Now I'll go listen to all that other stuff ya'll are laughing at.

Whoop it up!

(click pix to enlarge) Circa 1912? (has an Akron address; this might be the one from the Amercan Boy magazine for Dec. 1912) Circa 1916 - ? (possibly the first Clarksville box) Jan 1929 -- Imperial Circular April 1929 -- Cracker Jack promotion . . . 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. July 1929 -- Jobbers Price List Jan. 1934 -- "the new Akro Carnelian": Jan. 1935 -- Visi Paks Live and in color: Related patent: Sept. 1936 -- Pop-Eye Packages: If I had to guess the marbles from the photos, the sheen on the darkest ribbons would lead me to guess at least some oxbloods in the 10 cent box.

Also a 1975 book by Jean Laird: auction link seller

Berry Pink, Inc. / Berry Pink Industries (click pix to enlarge) 1940: 1953:

Here's a Parade Magazine article from Nov. 11, 1962. Mrs. Mann was featured in other articles before that. Jackie and Caroline Kennedy were reported as two of the recipients of her jewelry. (click to enlarge) Here's the Fried Marbles single from 1962.

Cool. I feel strangely confident about it. But I do wish i could see inside that Cairo Novelty case! any chance of "better Cairo Novelty" on this one of Rhonda's? The 3 comparison mibs are dug examples from Alan's old site. Hers was the mib I was focusing on when I noticed the colors in that one of Alan's. (click to enlarge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.s. Cairos were not single stream, correct? coz of a separate tank for color?

Bump for Ron to see the mystery mib

M. F. Christensen booklet: (click to enlarge) . . . . . . . . . . . . bonus material :-) A possible "travelers' sample box" recently sold on ebay. Found in an estate sale in Kentucky, across the Ohio river from Cincinnati, for $5. The 5/8" marble is missing but would fit perfectly if present.

Note: might need to double click some of the images throughout the thread to get full sizes. New note: Clicking was supposed to send you to a larger picture. It doesn't seem to now. I have a lot of editing to do. If there is anything you are in a hurry to see a bigger copy of drop me a line and I'll try to get it to you. (click pix to enlarge) Master 1932: . . . Master 1933: . . . Year ?? (if I read correctly prices are significantly higher than in the 1932 list above) . . . better detail on the Ritzy bag: to be continued ...

Congratulations Dave. I tell my friends and family the Jabo story. Even the non-marble people agree that you have been a compelling part of American history. Nice marbles too. :-) Thank you for everything. -Stephanie

Some more Akros which seem to be from about the same time frame. Jo sold this box recently.

What best sellers do you have in mind? My interpretation of the doubling up was that the line had been significantly reduced at this time. That, in particular, corkscrews had been discontinued. My assumption is that Akro didn't want the case to look empty, and didn't want to make a completely new case, so they designated more areas for the more interesting remaining types.

No. no documentation to help date the box. I have a personal guess -- a theory I'm mullling over -- related to why sample cases like that wouldn't be found in the U.S. When would Akro have been selling in New Zealand? Before the war Akro sold a lot to Canada and England. After the war the "tightened economy" in those countries (and in Belgium and Holland?) made Akro turn to other markets, including India, Iran, other parts of Asia, South America, Africa, and continental Europe via Belgium. This is from a PR-sounding news report in 1948. Also discussed is a drop-off in playground use in America, but an expansion of industrial marble sales in the US and abroad. So my theory is that the later cases wouldn't have been needed in America. Akro was well enough known here that mostly what would be needed to ensure a healthy share of the American market would be updated price lists in the hands of merchants. My guess is that department store buyers already knew enough about what marbles they would be getting. But to break into new markets, Akro may have needed something more tangible to make the sales. Ergo, updated sample cases. So the question then might be, when was New Zealand a new market for Akro? (I realize I'm making an assumption about the case being in NZ for commercial reasons. it could be a coincidence that it ended up there -- someone could have taken it there when it was no longer needed wherever it was first employed)

Seems pretty correctly filled all around. Of course it has the correct Aces. :-) One cool thing is that it appears to have at least four of the five original prizename combos. The line which would be blue/maroon seems not quite 'perfect' but it is clear that Akro quickly expanded after they announced their first five colors.