Mike Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 This is just one persons comments....my own. I have invested in four Special or investor runs and am quite happy, have no regrets and should everything tank (value, sales & whatever) to below zero on what I paid in the morning, I feel very lucky that I was able to get in on all of them. Thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 As for Beanie Babies, I have about three plastic storage containers of them (mint) in the attic, I believe that the $5.00 & $6.00 I paid for each of them was worth it compared the most of the toys I purchased for my three children growing up. Beanies were not an investment for me. I just thought that I got some neat things in much variety for little bucks. Can't wait to give them to a grandchild to swim in like Scrooge McDuck did in money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Looking at Ebay the price of most of the special run marbles is now about 1/10th of what they were Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTAndrea Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 How about those handmade Chinese marbles? I have 4 that Alan Basinet had on ebay. Never see them anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manylittle Posted February 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Can you tell them apart from a regular unsigned contemporary made by anybody? Do you have pics so that those of us who have not seen one.....me?.....lol.....will know what to look for. I think that anyone making handmades today without signing them or marking them hurts the overall market. And of course, the makers of contemp machine mades, unless they can be easily told from older marbles hurts the market. I used to think that jabos did, but so many of those are so documented and easy to tell......what do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Pete sells all the new Chinese Handmades at LOM. It is hard to tell on many of the descriptions if they are the handmade types as it does not always say. Like the Figaro, Wurlitzer and Sonata etc etc .And none of them really look vintage to anyone with even minimal knowledge of vintage handmades.. As for many modern handmades, I do not necessarily need a signature on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manylittle Posted February 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 You probably don't need signitures, because of your vast knowledge, but there are many beginners out there who would benefit from it.....the signing of new marbles, I mean... Then, there are some unscrupulous marble makers who deliberately mimic the old marbles in style......anyone who makes a marble that looks like an old one should sign it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 I understand folks wanting contemps signed, I just do not like signatures on many of the marbles. It detracts from some of them IMO. Heck, I have no idea who made many of the marbles in my Contemporary collection. No plans to ever sell them and I only by them for their beauty so it does not really matter to me. Same thing as not needing names for my machine mades. It is their beauty that brings them to me. I would rather see reconditioned marbles marked in some manner that can not be removed. That would help a lot more folks not get ripped off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manylittle Posted February 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 To each his own, I guess....I do agree with you about wanting refurbs marked permanently in some way, but don't know how it could be done in such a way that it could not be removed. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 14, 2014 Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 I would suggest a hit with a hammer but some folks may not find that funny(LOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manylittle Posted February 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 Ha Ha Hee Hee. !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 So a few days ago, I was reading this post and it said that the ebay price today of Jabo special run marbles was about 1/10 of what it once was. I wanted to let it go but decided that that statement might be true in some instances, for some sellers, some product runs and was the gospel preached by some but not true for or the opinion held by all. For me, the statement is BS! After 15 or more years of selling Jabo, they often bring 10 or more times today than they once did. I am very happy with my Jabo purchases and wish I would have bought more of a bunch of stuff. Thirty years ago, I could go to the grocery store with $5 and come home with three pounds of ground round steak, milk, bread, potatoes, assorted canned goods, fresh fruit and still come home with change left over! I can't do that anymore but mostly it is because of all the security cameras in the stores. As for the Jabo special run marble prices, I submit that the market is quite good for many sellers. It would appear that good quality Jabo (Dave McCullough) inventory, good pictures to show it off and with honest and descriptive copy brings great money for the sellers and must bring great value to the buyers as evidenced by the final price that many of the marbles bring. Over the last few days, I have seen the hammer come down on many single Jabo Special Run marbles selling for $5, $7, $20, $30 and more dollars each. Not bad for Jabo crap.......Huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 case in point http://www.ebay.com/itm/Over-370-Jabo-Aquarius-Marbles-Colorful-Lot-/310873062314 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Good marketing often makes the difference. Bob (nutz4lutz) had a winning formula and got very good results with Jabos years ago when that wasn't easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nantucketdink Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 case in point http://www.ebay.com/itm/Over-370-Jabo-Aquarius-Marbles-Colorful-Lot-/310873062314 Those 5/8" aquarius marbles aren't contract run marbles and are post McCullough. I believe they sold for $75 per case a year ago directly to people on ebay. There are 2500 of them in a 25 pound box. Cases of similar JABO marbles in 2007 were sold for $20 per 25 pound box. None of this relates to the contract run JABO marble prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nantucketdink Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Take a look at what Columbusrockhound gets for his JABOs. He routinely gets over $100 for individual contract run JABOs from different buyers. I don't mean that he gets that for every one, but it seems like he gets that for at least one weekly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Dear Spinning Marble, Please reread what was written when Jabo marbles were referenced as being good for some and a value for others. I did not say all was perfect, I am not sure but think the ebay marbles you linked were not during the Dave McC time so I tend not to defend that time but then again I might be wrong. Also, everyone pretty much knows where some stand on Jabo. I do not bad mouth others interest in things that they might collect and sell and that might be a good lesson for others posting here. Just thought I would make a correction and let folks know that not all Jabo are bad for everyone. OK? I repeat, Jabo marbles that I have invested in has not been anywhere close to being a bad deal and I am quite happy with all the result be it ebay or anything else. If one does not like them or sell them it is fine. Put the spin on something else! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manylittle Posted February 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Are you saying that while marble prices in general have been declining, that that isn't the case for certain runs of Jabos? That they have gone against that trend and actually risen in price? I have mixed feelings about jabos. I think that they are beautiful and I don't think that they are trying to look like any of the older marbles which is a good thing. They seem to have their own characteristics etc. I do feel though, that they, like any other collectible have to stand the test of time and they are too new to have been able to do that yet. I don't think that we will know that until another 50 years or so have passed. I do know that there will be a lot more mint examples around, simply because no one plays with marbles any more. One of the reasons certain older marbles are worth so much is that there are so few of them available in mint condition. That aspect alone will have to have an effect, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 One thing that I do not believe has been brought up as having an effect on marble values is people often collect what was important to them as a child. As fewer and fewer past marble players are alive the prices and number of collectors will decline(Except for the rarest and most valuable. I also believe that over time the hundreds of cases of Jabo contract runs that are stuck away will be brought out for sale and the 10s of thousands of mint marbles will have folks realize they paid money for marbles that had a totally false value at one time. Like the original Joker marbles that once brought 40 -50 bucks many can now be had for about a buck each. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nantucketdink Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 In 2007, 25 pound boxes of Classic JABOs were being sold for $20. The 5/8" marbles cost less than 1 cent each. The Classic 3/4" marbles were selling for 2 cents each before the contract runs. The 1" marbles were selling for a whopping 4 cents each in 2007. I don't think JABO prices have declined. Contract run type cases sell for about $300 per 20/25 pounds these days if you can get them or choose to be part of a run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I honestly do not believe that the first or even second time one of the new run marbles sell has anything to do with its actual value. It is terribly inflated by the typical sales ploys used by anyone selling modern made collectibles. And 99 out of hundred of those have a lower value in the future unless they are made of precious metals that go way up in value. I know a few folks that fell for the original hype used by many early investors and paid 5 bucks each for hundreds of marbles now barely bringing 50 cents each. And they are pissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nantucketdink Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I still have trouble grasping the financial part that seems to drive so many people involved with marbles. Does the money drive most people involved with marbles? I have fallen head over heels in love with collecting machine made marbles. Are most other people involved with marbles really just trying to make money by selling them? I hope there are many other people out there who actually like the marbles themselves and are not just concerned with whether they are making a good investment. Everybody says to buy what you like and spend what they are worth to you...does anybody else heed the advice? If you do then you can never go wrong. The people who bought hundreds of JERK marbles at $5 bucks apiece and are now upset that other people are buying the same marbles for less money-what were they going to do with them? The investors were the jokers who had the marbles made. Are the marbles they bought not worth the $5 apiece to them anymore? They didn't heed the two recommendations in the marble world then. Does anybody recommend investing in marbles as a way to make a lot of money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Marbles Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Does anybody recommend investing in marbles as a way to make a lot of money? Just the people selling them. LOL To me, my collection is priceless. I buy because I love them. Still most people when they spend $100 + on a little glass ball, still hope they can get most of the price back someday. My advice, is buy marbles that you enjoy. I want to be burried with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I buy many marbles with the hope of trading them up or selling them at a profit to get marbles I want in my personal collection of keepers. I doubt very much I will be able to sell at a profit many of the marbles in my Keepers box as I am willing to pay a premium for what I consider top of the line beautiful attractive marbles. I buy the t keeprs to look at and enjoy not as an investment. Now these were an investment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nantucketdink Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Galen-I have always known you were the real deal. You are in it for the marbles. There are different marbles in my keepers box, but whatever price I paid for each one was worth it to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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