wvrons

I think those are the First and Second run from Boyce, not Brian Graham. I have the same marbles. Mike B, also added most of the colors for Boyce's marble runs at Jabo. I was there with them. He also made most or all the packages for Boyce.

People wonder why marbles can be so confusing ??? Most times it is because collectors and dealers made it that way. One word, wrong word or words placed backwards can make a big difference for many years ahead. Miller machine swirl marbles. Once it is in print, it is almost impossible to ever change it I probably correct people to much. I am sure people get tired of it. But sometimes it can be important to have it correct. Little things tend to grow over time. A shooter is 3/4 inch, not 7/8 or one inch. Could be a big book done on marbles wrong beliefs. A solid ball bearing is a type of marble a steelie and used with marbles, LOL. Some people shrug their shoulders and turn their head. But small items even one word can lead or continue leading people down the wrong path. Only we will ever change it for the future.

Most marble machines were on wheels in order to be moved easily. The had to be moved in and out under the furnace to change marbles size. Each marble size requires a different size set of rollers. How many different size Peltier swirl marbles have you seen ? Each size would require a different size machine. How many different sizes of Miller machines did Peltier have ? Jabo's normal standard production was swirl style marbles. Marble King normal standard production was patch and ribbon style marbles. I ask both company owners Dave and Beri, why they each did not make both styles marbles. It was nothing but a friendly agreement between them. That MK would always make the patch and ribbon marbles and Jabo would make the swirl marbles. Either one could have and did on rare occasions. Make either style marble on the same machines. Everything upstream or before the marble machine affects the style type or pattern of the marbles. The marble machine just makes it round.

I think it has a very good chance of being Peltier. The one feed, of the four feeds of white color just ran empty of color. So there are only three white ribbons instead of four.

Figure 8. They are not easy to find. Nola has only found about ten of them in the last three years at shows.

Lots of false myths around Miller. The first Miller machine that Peltier had was a hand gather machine. The first marbles Peltier produced were hand gathered slags. The miller machine had nothing at all to do with the pattern of the marble, if it was a patch, ribbon or swirl. I have never ever found out how many, if more than one Miller machine Peltier had ???? Akro had Miller machines. The marble machine just makes the hot glass glob round. It does not make any type pattern or style of marble. That all happens ahead or upstream, at the furnace, the flow to other special equipment or the shear and through the shear then down to the marble machine. Where the hot elongated glass gob is rounded into a marble. Brian Graham now owns the Miller machine which Peltier had. He has made marbles with it several times. None of those marbles are swirls or look anything like any Peltier marble. The exact same marble machine can make a swirl marble or a patch or a patch and ribbon style marble. I have done it on one single machine for about ten hours straight. Switching from patch to swirl and to patch and ribbon, many times over the ten hours pone night at Jabo. I had four other people helping and witnessed it. Most people here have heard me talk many years about that, a marble machine just makes the hot glass glob round. The marble machine does not make any pattern or certain style marble. A old myth that will never go away in my lifetime.

I have helped with seven or eight marble books. American Machine Made Marbles is one of the best. Myself, Al and many others helped with that book for over seven years before it was published. I have posted here regular for many years and also steady over at All About Marbles many years since its start. The archives there are full of my stories, pictures and info. The info that I have posted there in all the different sections would be over 1000 pages in a book. If I every did(which I doubt do)a book, I would have to leave these two marble web sites, probably miss some shows and let the farm go for a year. Then get someone to edit it. It would take lots of time plus I am getting to old to take on new long projects now. A lot of my marble experiences are out there, you just have to search for it. I hope some people have kept some of it for the future. Thank you for the nice comments ! It is nice to hear. It makes it worth the effort.

Alley but no name. Not that many Alleys have names compared to other companies. I named many of the first named Alleys about 2005-2006. Blue Sky was the first one and Blue Lady was the second.

Jabo Jorkscrew . I have a black and yellow Popeye made at Jabo that has fooled hundreds of collectors in hand at many shows. Some Jabo marbles turned into nice corkscrew patterns. Akro was the only machine made marble company to make steady corkscrew pattern marbles as standard production. With special equipment to do it steady. But lots of companies had accidental true corkscrew pattern marbles. Very little with marbles is all, always or never. Want a challenge, yes separate WV swirl marbles. Ask Ric why he decided to study and collect WV swirls years ago.

At 7/8 size. I can say that I have never seen(that I remember)a white base, bright yellow and red Alley swirl like these. But that does not mean that it is not possible by any means. ????? I have looked at them trying for Peltier twisted K & M. I have looked at them for Akro messed up corks. Vacor, Jabo. ??????????? They seem to fit Alley traits ?????????

To many love the WV swirls the last several years.

CAC and German

What color are they yellow and red ? Or yellow and brown ? Colors have to be accurate to get a accurate id.

I still see Vitro. The second group of pictures helped me. The third one down has the very typical V fold in the brown and white. The same butt crack fold as Jabo because Jabo was using the original Vitro machines, shears and set up with the short glass stream from the furnace to the shear. You can also see the v fold in the second picture in the brown. I don't see the normal number of ribbons for Peltier. it does not flip flop like some Peltier. Odd color combination for Peltier. Vitro used these colors in lots of marbles. How many Peltier do you have with this V fold ? If Peltier, is it NLR or Rainbo ? Looks more Vitro and Akro with that white wing pattern to me than Peltier.

I see a sneaky CAC in there.

What size ?

x3 Alley

Alley Shimmering Spruce produced at the Alley St.Marys WV location and named by Felica Delp of PA. Made in sizes from pee wee to one inch. There are also Blue Shimmering Spruces, white base, Blue aventurine swirl. Plus Blue and Green aventurine together Shimmering Spruces on white base. Plus there are some with Blue and Silver together aventurine swirls on a white base. At least 95-98% of all Alley marbles with aventurine were produced at St,Marys. At least 95-98% of all Alley marbles with gold lutz or gold aventurine were produced at St.Marys.

I think that I see metallic and metallic splotches in the black or dark purple swirl. Metallic is more common in Jabos than Alleys. At 3/4 inch you always have to be careful of being Jabo. One picture looks blue base and the other picture looks white base. The second picture has the Jabo butt crack fold in the base. The pattern looks good for Alley but Jabo had some with identical Alley patterns. But it looks like it has some wear and age. I want it to be Alley. But might need it in hand or more pictures to say for sure.

Some of the best quality and pattern marbles Alley produced were made at Sistersville. Why ? Because they are older. All older machine made marbles are better quality glass and colors. A reason older machine made marbles are higher values. As time went by each company had to cut cost to compete. More companies, more competition, more marbles = cost cutting. Cost cutting means less quality.

Where is the oxblood ? Oxblood should be on or near the surface. Oxblood is not black. I have wondered about the second marble also being a Jabo ? The colors are fine for Jabo. The cork pattern is not the normal or majority but did happen with Jabos. About any size under 1 1/8 inch is correct for Jabos. But the glass looks better quality than most Jabos. Most Akro corks do not thin and bleed colors like this one. Most Akro corkscrew clear base are snakes and augers. But it could be a Akro two color corkscrew. If you want to label it as a Akro Popeye corkscrew with oxblood ? That is fine, it is your marble. If you know or are sure what the identification is, why ask ? Just me, but I might need the marble in hand and lots more convincing to label it a Popeye corkscrew or with oxblood. Just my thoughts.

I am totally lost with the second marble. I do not see any Popeye. I do not see any oxblood . A Akro Popeye needs to have a clear base with wispy white and two or more additional colors. I see a clear base with wispy white and a small amount of orange was added that thinned out to yellow over the white. For me it is a original two color marble. Only two colors were added to the clear base glass. Often occurs in their swirls. Akro did not make swirl style marbles as standard production. Swirls are random twist or whirling confusion. Akro made corkscrew style marbles, which the added color or striping begins on one pole, then twist around continuous, but never crosses itself. to the opposite pole. If Akro, I see a two color corkscrew. I am confused or have been taught the wrong requirements for a Popeye and what a corkscrew pattern or style is ??????

Alley made at the Sistersville location.

Glad to put some true stories and marble history out for all collectors. I just hope someone passes it along accurately in the future. As I have said many times. The only thing all the people ask of me, who helped me along my marbles journey. Was that I pass the info along for the future.

Oh how I remember that + and the count down 10-9-8-7-6 . The countdown to the start of so many shows and movies. Good memories, Thanks Craig.