Marbles In The Wilds Of Nevada

[Ally Opp]

Just got back from a trip up north to Reno, Nevada for some doctor appointments. All is well on that front. My wife and I decided to stay an extra night in Carson City. We took a half day and went south to Gardnerville and Mindin, two nice towns that have a few antique shops in them. We didn't make it out of the first one as it had over 35 different vendors with rented space. Spent 3 hours and found some goodies. I was really keeping an eye open for marbles and right off the bat found a baggie for $4.00 with a bunch of cats, a nice Akro Popeye, Red Flintie, and a few MK's. Also, I believe there are some unusual hybrid cats, but not to sure about cats.

Next, I found this jobber box of 30 USA Marbles. I do not know the type....I want to say Heaton, but I think that is wrong. They were very dirty with grime and patina. After washing them in soap and water, they really sparkle. There are a few metallic's and most of them are not even close to being round. They are all the same type of marble, but I don't know if someone backfilled this box with the wrong type of marbles. Any help? Sizes vary from 9/16" to 11/16". All are transparent swirls, with the green ones actually being teal. I can add some back lit shots, as they are truly awesome marbles. There is evidence of transistional type pontils one about 1/3 of them. I'm at a loss, but they for sure are all from the same maker....maybe the same run? The box is in below average shape. One end flap is gone, and the other is inside the box. All thirty marbles are there.

All 30 marbles are in near mint condition with only 3-4 having dings from being banged around in the box. I paid $45.00 for this jobber box plus marbles. Bad buy?

[Ally Opp]

Well, right after posting this, I went to Joe's Marbles (a wonderful site!) and read with amazement David Chamberlains's article on Ravenswood and the small 30 marble jobber box. This is what I found, not a doubt in my mind! Thanks for the article, David! Do you still think highly of these early Ravenswoods? I can't stop looking at them!

[Scoop]

Cool Beans!! Though, I don't know about the value of the box... Here's a link to David's article on Ravenswoods and a general like to Joe's page....

Joemarbles.com

It is a GREAT site!!!

[Steph]

Great find!

I'd keep the mibs with the box if I were you. Er, um, I mean you'd keep the mibs with the box if you were me. uh, lol, I've never understood that saying. But kewl set of mibs!

[Poplarhead]

Nice box and definitely original to it. I have always classified these and box to Ravenswood. One of my earliest looking for marbles in early 1990s ran across a handfull of these marbles and I thought I had early transitions based on books descriptions ! Hah! But it brought back those memories of early marble hunting adventures, Thanks

Don

[glangley]

Great Score Ally Op! I drove through Carson City one day back in 94 and there was a small gathering of marble collectors on a lawn downtown. I have logged many hours driving up and down highway 395 into Nevada and California almost everyday for three years while stationed at the Marine Base in Bridgeport Ca, just on the Sonora Pass at Pickle Meadows. Great Find! I only wish I had been into marbles back then as much as I am today, but being in the service there were just too many things to take my time away from the things I love. Awesome score! And just fyi, the walker river there on highway 108 is a superb trout stream!

[Ally Opp]

Great Score Ally Op! I drove through Carson City one day back in 94 and there was a small gathering of marble collectors on a lawn downtown. I have logged many hours driving up and down highway 395 into Nevada and California almost everyday for three years while stationed at the Marine Base in Bridgeport Ca, just on the Sonora Pass at Pickle Meadows. Great Find! I only wish I had been into marbles back then as much as I am today, but being in the service there were just too many things to take my time away from the things I love. Awesome score! And just fyi, the walker river there on highway 108 is a superb trout stream!

I have always wanted to wet my fly line along there. After the big flash flood that wiped out Walker River proper, I have eyeballed the other stretches of water. Thanks for the compliments on the Ravenswood jobber box. I had a hunch, but thought the money was a lot, but my lovely bride allowed me to go ahead. She knows it keeps me out of trouble if I have a few marbles to fondle.

[glangley]

I got out just before the big flood. God has a way of working things out. I drove back and forth to base from Sparks for nine months, and my OIC gave me crap almost everyday. I was never late, even by one minute or he would have hung me publicly. Since Base housing was in Coleville, they had to drive up the canyon every morning, it was an important piece of road. After the flood, they had to drive all the way around the range and come back up through Bridgeport. Which by happenstance, is a two hour drive, instead of the half hour they all enjoyed before the flood, *while I was driving two hours from Stead. If you take 395 into Nevada, just past Topaz lake going North, take the first road to the East and follow it. You'll see another branch of the Walker river that was just full of trout. It was my first pic when I would go out and I always limited in the smalls and the little rapids there. I also swam across it many times and picked the lures from the unlucky off the branches on the other side. It's a good spot, anywhere along there, if your looking for a place. Not sure what the flood did to that area, but most of the spillage probably washed out Walker and Coleville, this part should be still viable. Good luck, and again nice pick up with the mibs.