Old or new?

[Tralia]

Hello Marble World,

I would like some help id'ing these marbles. Are they new marbles or vintage? I did try to identifying them via all the info on the web but I'm lost. Thanks!

[Steph]

Hello.  Welcome.

I'm going with all modern. 

Some Asian.  And probably also some Mexican.  The most well known Mexican manufacturer is Vacor, also known as Glasfirma.  They have been marketed under the name Mega at least in the U.S. I have a Canadian package with Vacors distributed under the Montrose brand. 

I don't know the names of any of the Asian companies which made those types.  Maybe someone does, but I think the Asian marbles tend to come to North America without much branding.  



Edit:  Oh duh, many of the Asian marbles were distributed by the Imperial Toy Co.  That's why you will often hear modern Asian marbles being called Imperials.  

[Tralia]

Thank you!

[Steph]

On second viewing, the one with the green and red dots in your first picture stands out as different from the usual frit marble.  It would like to see a couple more photos of that one. 

Maybe a couple more views of the amber one on the left in the second photo.   That looks like it has more going on inside  than I first noticed.  Probably still modern or at least in the general "clearie" family , given the marbles it is with, but I want to make sure. 

[Tralia]

Thanks for taking another look, Steph.

[Steph]

Okay, not seeing anything in the amber now besides some tiny bubbles, so I'll stick with "clearie".  Could be vintage.  Clearies are one of the kinds of marble that almost everyone made, and they're still being made, so it's very hard to pin down. They're "common".  I love them.  But "common".

I had wondered if the red and green frit might have turned out to be modern handmades.  I'm not seeing signs of that now.  So I'll stick with what I said above -- about modern Asian or Mexican and will specify machine-made.  

[Tralia]

Great info. Thanks.