Steph

That is a fantastic patch shape. I hope it really is a PPP. (I have no reason to doubt it myself, but am not a PPP exPert). Does it have aventurine?

To my great amazement, Nancy sent me a bag like the middle one. Also some other items I'll have to share later. !! (click to enlarge) The base glass is clear. Sort of brushed patches, but with some action inside. Varying amounts inside (more than 10% but less than 75%). Colors here include pale blue, pale green, yellow, white, black (or a very dark purple), and a tiny amount of transparent orange-ish. Size is between 15/16" and 1". Ooops ... when I was switching from using attachments to using Photobucket, I accidentally copied the code for Mike's bag instead of mine. And now I can't bring myself to delete his! (click to enlarge)

For the answers to these and many more exciting questions be sure to watch the next adventure-packed episode of ... As The Marble Turns ..... (hi Bob :Happy_457: You're sweet.)

uh, that's a really long story. Some do think they're Akro. Some don't. They've been found in different packaging. They're famous as being sold by Ravenswood. It's remarkable and totally unexpected to see them in Alox packaging too. I'd consider going in more detail, but my computer is on the fritz and I'm at the library for a quick fly-by.

Yes, thanks ... again ... to everyone! I'm quite surprised at the diversity. and the interest. I guess I shouldn't be, because brown is beautiful! but I didn't know what to expect. LOL @ Bob. I nominate you to pick the next color. I don't trust myself to pick a winner twice in a row!

lol ... hershey's syrup is a pretty good description for that brown. good one! handsome marbles .... everyone!

I've been wondering about brown in marbles. Don't often see it. Is it because it isn't often there? or it's overlooked? When I think brown I mostly think of all-reds, bumblebees, and a few WV swirls. Do you have any favorite browns? Any theories about how much it appears in comparison with other colors. Thanks!

Ray, I do love your balls .... er, you know what I mean! Don, that's awesome info on the pelts ... (and congrats on your galaxy too!)

Here's a pic of the bag, and some unused headers.

It's possible but I don't want to press. Nancy shared a lot of pictures of a whole lot of Alox items with me: kites, shoelaces, ads inc. one for marbles free with shoelace purchase, factory photos, and more. Her camera is probably worn out. Oh yeah, and a mesh bag with patches and a shooter in among the swirls and a red header I'd never seen before. The middle bag has 1" sparkler types in it.

Hey I like this thread. lol Since I've already bumped it, let me add science experiments in general, like that marble gun from this article, used for "simulating meteoroid impacts with the lunar surface". Shooting Marbles At Four Miles A Second

Been reading some more. Bad habit. A twist on the ball bearing use. Supposedly Master Glass marbles were used for Lazy Susans.

Anyone have a dime ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... and a time machine?

This is some original Alox packaging, not backfilled. Kinda on the mind-boggling side, I think you might agree.

Lesser known Ravenswood packaging: (source) Ron's comments about it: Source of that discussion: This was labeled "old fashioned" Al's Old Fashion bag from that thread, for when attachments are purged, which occasionally happens: Additional comments from Ron: What Can You All Tell Me About This?

Hello Nancy! How fascinating to hear from you. I know some people who would love to talk to you! I've learned a little more since I started the thread last year, but some of what you say is still new to me. Thank you for sharing! Stephanie p.s. Thank you Del for posting this.

Thank you Dave for the information! This is so great! p.s. Tippelmarbel, what a neat name. thank you Roger for the offer ... an onion ... you'll make me cry.

Give me a hard one! Only $4.95 + s/h. Or did you mean a Sponge Bob pelt? I'm still waiting for him to show up on a china.

Thanks. I guess I can see this. I think I may be a little biased. Maybe I didn't think of onionskins because I don't yet love them. Might learn to love them more if I got the couple of scuffed ones I have polished. LOL ... the kids who had them before me sure loved them! Do you know of any other names onionskins were advertised under? or described by in general? Thanks as always for your insight!

I LOVE this definition of Miller Swirl! Priceless!

Cool. We do know it was being used in marbles by 1892. Micas were called Snow-Flakes about 10 years before that. I loved the description in the ad. Sometimes people ask whether these incredible looking handmades were more for display or play. It was neat to see them being promoted as both.

Muchas gracias.

Another mystery marble reference. These might be interesting because they were expensive! A kid might have to pay a nickel for them! The year was 1892. This is from a Butler Brothers catalog with wholesale prices. 1000 "Common Marbles" sold for 42 cents. 1000 "Common Painted" sold for 48. So those were the clays. Those prices work out to a little more than 20 for a penny for the dealer. So a boy might be able to get 10 for a penny. Then there were the "Painted China Alleys". The "large size", which they also called No. 4, were 29 cents for 100. Then the "Fancy Glass Marbles." The large size was 60 cents for 100. And now the Spangles. "Large size, solid glass, spangled; beautiful ornaments or playthings; retail like hot cakes at 5 cents" The dealer would get one dozen in a wooden box for 33 cents. Or he could get a box of Extra Large Spangles, "big as a hen's egg", for 75 cents. Those must have cost the customer at least a dime! Are we talking about mica now?

The reality is that the names do matter a lot on the internet. When you're at a show you see a marble in hand, so naturally you don't need to rely on a name in the same way. You don't need keywords when you're standing in front of a case of marbles. The name game is a reality on eBay. A major force in the market. We need to be able to negotiate it safely, and honestly. Not overdoing it, but not depriving ourselves of the advantages of doing it right. I'm beginning to appreciate the pressure Alan might feel over the superboy name in general. Whatever definitions are used, sellers have to be smart about using them. Need the right keywords. Need to be confident. I still don't know exactly what I would call a superboy if I ever had one to sell. I'm still looking for my first superman to call my own! And I don't care about the blending for that. Might even prefer not to have the orange. Naw ... I'll take it either way. lol In my own collection I think I'll always call it a superman not matter how much blending there is. But it's neat to finally have a clue about the different things other people are focussing on when they use the superboy name. Thought about something funny today. Christensens are not free of the name game. They're the ultimate in the name game. Why are they called Christensens? To take advantage of the fame of the M. F. Christensen name, right? And if it helped them get a foothold in the marketplace, so that they could get their wonderful marbles out where people could see them, yea for their smart marketing! I love all the hype in the old ads too. I don't mind how it sometimes misleads. It's charming. And very very human. .

Roger, that's cool. I've honestly never come close to sorting out superboys before. I've been afraid to try. I've looked at those threads and thought, "maybe later". There was so much passion and I wasn't close to seeing what the issues were. So, I closed the door and tiptoed away. As you know it takes a lot to make me tiptoe away from a subject, but superboys have had the power to make me do it. Now that you gave me a clear idea to get my mind around, I felt a little better prepared and went back and reread what was said in the last superboy showdown. I still haven't reread the whole thread but I got as far as what Mary M said purists would say about superboys. It's different from your version. This would be a point where the discussion could get interesting, or could get dangerous when people get passionate, or could get very chaotic if people aren't careful. Wouldn't it be sweet if we could stick to interesting? And have people who believe in superboys say which version of the superboy they have adopted. Things like that. So, here's where I see you: If it started out to be a superman, it's still a superman as long as it has three colors. blue, red and orange means still a superman. Then if I have read her post correctly, the version Mary attributed to the purists was that it had to have the correct three colors to be a superman. Had to have blue, red and yellow. If it didn't have clear (edit: distinct, "true") yellow, it wasn't a man anymore. It became a boy. Have I stated these versions of the name correctly? Where do other variations fall? Like what if it's blue, yellow and orange? Is that a superman for you Roger? Would that be a superboy to the people Mary described? What if it has blue, red, yellow and orange? Superman easily for you. Would that be a superboy to some?