wvrons

For me the Alley Pistachio has a green base with a few different shades of green. The swirls or flames should be very dark or look black not blue or brown. Most important the green will glow under blacklight. This is what I know as a Alley Pistachio. As usual some like to stretch the name to make the marble they have fit with a name. You now might see any shade lightest to darkest green base and all shades of swirls or flames of blue brown gray black even purple. Plus today very few called Alley Pistachio glow at all. I feel that sometimes the family thing gets stretched enough that what the original was is forgotten. Or never researched enough to even learn what it actually was suppose to be. So I am more likely picky with my range of what is called a certain name.

Tom was a good friend of mine for the last eight or nine years. He did make it to the Sistersville WV show back in Sept. Rest in peace Tom.

I have been a member of this board since early at its beginning. I have averaged visiting here four or five days a week since the start. It got more difficult for me to post pictures here the last few years. I tired of the constant arguments here and negative comments in the past. I slowed posting the last few years as I once did in the past. But I have learned so much from information here that it far outweighed the negative moments. I would hate to see this board or any close. There has been so much new and better information come out the last ten years. No comparison to the first ten+ years that I was into marble collecting. These chat boards are a major way of passing marble information forward. A lot of people have went to facebook but many of us have yet to join the facebook group. For us nonfacebook we rely on the old fashioned chat boards and the most recent books we can get. I would hate to lose this source of information and the contact with some people where my only contact with them is on this board. If I am posting or lurking. Sometimes change can be good but sometimes also bad for some. Sometimes we have no choice. I hope by some means this board can stay online. Thank you Lou for all the past years of providing me with this source.

Steph yes that was the original lawn chair where the metal came from for the lawn chair marbles. I was there and did some of the hacksaw work. I should have took what was left of the lawn chair. More hindsight.

Good news ! The craving for this is about to be satisfied. I am on the big waiting list for my copy.

This deserves a Thank you ! Wonderful idea and effort to make it happen.

Great information Thanks !

When are you going to grind and polish that big green one ?

Five color Miller swirl.

They are Vitro Cats.

Bogard

It is for sale.

I also think the red and yellow colors on yours is more bold brighter or richer than ones considered Black Line All reds. This is one of those that could possibly be argued to fit into a couple different names. Many of the Vitro marbles were named by the company and there is no specific detailed guide from the company. Just original packages and advertisements which can vary.

I think that one would be a Yellow Jacket. The dark ribbon around the center is much wider than most considered as Black Line All Red. There are many Vitros that can possibly fall into different name groups. Tiger eyes are a good example. There are four identified basic types but we have also seen at least two or three other variations from the four basic types most people know. Originally the intended production for Parrots were 7/8 inch opaque white base and another four colors with no white showing. Plus we know that there are some translucent white base Parrots. There are many Parrots where the white base shows. Some collectors say a white base and three colors is a Parrot. Again it is variations from the intended or original goal. Many things happen during production that change the intent. The man who was responsible for the first production Parrots and myself think the most true and most valuable Parrot is the 7/8 opaque white base and another four colors with no white showing. I like the swirled ones but the man who made the first ones said the patch ones were the best. That was the goal.

A Vitro Yellow Jacket is similar to the Black Line All Red. But the colors are more bright rich or bold on Yellow Jackets. They will have a yellow patch on one pole and a red patch on the other pole. They will have a blue or green or purple ribbon around the middle or from seam to seam. If the center ribbon is brown it should be rich or bold. The Black Line All Red center ribbon will be more narrow and most times more towards black color. The larger size 7/8 Yellow Jackets can swirl some. The 5/8 size Yellow Jackets are definite patch and ribbon style. Vitro was not 100% accurate in their advertising or their packaging. I have a original plastic bag 100 count with the Vitro Yellow Jacket header but it contains all All Red marbles. Plus all kinds of things happen during production. So there will be variations. Some people will stretch a certain marble into a long family. But is that 4th cousin variation down the line have the same meaning or value as the original true thing ? When I say Vitro Yellow Jacket to someone on the phone. I want them to think of a Vitro white base with a red patch a yellow patch and a ribbon around the middle of blue green or purple maybe bold brown color. I would not sell ones which the red and yellow touch side by side or the blue or green looks more like a patch as a Yellow Jacket. These were not the intended production for a true Yellow Jacket. These were seconds or mistakes. They are a variation of the Yellow Jacket. Value more or less is up to the buyer. Many of the larger size Vitros tend to swirl instead of the intended patch and ribbon style There are many swirled Parrots. Some of these are sold at higher value or lower value than the traditional patch style.

No Yellow Jackets. A Exotic Conqueror. A Black Line All Red. No name two nice four color patch and ribbon Vitros.

Sorry to hear this. He was a long time WVMCC member. We exchanged emails over the years. He will be missed. Condolences to his family.

Thank you for the offer but I have enough.

There were two Ultra runs at Jabo. The Ultra and the Ultra Plus. Both were ideas of and primarily funded by Ed Parsons from Ohio. Lots of oxblood in both runs. These were the early use of adding frit(speckles) to the marbles while hot. The frit is broken or crushed colored cullet or glass into very small pieces. This frit was added to the marbles by Griff from PA or myself. Griff did the majority of adding frit to many of the Jabo special investor runs. The lutz frit additions came after the colored glass. We were doing a special run at Jabo and the marbles were dark and looking plain. I told Griff we had to so something to help them. I was walking around outside thinking. Then I saw this small pile of tiny broken pieces of colored glass and dirt on the concrete. I scooped it up brought back inside and told Griff we need this on the marbles. He thought a while then got a styrofoam cup added water and the tiny glass pieces and dirt. Then he began to swish the cup around separating the glass pieces and dirt. He dried the glass pieces and then used that same cup to gently shake or add the small glass pieces to the hot marbles just as they hit the rollers. The styrofoam cup did not last long near the 1800 degree heat. So that was the begining of adding frit to the Jabo runs. Many changes and advancements were made with the methods of adding frit and gold lutz over the next few years by Griff. To many changes and better methods for adding frit to explain. He also came up with many ways of making different styles of frit. He endured a lot of heat fumes blood shot eyes and red sunburn like skin adding frit and lutz to many different Jabo runs for four years. I could do it and did it but not with the perfection and the amount of time that Griff did. So for certain people yes the frit(speckle)marbles have some special meaning.

The Jackson and Playrite clear with white swirls usually do not glow. These are a better white and do not glow. The white which glows is a crème white or dirty white which was Vitrolite cullet. This dirty white that glows is used along with another color like red or blue etc. The Jackson or Playrite swirls with only good bright white color do not glow. Clear with nice bright white that glows could be CAC .

I like the plexiglass tops. You can view the marbles without opening the box.

I guess it all depends on your needs. I have had a few 100+ count boxes made. The problem I found was with the larger size pieces of wood it was difficult to keep the wood flat. It seemed like either the bottom or the lid would warp and then it would not latch or close matching up to the latch. Some warped quick and some a year later. Most boxes are being made with the bottom side holes a little deeper and the lid holes a little more shallow. This way when it is opened normally the marbles are not easy to get out but can be rolled to view. Plus they will not fall out easy when standing over concrete or a hard surface. If they need removed the box is turned over so the lid is on the bottom and the marbles are removed from the more shallow side easy. A 500 count could be carried room to room at shows but might be some bulky ? I had a few boxes 15yrs ago that had the flock coating. With time and wear the flock became less and less. I have had boxes that are felt lined for 10-15 yrs and they show no signs of wear to the felt. It does take more time and maybe cost but looks more professional to me. I am sure that if you have 200-500 count boxes that are normal thickness and stay flat without warping. That several people may be interested in buying some. Do you use a piano type hinge ?