Alex: We do have one machine that has a name. But even chaff is not really glitter. But what a company like Glitterex is withholding is an innocent question and one that is of genuine interest to the public:Who is your biggest buyer? So we gotta tick through some other theories. Josh Crane Twitter Producer, Podcasts & New ProgramsJosh is a producer for podcasts and new programs at WBUR.

You're just like, yeah. But were talking about an industry where the final product isnt obviously made of glitter. Money. Josh: I think the next step is probably just to call up as many boat manufacturers as humanly possible.

Currently I own a casting company with my wife. Customers are buying tons of glitter over the course of years. He gives good pep talk. Nope. All contents 2022 The Slate Group LLC. Because, even though most people might not think a lot about glitter, its a widely used product. We think its paint but results from our paint experts are fundamentally inconclusive. Ben: So if you're a Reddit fan, you should listen to the show anyway. And customers are not buying one kilogram.

-The r/UnresolvedMysteries post about the glitter mystery-Joe Coburn's glitter manufacturer AMA, -"What Is Glitter," by Caity Weaver in The New York Times Magazine (12/21/18). But his muck rake was recently traded in for tree trimmers. And that's how I got into the state police Bulger Task Force. David: Oh, yeah. (Procter & Gamble PR did not respond to a request for comment by press time.). Voicemail recording: This call may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance purposes. To make matters worse, the investigation requires a level of confidence in chemical and physical sciences to which I stopped aspiring in high school. For todays episode, I will only answer to Glitter Boy. Amory: We go there on a Monday. Amory: Meanwhile,weset out to turn over some rocks. But Joe says it was worth it. Because a lot of times employees go out to drink on their way home. Since then, Joes gone back to working in the entertainment industry. David: I'd start in the basic gumshoe arena. Sure. We're hoping to talk to one of them. I have a few sources in the paint industry who have gotten as excited about answering this mystery as we have been. For more of Oonas sarcasm and attempted wit, visit her website oonaoffthecuff.com. That stuff is called chaff and its reflective. Amory: Ho ho! The one company [Glitterex], at least the one we knew had the answer, wouldnt give it to us. John Thomas: Were pretty big. If they're repeatedly dodging a question, or if every company in the same industry is equally dodging the same question that brings, that raises my radar to say something is not right here. Glitter is certainly a component in many plastic fishing lures, but its not a secret, and Im not sure why it would be. AMA!. Amory: Maybe, its part of a cloaking paint for vehicles used in the US military. And he builds a glitter company in Germany with a fleet of new machines.

For some people, that mysterious "no comment" is whatever. Everyone knows NASAs Space Launch System uses aluminum powder (along with ammonium perchlorate) as solid rocket fuel. In New Jersey. This guy was really secretive, which might be part of the reason that there are a really limited number of companies making glitter, even today. He says he just wasnt into spending time in the boondocks of Germany. David: If you have a little time on your hands, I want you to figure out what the closest bars are. Amory: It still struck us as weird that glitter as an industry is so secretive. Hes covered Whitey Bulgers gangster reign of terror. Ben: It was a long drive back to Boston. But, like, translated to German Joe: Yeah. Fighter jets. Humanity is pretty good at dumping trash into the ocean in terrible ways, but were not doing this with glitter on purpose. Theories. Amory: So boat manufacturers are buying this gel coat substance from Brannons company, HK Research, and mixing it with glitter theyve bought directly from glitter companies. The answer of what is it, which we will also discuss further is, briefly, very thin plastic coated in very thin metal. Joe: Obviously, New Jersey is where the hotbed of glitter is. Ben: As it turns out, the Coburn family business has a pretty strange and winding story a story thats intertwined with the history of glitter and the history of secrecy surrounding the glitter industry. Let's just leave it at that." Are we are we to be rejected? And after all our work, if he sits down atop a mountain of glitter with his dad, Babu, and they listen to the episode, Id like to hope they wouldnt even be mad at us. Somebody comes to the door of the waiting area. According to her, because the company does not want people to know under any circumstance that they're using glitter.

And when I say I know how much they use, I dont know the exact volumes, but Ive been in their plants and I've seen the drums of material. Ben: Boaty McBoatface! And a mystery that popped up that hasnt been solved. Ben: And, folks, these boat companies are using a lot of glitter. But he knows a lot about the business. Glitter is in his DNA. David: But you know, if you turn over enough rocks, you will find the slugs, the worms and the glitter. But instead, it's something mundane. You used to make bank! John is pretty excited about a new pigment made from glass. Thanks to SneakyBunny84 for this week's artwork. More and more competition from China and Taiwan, perhaps thanks to the machine that his dad sold decades ago. Brannon Pittman: My name is Brannon Pittman. To make it hard to counterfeit and give it a cool look. So people on the thread really dig in. Alex Coburn: Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf. ), Spacecraft. There are a few ways to reach us: This content was originally created for audio. Amory: This was an Ask Me Anything thread. But he wouldnt let them get close enough to understand how the machine worked. Amory: In 2011, Joes dad died. Inspired by a New York Times feature about glitter last year, people have obsessed over identifying the mysterious industry buying huge amounts of glitter information which glitter-makers have now famously refused to divulge. Amory: So much mystery you're creating here, Alex! And he is a Redditor. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. All rights reserved. Just trying it out. And it was titled, Im a glitter manufacturer. Josh Swartz: They had very good news, Ben. Do you think youre up for it? You can find more of their work on Reddit orInstagram. Jeet: Yeah. Joes dad let perspective buyers view the machines in an old barn, through a window. Most military aircraft are equipped with tubes of chaff, millions of tiny aluminum- or zinc-coated fibers, to boggle radar-guided missiles and tracking systems. And, in fact, he says this is why some planes have used reflective materials as decoys for evasive maneuvering.

Please leave your name, your number, and a brief message. Ben: This is John Thomas (no relation to Rob Thomas). And he's like, Yes! And he's pointing to the phone like he's talking to someone on the phone who has really good news. David: Yeah. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text. Ben: Not gonna lie. Amory: You know what we want before we do! Getting used to it. Voicemail recording: Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system. How is it? Maybe what's, Another use that's been argued is sand. Glitter stays around. The idea is that you see nothing but glitter. We're from a public radio station in Boston. Ben: Until our producer, Josh, got the goods. Go that way. As ourEarth's sand is slowly running out, it's probable that glitter could be a component of sand. The ultimate cage match between Tonight Show hosts. Greeting cards. Ben Brock Johnson: Amory, you know why were here, right? Edible Glitter Coffee Is Happening. And I'm having record seasons in all of them. Too expensive. Is it still glitter if it hasnt been chopped up into a million pieces? Ben: What does it look like? He's on the phone with someone. Wait wait wait this brings up questions. And that could just be for one boat company. The movie leaves out the comics' inter-species romance and super-pet abuse, for some reason. They use something called effect pigments.. We're here to be rejected. A July Research and Markets industry report notes that the largest end-uses for metalized films include food packaging, decoration, and cosmetics.

But we did solve it right? Don't Get Mad. Joes dad didnt know where these machines came from.

Amory: Zach had found this article that a lot of people read in The New York Times Magazine that was all about glitter. Could the sand industry be spiking M-sand with glitter in search of the natural sparkle of Key Weststyle quartz sand for cosmetic uses like concrete floors, walls, or countertops? Ben: Of the handful of companies making glitter, Joe describes his own family's business as the black sheep of the group. Ben: Very shiny.

Should we just go in the front door? Ben: OK. Ben (in car): What are we doing? Brannon: I know how much boat manufacturers use, especially the bass boat manufacturers. The other one is Meadowbrook Inventions. Dude, we are in way too deep for this kind of gut punch. Our username is. John: Super interesting, super clean. Ben: Ohhhh! Its none of these wacky things. And if you dig deeper, the world of these shimmering bits of plastic is hiding one big secret. And the price has gone down with competition. But the real mystery moment comes when the company rep wont tell Caity what industry is the biggest customer of Glitterex. But back to out mystery: did Alex know anyone at Glitterex? No matter what the glitter industry may be hiding from us, let's hope whatever it's nestled in is making the thing more "fabulous.". Ben: I don't know. And, in fact, he described glitter as an industry that was insular in part because it was in trouble. So were talking about lots and lots of weight and lots and lots of money! Brannon: Think of it like a paint almost. In the Dec. 21 New York Times, Caity Weaver has a rollicking dispatch from the Glitterex glitter factory, which reveals the true nature of glitteraluminum metalized polyethylene terephthalatebefore hinting at a greater mystery: a top-secret industrial glitter use that accounts for most of the companys sales. Got some on my hands this morning. Amory: Foiled again. Several theories exist on what the product might be, such as bombs, as a means to track where they've exploded or car paint, though most people wouldn't mind if glitter was in car paint, and it's safe to say most people have already assumed so. Were just kind of bumbling in the front door. But because they are a Glitterex client, this source had a colleague who went to Glitterex for a normal supplier meeting and they poked into it on our behalf. Don't hesitate to reach out with reactions to episodes, ideas for future stories, feedback about the show, or just to say hi. Amory: Dont hold your breath on that one. And youre listening to Endless Thread. And so they've been kind of looking into it on our behalf. Jeet: Thanks for stopping by. Ben: So you're not convinced that your daughter's packet of glitter is somehow involved in tens of millions of dollars of military equipment, maybe hundreds of millions? Rocket fuel. Before this story, I never thought glitter was a thing worth thinking about. Ben: Oooh mysterious! Can you offer us any advice on how to solve the mystery without your help? Small manufacturers protect client information to protect business. A little SECRECY from the automotive paint industry. Amory: Okay, so you're intimately acquainted with glitter it sounds like. I just talked to the guy who has the answers about glitter! Amory: John, I'm wondering though, the pigments and the other types of things that you're talking about, do you source those materials from a glitter company? They dont want to let her see the machines or even be on the manufacturing floor, let alone describe how the machines work. Amory: This is one of about a million ideas David had. Jers suburbs. 100 experts had killed theories and given us 100 more. Ben: So true, grandma. Jeet: Yes. Amory: Other than the growing competition, we asked Alex about his industrys greatest challenge. This is how it plays out in the piece: Ben: Can you tell me which industry serves as Glitterexs biggest market? Ben: Were talking to Joe Coburn, who used to work at his familys glitter company. Rocket fuel is also on the table. Let's just leave it at that." The next day, we continued to search through the thread of comments on Reddit for clues. Joe: This could be vehicle paint for planes or boats or whatever, but in my mind it has to be glitter that sits in a liquid medium [because it] requires a lot more glitter. Its really that simple.. Ben: John, I think they should they should start a new Netflix show called The Great American Flaking Show.

Jeet wouldnt budge. Ben: Glitter, glitter, glitter, glitter, glitter. And so I present to you a half-baked Friday afternoon inquiry: seven potential industrial uses of glitter (hat tip to sleuths on Twitter and Reddit) where the clients might not want you to know they were working with a glitter company. If what we don't know can't hurt us, that doesn't mean it won't, The Cut recounts an interview with a representative of Glitterex. Voicemail recording: You have reached the voicemail of Nathan Long. Did someone say aluminum-coated fibers? Amory: And here is where we hit another dead end. We're talking about single lane road. Brannon: So in the liquid form its a viscous paint about the consistency of a ketchup, if you will. David: I have peaches, pears and apples. People are recognizing that the glitter falls onto the ground and could end up in an ocean. A report fromThe Cut recounts an interview with a representative of Glitterexby the name of Ms. Dyer, who did not volunteer nor disclose information about who's responsible for giving the company most of its profit.

And compared to other uses of glitter or greeting cards and Christmas ornaments and the cosmetic industry, the volume is way more that goes into a boat. Why am I listening to you? Ben: Has your family's company ever sold the glitter to the automotive paint industry? Some New Jersey rocks. Another use that's been argued is sand. Ben: That's what we're here for, right? Lets just leave it at that. And if you call from jail I can put you on to any number of criminal defense attorneys who are my friends. The world is running out of sand, in case you needed one more thing to worry about, so the construction industry is increasingly turning to manufactured sand (very fine crushed rock) as a component of concrete. David: If you're an investigative reporter or detective, you are driven by the certainty that almost all things are knowable. This would also distinguish counterfeit money from, you know- real, 15 Back-To-School Movies and TV Episodes to Finish Summer Break, Why You'll Never Buy A Home | Honest Ads (VIDEO), DC's Original League Of Super-Pets Was Insane, The Tonight Show: 20 Fav Moments From Allen To Fallon, THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GLITTER BUYER IS A BIZARRE MYSTERY. He disassembles the other one to figure out how it works.

I'll definitely check out the show. Ben: One of the more popular shadowy theories is that glitter is used by the military. But our buddy David Boeri? Zach Brooke: My name is Zach Brooke. I am unavailable to take your call. I'm a technical director, chemist, for a company called HK Research Corporation who makes polyester gel coats for the marine and fiberglass, cast polymer industries. Thank you and make it a great day. Because glitter doesnt go away. There's a reason that cars in the sun look really nice. The federal trial of the Boston Marathon bomber. Brannon: There's two main manufacturers of glitter in the United States. a rollicking dispatch from the Glitterex glitter factory, millions of tiny aluminum- or zinc-coated fibers, protect spacecraft from the temperature extremes. Like the muckraking business. If you have information about industrial glitter use, please contact us here. Theres a Star Wars toy, makeup, some other things. We want to hear from you! Its nothing so interesting, he says. Strike one. Richard Aboulafia: Sounds a little odd to me. Earlier in the decade, online reviewers attested that Crest-brand3D White Vivid toothpaste contained small plastic particles that were getting logged in brushers teeth and gums. Nope. Sand, after all, can be manufactured from concrete and made into fine rock particles. The ingredient was safe, P&G insisted, and to the extent it made people like brushing their teeth, it led to healthier dental outcomes. Effect pigments are basically highly engineered glitter in powder or flake form that add depth and complexity to whatever paint theyre in.

And when we asked him about the Glitterex mystery, he had an answer. Amory: Yes! Ben: Heres why I was so excited. I mean, boat paint? Amory: Currency? Can you pass the milk and cookies? But its yeah, I cant., On Twitter, Weaver followed up: Please ask the smartest person in your family what the glitter industrys biggest market is, and reveal their answers here., I went one further: I asked Joe Colleran at Meadowbrook Inventions, the worlds leading glitter manufacturer. And the person behind that post? Arguing that consumer preferences had changed (there was also a federal law passed in 2015 against microbeads), Crest eliminated microbeads from North American toothpaste by 2016. In many cases, the villages that are nearby, there's more livestock than people. Industry-wide, were talking glitter-palooza. Amory: Weve learned that, yet again, sometimes the journey is much more intriguing than the destination. Ben: Are you gonna tell us that Blue Velvet is gonna be out but Ocean Spray is gonna be in in 2025, or something like that? Alex: I think the biggest is that it's made of plastic. Glitter in money. And John is responsible for choosing color options sometimes five or six years in advance of a new car coming out. A couple of dorks with a lot of hope! John: Hey, Im always willing to flake out. A man after my own heart. It's just funny? Maybe! Then theres very very very expensive flakes. As a cloaking agent or paint for vehicles. But we also get there in the middle of a sunny afternoon, which is not a great time to be casing the joint or rifling through trash or whatever. If what we don't know can't hurt us, that doesn't mean it won'teventually. Greg Stoller: My name is Greg Stoller. It's a strange world but it really flies in the face of everything I know about radar absorbing materials and the rather rigorous science that's gone into its development, its production, and its upkeep. I currently live in Toledo, Ohio. Unless they really hate their jobs? Amory: Are you familiar with the Unresolved Mysteries subreddit? For glitter paint? Something like that. Lets go find some boat, some boat people. Ben: Lightning round on industries that use glitter but are not the top customer of Glitterex. And if you dig deeper, the world of these shimmering bits of plastic is hiding one big secret. But can we let Frank Ocean sing it for us? It raised a lot of questions, especially who this mystery buyer was. For a company known as Glitterex in New Jersey, one of two of the largest glitter-making companies in the world, glitter proves to be a secretive, suspicious business. One thing I did learn, though: glitter is not good! At the tone, please record your message. The sparkly particles aren't fun and games when it comes to marine life. Ben: Until, from various industry pressures, it doesnt, which is why Alexs family company is getting into biodegradable glitter to get away from plastics. Amory: And then, Ben caught a lucky break. telling me you want to go. One of my favorite subreddits is the Unresolved Mysteries subreddit. Fishing bait. Is it cutting souls? We make solid colors and we also make clears that they can mix different things into to give different effects, whether it's glitter or an automotive metallic. Ben: Why does the boat industry care whether or not we know it's the boat industry? Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies. It gets more satisfying of an answer the more you say it.

Amory: So I sent an email but did not hear back. It's a really closely held secret.

Ben: Did you catch it? The glitter may help with aesthetic purposes if anything. Sure, why not? Boat paint. (laughter). But going to the source of the mystery seemed like the fastest, most direct solution. And we started calling people, trying to knock a few of the crazy theories out. Ben: David Boeri is probably known best for spending many years as WBURs senior investigative reporter. And it's kind of like West Virginia. It's something bizarre," you know. Ben: First question: whats up with the secretive nature of the glitter industry? Brannon: I believe their name is Polycryl. He politely sent us on our way. Amory: I'm sitting across from Josh yesterday. Amory: Time to call some car paint companies! Its a long process. Ben: Dumping glitter into resort beach sand to make your Instagram posts sparkle? Zach: I was like, "Oh man it's something it's something unusual. Ben: Paint. Something we had already been talking about. All of which were theories floated in the thread. So I used to work for a bass boat manufacturer back in the 90s and we bought it in 30-gallon drums, probably 10 of those drums a week. He understands the industry. Instead, it finds its way into the sea and into the bellies of fish who surely aren't craving microplastics for dinner. Ben: Joe Coburn, from the Coburn family glitter business RJA Plastics did say he would put us in touch with the current business owner, his younger brother, Alex. Amory: Strip clubs (also mentioned by glitter conspiracy theorists)? There's been talk that toothpaste contains glitter, and visually that wouldn't be too much of a surprise. According to her, because the company does not want people to know under any circumstance that they're using glitter. Amory: His grandfather and his father were both in the business of manufacturing various reflective materials but not glitter. Toothpaste. Ben: She never gets an answer. Where is it? It's a one-word answer, "yes." She added that you'd see some trace of glitter if you knew what it was. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. For the same reason, right? Theyre engineered to duplicate how color comes off of butterfly wings or insects. Ben: The answer to the last question is apparently, everywhere, which we will talk more about.

Where are you guys from? They are aluminized polyimidesclose cousins of the sheets that are chopped up for party decorations and makeup. Ben: Oh my God! I mean, you can tap it and it's extremely hard. I live in Queens, New York. Ben: By the way, we offered Glitterex the chance to confirm or deny our findings. Amory: Not beach sand, not military technology, not strip clubs you know, I was really hoping it was going to be something else. , dollar bills are also a possibility. Or his son, Jeet. What's happening? It was hard to get Alex on the line from ah . Amory: Joes family is rooted in the Northeast with connections to The Garden State or, shall we say, the glitter state. Heads up that some elements (i.e. Glitter was invented by a New Jersey cattle rancher in 1934. Makeup, for instance. He just said that it's something that you're selling something by the gram for a lot of money. And you would never guess it. Joe: My father quickly discovered that when he inquired about how much he could sell these machines for, people were offering large sums of money mainly to break the machine down and clone it. You know, one of the great answers to one of the questions I once asked was, "I don't know the answer to that question, but I think I know someone who does.". Also thanks to Dan Benton, Ed Jones, Vanessa Patrick and Jerry Mande for sharing their expertise and helping to shape this episode as we fell down the glitter rabbit hole. I am an independent writer. Ben: If we get into some kind of trouble, will you pick up the phone if we call? Amory: We asked Alex why he wouldnt tell us what the devil machine cuts. by the name of Ms. Dyer, who did not volunteer nor disclose information about who's responsible for giving the company most of its profit. Instead, it finds its way into the sea and into the bellies of fish who surely aren't craving microplastics for dinner. So that's interesting! Ben: You're a man after my own heart. COPYRIGHT 2005-2022 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd., A staple of successful children's parties and strip clubs, yet the bane of the ocean's existence, the masked devil that is glitter has drawn controversy, and rightfully so, as this manufactured plastic dust. Ben: The woman on our list has left for the day. If you look at a dollar, there are small streaks of glitter-sembling markings. Richard: It's been over 30 years of that. The colleagues who would be able to answer my questions? If there is space in between then the effect is not as brilliant. Amory: In this front office by the way is a big glass case proudly displaying all of the products that Glitterexs glitter is in. I don't know who it is. Something that we sell now we were selling for three or four times the amount per kilogram. Could glitter be providing some of that missing sparkle in toothpaste and other microbead-less cosmetics?

Or maybe catch a lucky break. Rocket fuel is also on the table. Is that just how business works? We like to consider ourselves the best with color. And so one of them said their company does buy glitter from Glitterex. But it's the loudest machine and maybe the most complex machine we have. (TheNational Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Servicecouldnt be reached for comment; its closed because of the government shutdown.). Ben's voicemail for Amory: Oh! You cant spell glitter without litter. And even though the industrys more competitive now, you can still make good money. It would attract attention not avoid it.