Mostly Pix - Akro

[Steph]

Note: Other pix can be found through the links in the original packaging thread and the general Akro thread.

More links:

Moss Agate Type Marbles
Sweet Akro thread in main chat forum

 

The earliest known Akro box, plus an early Akro ad

At this point Akro was selling MFC's under their label. . . . (p.s., note the Akron address)

(click pix to enlarge)

 

[Steph]

And now for more. Sources provided where I know them. I wasn't keeping track yet when I saved some of them.

(click pix to enlarge)

Hy-Grade bag:

Dani's:

Probably from a Marblealan auction:

This one appears to have corks. Possibly Al's.

Miscellaneous bags. Mostly patches.

Hot Shot bag:

Hot Shot. Marbles described as approx. 1 inch.

Al's Hot Shot bag, and what he said about it. (3 were missing, a 4th was so great he pulled it out, and he replaced the 4 with corks which looked like they belonged -- the eggyolk oxblood is the one he pulled out)

I just received this bag from a recent eBay purchase that seemed too low ( won't mention what my snipe bid was set at for high). Maybe the description of the small tear in the mesh or the fact there were only 47 marbles turned people away. But this is a hard-to-find bag. Anyway, when I got it, it was mainly Akro corkscrews with a few patches and 4 Carnelians in it (plus a surprise marble I'll post about separately in the Killer marbles forum).

The hole in the mesh was just a small one but marbles could go in and out. I took the marbles out to photgraph and see what there was. There were just 47 as described. However, I do have extra corkscrews of the same style, etc. as the ones in the bag so I added 4 more (one to replace the marble I kept out of the bag). The rest went back in.

Here's pics of the bag, the marbles and a picture of one of the neat patches in there.

[Steph]

(click pix to enlarge)

Here's an ad Dani showed in a fire opal discussion. It also has many Akro cartons. Note the descriptions of what each should contain, at least at that time.

No. 32 carton:

One from Marblealan:

Another, possibly from Block:

Dani's ad seem to say that there was originally a formula for how to fill these. So far I haven't found one which matches the formula. Though it's possible than these have been backfilled, it is also very easy to believe that the formula turned out to be too inconvenient. This one appears to have more corks than the other 2. So it might come closer to fitting the pattern in Dani's ad but I don't see a cardinal red or any other onyx. That might be an Imperial on the bottom right.

No. A-16, I think from Block:

[Steph]

Kullerbubbel Gum Box:

One day I might decide which views I'm okay with omitting. Until then ...

(click links below thumbnails for larger images)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg01.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg02.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg03.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg04.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg05.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg06.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg07.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg08.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/bg09.jpg

[Steph]

I think those in this particular bubble gum box would have been sold as Royals.

Here's a Royals box Dani posted at LOM, size 11/16" to 23/32". (source)

(click link below thumbnail to enlarge)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/AkroRoyals_Zaboo.jpg

[Steph]

#250 box:

(click to enlarge)

[Steph]

(click pix to enlarge)

Popeye Box with the peewee:

#236, the popeye box with the red and blue patch pictured further down in this thread:

And now a #116 yellow popeye box:

At the time of this writing, this box is being auctioned by Alan. He says the yellow is more rare than the red. His description:

This lot, A MARBLE CONSIGNMENT, consists of an Akro Agate Co. No. 116 "Popeye" Box which has dimensions of approximately 6-27/32" by 3-1/2" by 23/32". It has a yellow lid, which is rarer than the red-lidded version, though unfortunately this box is in poor condition due to many factors, including substantial wear, a punched-in ripped area on the lid, split corner seams (one on the lid and two on the bottom portion), and pencil writing on the base. It does, however, contain the original bag, which is in great condition other than having some spattered stains on the front, as well as 12 marbles, each measuring about 5/8" (16 mm). These marbles include seven "Milky Silver Oxbloods" (ranging in condition from Near Mint/8.5 to Mint/9.1, with one in the Mint range), two "Lemonades" (both Mint/9.3-9.5), and three "Cherry Aces" (Near Mint +/8.9 to Mint/9.3).

(We know that popeye boxes didn't always come with what we now call popeyes.)

A note about popeye color combos ....

Here's Block's 2002 list in order of increasing rarity:

red/yellow

green/yellow

red/green

dark blue/yellow

light purple/yellow

dark purple/yellow

powder blue/yellow

red/blue

red/orange

orange/green

blue/green

black/yellow

hybrids

Alan's archived Akro page has practically the same list, but doesn't mention orange/green, and he says "dark blue/red" instead of red/blue.

A purple/red has been spotted but didn't make either list.

[Steph]

A definite Popeye patch, and its brother Cork! These two are from the same Popeye box. One of those pictured above. There also seems to be at least one more "error" in that box.

(click to enlarge)

[Steph]

Hero box, Brown Thrashers:

(click to enlarge)

Unique box, Akro style:

Unique box, Master style (for comparison):

(source: Ron's Marbles, Toys And Things)

[Steph]

Here's a thread at the Akron Marbles forum, What exactly is an Akro Agate Imperial, with an Imperials box. The contents are oxbloods.

edit: Thread no longer available.

[Steph]

Brian Graham's corkscrew spinner cup has been lost twice. The thread he originally posted it is no more and the copy he let me post is no longer where he hosted it. BUT Dani has a spinner cup and other equipment in this thread:

Akro Stats, Cork Counts

These patents have been annotated to show where the spinner cup should fit. I didn't do it. I'm still not quite able to picture it myself even with aids like this.

(click to enlarge)

Check out the color coding to show which glass tank the ribbon is coming from!

[Steph]

(click links below thumbnails to enlarge)

Akro Moonies:

(I think from a Rabbit Auction)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/post-279-1187051523.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/post-279-1187051532.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/post-279-1187051538.jpg

Akro Flinties:

(I think a Morphy Auction)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o151/modularforms/Akro/post-279-1204325489.jpg

[Steph]

Cardinal Red corkscrews, shown in a thread at LOM. Thread is no longer available.

(click to enlarge)

Post #11 here shows an ad for a box like that, plus a Fire Opal box and 4 Display Cartons (No. 32, No. 64, No. A-16, and No. A-112). Underneath the illustrations of the display cartons is the recipe used for filling them! For example, the No. 64 contains

two No. 1 "Cardinal Red," one No. 1 "Imperial," one No. 1 "Moonie," and 14 No. 0 Assorted "Ace" and "Tricolor" Agates.

[Steph]

#131 box?

Does anyone have pix from the auction mentioned here, Akro Special Champions Box? Or anything like that?

Auction description:

You are bidding on (1) late 20's early 30's Champion Assortment, SHOOT STRAIGHT AS A KRO FLIES AKRO AGATES. Box is numbered #131 Made in the USA is on one end of the box and the other side has Manufactured by THE AKRO AGATE COMPANY CLARKSBURG, W. VA. Box is in pretty good shape but as you can see there is a puncture tear in the bottom left corner and end also has a tear. Bag is in really nice condition with the original tie and stone for making your circle in the dirt. You also get 26 beautiful marbles as seen in the photo's anybody that wishes to have more photos please do not hesitate to ask.

[LouisCamp]

Nice job Steph.

Lou

[Steph]

No. 15 box. Wow. A steel tray to hold the marbles. Why?

(click to enlarge)

Mr. Block's description:

Rare Akro Agate No. 15 Box AKRO AGATE COMPANY, Original box. Extremely rare original No. 15 Akro Agate box. This is the rectangular box with the metal insert. The box top is red paper covering cardboard. Has cellophane covering the window, but I don't think it is original. One side flap has an Akro logo. The other reads "15 "Akro Agates" No. 15 The Akro Agate Co. Clarksburg W. Va.". Bottom is cardboard. The bottom has two split corners, the top has no damage. Includes the original formed steel insert with five channels that hold three marbles each. Three each of Akro brown, blue, aqua, red and purple slags. The marbles are 11/16" to 23/32". All have damage. Very rare item.

[Steph]

No. 300 box:

(click to enlarge)

[Steph]

No. 16 carton, with slags:

(click to enlarge)

[Steph]

(click pix to enlarge)

Red Goose Shoes promo carton with corks:

From the auction description:

This is a great red Goose Shoes box with 5 Akro Agate Co. corkscrew marbles. The box measures 3 3/8" x 3/4" x 3/4". It is in excellent condition. The corkscrews are red & transluscent white. They all have a very thin brown line in the white along the red.

I wonder if that thin line of brown is special somehow. Or were those just red corks and anything else was incidental?

Here is another batch of red corks with maybe a little brown. Nice red. Apparently not what today's collectors call Imperials though. Did Akro call them Imperials? And if so, did Akro call the ones in the Red Goose box Imperials too? [Edit: to me now, years later, the base on those in the Red Goose box looks like Moss Agates and looks like it could be different from the base of the ones in the Imperial box below.]

. . (1, 2)

To put the question another way, if we opened one of the cartons in the following clip from one of Dani's Akro ads, what would the Imperial have looked like? Sort of an ordinary (to us) red cork, or something more fancy?

. . (3)

I checked the contents pictured for the No. 32 boxes shown in Post #3 above. There are no Cardinal Reds there so they weren't following the recipe given in this circular. So, I won't try to draw any conclusions about from that about the red corks would have been called. (By the way, the boxes in Post #3 are decorated slightly differently from the box in the ad.)

edit: Craig/Spara50 has added another box of Imperial corkscrews to the body of examples, Some Recent Stuff, Akro Imperial Box, Red Angels & more.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Steph

[Steph]

Space for other stuff.

[Steph]

Moss Agates, No. 1, 100 count:

(source and brief discussion)

[Steph]

Click game, from a Block auction.

(click to enlarge)

[Steph]

I've been going through my list of old Akro links today. There was one to a thread about opaque sparklers. The thread's gone, but I still have these scans from it, from Baumann's Collecting Antique Marbles, 4th ed. Thought someone might consider them interesting. (as do I but I have my own copy of the book, so this is really for you )

(click to enlarge)

[Steph]

Oh my. Now this would have been a fun present to give and get! An O' Boy! gift box.

(click to enlarge)

From the Marquee auction description:

Akro Agate Rare "O'Boy" Original Gift Box - Here's a rare find that will be a highlight in any collection. It's an "

O'boy Gift Box

" measuring 8" x 11" the likes of which has been featured in the book

"Complete Line of Akro Agate"

by Roger and Claudia Hardy, you can see an example on page 28. These contained different items, this one has a bowtie, a fancy note pad, and a metal "block" pencil which has a ruler stamped on it, all of which can actually be used or in the case of the tie actaullay worn. Each gift box came with a No.16 "blue sleeve" of marbles, this one is in practically pristine condition with vibrant colors and very crisp construction with no tears or wear, the five pretty slags inside appear original to the box and are in Mint condition with minor box grime. The graphics in the box of a boy dressed in clothing of the time is in excellent shape with no wear or fading, the bottom of the box does have a small tear in one side flap. The top of the box has seen better days with two corners torn with a very frayed flap along the side, the "wrapping" paper over the cardboard is torn and stained with an old Christmas gift sticker placed on one corner of the lid. So, the contents below the lid are in Mint condition, the lid itself falls in the Good realm.

[Steph]

Assorted Glassies:

(click to enlarge)

(source)