Opening packets

[ManofKent]

How big a crime is it to open unopened packages of marbles (obviously retaining the packaging)?

[rockinron110]

It's a Bozo no no.

I got slapped around a bit for opening a pretty hard to find bag.

Go ahead and do it

 

 

[Steph]

Show us pictures first!

We could tell you if it's one you're likely to never come across again intact .... 

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks. I noticed that you can buy unopened bags for reasonable sums on ebay and it would be a way of being able to be reasonably sure what I was looking at was what it purported to be and get some familiarity. Looking at photos is great, but handling something is different. 

[Steph]

I'm not very good at keeping marble bags closed, but if it's a vintage bag, then be very very sure you want to take that step.  

[ManofKent]

59 minutes ago, Steph said:

I'm not very good at keeping marble bags closed, but if it's a vintage bag, then be very very sure you want to take that step.  

Thanks. I cracked and started the collection. An unopened packet of Vitro Catseyes. The seller was in the UK so no international postage  (I know marbles aren't light but the postage some sellers were charging  ).. There's another bag listed from the same seller, and one in the US so at least I know I won't be opening anything rare. 

[Steph]

Yea!!! I'm excited for you!

Good idea to preserve the packaging.   With digital cameras and computers, you can keep a record of what you get and when you get it, just in case you ever want to remember.  I let some of my early purchases get mixed in with each other, which messed with clues I could have had about what they were.  

[Al Oregon]

By the way, be careful, about 90% of the marble bags that you see listed on eBay are fantasy/fake bags.  Of course, they have real marbles but they are newer ones compared to the purported dates that they say the bags were made.

[ManofKent]

2 hours ago, Al Oregon said:

By the way, be careful, about 90% of the marble bags that you see listed on eBay are fantasy/fake bags.  Of course, they have real marbles but they are newer ones compared to the purported dates that they say the bags were made.

Thanks. I noticed that listings for marbles are frequently highly dubious even with my limited knowledge. Ebay looks like a minefield.

[ManofKent]

On 5/2/2016 at 6:53 PM, Al Oregon said:

By the way, be careful, about 90% of the marble bags that you see listed on eBay are fantasy/fake bags.  Of course, they have real marbles but they are newer ones compared to the purported dates that they say the bags were made.

The more I look the more dubious most of the bagged marbles look. What's the site etiquette in posting ebay links for other opinions?

[Steph]

Some people don't like links to active auctions. 

You can get around that by right-clicking on the image in the ebay listing to get the address and post that link directly.  (The forum software should automatically turn the link into a viewable photo.)  Then we just have the picture and we can chat about it. 

 

(I doubt most mind a new collector's links to auctions for purposes of gaining vital information, but just posting the pic for a general discussion should cover the bases.)

[ManofKent]

Thanks - any special thread?

I think the cinema 'promotion' bags aren't even worth discussing (actually most of the promotional bags look dodgy even to a newcomer).

[Steph]

  Without seeing them, I'm pretty sure you're correct about the cinema promo bags.  

You could start a "newbie learning about marble bags" thread which you bump as needed.  [Edit: And you could keep adding to this thread.]  Could be a sort of interesting way of tracking your journey. Could provide a nice perspective for other newbies.   

Or you could start a new thread for each individual bag.  Whatever your preference.