We may think of marbles as a child's toy, but this wasn't always so. Marbles are quickly becoming hot items for collectors, not just as a hobby but as an investment. A Quick Marble History Lesson
These little round toys have been crafted for thousands of years in many countries around the world. Some of the first marbles were made of stone and were found around Rome and Ancient Egypt.
Some of the first glass marbles were created by hand in Venice. These could only be produced in very small quantities until a German glassblower invented the "marble scissors" in 1846. Though marbles still had to be handmade, this tool allowed glass makers to create marbles in large enough quantities to offer to the public. These marbles were stunning and had very large variety of colors and patterns. These became known as the Latticino marbles.
Though clay and crockery marbles had been around for thousands of years, they did not start being produced in mass quantities until the late 1800's in both the Americas and Europe.
When the 1890's came, the first machines for manufacturing glass marbles were introduced to the market, allowing glass making companies to produce colorful marbles in bulk.
The Companies
In the United States, in the first half of the 20th century marbles became very popular. Due to their popularity, many marble companies were created and these marbles quickly flooded the market. The majority of these companies had their own trademark designs, some of which are easily recognized over others.
Two highly popular vintage marble companies -
Akro Agate Company - This company started out in 1910 in Akron, Ohio. Akro manufactured many types of marbles which are very popular with today's collectors. Oxbloods, Corkscrews are just two of the many marbles The Akro Agate Company produced. This company was the largest US marble manufacturer throughout most of the company's existence.
The Peltier Glass Co. - Starting out in 1886, the founder Victor Peltier named this company The Novelty Glass Company. He later changed the name to The Peltier Glass Company. Peltier Glass began creating marbles in the 1920's and is still in operation, but they no longer create marbles.
Where do I start?
For someone just starting in the marble collecting business, these little pieces of glass, clay and stone can be very confusing.
How old is it?
What type is it?
Who made it?
These are the three questions you should be asking yourself when looking at a vintage marble.
My first suggestion and a lot of collectors will tell you this - do your homework and lots of it. Read articles, books on marble collecting, and visit sites that sell marbles. By doing so you can learn the patterns and colors of different marble companies, which better helps you build your collection.
Though you may be really eager to start a collection of investment quality marbles, you need to know what you're getting into. The more reading you do, the more you'll be able to identify that fake being sold as a vintage marble, in turn saving you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!
