sprchik

Hi and welcome! I'm new too, and gotta say -- the folks here are pretty awesome! Nice place to be 😄

Thank ya, and indeed! I think all my ebay purchases have been delivered now... Still have 2 Alley flames & a Ravenswood swirl on their way from FB! Ooo I like that one. What a lovely green! That also reminds me -- I wrote down all the names/addresses/hours of all the antique stores in town, but haven't visited any of them yet! Wanna see if I can find anything interesting in the wild 😄 Might have to wait until after Christmas now though.

So nice and sunny and green...! 😍 *sigh* I can't stand winter. Don't like cold, don't like snow. I mean snow can be so pretty to look at... but I'd rather not live with it lol! I love looking back through my Grand Canyon vacation pics, when it's winter here in MI. I love that part of the country and really hope to live in the southwest someday. Couple from the Grand Canyon: and Painted desert:

I've gotten several packages in the last few days! 😄 And a lot of really pretty Alleys. And also literally, a 'lot' of pretty Alleys, lol! Will take me a while to go over the ones in the lot. But I wanted to drop some eye candy pics here of some of the Alleys from these packages, and have a place to continue to drop new pics from interesting ones I find in the lot. If anyone thinks any of these aren't Alleys, please let me know! These sellers seemed trustworthy to me with their descriptions, so I'm just accepting their label of Alley. Ooo and if anything has a specific name, I'd love to know that too! 😄 These first ones here (all above the pic of the lot) aren't from the lot -- 37/64"~ this swirl color looks kinda... brown or black under low light. But look closer with good lighting, and WOW was I surprised!!! Such fine little purple strands! 😍😍😍 5/8"~ kinda flamey swirl 5/8"~ kinda looks like a pelican head! And elsewhere, the letter "J"... I'd like to collect the whole alphabet in swirls! 5/8"~ 21/32"~ Looks like it's trying to be flamey, but with the 4 skinny legs on each side, looks more like it rolled over & squished a spider instead! 🤣 And here is the lot I have to go through. Hey, holler if you see anything interesting here that definitely needs attention! 😄 The next one below is the only one from the lot I've taken out and photographed by itself, so far. In the lot collage above, this one can be seen in the middle pic along the bottom. Kinda left of lower-center in the bottom middle pic there. 5/8"~ I swear, this thing looks like FIRE. Not the opal kind of fire -- but literal strike-a-match fire! 🔥 I could probably add a 2nd collage, and the 2nd set of 6 pics would all look completely different from this set. There's so much depth, so much going on. I'm... I'm in love. 😍😍😍

***EDIT: the consensus seems to be that this mib is Alley, not CAC. (See discussion here: http://marbleconnection.com/topic/23338-cac-vs-alley-2-mibs-help-me-understand/ ) Leaving post as it originally appeared for learning purposes*** After starting my collection with mostly Alleys and a handful of unidentified marbles, I got my first CAC in the mail yesterday. 😄 19/32"~ with flash (really makes the colors pop) ~without flash (makes it a bit blurry, but colors are calmer/more accurate) Excited to have my first CAC! 😊 ...I also have a beautiful purpley single seam slag and an American Agate on the way!

I don't know if this helps any, but since the lighting is so different from the pics I took, I figured they might be useful? My lighting was so bright, I think it washed out the color a bit (hence making that one part look a bit yellow). These are some pics the seller took: My pic again, for easy comparison: Colors look way richer in the seller's lighting... holy cow, the difference in the top right pic in each collage!

Thanks, I didn't find that pic, cool! Yeah that pic/post wasn't in my search results for 'Vitro Conqueror'... (searched for Vitro conqueror, no quotes -- only 3 pages of results, 64 posts. Well 66 now including this thread). There were only 2 posts in the "Mostly Pix - Vitro" thread that were in the search results for Vitro conqueror -- this one, and this one with missing pics. I checked out the rest of each page that each of those posts were on, but didn't look through all 245 replies in the thread -- guess I should have!

Thanks! Well I look forward to seeing a lot more of every type of marble, and getting to know them like that... still a long way to go it seems! Whoa -- ok yeah that definitely corrects my understanding, if that's what a Conqueror is. I know I searched this forum for Vitro Conqueror, and didn't see any that looked like mine... and thought it was strange that ones I did see had a transparent base glass. Because the first ones I had seen were at joemarbles -- and there are a bunch labeled Conqueror that don't look transparent to me: Conqueror 1, Conqueror 2, Conqueror 3, Conqueror 4, Conqueror 5, Conqueror 6, Conqueror 7, Conqueror 8, Conqueror 9... I'm seeing no transparency on any of those -- am I just totally seeing them wrong, and what I think is white is actually transparent??? That would definitely explain my misunderstanding! Ooo... just seeing this pic of a Black Line All Red over there: Black Line All Red.... and that V-shaped orange dip, and how the black is structured by it, looks nearly identical to mine. There doesn't even appear to be a patch of color either. So yeah I'm definitely seeing that call now.

Can you please explain to me why you think Black Line All Red over Conqueror? There's gotta be something here I'm not understanding/seeing, and hearing why you think that would really help me out I think. Because I did consider the Black Line All Red... but had dismissed it due to how much the black here fades down into the white (and, an extra color I seem to be missing). Most the pics I looked at of Black Line All Reds had very distinct, clean, crisp white... I didn't see any bleeding of the black into such a huge portion of the white. While most of the pics I found of this color Conqueror showed considerable black smearing into the white. My white is very dirty/messy... I'm pretty sure the yellowish is just a result of the bright light. Here's a comparison pic of that area -- super bright light, and not so bright light: I mean I'm no expert obviously, lol, I was just explaining my thinking. My thinking could very well be totally wrong, and the cleaness of the white means nothing. Would love to hear your thinking, so I can understand your POV here. Thanks!

One of the pics for Akro Tri-Colors over on joemarbles threw me off, simply because of the colors on it... but then I came across the Vitro pics, and was heavily swayed in the Conqueror direction. 5/8"~ Thanks for looking!

Thank you both for your input! 😄 Man I have already decided I'm not buying any more without a (convincing) positive ID, LOL! I kinda feel... embarrassed? or like I'm a bother? ... posting up pics and asking folks "What is it?" Well, and now I see that was a stupid rookie mistake -- the only marbles I have in hand right now are 12 that came without a positive ID, and 3 very similar Alleys. Might be a bit harder for a beginner to learn only by looking at photos, instead of having something in person to look at. Yeah... didn't think of that when I started buying! I'm trying now to not ask for help with an ID unless I venture a guess myself along with it. That seems more fair, if I'm asking others to help. 😊 But! I do have several lovely, positively ID'ed ones on the way! Thank you folks for helping me out as I learn.

Pelt slag, National Onyx??? That's my best guess anyway. Thanks for looking! 21/32"~

❤ I really appreciate your help. I totally understand folks being concerned/suspicious under the circumstances you explained. Seems to be wrong place, wrong time, for any Krystals to be just starting to collect marbles! 🤣 LOL. Woo... oh I'm glad I understand now though, I was so confused -- wondering, "What on earth did I do???" Nice to know that it wasn't anything I did.

Thanks again, Steph! Sweet! Oh and I love knowing around what year it was made... I can't think of anything else I own (well, except maybe a couple wheat pennies?!) that are so old. 😄 It's so cool to look at something and just go Wow.. from the '30s! What a fun (and kinda awe-inspiring, regarding age & beauty) hobby. ❤

On the subject of flames though --- here's another I bought without a positive ID. 21/32" ~ I've been comparing it to this picture in this post: http://marbleconnection.com/topic/11969-how-many-w-v-swirl-companies-were-there/?do=findComment&comment=101565 Pic (is it ok to paste someone else's picture into my comment like this? Just trying to save folks the extra click to see it. Lemme know, I'll remove it if not ok!) ...and I'm wondering if my black (erm, purple-ish under bright light) & white flamey marble there is a Ravenswood?

My guess is Akro corkscrew? I mean the corkscrew pattern seems pretty easy to identify for a newbie, I guess I'm just not certain if it's a vintage Akro or not. Thanks for looking!

Oh goodness. No I am definitely not that person. You can look all the way back on my public timeline and see that I joined FB in Sept 2008 -- this ain't some new profile designed to deceive! I hope it gets straightened out, too. Thanks for the info Steph, I guess it kinda makes sense. Mistaken identity!

After searching through the forum... there doesn't seem to be a solid agreement on whether a transparent swirl like this is a flame or not. Seems to be personal opinion. Some do consider them flames, and others don't. They do agree that opaque ones are. But when it comes to a transparent base... Seems it's up to the individual whether or not they'd consider it a flame or not. Here's a smattering of opinions across various threads I found: •"Not sure, but I don't think transparent swirls would usually get put in the flame category." •"For me there is no difference in the pattern between opaque or transparant flame swirls. I put my transp- flame swirls in the flame category." •"The more tips the better, and the more opaque the better for me, but some of the Transparent based ones or even Translucent ones are just out of this world..." •"Ravenswood Flames ? i love those to lol, they actually made some very cool Transparent based ones, which could very easily be confused for Alley." Now... myself? LOL I'm just a beginner and still learning many definitions. I'm relying on what other folks say. There's definitely agreement that opaque ones are flames. I looked in that Glossary link above for Flame, but the definition doesn't mention whether it's on opaque or transparent glass, or both: FLAME MARBLE: noun. A name given to a type of glass marble made-up by collectors to identify a specific type of glass marble made primarily by The Christensen Agate Company, but also others companies; the marbles’ colors and design look like the flames painted on the sides of old hot rod cars. I'm gonna call it a "transparent swirl/flame"...

I recently joined the "Everything About Antique and Vintage Marbles" FB discussion group, and its sister group for auctions. I won a couple auctions in the auction group and paid promptly. I posted a "thanks for the add!" message in the discussion group, being careful to read the rules carefully and not violate them (I did mention I was "sprchik" on a marble forum & ebay, but did not post any links). I just tried to head over to the discussion group to post a couple collage pics and ask for ID help with them... only to find that the group was missing from my group list. Weird... so I looked in my notifications for replies to my "thanks for the add" post, but they were gone, too. I then searched all of FB for the groups. But they do not show up for me. Which means I have been Blocked from both groups. I don't know what I did. I have sent messages off to a couple admins, but they have not read them yet (and may not even find them, since I'm not their friend on FB and messages from non-friends get sent to another folder). I know one of the admins is on this forum (pictures were marked with your username) -- I sent you a FB message, @zaboo! I don't know why I was Blocked from the groups. I hope it was a simple mistake? Because I'm completely baffled as to why I was Blocked. I'd really like to be added back though! I loved that I saw many folks that I recognized from my brief time here at this forum, and this forum is such a nice place. Thanks, Krystal Hoag

I didn't know that about tournament play! But... I don't think I have ever actually played marbles! 😰 I've played games as a kid that used marbles (like the one in the clear cylinder tube, with long pointy "sticks" going through it in every direction, with marbles sitting on top of the sticks inside the tube... each player took turns pulling out a stick, trying not to let the marbles come crashing through), but I have never actually played a game of marbles. Ahhh, ok! Opaque base = definite flame; transparent base... not so much. Gotcha. And I found this link in the archives -- A Glossary of Marble Players' Terms -- that will be helpful for a newbie like myself! 😄 Thanks Steph!

Dang, lol. I saw yours over here and thought it looked just like it...!!!

Whoa whoa whoa, was just browsing the archives, and here's some wishful thinking... Could the blue one up there (which did not come with a positive ID -- was listed as Alley or Ravenswood)... could it be a CAC pastel???? 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Thanks lostmymibs & Steph! 😄 You know, I wondered if the purple one would be considered a slag or not! I've looked at tons of pictures, and thought it could be, but I guess I don't quite grasp why a slag is a slag? If that makes sense. So I don't feel confident calling one out! Is it accurate to call the transparent amber swirl a flame? Is there a certain number of flamey tips required to make a swirl a flame? I thought I recalled reading somewhere that... what makes a flame is 4 flame tips in any one view -- but that may just have been an opinion, and not a true definition! One more question... how the heck did the term "mib" come about?! And does it only apply to certain sizes? Like, would you call a 1" marble a mib? No... that would be a shooter, right? LOL there's so much slang to learn! 🤣 But yeah, I am having a blast so far! 😄

I don't even know if these are vintage or modern. They were so pretty I wanted them regardless. But I would like to know what they are, if that's possible. Let me know if my photos aren't helpful for ID purposes, please, and what I could change that would make them helpful. Any feedback is appreciated I'm new at this! Thanks for looking! 19/32" ~ 5/8" ~ There is a weird brownish inclusion... a little speck, there in the purple one, can see it in a couple of the shots.

*squeeeee* I got my first marbles yesterday! My week or so on eBay has been an experience... there's definitely plenty of folks out there blatantly lying. But there are also good folks! And I *think* my first marble mail is from an honest seller... Here's what I got ~ (sizes listed are from seller -- photos are mine) Let's see if I can get my pictures from the gallery into my post now... These first 3 (all purpleish/lavender?) were listed as Alley Agate ~ 19/32" ~ 5/8" ~ 19/32" ~ Here's one without a positive ID -- it was listed as Alley or Ravenswood. 19/32" ~ ^^^ this one looks so much... paler? in hand, than with the flash from the camera here in these pics. It's crazy. I was debating on whether I should put this post in General, or ID help, as I am wondering what everyone thinks for the blue one... and also --- the seller sent me a bonus freebie marble! But I have no idea what it is - they didn't say! It's about the same size as the others ~ So weeeeoooo ~ I wasn't expecting a freebie! I'm tickled. 😊 But I've literally been up ALL NIGHT now... photographing these (and the 10 other marbles in my SECOND marble mail package!!!), cropping them, and then luckily I just have to choose 6 photos of each one, and press the "Collage" button on my phone. And voila -- collage! But... I can't keep my eyes open anymore... it's time to sleep a bit now.... zzzZZZZzzz...