Alan

The handmade market is showing softness right now - which to me means "BUY!". I would buy mint sulphides with good figure placement and detail without hesitation. I bought a really nice handmade last weekend at the New Philly that would have cost me twice the price in an average market - so I see the soft market segment as an oportunity.

Al of the sulphide coins that I have seen were roughly 3 times as thick as the one pictured.

Killer Pelts: A PHENOMENAL set of Pee Wees: Killer Bricks, slags, Pekts etc: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. I will not insult or attack others, and I'll accept nothing less from them or the moderators. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

I took a lot of photos at the New Philly show and thought that I would share them with others. It was a very good show with quite a quantity and array of quality marbles for sale. Kudos to Steve Smith for putting it all together. Enjoy the pics! Alan (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this large amount content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

IIRC the Fairlylite toy company was owned by the Graham Brothers in the UK. It manufacturerd and imported from Japan. The logo below looks like a match to yours:

The thought crosses my mind that it would not be inconceivable for it to be Jabo.

(Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked behaviors by others on this board. My apologies to those who will not benefit from it in the future.)

For a "hand gathered" marble - the gaffer picks up a quantity of hot glass on the end of a steel rod (known as a punty) using a circular motion. That hot (and flowing) glass is then held over the marble machine and is allowed to drip at a reasonably constant flow rate into a machine which takes a small portion of the hot glass and rounds it into a sphere. A helper stands near the hot glass gather with glass shears to cut the appropriate quantitiy of glass for each marble. In a handmade marble - a cane of glass is slowly constructed in a series of successive steps to build a design in the form of a cylinder on the end of a punty. For a Latticinio core swirl or example - the gaffer would pick up a quantity of clear glass and begin to gradually form it into a cylinder - perhaps 4" in diameter or so. This is Harry Bessett demonstrating at Wheaton Village: The gaffer will use calipers to know the circumference of the cylinder and will adjust towards a specific circumference. That circumference is important for the next step - picking up individual thin color rods that will form the latticinio core. The color rods are placed on a marver plate (usually steel) with parallel grooves to hold the color rods to be picked up. The rods are heated by an assistant to bring them to a temperature similar to that of the cylinder to allow them to adhere and to avoid temperature shock. An assistant heats the color rods on a white grooved marver plate: When the cane cyliner is the right dimension - it is laid on the end of the grooved marver and slowly rotated across the face of the marver - picking up the latticinio rods. If the dimension is correct - the rods will be evenly spaced after the last one is picked up (if not - there will be a gap). The cylinder and rods will go into the gloryhole to be heated together and go to the steel marver table to be pressed together evenly. Then back to the gloryhole. Another gather of clear is made on to of the core rods. Rememer that the cylinder is still quite thick - 4-6" or so. If you look closely you can see the latticion core color rods inside the clear: If it is a two stage piece (outer bands) - the artist will prepare to pick up outer color rods (which may also become flattened ribbons) in the same way the core was set-up on a grooved marver plate. The outer rods are picked up, heated, rolled on the marver and one last gather of clear is collected from the pot. This is now rolled into a even cylinder. Back into the glory hole for re-heating: Back to the marver for shaping and smoothing: Here is a pic of Geoff Beetem using the marver: That cylinder is likely larger in diameter than the desired marbles - so it is "pulled down" to a smaller diameter. This is done by re-heating it evenly (end to end) and having an assistant grasp the end of the thick cane with a tool and pulling in opposite directions until the desired diameter is reached. (This pic is of pulling murrini cane - but it is the same process) The artist then uses glass shears to cut off the end of the cane - which is a somewhat ragged collection of colors and uneven glass. That new "end" of the cane is the start of a marble and is rounded into a sphere by use of a wet hardwood cup. The artist then sits and uses a pair of jacks to begin narrowing the cane at a point by constantly revolving the punty - back and forth (remember that the cylinder of glass is hot and fairly soft). This continues until the marble takes its spherical shape. Geoff Beetem: The "neck" of the marble narrows until the artist is ready to remove it from the cane like this: Geoff Beetem fire polishing the pontil: Voila - a new handmade marble! Hope this helps! Alan

I can't say for sure without handling it - but it apears to be handgathered slag-ish to me. The photos are marginally lit so I can't be sure - but I don't see details that would lead me to believe that the red is oxblood.

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others. This support to the board community is apparently not valued.)

I would say that the marble on the right is a definite. The one on the left is a little hard for me to get a feel for - so I would have to withold a call on it. Alan

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others. This support to the board community is apparently not valued.) You are free to use these photos without restriction for your personal uses but they may not be used on/in for-profit websites or publications. Contact me if you have a question.

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others. This help is apparently not valued.) Part V A mix of Ravenswood greens - transparents and mostly opaques: Two very nice transparent blues - which may be variants of the 4 posted in the premium group: More transparents: Shifting to opaques once again: I found these mixed with the common Ravenswood swirls that came from the 1987 find crates. End Part V

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others. This help is apparently not valued.) Continuing the transparent varieties: End Part IV

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others. This help is apparently not valued.)

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others. This support to the board community is apparently not valued.) Also in the premium classification group are gray swirls. The next premium type is an opaque white based swirl ... The next premium type is a Ravenswood version of a Coral. The next premium type is a clear matrix with bright blue and white swirls The last premium type I'll be describing is a marble that didn't jump out at me when I fist saw it. It is a very dark cobalt blue marble that appears almost opaque.... This concludes premium types that I will cover in this writing - although there are a few more that exist. End Part II

It genuinely pains me to choose to do this as this thread has been a great help to many people over the years with validated Ravenswood examples for them to compare their unknown marbles to, but: (Unfortunately, I have chosen to remove this large amount of content due to unchecked, uncorrected bad behaviors by members on this board. The Moderators have chosen to allow such provocations, call-outs and offensive writings by members known for doing this. My apologies to those who will not benefit from this thread in the future. I put a great deal of time into creating this thread and accompanying quality photos it as a community member trying to help others.)