Gina Macias Posted June 9, 2021 Report Share Posted June 9, 2021 I honestly never realized the variety of alleys or other marbles and how hard a marble dig actually was until I saw the videos of Heaton and the others you all sent me. Then on another site I stumbled across photographs of a Pennsboro, WV dig at the Alley factory and it was led by WVRON, I immediately recognized him as a member of this group. Man, was I in awe of the hard work you all put in, but the rewards of going through all of that material must have made you giddy. I recently purchased a pound from that area and spent most of the day going through the misshapen bits and found some nice common alleys, but the little mistakes were the fun ones for me. I felt like I was eight years old and that was a heck of a long time ago! I ordered the rest the gentleman had, it was inexpensive, it is just going through the marbles, so fun. Then I saw Chad’s gallery photos of his alley collectIon, along with his other goodies and it was just bursts of color and beauty, on every page. The collections you all have are just amazing. Thank you for opening my eyes to new manufacturers and a colorful, fun hobby-except the actual dig, I could not do that physically but if I could I’d be down in a hole or cave some where. Really great stuff. Thank you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 The Pennsboro WV Alley dig was my dream of a lifetime. Not enough words can describe it. You had to be there. It would have been nice to had time and been able to document more of what happened. But that just was not possible. Once we found the mother load, we had to stay with it. We could not leave it for other people to find. We divided up and worked twelve hour shifts, twenty four hours a day for four days and three nights. Nola and myself worked at the hole from 7am until 7pm. Bill McCaleb and Griff worked from 7pm until 7am. When our shifts were over we had to eat, over a hour drive home, clean up, sleep, and do it again the next day. We got exhausted as the days and nights went on and tempers got short. Glad it happened then and not now. I could not physically do it now. Lots of days there was not room for another bucket of Alley marbles or cullet in the back of my pickup truck. If only we could have had more time ? But we saved many thousands of 1930's Alley marbles. Now the site is filled over and much of it covered with limestone. Before 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire1981 Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 WOW ! That is a amazing. Griff fished a lot didn’t he. Thanks once again for showing and telling us about all the cool stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mibcapper Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 and what a time it was ron. up the creek squeeling and bleeding ... bumping a few noggins ... remember .. lol .... so many new discoveries. to say ... wild and wonderful west virginia ... is all that's needed. be well my friend ... bill 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina Macias Posted June 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 11 hours ago, wvrons said: The Pennsboro WV Alley dig was my dream of a lifetime. Not enough words can describe it. You had to be there. It would have been nice to had time and been able to document more of what happened. But that just was not possible. Once we found the mother load, we had to stay with it. We could not leave it for other people to find. We divided up and worked twelve hour shifts, twenty four hours a day for four days and three nights. Nola and myself worked at the hole from 7am until 7pm. Bill McCaleb and Griff worked from 7pm until 7am. When our shifts were over we had to eat, over a hour drive home, clean up, sleep, and do it again the next day. We got exhausted as the days and nights went on and tempers got short. Glad it happened then and not now. I could not physically do it now. Lots of days there was not room for another bucket of Alley marbles or cullet in the back of my pickup truck. If only we could have had more time ? But we saved many thousands of 1930's Alley marbles. Now the site is filled over and much of it covered with limestone. Before I cannot fathom how hard that was. I am so impressed and happy you got to experience that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina Macias Posted June 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 4 hours ago, mibcapper said: and what a time it was ron. up the creek squeeling and bleeding ... bumping a few noggins ... remember .. lol .... so many new discoveries. to say ... wild and wonderful west virginia ... is all that's needed. be well my friend ... bill Wow, I hadn’t seen those marbles, some beauties. Thank you for sharing your memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire1981 Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 Liv' The Dream 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 Thanks for adding the pictures buddy. I never get tired of seeing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Oregon Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 Great reminder of that dig. Nice pics and information. Thank you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted June 11, 2021 Report Share Posted June 11, 2021 Funny how dreaming about sweating and digging all day can make ya sooo happy !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheese Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 You guys will never forget that. What fun it had to have been. I will never forget the Heaton digs. Wish I could have dug with you too Bill. We would have gotten along well . Great experiences with great people, who could ask for more? Well, you could ask for marbles I guess. I'm fortunate to have some of the loot from that Alley dig (many thanks Ron!). Maybe somewhere someday another dig will happen. Until then, I will be jonesing for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Gotta getem all ! But we never did any where. Anyone who has dug any amount knows that is almost impossible. There are always marbles left behind. Many things prevent getting every one. Time, weather, concrete, critters, equipment, distance to location, injury, daylight, water, mud, and more. But we got our share and some times more for others. NONE were ever free. None were easily found. None were easy digging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mibcapper Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 yep .... getem all ron .... and see .... i come out none the worse for wear .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 I am not so sure about that ???????? No pictures of me until I get my three upper front teeth implants done. I did shave the beard and got a haircut yesterday. If I might have looked like the above. Notice I did not say, might look like you, LOL !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire1981 Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 I thought you dug him up while you were digging at the site 🤪 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 That would have went in the throw away pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 LOL !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 Just amazing how fun.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojo Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 Amazing story's , very awsome pictures Thanks for sharing these adventure We need an dug expedition to Thüringen area , Lauscha 👌🔮🇩🇪👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mibcapper Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 yo .......... i'm always ... ready ..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 Mr. Bill even ran that excavator digging marbles. He is standing right about where he later with Sammy Hogue, laid a Alley Carnival down and the later could not find it. So many memories !!!!!!!!! Happy tears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire1981 Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 LTD....Liv'n The Dream 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peltier Mibber Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 Any chance these are Pennsboro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrons Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 From what I see, yes. Alley swirls made at the Pennsboro WV location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peltier Mibber Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 Thank you. I was hoping. I forgot I had these and recently found them again and was wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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