Jump to content

Tri-onyx Akros


Steph

Recommended Posts

So, the company name for popeyes was Tri-Onyx?

It seems that this is common knowledge ... but I never registered it until a couple of minutes ago ... when re-reading a section of Alan's ID pages which I would have said I'd read a dozen times before. Whoops! :blush:

Was Tri-Onxy also the company name for lemonades and the other ades and the oxbloods in the yellow popeye boxes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steph, I was under the impression that a tri-onyx was a popeye, and that lemonade oxbloods, eggyolk oxbloods, etc, were called imperials. Imperials being Akros "fancier" line of marbles. Just what I think I've heard, I could certainly be wrong.

-Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Galen. It would be awesome to have a timeline of their marbles, like it would seem popeyes are earlier than prizenames, etc. I was reading last night that there was talk in 1997 of doing an archeological type excavation of the foundation of parts of the factory and being able to date marbles by under which additions to the original factory they were found. But, alas, it never happened. I see, though, that original advertising is also a great way to date stuff. Thanks for sharing it.

-Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its interesting that if you look at a salesman's sample box, you see prizenames, popeyes, sparklers, slags, etc... but you don't see oxbloods, cornelians, carnelians, or ades. Its my hypothesis that these were all some of the first marbles made by them on Early's machines. Its interesting, though, that it seems slag production continued alongside the corks, unless it was all old stock by that time. Entirely my humble opinion. Fun stuff!

-Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is from the enclosure promoting the naming contest for what we now call Prize Names. It gives the names Akro used sometime around 1929.

. . .

In presenting to our juvenile customers this beautiful new line of marbles, we have been at a loss to find a suitable name to describe them, therefore we will put it up to our boy and girl friends to give this new marble a name.

. . .

Attached you will find ten coupons. Give one to each customer who purchases ten of these marbles. They will fill in his or her name and address with with their suggestions for a name for our new marble, and mail to THE AKRO AGATE COMPANY, CLARKSBURG, W. VA.

. . .

As soon as possible after the Contest closes, we will have three judges, men of national reputation in marble games, select the most fitting name from all of the suggestions sent us.

. . .

We now manufacture marbles under the following names: Akro Striped Onyx, Akro Cardinal Red, Akro Moonie, Akro Imperial and Akro Flintie.

MR. DEALER

After that came the contest rules. There were to be five prizes, ranging from $10 to $100. The deadline for entries was Midnight, May 1, 1930. Winners were to be announced in the June issue of Boys' Life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first five color combos of the kind of tri-color cork we now call Specials appear to have been introduced in the early 1930's. These images are from Dani and Ernie's catalog. I think it sounds like the Aces may have been released to the market before the Tri-Colors. Sounds like they had some feedback from the public already and the Tri-Colors were just coming out of the experimental stage. ? ??

article2.jpg

At least I guess those are what we now call Specials. That red, green and white one couldn't have been a popeye, could it? ??

Could the blue and white and brownish one have been an oxblood? ???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe by the mid tolate 30s most slag production had ended, I believe by the late 30s add material is mostly corkscrews and patches with no mention of slags after about 35. there are some that have the exact information and years. Peace,Galen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its interesting that their clear-based corkscrews are known as onyxs. Like it was their spinner-cup substitution for the slag. It seems to me that onyx and striped onyx are often used to describe different marbles. Their 1931 ad "The Akro Line is Complete" describes onyx's as being slags, and then spirals as being clear-based corkscrews IMHO. However, the books seem to abound with "spirals" in "onyx" packaging. Just some stuff I've been thinking about. I like this kind of stuff. Thanks for humoring me. LOL!

-Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Dan. I do know, from the photos I've seen, that the "Liberty" no. 200 tin has corkscrew onyxs in it and is thought to date from late WWII. No big surprise there, I suppose, that the slags were gone by then. It would be awesome to know when the differnt salesman's sample boxes were put together. Of course, stuff could always have been backfilled too. Fun thread!

-Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...