delkins

Fantastic thread! Just as an FYI, I was in Clarksburg a few weeks ago and stopped by the Hardy's shop. Roger said that a "local businessman" purchased what is essentially the soil and rights to dig it from a local landowner. I don't know the details, who's or where's, but he said this guy was going to get a backhoe, dig up this guys ground, haul it away to be picked through, and then refill the hole with new fill. I think he said it was going down this month. I guess the guy isn't a collector but wants to sell the finds. It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, comes out of it. -Dave

Jane beat me to it, Leroy. LOL. Here are a few of mine. The first I'd call a vaseline slag, then aqua, then white. The last one I believe to be a WV flame, so swirl, not slag, but its close. I just got my first white slag this past weekend. I never see them. -Dave

Thanks, Dan. I do know, from the photos I've seen, that the "Liberty" no. 200 tin has corkscrew onyxs in it and is thought to date from late WWII. No big surprise there, I suppose, that the slags were gone by then. It would be awesome to know when the differnt salesman's sample boxes were put together. Of course, stuff could always have been backfilled too. Fun thread! -Dave

Thanks, Galen! -Dave

I think its interesting that their clear-based corkscrews are known as onyxs. Like it was their spinner-cup substitution for the slag. It seems to me that onyx and striped onyx are often used to describe different marbles. Their 1931 ad "The Akro Line is Complete" describes onyx's as being slags, and then spirals as being clear-based corkscrews IMHO. However, the books seem to abound with "spirals" in "onyx" packaging. Just some stuff I've been thinking about. I like this kind of stuff. Thanks for humoring me. LOL! -Dave

Thanks Orbboy! -Dave

I think its interesting that if you look at a salesman's sample box, you see prizenames, popeyes, sparklers, slags, etc... but you don't see oxbloods, cornelians, carnelians, or ades. Its my hypothesis that these were all some of the first marbles made by them on Early's machines. Its interesting, though, that it seems slag production continued alongside the corks, unless it was all old stock by that time. Entirely my humble opinion. Fun stuff! -Dave

Thanks Galen. It would be awesome to have a timeline of their marbles, like it would seem popeyes are earlier than prizenames, etc. I was reading last night that there was talk in 1997 of doing an archeological type excavation of the foundation of parts of the factory and being able to date marbles by under which additions to the original factory they were found. But, alas, it never happened. I see, though, that original advertising is also a great way to date stuff. Thanks for sharing it. -Dave

Steph, I was under the impression that a tri-onyx was a popeye, and that lemonade oxbloods, eggyolk oxbloods, etc, were called imperials. Imperials being Akros "fancier" line of marbles. Just what I think I've heard, I could certainly be wrong. -Dave

Thanks Brad. Yeah, they came from the same place and are more than likely dug from Akro. It is interesting the variety in them though(glass color, opacity, sizes, etc.). I, personally, believe that some are MFCs dumped at Akro. The story goes they came from an older gentlemans estate who collected for 20+ years in the Clarksburg area, so I have no idea when they were dug. I'll have to talk to Roger Hardy next time I'm down that way and see where and when they were finding these old ones. I think some of the dump sites are now under concrete. I've gotten a handful of opalescent ones from this collection. -Dave

Sorry...I'm trying to make this bigger. -Dave

Here ya go. I'm not the best photographer. -Dave

Hey Brad. I'll get some up after I finish my yard work. -Dave

Here are a few I picked up today. -Dave

LOL @ "Doobage" Stunning marbles, Mike. -Dave

Man, you mean people took them out of the packaging? LOL. And here's a picture of the poster that I snagged from Al off of LOM. -Dave

Nice patches everyone. I kinda dig patches on clear 'n I love me some Vitros. -Dave

Yeah, Rick. Being the talented artist that you are, I would think it would only take you a little practice with jewelry making to be on your way. I watch them do it all the time on DIY(Do it yourself network) and they make it look easy. I guarantee its a helluva lot easier than painting good realism, man. Like Scoop said, for $250 you could probably get everything ya need and then some, I would imagine. Cool pieces BTW. -Dave

Love how he spikes his hair in the front. That kid's got style! He's adorable, RoadDog. -Dave

Mmmmm....slags. My newest addition that I got on Monday. -Dave

Thats pretty cool, Dustin. I've never seen nor heard of one. I remeber reading in Greenberg's Guide, I think, that they made a red solid called a tomato, but I think that was later. I've never seen one of those either. Cool Mib! -Dave

Hey Al, what are the Vitro Spinners? -Dave

Thanks for the info, Ron, I didn't know that. Steph, that's one darn-cool marble. -Dave

Hey Steph. Here's a cage horseshoe and a bag from Anacortes, WA which is 1989-92 I believe and within which you can see some more. -Dave

This thread is killing me! Anyone know what plasma's going for these days? -Dave