Marvelous Mibs Marbles Collectors Zone

jormibnut · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 101 Location: Hartford, WI

Hi: My name is Art and I've been collecting since my wife passed away in '92. Had been doing flea markets but knew nothing about marbles until I went to the Windy City marble show that year with a friend who had a collection.
Didn't take me long to get hooked, I bought several dozen dollar marbles and dutifully labeled each bag with the name that the dealer had told me when I bought it.
I got lucky a year later when I went to an auction and bought a huge lot of great marbles at very reasonable prices. For example: 58 indians, a dozen or so clambroths, 20 cornhusks and the list goes on. all for about $300.
I used most of them to trade for other marbles at shows and they formed the basis for my collection.
Now I'm retired and go to about 8 shows a year and buy on eBay. Still trying to entice Chris to our Badger Marble show in Madison in October.
Woo woo. Art

roany poany · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:40 am Post subject:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA WHERE THE WIND COMES SWEEPIN’ DOWN THE PLAINS

Hi my name is Buddy, I'm extremely handsome and talented, no wait, that’s for my blog .
them that don’t know me don’t like me and them that do sometimes don’t know how to take me Laughing

I’m retired Halliburton , I like horses, grand kids ,enchiladas, NASCAR trucks and occasionally a cold Longneck Bud.
with the exception of a few arrowheads I had found around here, I had never collected much of anything.
I became interested in marbles in September of ’01. A great aunt had passed away and left me a small jar of marbles from her estate. The marbles belonged to her husband who was killed in WW1 (1917)I knew diddly squat about marbles but I knew they were old and had provenance. (I learned later.. I had a couple of German handmades, some small chinas, a half dozen benningtons and a amber MFC) I was new to the internet so I started doing my research for info on ebay, (oh yes I did), which led me to BB’S board and eventually Nan’s board. That’s when I became hooked on mibs… you know the rest of the story
and lord help me I try to keep it fun
There’s a measure of people I’ve become acquainted with in the course of marbles and some I consider very close friends.
And a few that I will always look up to.

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Buddy ™

Poplarhead · Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 72

Actually I have been a collector since 1968! That was when I was a kid in 6th grade and was taking home pockets of marbles! I had been playing in neighborhood games in Louisiana since I was 5 (My first marbles purchase was in 1962 when I talked my grandfather into buying me a bag of Allreds! - and I remember seeing the Marble King 145 count bags for sale and neighbor kids with them). I got serious in 6th grade. I accumulated about 3000 marbles over the next couple years (along with hand me downs from neighbors that I talked them out of). I remember seeing the 250 count Vitro bags in the stores in late 1960s with allreds, or cage catseyes, or clearies). In 8th grade like others my age the marbles were put away along with the comic books and other stuff. Well the marbles stayed stored until 1986 when my parents came across the country to see my new house and visit with me and brought them to me- in fact my mother said "look what you left- we figured you wanted them!"

I put them in an upstairs closet and there they sat until 1994. I never had opened but once when I initially had put them away. The carbon steel steelies sat in those cans so long they rusted and stained some adjacent marbles! In 1994 my wife and I were into garage sales and flea markets- we drove to Panama City Florida for the day to a flea market we had heard about - and there was a guy there who proclaimed himself as "the Marble Man" (don't confuse with Virginia Marble Man)- had a ton of marbles in containers selling for 2 cents each. The next three times I went went by his table and just looked at the marbles - never bought any but it got me to thinking this might be an interesting hobby - collecting marbles - I did not know anybody who collected and had never seen any pre 1940s marbles. Handmades were a totally unknown subject.

Any way after the third trip I went upstairs and pulled out my old cans and got hooked. I bought a thousand marbles off the next trip to Florida (it was mainly tons of late 1980s Vitro and Champions that the seller had) and ended up buying many many thousands more through the years from him before he quit and moved to the Carolinas. He later made Jabo plant trips and would bring me back some cases in late 1990s. From that start I went on and found Blocks auctions and Running Rabbit and went to my first show at Tennessee Standing Stone State park in 1995. Several shows later and internet have helped build a nice collection of all types of marbles from newest to oldest and in between. Even started selling on Ebay in 1998. I have met numerous nice people through mail or shows , many who are on this board and seen more of the country by going to shows.

Not quite as active in collecting in recent years due to work load but still dabble - mostly machine mades from 1940s to 1950s for my own collection.

My wife likes the Vitro jewel trays and handles the mailing for Poplarhead(Becky) Ebay sales.

We also in past collected other items ; records and CDs, comic books, ballcards, tv lamps, collie figurines, paperweights, small old toys and dolls, old books, and Science Fiction items and love older tv shows (DVDs are great).

Hope everybody else gets to enjoy the hobby as much as I have- drop me a line if you need help identifying something. I'll try to help.

Don (Marbling On!)

Ponkochan · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject:

I started seriously collecting in 2004, after inheriting all the non-Akros that my "Akroholic" brother was acquiring for a few years. Actually, I've been following his marble collecting since the early 60's, when he was the neighborhood marbles champion. We lived in Japan at the time, on a military dependents base. Of course, we had plenty of catseyes! There was a little Japanese toy store right outside the gate to the military base. This was the heyday of cheap, "Made in Japan" toys..........so that store was like heaven, to us kids. We could buy U.S.-made toys in the P.X. (post exchange) and I'm sure that's where all the Marble King marbles came from. I remember the Bumblebees, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other Rainbows. The only other type that I remember besides opaques and clearies (which we girls fried in frying pans to 'crackle' and make jewelry from). Oh yeah........there were also what the boys called "Spaghettis". These were Wirepulls & transparent swirls. I don't know who made these. But I was fascinated with these little balls of glass then...........so it didn't take much to re-awaken my interest a few years ago.

When my brother was buying big lots on ebay (because he happened to see a few Akros that might interest him)...........he ended up throwing all these thousands of non-Akros in boxes and into the closet. When I had to quit working because of health related issues..........I moved in with him. He told me that I could have all of these non-Akros marbles if I wanted them. Very Happy

Well, I wanted to find out all I could about these other makers, so I set on a course of studying.........probably for at least 8 hrs. a day. I joined the marbles boards, read every marbles site on the internet and every marbles book that I could get my hands on!

After about a year, I realized that it probably wasn't feasible for me to collect every kind of antique/vintage marble out there................so I started selling some of them on ebay. Eventually narrowed my collecting down to Transitionals and European machine-mades.

I would've never imagined that I would get so involved in "marbles collecting". Laughing

None of my old friends *get* it. hehe
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Lizzy

marrrlee · Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 122 Location: ca

Hello Everyone, my name is Marlene, and I live in Southern Calif. I wanted to start by telling Lizzy and Chris, and marblemonky how much I appreciate the time and effort involved in them doing this board for all of us. It does not go unnoticed by me, at how attentive they are to everyone and their knowledge is priceless. I thank them for it.
I started collecting marbles after , like someone else said, I bought a shoebox at a garage sale and it had 10 or so marbles in it along with a bunch of other items. The marbles intrigued me because of the differences in the colors and designs. I went online to see what I could find, and like Chris, by the end of one day of investigating I thought I knew about all there was to know about marbles….WRONG! NOT!
I continued to buy marbles when I found them at different sales and such, and had acquired quite a few.
I found one of the marble forums, and posted that I had some marbles and would like someone to help me identify them. Mike Close (So Ca Show) answered my post , saying that he lived near me and was gracious enough to invite me to his home and explain some things about marbles.
Mike has a beautiful home and he introduced me to his wife and family, and then him and I sat at his dining room table and he explained marbles to me, he told me I would most likely not remember, but somewhere along the line , it may jog my memory. I learned a lot that evening, and remember most of what he told me.
I also found out that the majority of marbles I had, were jabo, vicor or in other words, not too collectable in the sense of being htf.
As I was putting my marbles away, Mike happened to notice one that I had not even brought out, because I had thought it was worthless because it had real bad rough spots on it, and seemingly to me, was not too pretty. I wasn’t even going to bring it with the rest of them, but threw it in at the last minute. He asked if he could look at it, and proceeded to tell me it was the best marble I had. ( practically the only good one in the bunch, besides the Navarre, I posted here in this forum)
I had purchased it at a book store after seeing it in the case, for eight dollars. This is a picture of it, it is over 1 inch.
After Mike explained this one to me, I got a much better grasp of pontils and such.
Mikes display of his marbles in his home is something to drool over, simply awesome, not only the marbles but also the way in which they are displayed.
Mike was just the beginning of the nice people I have met since I started collecting.

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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!

Marble Ed · Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 7

I began collecting marbles in 1988 when I bought a quart jar of machine mades for $10 from an antique store. I did not pay much attention to it until I purchased Grist's first book and then Bauman's second edition. Because of these books I focused on hand mades and found a good source at a local flea market. This source pushed me to buy machine mades, I think I had purchaed most of his hand mades, and I added them to my collecting. (As fate would have it, I lived in England for four years and didn't start collecting until two years after a returned to the US. I now have to vacation in England to tap my sources.---Not at $2.00/L1.00)

Like Art, I went to the Windy City marble show to have marbles identified, and then I went to an Ottawa show in order to get an oxblood I could use for reference. I still have that $5 marble.

As I learned more, I began to focus on Peltiers since I am in Chicago. I like the opaque "marbles formerly known as Millers" (remember Prince) and swirly Type I NLRs

In reallity I have some of everything and need to start selling.

I retired this spring and decided to not purchase marbles until I learned to live on my significantly reduced income. THEN I found a jar marked ten shooter sized marbles for $5 (Seven Parrots including 5 color examples) Then I went to an estate sale of a well known nature photographer and found three 7/8th inch aides and four 3/4 inch egg yolk oxbloods for $15. My resolve started to weaken. I next purchased a box of about 150 marbles including an attempt to put together an Akro box, and seven CA orange slags. I wont say what I paid, but I got a good deal and completely gave up trying to conserve my money. Two weeks ago, at my favorit flea market, a seller offered his inventory for a price I could not pass up. One 13/16th "Miller" Blue Zebra just about covered the price, but the 1 1/4" Indian clinched the deal. I have now spent more money on marbles than in any prior year, but quality has been excellent.

I have met great people through this hobby and look forward following and posting to the boards.

Art, I'll see you Saturday.
Ed

Delilah57 · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1

Hello Everyone, My name is Delilah and I have never collected marbles. I didn't even know there were people that collected marbles until I went to John Hamon Miller to learn to make paperweights, and I only wanted them to put in my big kalidioscopes. On starting classes I learned that I had to learn to make beads to make marbles and I had to learn to make marbles to make paperweights. I haven't learned to make paperweights yet...... I am having to much fun make marbles.
I did learn to reconize some Peltiers because John taught me as I was learning to make marbles.I have been a stained glass artist for over 20 years but most of my time is now devoted to making marbles and paperweight buttons.( which is a mable with a copper shank stuck in it's back end). I have met some great people in the marble community and love going to show's. I also love demonstrating my art to kids and talking to them about the wonder of those little round orbs that set all of our hearts to dancing Wink

kris7047th · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 777 Location: Monroe,Michigan

Hey Deliliah.. you need to get with Migbar/Mike Barton. The two of you have a lot in common. He is a glass artist as well and and makes some awesome marbles. When you are able, please post some pics of your work Razz

Welcome!
Kris

marble_den · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 50 Location: Colorado

Many of you know me from other boards,from shows and possibly repute.
Haven't been able to make it to a show since my last MS problems hit in 2004.
My interest in collecting marbles started with doing some artwork depicting them, in a playing ring and that my Mother gave my Brother all the marbles from the family and his wife sold them in a garage sale!
My husband still had all of his marbles, handmade and machine made, from his childhood. (We keep those separate from my collection.)
The paintings of marbles led to some National Awards and I became interested in collecting them.
Because the paintings had, "machine mades", in them that was my focus.
"Machine mades" were cheap when I started collecting in 1992. Back then most people thought I was foolish to pay money for, "machine mades"!
Had a person in our neighborhood who helped me immensly, who saw one of my paintings and contacted me. Elaine King was my mentor for a long time.
From time to time I have concentrated on certain makers, but I like them all. Having the least complete being Christensen.
Due to MS, most of my collecting now is either trading with friends and/or eBay.
Actually have few, on a list that I continue searching for but now and then I see something that I didn't know I was seeking!
Here are 2 of my favorites.

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marble monarch