Difference between Akro Patches and Vitro Popeyes

[jonnie]

Hello Marble Community.  Is it possible to get a visual tutorial distinguishing Akro patches vs. Vitro Popeye patches?

Thanks for your help

Beth

 

[Steph]

Hi Beth.   In my book all "Popeye patches" are Akros.   I think ten or more years ago there might have been confusion about it and it might have been thought that some of the marbles we call Popeye patches were Vitros. But as far as I know it is now been settled that Popeye patches are Akros. 

Here's one example.  Popeye on left, Popeye patch on the right ... from the same Akro Popeye box.  

 

Some marbles which are called Popeye patches may not have come from the same kind of run as those two marbles came from.  I think a lot of what are called Popeye patches came from digging at the Akro factory.  I can probably find some more photos.  Maybe someone else has some pix though.  

Are there any you have questions about?  

 

[Steph]

I see that Marblealan.com mentions Vitro popeyes.  However, those pages were saved from an old archive.  The Marblealan site crashed some years before Alan passed away. Then it was retrieved from the Wayback Machine, I think. Old understandings (and misunderstandings) didn't get updated. 

[jonnie]

Steph, Thank You for answering.  I visited the Alan's memorial site and saw that Popeyes were under Vitro label now. 

Now that Popeye is an Akro product, how do I:

distinguish the Popeye patch from the Vitro patch.  

Do Vitros have string white with multi-colored patches?  

Are all Akro Popeye patches pre-freese?

I probably have more questions, I'm just tired right now.  

Thanks Again

Beth

 

[jonnie]

LOL.  You brought up the Alan's site.  I thought that it was being updated as new discoveries were found

[Steph]

Ira Freese did his mechanical tinkering at Akro in the 1920's.   Akro corkscrews were introduced in 1930.  The Popeye box was introduced around 1936.   I think the original Popeye box had a different style marble in it, so I can't be sure when the Popeye as we know it was introduced but it would have been "after freese". 

A marble having eyelashes doesn't mean "pre-freese".  It probably just means the glass shears needed sharpening.

Vitros could have some white which you might consider stringy or filamented.  But I think at least two of the so-called popeye patches on Alan's page are probably Akros. 

These two -- I would ID these as Akro if someone posted them without telling where they came from. 

 

Joe Street wanted to do a somewhat updated version of Alan's site.  I was supposed to help with that. I dropped the ball.  I am pretty sure Craig Snider's version of the site is as close to how Alan left it as Craig could make it.  

[jonnie]

Quote

 

Thanks for the info Steph.  I used to be in the know but I have forgotten a lot of information on Akro and Vitro.  I pulled all the marbles in my vitro box and am reevaluating them.  For the life of me, I cannot recall why I put them in the vitro box.  I'm not saying they don't belong, I just don't remember why.