The Nickel Guy

I am all set up to make some myself. I have read that just using your fingertip in small circles will produce a rounder marble. I think letting them sit for awhile and then making them round again might help before baking. They get flat spots if the clay is too soft I have heard. Let them rest a bit after forming. There is also a simple machine or tool if you like that makes same size and perfectly round marbles. I was going to get one just a few nights ago online. But I am going to do more research about which ones are best. Here's a link to what I was looking at. I am NOT endorsing this product. I saw a woman made a roller out of an Elmer's glue bottle so where there's a will, there's a way.

Welcome to Marbleconnection!

I learned an awful lot watching those videos over and over. I learned a lot here too. I also learned there's a lot I don't know and it sometimes feels overwhelming. There are some really nice people here on Marbleconnection.com Welcome Dolee9!

Welcome! I must confess, it is the cats eyes, common Akro Agates, Marble King rainbows and Vitros that are from my school days and that's what will always be favorites in my collection. Just for the nostalgia and well, beauty too. There are many kinds that fetch a lot of money but I am a collector first. I want my marble bag full. Funny though, I bet a lot of my childhood marbles had dings and chips. I don't remember but if they did I don't think it made a difference to me back then. It does now though, I like mine as new looking as possible.

William, I think we have the same kind of stuff and some are almost in the same kind of places. It is uncanny the similarities in what we collected, especially in the glass enclosed curio up top. I have Baker S&P, heavy spiral art glass like that tall bottle, hunningbirds, dolphins, and fish bottles. That black Akro lidded jar, I have in green. LOL. And that ain't all.

I have some neat Popeyes, Snakes and Corkscrews, They are easy for me to figure out. These have been stacking up on me and I still can't figure a Master Marble Comet or Meteor from an Akro Agate Royal or Hero. I think I have some in these images. I know I have some Moss Agates. A couple yellow ones light up under UV. I have some Akro Agate in the second picture too but these are not easy for me. Even with studying seams on them I start to get frustrated. My gut feeling is that I am on the right track though as I am thinking half might be Akro Agates and in the smaller group there has to be a few winners. Obviously some are not but I have not ID-ed those yet or put them with their like kind.

Here is a group shot of my complete set of 1952 Topps Look 'N See cards. ( click on image to make it large - All are bright white, but some appear yellow as I took the images at different times. ) All pretty nice. One of the key cards is the Babe Ruth and mine (shown) is one of the lower condition of the set if not the worst. I spent a long time putting this together. 135 card set #15 Babe Ruth has always the been an expensive and key card of the set. I estimate mine is worth well over a couple hundred dollars. My complete set is probably worth somewhere between $1000 and $2000. #104 Queen Elizabeth II is now getting a lot of attention and collectors are paying more than they were a couple years ago. I am sure this is because of her recent Platinum Jubilee. I am partial to certain people in the set. Teddy Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill, Custer, Annie Oakley and Joan of Arc while others would have been disappointing to find in a freshly opened pack. There was a red cellophane sheet included in packs which I have to read answers to the trivia questions on the backs of each card. Some short printed cards that command higher prices. #82 Rembrandt #88 Roald Amundsen #98 Adlai Stevenson Cards are printed on large sheets. Sometimes on the sheet layout there will always be several of the same card, maybe a couple of another and there are some that only appeared once on the sheet. Often sheets were put in the "cutter" in stacks and not placed squarely in position. This would explain the "off center" cards as a finished product. I don't have a wax pack wrapper, but do have a picture that I will get printed out the next time I go to Staples and set along side my set that resides i a wooden cheesebox.

My hat is off to you Nantucketdink and all you people who can figure out what runs this family of marbles came from. I have some but for me, I just like them a lot no matter what they are. I do have some ID-ed but that's only because I got them as such.

Ah yes, 1 inch are the Berry Pinks. I heard that before but forgot. I will be settling for foreign on this pretty marble. Thank you very much everyone!

When I first had it in between my fingers, I must confess, Berry Pink came into my head but that would be too good to be true. I still like this marble no matter what it is.

Yes I did think it was an Akro. I am still on the fence but for now it may be a single ribbon Vitro. Still somewhat unsure. Please let us know what you learn. Thanks!

This marble looks a lot like my recent post. Like they were separated at birth kinda same. Mine glows bright under UV too.

Super nice oldies. You must have been very good this year Wolf.

I am so happy you like the Christmas present @disco005. Your pictures sure are excellent. We had a great exchange for sure. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season and a very Happy New Year!

It's all the same one, just different views.

This is a pretty and mellow 5/8th marble. The lines are not sharp and you can see both ends of the patch which I assume connect to the poles. The colors are yellow, light blue, pink, tan and brown on white. I am not able to figure it out but it is the only one of these I have. It is not Vacor, I am sure of it as it could maybe be mistaken for a Unicorn type or Pan American. Not one of them. Except for some blur, these images are pretty close to what the marble looks like in hand. It does glow orange on the yellow a bit under UV. Thank you.

Thanks for that Fire. I had come up with numerous other possiblities. LOL

Now seems to be the appropriate time to ask . . . What pray tell, is RAR in your signature?

Haha That wasn't going to work. I like Marble King and I like those green aventurine a whole lot. I like 'em all a whole lot. I think I might have an Akro to rest up next to that cullet. Don't work too hard.

Yessir ! Fun Fun Fun.

Thank you duotine. Yes I have a few of the red swirl ones, they are cool too. I appreciate you taking the time to look in your book and respond with the verdict.

Oh boy disco005 !!! You are so kind. I'll be the first here to report that a cool package was delivered today. I looked like Ralphie tearing into that box like it was an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! Put your sunglasses on so you don't hurt your eyes with these greenish wispy 21/32" marbles loaded with sparkling aventurine. I don't know what they are yet but they are . . . Awesome I am informed that these are Marble King Aventurine. Then there is this cool cullet. It is turquoise and orange stripes and of pretty good size. I am told this is an Akro Agate Cullet and it is so groovy. But I was super surprised to find a set of Akro Agate Snakes. Yellow, Blue, White, Green, Orange and . . . RED! What? A red Akro Agate Snake! Of course all of them are great examples but I am a lucky dawg to have disco005 as my trading partner. Thank you so much and Merry Christmas to you and all the fine people on Marble Connection Forum. I never even thought I'd see a red snake in my hand let alone HAVE ONE. Wowee!

I put them in the frame of WVS Swirls along with others I have that don't have the more common white base.

No this one does no glow. It will go in the Vitro section. I am glad it has oxblood so I can study that. It is a strange one. Maybe somebody else has something similar. Thanks again Fire, you have helped me out a lot.

Thanks duotone!