Moonies

[glangley]

Ok, so I heard of a blue moon marble during my recent trip, with the same fiery glow as the white moonies or acme realers. My question is, would these all be pelt with that glow? AND, what colors did they make? And what era did they make them? Do the colored ones have any swirling in the glass? So far, I have found red, green, blue, and white, all with the moonie look and glow. However, the blue and yellow have some swirling in the glass near the surface or on the surface, and it looks more white until you get it into some light where you can see, or when you backlight it. They all have the fiery glow, but I'm wondering if some of these aren't just pelt swirls, or maybe even just pelt trying to make solid opaque game marbles? Then again, they weren't rookie marble makers so they most likely made exactly what they were trying to make. So, what can you tell me about moonies? And I'm not talking about the ones with the crack down the middle. Thanks!

[Steph]

Without photos it's tough but if they're swirls I think there's a decent chance they're Champions.

[lstmmrbls]

when I hear the term Moonie I only think of a whitish blue marble that is highly opalescent. either an Akro or a CAC. Many companies made marbles that are opalescent. They are not Moonies.

[david Chamberlain]

I generally consign the name Moonie to either Akro or Christensen Agate as well. There is the type of Moonie that is called a Flintie. The Flinties come in red, yellow, green and blue. Akro named the red one a Fire Opal. Maybe these latter types are a different opalescense than the strict Moonies(I don't know). David

[lstmmrbls]

Most Flinties are not opalescent in my experience. I would not call Flinties a type of Moonie. But that is just me.

[Steph]

Tiptoeing in to point out a couple of technicalities:

1. The name "moonie" was around before Christensen. I don't know if it referred to stone or to handmade glass marbles.

2. Akro used the name "Fire Opal" for more than their red marbles. (picture)

Tiptoeing back out now so as not to throw Gary's thread too far off track. I hope.

[glangley]

I wouldn't call a flinty a moonie either, but that's because I know the difference. Thanks in large part to the great community here at Lou's. I have too much going on to dig the camera out, but they are 5/8ths and all but one deep green mib has the interior look of an acme realer when backlit, that glow that is unmistakable. So, the glow, fiery opal, which ever you want to call it, is seen in Cac's, Akro's and Pelt's? Now, if a swirl is a Cac, I should see a clear sign of that, and if not then it's Akro or peltier. right? lol

[Steph]

If by CAC, you mean Christensen, then no, not all fiery translucent swirls are Christensen.

There are more modern ones. As I said, I think they might be Champs. In any case, I'm sure they're not all as old as Christensens. But the newer swirls aren't called moonies.

[glangley]

I'm not asking if all fiery swirls are Christensen, c'mon Steph! lol I'm looking to pin down some mibs I have, just pin them down.

Now those fire opals interest me, but the pic doesn't show a close up so I can only look at what the ad says about the fiery glow. So Akro made mibs with a inner fiery glow, and because Acme realers have that glow and were made by Peltier, they are as well on the list. Now I haven't seen, nor do I have any Christensen mibs with a fiery glow, however I will take your word for it. So that give's me three makers, Christensen/Akro/Peltier. No bring in swirls to this mix.

If the swirls are Christensen with this fiery base then you should be able to differentiate them from another swirl maker, by reading the swirls. (Sounds like reading tea leaves. lol ) If those signs are not there, then that would make the marble either an Akro, or a Pelt. Shoot and we didn't even get into size yet. I just may have to dig these out and take some pic's. I'll see how lazy I feel tomorrow. lol

[Steph]

So that give's me three makers, Christensen/Akro/Peltier. No bring in swirls to this mix.

Gary, I'm confused. Are you talking about swirls or not? There are more than 3 companies to consider for fiery translucent mibs. There are at least 5 that I know of, and I'm fairly sure there are more.

If you are speaking of swirls then some of the makers to consider when you have fiery translucent marbles are Christensen and Champion. I suspect there are others.

If you are speaking of fiery translucent marbles with seams, then SOME of the makers to consider are Akro, Pelter and Marble King. And I suspect there are others.

I thought you were talking about swirls, so I stressed the Champion possibility. However, with your last post you have me pretty thoroughly confused, so I guess I'll take a break now.

[jeeperman]

I am right there in the confused corner with you Steph. Not sure what the actual question is. Lots of marble makers can have a fiery glow and more swirls than just a CAC as the Alley Opal Lady does as well. As for non swirl types I think it would be easier to name those that never made Opalesent marbles.

[glangley]

Some of the ones I have swirl, not great expanses of swirls just light translucent with the fiery base. Seems like it is my inexperience thoroughly confusing some of you, if not all. It was my hope to pin these down to a few makers and go from there, do some digging and find out on my own. So there is atleast 5 makers of the fiery inner glow, and God knows how many makers made swirls. What I'm after is the ones that made mibs on this fiery inner glow, whatever type of glass that is, and how many of those made opaques and translucent swirls? I hope that explains it better. lol

[david Chamberlain]

Before I ever came to marbles I was early on(1970s) strong into Depression Glass and collected too many of numerous objects: reamers, violin bottles, DG pattern glass, and so forth. My very first experience of that wonderful fiery glow was when I'd put a piece of milk glass(Sunkist reamer) up to the sun and catch it glinting off the edge or throughout the glass depending I guess on the degree of denseness of the milk in the glass (Don't take me seriously with that comment!). Then I discovered that a comparable glow would be evinced with other glass colors, black glass amethyst for example or blue delphite and so forth. It has been my experience that I've discovered this fiery glow to occur upon occasion in one or another marble from not just four or five marble companies but many marble companies. I'm going a bit far afield from the basic Moonie definition here but it appears that this hasn't inhibited others. Anyway, I fully appreciate the confusion that this matter has generated and I suppose I've contributed my share. Re. my flinties attribution I was and am trusting to Mike Johnson considered opinion on the subject for which I have a great deal of respect, Akro probably more than any other marble company being his baby. David

[roany poany]

anticipatory mercy edit

Edited December 12, 2010 by roany poany

[glangley]

I totally understand David, you truly are a blessing to know. I suppose I can take away from this that first, I should post pictures. lol Secondly, try to better describe my question. All in all, I got the answers I was after, so thank you all for your input. That's what makes this board so fun. You can come in, get a few quick pointers, and your back to the mib pile with the flashlight. lol Have a good night everyone, God bless!

[david Chamberlain]

"Mercy edit".....I love that! David