We now seem to be up to four types of Euro marbles that have been called "sparklers" recently.
Type 1A: The first time I heard the term (I think from Paul), it referred to marbles like Pinx's single marble, which looks from this particular photo like the vane is very flat. There's a related variety that's strigier, with bulges (Type 1B). Some of that type can be seen in Jon's post at the beginning of this discussion, and in Andrea's example. Paul mentioned these two varieties and commented on which he found to be more common in England. Unfortunately, I don't remember which type that was! I've never seen an eBay lot with these in any type of packaging.
Type 2 "sparklers" are the marbles from the bags that Pinx shows in her latest post, which just look "different" to me. I think it's the coloring as much as the structure. In addition to Pinx's paper-header bag, I've bought these in headerless plastic bags (with printing), and there have been at least 3 eBay lots in the last 12-24 months containing 40 of these marbles in a "Camel" box, coming out of Germany. Two or three years ago I bought 10 or 15 of these loose, from a German eBayer. Oddly, I don't think I've every received one of these marbles in a mixed lot from Europe, nor have I seen one on eBay. While I certainly haven't looked at every eBay lot, I have to doubt that this type was widely sold at the same time as Types 1A, 1B, and 4, which I've purchased in mixed lots from a number of different sellers in (at least) Germany and the UK.
Type 3: An example of this type of "sparkler" is the marble John posted. It looks like about a dozen approx.-1-inchers I bought here in DC in the 70's at an antique store (I think). though they weren't sold or priced as antiques. These look more like traditional American cat's eyes to me than the first two types described above, though with lots of shading in the coloring. The coloring in mine varies slightly, but they're very like John's--mostly in the white-yellow-orange-red range. (No camera, thus no photos to post; sorry.) I haven't noticed these in eBay lots at all. Are they all 1" (or larger?). I'm wondering: Is it certain that these are European rather than early Vacor?
Type 4 "sparklers" are Euro marbles that remind me of transparent, very thready, Master sunbursts. Mine of this type usually have only one or two colors, mainly white and/or blue. Several English sellers have had these recently, sometimes mixed with the Type 1A and 1B sparklers (and other machine-mades that are obviously post-World War II). Kris's third photo contains two marbles that may be representative of this type, the green one at the 7 o'clock position and the blue one at 3 o'clock. The ones I have are about 5/8", though I've seen eBay photos of larger ones. I've never seen these in packaging.
I might mention that I traveled to Europe (including Germany, France, Netherlands, and England) in 1972, 1975, and 1978, asking about marbles at antique stores and markets and keeping my eyes open in toy stores as well. I found handmades in England and no other glass marbles of interest. I can't say that the various types of "sparklers" were not being sold somewhere at that time, but I never encountered them. What I remember finding in one or two toy stores (German or Dutch) during those early trips is colorful spotted clay marbles, not glass at all. Of course, I would have ignored marbles that looked a lot like what I knew from home--plain cat's eyes, patches, clearies, etc.
We seriously need a book on European machine-made marbles!
Ann Craven
