Is There Strength In Numbers, Or Is Value Diluted Through Quantity?

[marble novice]

First... Peltier Multi-Color Ranbo, right?

Now, my primary point of curiosity is: Where there are similar marbles, how do you, as a collector, value them, individually or as a group? More specifically, if they were offered up separately and you, say, thought they individually averaged in value at $1 each, would they, as a group of three, retain their $3 value, gain slightly in value because it's somewhat of a "set," or might they lose a bit in value because they're alike? I generally know/understand the thinking in some other areas of collecting, but I'm not sure when it comes to marbles.

Here's another question I have for ya...

The under-surface white splotches at 10 o'clock on the center mib and below 12 o'clock on the right one, that's not damage but instead fluffy whitish particles that sorta reminds me of mica. Is there a generally term for whatever that is?

And one more question, unrelated to these... What *is* the preferred or most common term(s) for those subsurface crackles that happen when a marble has suffered some type of impact?

TIA!

Holly

[clydetul62]

IMO Machine are generally diluted as a group. Unless they have the exact same pattern=same run. Not just same colors. Very hard to them that way. Unnlike handmades. I would also wait to pay $3 for a mint example. Than $3 for 3 near mint. Unless you like quantity.

[Steph]

Nice, Clyde. Concise.

The fluffy splotchy spots I see look more like hits than particles to me.

Not sure what sort of crackle you mean if you don't mean the fluffy spots ...... Have you the section on damage at Marblealan's site? http://www.marblealan.com/FAQ.htm

Whooops. The pix didn't load for me. Darn. The vocabulary might help you still but the pix sure would have been nice. Oh hey, I clicked on a couple of the missing pix spots and I was sent to the Wayback machine. You might still be able to see pix.

[catfish]

IMO Machine are generally diluted as a group. Unless they have the exact same pattern=same run. Not just same colors. Very hard to them that way. Unnlike handmades. I would also wait to pay $3 for a mint example. Than $3 for 3 near mint. Unless you like quantity.

Well said and spot on Clyde.

[marble novice]

Thanks, Clyde & Steph.

Just to make sure I'm clear on Clyde's point:

(1) Marbles that are similar are better sold individually, unless they're obviously from the same run; and

(2) You prefer to be patient and pay a premium for perfection. (How do you like that alliteration??? )

Steph, like you, when I was cropping the photos, I thought "Uh-oh, I thought I'd sorted all of the undamaged ones out." Then I got my jeweler's loupe out. They're harder than heck to photograph, but the stuff looks like... marble rheum. (edited to add: You'll want/need to click/enlarge the photos to even sorta see the stuff)

[clydetul62]

Answers to:

1. Yes, esp. if semi HTF to rare. Ex. the multi. swirl you picture is semi common. Not too hard to find a mint one.

2. Yes, be patient. Very few machine and most handmades you can find in mint. Some stuff you will have to get a high NM ex. as they are almost non existent in mint.

Even if you're on a shoe string budget try to not compromise as little as possible. You will thankful in the long run. It's much easier to sell mint than non mint.

[Steph]

Steph, like you, when I was cropping the photos, I thought "Uh-oh, I thought I'd sorted all of the undamaged ones out." Then I got my jeweler's loupe out. They're harder than heck to photograph, but the stuff looks like... marble rheum. (edited to add: You'll want/need to click/enlarge the photos to even sorta see the stuff)

Not sure now.

Peltiers do often have oven brick inside.

[marble novice]

This afternoon, I picked up a Maglite. Not that I'm (at this point) all that intent on figuring out exactly what the stuff is inside these two marbles, but here's maybe a better peek at what I'm seeing (especially if you click through to the larger versions):

And this is just ... well, kewl!

[bigjohn691500]

if your a buyer the grouping works price wise, and as a seller, the dilution works if you have great mibs, i dont know why it is but when buyers buy mibs they just as soon pay for one single perfect mib and tend to see the groups sell for much less, and i dont know why that is given the new rules on ebay for buying and selling, ie: 200 auctions or 20 grand now get reported to everyones uncle, taking the hobby out of collecting and making everyone businessmen, thats another story there,,, bj

p.s. the lower end pelts had serious quality control issues, so you will see alot of mibs with sand , gravel, furnace stone, bubbles, ect..i even have one that has a big enough chunk of metal in it that you can pull it around with a magnet, lol

[Steph]

This afternoon, I picked up a Maglite. Not that I'm (at this point) all that intent on figuring out exactly what the stuff is inside these two marbles, but here's maybe a better peek at what I'm seeing (especially if you click through to the larger versions):

And this is just ... well, kewl!

That last one is pretty photo.

In those photos the fluff looks like furnace brick.