Chad G.

Electric colors are shades of a certain color that pop out at you more than normal. A regular shade of orange will be indistinguishable from a bunch of mibs the same color or shade, throw an electric orange one in a group of a hundred and you can pick it out in a second. Most electric colors are from batch glass, a purer form of making marble glass instead of running one color on top of the other and mixing them. Christensen was well known for it's electric colors, google some pix of Christensen electric slags or striped opaque's and you'll see what I mean. They where far and above in their glass quality and recipes for color. A few other companies made batch glass also but competition was frowned upon. A very competitive market in the day. You'll have to do a little digging but will quickly pick up on the difference, I wondered the same thing years ago when I heard of "electric colors" I believe "Ravenswood" also made some batch glass or so I've "recently" learned. Chad G.

I received two marbles in the mail today from a very good friend, lost in the mail and late on top of that. No money involved just sharing the Friendship we have with each other. Though separated by thousands of miles an ocean and half a continent we have come together, two like minded people to share in the great hobby of marble collecting. Never met and probably never will until we all do someday, but still the best of friends. I can't express what I felt when I opened the package today, the value of the marbles is of no consequence, it's the fact of being a gift from someone I've never met. Where else but here, great friends, great fun, sometimes we don't agree but agree to disagree until proven otherwise. I am truly grateful to all my marble Brothers and Sisters, and for the friendships I have, and continue to build here. A great place to be Chad G.

I hope it helps you out Bonnie !! Being reflective, made of glass and round a marble is probably the hardest thing I've ever photographed, but I am improving after many many attempts and some good advice I have improved and still getting better.

I know you like the akro's w/ black in them Jess, a good example Ron has above, I'm playin catchup but have a long ways to go. Here's another special I just got with black, yellow and kind of a custard base to it. By the way Ron thems some "killer limeades" they're gettin to be pretty scarce now a day's especially with any appreciable amount of ox in em like those.

Yes it's black av. Bruce, like the blue and white Alley swirl I have pictured above, mostly black w/ some silver here and there. The mib you have is a very nice example of black av. Also comes in blue, silver, red, green and a few other variations, "from what I gather" the higher the temp the smaller and darker the av. particles become. I may be off a little but the av. in your mib is perfectly normal. Many of my Alleys have Black av. mixed with a little silver or green, I like the way it gives things in the marble an outline. Your marble isn't inferior but an excellent example of black av., a "keeper" Hopefully this helped you a little bit Bruce. Chad

It appears you need a macro lens to bring your pix into focus Bonnie, if you are using your cell Jess just bought a really good clip on for her phone, the post is on "General marble glass chat" under "new macro lens " I hope this helps you out !! Chad

Take it in stride Ron, the "majority" knows what's up, if someone doesn't want to learn so be it. Let it be at their expense not yours. You are an intricate and valued part of this forum and the marble community as a whole. If I already knew the answer to my own questions what would be the purpose of coming here. I am here to learn more about this hobby, something I love to do and have been doing for over half my life, things change, much of what I learned 20 yrs. ago is no longer viable today. "You have nothing to be sorry about my friend" giving a little helpful advice will only be accepted by those wanting to learn and willing to receive it.

I had a feeling there might be a marble, thanks for sharing the pix Roby, what a nice mib !! Are they common in Italy ??

Love the red on black opaque, glad to see someone still likes hand mades, great marbles thanks for sharing Ron !!

Nice Hand Mades Ron

x3, master brushed patch, another couple views of the red slag might also prove to be something other than CAC. For your photo back ground use a more "neutral" color, maybe start out w/ a grey color, something w/o a sheen to add reflection to your photos and enhance showing the actual color scheme and base color of the mib. Black is Ok, I often use it my self, only on marbles it's beneficial to use a dark background to better view the glass .Cloth materials work good for me, nothing to refract the light or add another reflection to an already hard to photograph medium. With a little ( maybe a lot as in my case ) of experimentation your pix will get better and better as you go.

I'm glad to finally see someone w/ old hand mades, they're a big part of what I seriously started collecting in the late 80's early 90's and I still love. I have few more hand made but no Jabo w/ lutz, for the time they were made they where and still are some extremely beautiful mibs, no doubt a great selling point 100-150 yrs ago. Thanks for sharing the pics Ric, the clown looking onion ( maybe I believe I see some separation in the color, so maybe a coat ) either way it's outstanding.

A triple dip of type 1's, 2 powder blue and one royal.

I'm workin on gettin some Jabo w/ lutz in em, hopefully soon, Killer mibs Dink !! No shortage of the lutz on that one !!

Vitro cat eyes, some caged. maybe some mixed manufacture, but all cats.

Nice onion Bruce

Pelt Golden rebel w/ av. in the yellow, red, and black. Oop's!! sorry for the repeat, my mind isn't what it used to be.

A baby powder blue type 1

type 1 dark blue banded

Murano glass from Italy, with some nice chunky lutz. A garage sale find. Wish I had a marble that looked like the first pic maybe w/ more colors, a kind of E.O.D. mib. I know !!! only marbles but I had to show the unreal amount of lutz in this.

Onionskin Lutz Another onion another skin in the sunlight

Type 1, 1.18"

Some Jabo ??

My alleys are either plastered w/ av. or dusted, the first two look like someone just walked by and spilled a little in the air, the second two look like someone fell on them with a bucket of av. I prefer happy medium, but am happy just to have some.

Sweet Alley Ric. A very underrated mib in my opinion !!