Shamrock Marbles

Found a candlestick set on Ebay. Considering that the signature has to fit on a 0.7" diameter marble, I believe these to be a match. John Besett Signature

Royal, Thanks for the link! Well. I think I answered my own question. I believe these marbles to be made by Harry Besett. The last loop is not a "D", but a return stroke to finish the "tt". Picked up at Wheaton Village Marble Show 2005 or 2006. Thanks! John

Drawing a complete blank on these two marbles. Does anyone recognize the signature? The blue marble is 0.71" diameter. The white & pink marble measures 0.73" diameter.

Steph, Sweet Barton's! Thanks for sharing!! John

Let us see more of those Barton Beauties! What's in the "Tower" box? Sincerely, John

Edward Muscat (1961 ~ 2017) Same Cane Marble Set 2001

Bottom view.

Bought this at Amana 2003. I think it is an Andy Davis, but the signature is too rough. Thoughts? Sincerely, John

Mark Matthews' Micro-Signature (Matthews JM 2013): "Gum Ball" marble is 1-1/8" diameter (nominal). Signature is about 1/4" long. John

A marble that became a lemon.

John Hamon Miller 2001 (1-1/8" DIA)

Photo above is from Google search images. John

Craig, Can you tell if your advertisement is color printed or hand colored? There is a "red" ad on the internet. Thanks for sharing! John

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5JhQeiGAnOk George Harrison interview. "We play marbles."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble

Morphy Auction's photo (found in Steph's Study Hall): 10A?

Mike, Great info, as always. Marble manufacturers have obliterated any line of distinction. Obviously, Peltier Prima Agates are not really stone, but are made to ressemble such. Glass Marbles aren't made of marble. Where's the Onyx in a glass "Onyx" marble? What is a "Flint" marble? How does a CA Flint differ from an Akro Flint? Is "Flint" to be taken literally or figuratively? Are the marbles really meant to appear like flint stone? Here is a sphere of "Banded Flint" or "Striped Flint". Lovely. John

What about the "A"? Could it stand for "Attractive" box? On the bottom right of the Pressman ad, right beside No 25, No 50 and No 100 are the words: "Attractive Box with Onyx Marbles and leatherette Bag." The bright graphics on the box would attract attention and boost sales. John

Craig, Would not those be "Milkies"? The Pressman ad has "Milkys or Moons". I assume Moonies are translucent and the Milkies are opaque, bright white. Again, hope those with knowledge to comment. John

I can't disagree. My guess is that the glass marble industry used terms formerly used to describe stone marbles to drive sales. American Agate, Onyx, Carnelian, etc. I was assuming CA used "Flints" to describe their glass marble. Now, Borax is added to glass to make it tougher and more durable. Could "Flints" be made of glass with a stronger composition. Perfect for a shooter. Made of glass, but hard as stone? Akro added Borax for their pressware glass (Helmer's notes). Could the CA Flint be referring to glass with a high refractive index due to lead or potassium? Or, are Flints those that ressemble reddish flint tools? A CA box with "Flints" stamped on it would be nice to see. John

Craig, That was my second post. The first post is at the end of Page 1 and is my "speculation" as to what "A" means. Now back to "Cost" and "Price"... Wholesale "Cost" is typically 50% of Retail "Price". If you buy 1,000 "Flints" at $20.00 ($0.02 each), then you would need to retail them at 4-cents or a nickel apiece. What made a "Flint" worth so much more that a kid would pay 10x more than a "base" marble? In a cost competitive environment, it would be difficult to sell. In fact, the letter you have, is in response to competitive pressures. Not only are they discounting the marbles, but they are touting their quality of color versus the others. Your letter is dated a little over a year after the Crash of '29. Akro, Peltier, Master and Alley (possibly Alox) are supplying the marble market. CA "Flint" marbles had to have a "WOW" factor to get those prices. A loaf of bread was about 5-cents. Don't get me wrong, the box of pastel opaque marbles are beautiful as a set, but could they command a higher price than a Guinea? If you were a kid back in 1930 and the price was the same, what would you chose? Guinea or Pastel Opaque? Sincerely, John

Still having problems with "descriptions" and "pricing". SIZE 0 (5/8" diameter) "Professional" (New 2 Color) $2.00 / 1,000 pcs [Base Cost] "Favorite" (Regular) $2.20 / 1,000 pcs [1.1x] "Champion" (New 3 Color) $3.40 / 1,000 pcs [1.7x] "Bloodies" $7.50 / 1,000 pcs [3.75x] "Guinea" $9.00 / 1,000 pcs [4.5x] "Moonies" $11.50 / 1,000 pcs [5.75x] "Flints" $20.00 / 1,000 pcs [10x] 1) What made "Bloodies" so expensive? 2) What made "Moonies" 1.28x more expensive than a "Guinea"? 3) What is a "Flint"? Any photos? Why did is cost 2.2x more than a "Guinea"? Or 10x more than a "Professional" marble? Where "Flints" what we would call "Layered Sand" marbles [or possibly "Exotics"]? Was the high cost due to materials and the time for hand-gathering? Sincerely, John

Is the answer at the bottom right of the photo? The No. 25, 50 and 100 come in an "Attractive" Box and leatherette Bag. So, does "A" mean "Attractive". 5 = $2.25 / gross 5A = $2.70 / gross (+$0.45 / gross) 10 = $5.00 / gross 10A = $6.10 / gross (+$1.10 / gross) You either have "Plain" Boxes for Bulk or attractive, bright "Printed" boxes for retail. Printed boxes cost more to make. John

Craig, Super awesome! Thank you for sharing such wonderful information. Guinea / Size 0 / $9.00 per M. Flint / Size 0 / $22.00 per M. What would be considered a "Flint"? Why would it be 2.4x more expensive? Sincerely, John