Does this digger have anything?

[Dug]

Hi;

I'm a relic digger who occasionally finds marbles and I have been saving them in a jar. I was tempted to tumble some due to ground action but figured that would be like someone cleaning a coin and ruining the value.

Could yall look at what I have here and advise if I have anything that is considered rare and valuable before I tumble the glass ones to polish? Obviously I would not tumble the clay or ceramic ones.

 

[cheese]

Hi Dug!

Cool finds! Looks like some of those were nice in their day. In the first pic, 4th row, 4th marble in from the right side... maybe take a couple more pics of that one. In the second pic, 4th row, 4th marble in from the left... looks like an akro flintie. Not worth a lot, a few bux though.

I've never heard of a successful attempt at tumbling marbles to fix them up. They get football shaped.

 

[Dug]

Hi Cheese;

Thanks for taking the time to look. Appreciate the warning on tumbling. I have tumbled rocks for many years, and in the last few began tumbling antique bottle shards into a high gloss form of sea glass as gifts for land owners kind enough to let me dig on their properties. My attempt at tumbling marbles was only going to involve the last two stages of grit to see if I could remove some glass sickness (haze) that goes with glass being in the ground exposed to minerals and tannic acid. If I attempted to polish out the pits that would involve removing more surface and I'm sure I would end up with footballs. What I'm not sure of is if I will end up with cracked marbles which is why I needed some ID help to avoid messing up a rare or uncommon marble which is much appreciated.

Hopefully I got the right marble pics for you.

 

[drizzlermibs]

Welcome Dug! Cheese, thots on the marble in the 2nd pic, 3rd row, 4th in from left? Just a "veteran" with hit marks??

 

[Dug]

Welcome Dug! Cheese, thots on the marble in the 2nd pic, 3rd row, 4th in from left? Just a "veteran" with hit marks??

Here is a closeup. Please excuse color as pic was taken with it under a CFL.

 

[cheese]

Okay, that one I asked about is not anything rare, just a nice looking old peltier rainbo that is worse for the wear. LEt us know how the tumbling works out, I'd like to see and know the results! You are right, if there was a rare marble here, it would likely be worth more in rough shape than it would be polished.

 

[cheese]

Welcome Dug! Cheese, thots on the marble in the 2nd pic, 3rd row, 4th in from left? Just a "veteran" with hit marks??

.
Looks like it.

 

[sprailroad]

This marble sub-forum has a real interest for me. Over many years of detecting I've come across at least a couple of hundred of them, and they are like little jewels to me, both old and newer, as well as some clay marbles. And looking over this forum, you fellas REALLY know your stuff. It may seem odd, but when I've come across broken & or melted ones, I have picked them up as well, why?, because I felt sorry for them? I call the my "challenged" marbles. I cleaned them up and they are all together in there own small mason jar. When I glance at them, they just seem happy. They have a home. Odd? Why yes of course, but I choose to think it as odd in a nice sort of way.

 

[drizzlermibs]

This marble sub-forum has a real interest for me. Over many years of detecting I've come across at least a couple of hundred of them, and they are like little jewels to me, both old and newer, as well as some clay marbles. And looking over this forum, you fellas REALLY know your stuff. It may seem odd, but when I've come across broken & or melted ones, I have picked them up as well, why?, because I felt sorry for them? I call the my "challenged" marbles. I cleaned them up and they are all together in there own small mason jar. When I glance at them, they just seem happy. They have a home. Odd? Why yes of course, but I choose to think it as odd in a nice sort of way.

Hi Sprailroad! Love your story and keeping damaged ones isn't odd at all. When I look at Dug's last pic, my imagination takes over and I think how many times it must have been in the ring battling it out; and, yet still survived. I have been known to purposely scout out a "pair/twin" for my marbles because I have developed a compulsion to have a buddy system in place for my Pelts! Would love to see pics of your happy marbles if you have the chance!

 

[drizzlermibs]

.
Looks like it.

Just curious; the last mib seems to have some concentric circles on it. What would cause that?

 

[Dug]

Just curious; the last mib seems to have some concentric circles on it. What would cause that?

They are not part of any design as this was a solid blue marble. They are likely the result of glass sickness affecting minute fractures in the glass from the strikes. Being in the ground for so long probably robbed some of the supporting glass in the micro fractures.

Tumbling experiment note one. I put one of the really frosted larger marble in the tumbler by itself with plastic bead, 500 grit, and water. After one day I decided to take a peek at it and found a huge chunk missing. Oh well, it was a mess anyway. Note to self, do not tumble any marbles that have any visible fracture lines in them.

 

[Dug]

Thought I would share pics of a clay that I dug from an early 1800s house site in New Orleans many years ago. I keep it separate from the others since I consider it more prone to surface damage. The patterns don't normally hold up on these after being in the ground so long but I got lucky with this one. Thinking of trying to seal it with something so as not to lose any more to fading etc.

 

[cheese]

Nice concentric ring/bullseye clay. I wouldn't seal it, collectors frown on anything like that and it ruins the value. If it's now out of the elements and sunlight, it won't fade anymore.

 

[sprailroad]

Moxie, Like the way you think, a buddie system for marbles, I like it. As far as pictures, I have not a clue as to how to post anything, nor do I have the equip. I hope THIS year, I will get together with a friend to show me what I need, & how to do it. I truly do enjoy looking at pictures posted on this forum, you can learn a lot, and of course some really have that "WOW" factor.