Someone is offering me a superman, but suspects it might be polished - definitely appreciate their honesty. Could they be right?

[chocomibs]

[Ric]

It doesn't look like a Peltier Superman to me. I'd be more worried about it being a Vacor than a polished marble.

[akroorka]

This one may be a Superman--or not.

If I saw this one up for bid on ebay I would say that it has been polished.

There looks to be some polishing coumpound stuck in a few crevices and I also see what looks like polished out 1/2 moons in the first image.

We cannot always go by the finish on any marble but this surface looks a tad out of wack to me.

Marble--On!!

[chicagocyclist]

Stretch of definitions?  I agree with Ric that this doesn't look like a Superman to me.  When I see a Superman, even a low level one, my heart races a little faster.  This one does nothing to my heart!  😁

[chocomibs]

Oh man I didn't even consider it might not be a superman. Thanks everyone.

47 minutes ago, akroorka said:

This one may be a Superman--or not.

If I saw this one up for bid on ebay I would say that it has been polished.

There looks to be some polishing coumpound stuck in a few crevices and I also see what looks like polished out 1/2 moons in the first image.

We cannot always go by the finish on any marble but this surface looks a tad out of wack to me.

Marble--On!!

 I was reading your old posts about polishing to try to get an idea haha

[Fire1981]

Burnt Superman 🔥

[Chad G.]

1 hour ago, Fire1981 said:

Burnt Superman 🔥

Vacor Serpent IMO,  Pelt Spiderman has no yellow

[Carowill]

?Spiderman.

[Carowill]

Just now, Carowill said:

?Spiderman.

Agree with Vacor.

[akroorka]

9 hours ago, akroorka said:

This one may be a Superman--or not.

 

OK, I quoted myself again.
Welcome to the world that I live in----
I just hate polished machine made marbles---just hate them---Really hate them----really, really, really---hate them.
This one--- in my very humble opinion is a polished Peltier “Superman”.
It sucks to see it, but I see nothing about this marble that says Vacor.
I always appreciate all opinions but I must take a stand on this one.
Polished machine marbles just have no place in my world--they should be sent to the sun and forgotton!

OK, I am over it for now.Thanks for reading🙈.
Marble—On!!
 

[Ric]

@akroorka Do you think there is any chance someone polished a Vacor Serpent hoping to make it look more like a Superman - even a polished Superman? I am not used to seeing those dark-colored striations in the yellow (pic 2) on a Superman and I am thinking the polish may have burned that pinker red you see on some Serpents to this color, which certainly would make the marble look more like a burnt Superman than an obvious Serpent. I also don't recall seeing a Superman where any view of the marble would not show some yellow (pic 1). People could get pretty devious trying to turn a 25 cent marble into one they can sell for $50. Just some thoughts.

[cheese]

I'm not sure it's not Pelt either. Going by these pics I would bet on Pelt. If we could get good clarity photos without so many reflections that give detail when zoomed in, it might help with ID and telling whether or not it's been polished. If it was ground and polished, it is easily detectable with a good, clear, detailed photo.

[Fire1981]

🍿🔥

[wvrons]

Ground and polished Peltier Superman. Stay away.  The first picture shows  of half moons that have been ground half away. Also a chip with sharp edges where it was ground. The colors have been ground thin and burnt from the grinding to long and or got to hot because the liquid with the grinding grit ran empty. I agree there is white polishing compound left in the very small a deep not smooth places. The red color is brunt bad and stretched thin and so wide. That it looks like a Vacor.  

Ground and polished. 

[cheese]

Maybe that's why they look like reflections when I zoom... it's white compound.

[Jeff54]

I had a polishing machine never burnt them and doubt you could. IDK,but I let one run for days. If it gets dry then it'll scratch it up and take forever to shine. Ended up, I didn't like the results, color changes once you get into the top layer, especially Peltier like this. Machine just sat for years and ended up giving it away for a few bucks. You got an air pop with sharp edges which is usually a good clue. Some people try and round off the sharp edges of the air pop, Clue 2, to try and hide it. Distinctive ribbons get thinner and may fade or get ground off and cannot recognize what it was. 

Not all marbles come out too bad yet, I decided I liked beat up junk verses the changes original surface goes through. This one is odd for the dark red, usually, like in a Superman, go toward pink when Peltier's red is ground. 

Nothing wrong having a polished marble in place of a nice one yet still, I'd rather have sling shot ammo for the colors. I tossed out as junk for ending up so different.  Cork screws can end up losing the twist and other machine made just don't look right. 

Occasionally a light buff can help otherwise, it aint happening. 

[wvrons]

I had three polishing machines running at the same time. One did up to three inch marbles.  The colors can change so that they go dark more to brown. Run a marble dry on a machine long enough and it will heat up and blow apart.  The liquid used antifreeze or whatever used, is for cooling.  Glass colors can and do burn and change in making machine made marbles. Because they are overheated, just the same as overheating in a polishing machine. If the polishing machine motors RPM's are to fast it can cause overheating.  I have used fine polishing grit in the third stage that will not scratch a marble. But the marble can overheat, colors change or the marble blow apart from heat. How are crackled or fried marbles made ?  Overheat them and they crack bad. I sold all my machines because it took to much time for each marble. Polishing a $10.00 marble is not worth the time of 30 to 60 minutes doing it. If it was much over a $10.00 marble I did not want to polish it. Unless it was a large handmade that I would keep.  I have polished 1 1/4 inch out of round Jabos down to one inch and less. They can get hot and make the colors look burnt. Most red glass when ground proper, if it gets thin, then polished correct , it will look pink. But if it is overheated it will go dark or brunt looking. That is what I have done and seen in person, at least two other people do polishing marbles. Overheat them and the colors can go dark. I can maybe find some superman that was ground in my garage. But they were never finished because the red turned dark, using water instead of antifreeze for cooling. Bill McCaleb did one and so did I. They were beat up bad to begin with. But they got hot and the red turned more to a brown. I may have throwed them away when I sold the last machine ?  I have no doubt that I have burnt glass colors with a polishing machine and seen others do the same.  

[chocomibs]

4 hours ago, Ric said:

@akroorka Do you think there is any chance someone polished a Vacor Serpent hoping to make it look more like a Superman - even a polished Superman? I am not used to seeing those dark-colored striations in the yellow (pic 2) on a Superman and I am thinking the polish may have burned that pinker red you see on some Serpents to this color, which certainly would make the marble look more like a burnt Superman than an obvious Serpent. I also don't recall seeing a Superman where any view of the marble would not show some yellow (pic 1). People could get pretty devious trying to turn a 25 cent marble into one they can sell for $50. Just some thoughts.

Wow that would be absolutely Diabolical 

[chocomibs]

2 hours ago, wvrons said:

Ground and polished Peltier Superman. Stay away.  The first picture shows  of half moons that have been ground half away. Also a chip with sharp edges where it was ground. The colors have been ground thin and burnt from the grinding to long and or got to hot because the liquid with the grinding grit ran empty. I agree there is white polishing compound left in the very small a deep not smooth places. The red color is brunt bad and stretched thin and so wide. That it looks like a Vacor.  

Ground and polished. 

Oh so that's why the colors are so muted? That's very interesting. And explains so much about how different it is. If I ever get one in hand this might make a lot more sense. Hearing you explain it really makes it clear you understand the process behind it.

 

Thank you all I passed on it. One day