Chad G.

I've read multiple "Very Good" threads on lighting & different setups. I myself usually use a 500k or better daylight bulb & try to use a color neutral background. I prefer low wattage, you can tell my old pix from the newer ones. And as far as a flash goes, well to me glass, a highly reflective surface and a flash are no brainers if you're gong for clarity. Still I know people who've made it work !! Just a little discussion point, I'm always up for any new info, tips or a little tutorial. Hopefully someone struggling can glean something from reading this thread or another of the many posted on this subject?? I know I sure did, in a mere few days my pix went from %$#$ to hey I can actually see a marble. Simple is good for me, as I have always considered less as more.

"Happy West Virginia Wednesday"

When I started collecting, before Ebay, it was all about German handmades, like a mad rush, everyone had to get some. The marble market has always in flux and will remain so. One minute worth $5.00 the next day it's worth $500.00, all perspective. Regardless I have always collected what I like. Don't get me wrong I still love German Handmades, as the first marble I ever purchased was a Running Rabbit Sulphide. My first has to be Peltier, well !! tied for first with Alley. My tastes have changed a little over te years but not my love of collecting them & meeting new people. I think I like marble people more than marbles themselves, certainly a different bunch, opinionated "Yes" but I believe that's what makes the world go round. What a boring place it would be if we were all the same !! Guess since this a marble forum I should probably post a couple of my favorites. 9/16ths Peltier Wasp 5/8ths Handmade Running Rabbit, this was my firs German & my first Handmade Not the same marble but the exact same figure inside Another running rabbit w/ a little different figure inside A couple Alleys, one of my first and still a favorite the "Shimmering spruce" This one has Carnival colors "but?" one of my favorite "Alley swirls"

Wow !! That was quick, nice job Bruce, I thought I had the correct I.D. for years till I posted it as a "Champion Furnace Marble". Chuck S. (cheese) was on it !! I found out quickly I had miss I.D. Not the first time and not the last. Easy to see how you could mistake a "Hot Wheels" for a "Red Cloud" only difference being the base. I can't fathom why I thought it was a Furnace mib ??

Here's a pic of the fav, an excellent all around machine made book, best there is in my opinion !! I think my most used book ?? Don't know how many times I've referenced it ??

Thought I'd leave one just for fun !! For years I had this in my collection "Miss I.D. as a Champion Hotwheels"" it does bear a close resemblance except for one thing. I was given the correct I.D. by Chuck (cheese). Do you have a guess or know the name given & manufacture of this mib ?? The answer is already within these forums, paperwork & all.

Mmm Mm !! Peltaliciouse !! ...... ...... Mornin Bill !!

"Happy Peltier Tuesday" Two 3/4" or better favorites

Good grief, don't remind me, why do you think I didn't post any new pix this time?? If I didn't clean and You'd have a hard time even seeing them.

When I was 10 years old my family was moving out of a rental into the house my Grandfather built. My father had just bought it so finally a permanent home. I was carrying one of my Mothers partially filled Dresser drawers out to the truck when I seen a marble rolling around to the side, I said to mom. Whose is that, can I have it ?? She was hesitant at first but picked it up looked at it and gave it to me saying "Don't ever lose this, it was my favorite shooter in school" shooter "what" ??? The seed was planted. I didn't start collecting really seriously till I was 22 or 23 when I was a young man straight out of the Navy after a little runnin around. 1986 I think ?? I remember a running rabbit Sulphide was my first hand made, yeah buddy, I thought I had a real high dollar mib. The aqua slag my Mom had given me was the first machine made, I believe the second was an Akro or Pelt ? not really sure ??. I still have the marble my Mom gave me, countless moves, Married, Widowed, Married again, Divorced, etc. and somehow I still have that marble. It holds "the" prominent place in my collection & many memories that I hope I never forget. It was a little over 11/16ths (at one time) "Thanks Mom"

Today must have bee Ferris Bueller's day off ?? FLASHBACK TIME !!!!!!!!!!!! How much further did you say that marble show was ????????

Wonder how long I'll have to wait here ??

" " Hmm ?? Pretty bleak, maybe or a little or I'm gonna and then ..... Still !!!! .... ............ Oh boy

Hello !!! Is there anyone there ??? Hello !! Hmm !! 99 bottles of .... .. ... .................

"Happy Marble King Monday" Google earth view of the Marble King factory in Padden City W. Va. you can enlarge by clicking on the pic & go to full screen by moving your mouse into the black & back into the picture & clicking again. Phones may be a little different ??

Arrrrr !! Uh Oh !! Time to .... .... can you still see me matey ?? Am I hidden good enough to fool them scallywags' ??

Yes there are transitional w/ crease, pinch & fold pontils, also hand gathered. I didn't wat to get into the multiple kinds as of yet as not to cause any confusion for you. The oldest type is single gather, like a Sulphide, made from a hot glob not a cane, time is your best friend right now, if I were you I'd learn about one kind at a time, a lot to soak in all at once. I'll post a vid made by Brian Graham who owns the last working miller machine so you can see how hand gathers are made, just click on the rollers on this site to see a marble made. YouTube has a great many vids "good Luck" & have fun !! LINK : https://www.briangrahamglass.com/marbles/

Nice score Bruce !!!

Pffft !! .......... ........... Shiver me timbers, I thought I didn't leave any evidence I hope there's no witnesses to me crime ??

Arrr!! they almost beat me to me booty but I managed to peel a little silver & a couple pieces of HTF interior panel oxblood Akroware from their scaly hands more to be had but they fed me some bad fish and put a stopper on the heist.

A fair day, I only spent 20 minutes looking because I feel terrible from the C19 vax. Anyway a Kirk sterling silver nut tray & the last 2 pieces of interior panel oxblood Akroware I needed to complete a set including the HTF lid.

Yes there is such a thing as a pontil. Hand mades all have a pontil "machine mades" like yours don't. Machine3 mades may have a fold or crease because of a manufacture defect. I'll post a few German hand mades w/ pontils. A pontil can be seen on the top end of 6the first pic, aqll these marbles were cut from a cane. These links will give you a head start on learning the difference between a machine made and a handmade marble. LINK : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH2A-Pipf80 Machine made, mass industrial production from a factory in China LINK : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqQK5JY31qMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqQK5JY31qM Hand made LINK : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cXy7gxUtbU There is a myriad of videos on YouTube you can google to get a pretty good idea of the difference, I hope these links & pics help you on your marble journey ?? A pontil at the top (N) pole, of this one also a handmade. This pontil is unfinished, usually especially on the older ones they hit the unfinished end w/ a torch obliterating the pontil in most cases leaving a melted pigtail.

First 2 are Alley, and I'm thinking the same on the third one. You must have got into a mess of them ??

They all look like Alley to me !!

All are contemporary logo marbles, collector value "zero" . There are entire sites on Ebay that sell nothing but these, they come by the case when you get them from a distributor. Here are a few Ebay sales spots. Note, the prices on these sights is inflated. LINK : https://www.ebay.com/str/marbleandmagnetconnection?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 LINK : https://www.ebay.com/sch/krazydazee/m.html? item=164356365100&hash=item2644671b2c%3Ag%3AWxMAAOSwtElekLDt&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 LINK : https://www.ebay.com/str/steelcitymma?_bkw=logo+marbles Time collecting is your best friend, keep right on posting your mibs, especially before you make a purchase of any size, someone here will help you out on I.D. & values.