Alan

All that snow gives him "frosticles".

Front yard scene of the beginning of last weekend's storm (Friday): My back deck that same night: Same scene the next morning: Digging out after last weekend's 32 inch snowfall: Then we received another 18 inches Tuesday night/Wednesday with winds up to 43 mph: Snow drift photo from last night: So we are digging out from 50 inches of snow in 6 days. The region is barely moving. Happiness is a good stick:

100% ground cullet. There are still some people making them from Akro cullet.

Your closest shows will be Ohio (Canton in 2 weeks) or Marlborough, MA in Fall.

I have about ~22 of the Running Rabbit postcards. Here are a few of them: The Holy Grail for handmade collectors:

That reminds me that I need to get a Jody Fine marble pie slice.

I don't see a signature or inscription.

I'll be there. Alan Z

I take it that it lacks a signature of any kind? Look like a generic piece - the kind they sell in gift shops etc.

It doesn't look right. In doesn't even look close to right. There are several qualities about this "box" that call it into question for me.

The record (I think) is held by Josh Simpson - who under a grant by Corning - created a 100 lb+ planet a few years ago. There is a DVD of it - well worth watching. It took him many tries over the span of a year, changes in technique and a lot of innovation. On the more sane front - Josh and others regularly turn out 5-8" diameter weights... up to 10" dia (the latter being more corporate display pieces IMO). The problem (I think) with very large weights is both technical and artistic....more of the latter I think. The technical is just mechanics, weight on the punty and a longer anneal. As a weight gets larger - controlling the design very well becomes more difficult. I own large Simpsons in the 3.5" range, Matthews at 3.25", and Harry Besset and Lundberg pieces > 3" dia. - so my sense is that is around the larger sizes targeted by many artists. Here are some really large Simpson pieces - the largest being around 10" dia.: Alan

Possibly done by Civil War soldiers in trenches around Atlanta?

While it is styled after a Jetson-like design - in my opinion it is rather crudely formed. Lacking any artist association - it looks like someone's early work. The size doesn't really come into the valuation until the marble, its design and the artist's execution "is there". IMO - that is lacking in the piece. With no artist association - IME the size doesn't become much of a factor. Of course you might find a person who falls in love with it and doesn't care about these things. In that case - its just a matter of agreeing on price.

Charles Gibson from Gibson Glass.

Here is a high res scan of it:

I have the original postcard and probably the videotape.

Good pics - thanks for posting them! Good to see some folks that I know.

and.........

Take care not to temperature shock the marbles.

The funny thing is that it was free. It came from a digger in a box that contained an Akro Agate machine funnel (I'm a sucker for Akro marble machine parts) and some cullet and misc. junk. I confess that it has a flat spot.

The Popeye in question is truly an Akro Agate-produced piece, unmolested in the same shape as it was dug on the site.