Mike Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 In 1999, I had this idea to make some affordable Jabo marble boxes. The idea came because I was unemployed and had this dream to make money from my hobby. My first show to sell them was at Amana in 1999. I drove out there with a couple hundred boxes and sold out early as there were some early adopters who, like me, thought the boxes were a good idea. Solid "Tie Dye" boxes (80 in a box) were sold in quantity for $6.00 per box and I do not think that any individual box sold for more than $10.00. Many folks came into my room and would not stay or look because it was all Jabo. I still remember the snobs and they continue with thier predudice today. The plan was to do one Series of Jabo boxes every year starting with Series 1. I am now on Series IV but they are the special run 3/4" marbles. The only 5/8 boxes done were Series 1 (gold imprint), Series II (silver imprint) and Series III (brass). There are some unusual boxes that may be prototypes, signed, numbered, one-offs or gift boxes. Bob Block tested a few for me early on when they were first made in 1999 as I was afraid of computer stuff and really did not understand electronic sales of product. He sold one that had a small pencil notation under the see-thru lid where it was number 1 or 2 but I really do not remember. There are also one or two full boxes of Jabo Fluke Corks from the Psuedo Superboy run along with other boxes that may have rows of "Fluke Corks." I am the guy that pretty much purchased all of the available Jabo "Tie Dyes" that caused issues with higher volume purchasers of Jabo marbles that caused Joanne (owner President) at Jabo to say that nobody would be able to buy pre-mix marbles any longer. Some folks have some product that is very unusual that I do not even remember making. There are collectors of these boxes that may have over 100 boxes (probably Storesberg) and a few other collectors of them. Some Boxes may be all "Copperhead" or some other very rare (if there even is such a description) for very short production runs or transitional Jabos. Some have unusual designs or no dividers. There are also some 3/4" boxes of Series 1 when everything was an experiment. There are other Lost Your Marbles products that are even more limited production such as tubes, quarts and Jewel boxes. Some guy in Texas purchased 25-30 boxes of solid "Tie Dyes." I made some really nice boxes for Steve Suuer and Marlow and many others. There are many folks out there that may have 10-40 boxes if they have not sold them off. Here is the deal......I could go on and on about some of this and some might find a little bit of the news interesting. However, this is my invitation for those of you who have Jabo Lost Your Marbles boxes to show them off. There are probably !,500 Series I boxes out there, 1,000 Series II and less of Series III. Series IV has been a dog and about 100 have been sold even though I pretty much give them away. Some are very very one-of-a-kind. Thank you to all who purchased them for your interest and confidence in the product! Let me see them boxes. Thanks, Mike Warnelis - Lost Your Marbles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Lost Your Marbles added comments.......I would assume that many boxes after the course of 12 years have been destroyed. I did a large consignment deal with an antique dealer who left his product outside for a sidewalk sale and a rainstorm came in and destroyed everything but the marbles. In 1999-2000, I gave signed boxes to most of my relatives for Christmas. My family thought I was so nuts for trying to make money on this venture that they gave them away to neighbor kids and opened them up for other children to play with when company came over. Too bad as some of these boxes have sold for over $100 and there are probably others out there that will bring more. I traded with many marble people and have no idea if they kept the product or sold it. I have a number of marbles from 10 years ago from some trades with Scott Patrick, the contemp maker in MO whos name escapes me at moment. I believe Poplarhead bought some boxes, Moon Marble and I did business. As I remember, Moon was given big bulk bags of "Tie Dyes" in a trade. Marble Alan may have puchased and sold over 100 boxes and there are many more good and famous and not so famous marble folks that have socked many boxes away. Like I said, show a picture of your holdings. Every so often, I see a box being sold on Ebay that I cannot believe I even made or had the marbles to put in it. Jabo, in the old days, liked my packaging and marketing and sometimes (when I wondered into the factory during a run) allowed me to purchase some really special goods. I still have a few hundred of various boxes in storage and every so often leak them out to see what happens. Too bad I never kept good records or photographed all that was produced. There is some really good stuff out there! Some of the boxes really are one of a kind that cannot be duplicated. You ever seen Tigers out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Could you MO marble maker be Mark Capel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 I have a fair group. The Tie Dyes are the only ones I have a pic of at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Oregon Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Here are 5 boxes I have (one is blurry - sorry!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Could you MO marble maker be Mark Capel? Came to me. John H. Miller I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honeybern Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Why don't the pics in post #4 enlarge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sissydear Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Missouri did not make me think of John Hamon Miller. I know he lives there, but he's West Virginia through and through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplarhead Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Missouri did not make me think of John Hamon Miller. I know he lives there, but he's West Virginia through and through. Mike: I looked in my picture files and I probably have 50 + pictures of your boxes - some I sold and some I kept fropm other sellers as examples. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgt Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 This is the only box I have. I recall purchasing it from "Chip Off the Old Block". It's a Series 1, not sure of the types of marbles in the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 This is the only box I have. I recall purchasing it from "Chip Off the Old Block". It's a Series 1, not sure of the types of marbles in the box. WGT, Neat box and an early one. There appears to be Tie Dyes, Hot Tamales, Harleys, Harley Hybids ( color tends to run gray rather than black) Butterscotch and the blue marbles I believe on the right are closer to 1998 Jabo than 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgt Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 WGT, Neat box and an early one. There appears to be Tie Dyes, Hot Tamales, Harleys, Harley Hybids ( color tends to run gray rather than black) Butterscotch and the blue marbles I believe on the right are closer to 1998 Jabo than 1999. Thanks for the info. Is there a link to someplace that pictures the different Jabos? I'm guessing these are names that collector's have given the marbles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 If we're lucky we might get some of that info organized here. But the site which is dedicated to Jabo is Jabo Land. http://anythinggoes43567.yuku.com/ They have a lot of named examples listed there. Maybe more questions might bring more named examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 A couple more of mine: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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