Antique marbles

Beginning in the mid 19th century, Germany began making beautifully colorful handmade glass marbles as an export product, primarily to the US, then later antique marbles the UK, antique marbles. Prior to this children only had clay, stone or earthenware marbles of very bland colors.

You don't have to be a kid to get super excited when you see a gorgeous marble in an antique shop or listed online. There's so much beauty and magic in these intricate glass designs; but figuring out what's what can be a bit confusing. If you want to know more about the various types of collector marbles and their values, you've come to the right place. Use this guide to help you determine which marbles you want to collect and which old marbles are worth money—sometimes lots of money. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about which valuable vintage marbles to look for, the more you can collect with confidence.

Antique marbles

Post Cards Trade, Tobacco, Misc. Cards Comic Books. Click to visit each category for photos and descriptions. Marble identification - getting started This guide is meant to be a simple and quick way to identify and learn about vintage marbles. It is not meant to be the definitive guide to every type of marble ever produced, but I will try and answer some of the most common questions I am frequently asked, as well as show examples of some of the most collectible marbles. The links above will take you to photos and brief descriptions of each marble type listed. Click button to visit each page. We are happy to have Marble Alan's world famous marble identification tools and guide to learning about marble collecting online at BuyMarbles. You don't want to miss this fantastic detailed and comprehensive learning experience! One of my most often asked questions. Let's first determine where the marbles came from. Do you know about their history? Are they from a grandparent or relative or did you get them at an auction? The age of the person you get them from will help right away. A 65 year old would have marbles from the early 50's, a 75 year old from the early 40's, etc.

Invalid email, antique marbles. Even the most minor of flaws will be magnified and look more obvious on a computer screen than it will in hand. When you're collecting marbles, though, you're less concerned about their performance and more about the designs available.

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Marbles are round spherical objects used to play games; they have existed for at least 3, years. From Egyptian pyramids to Native American mounds, archeologists have found caches of marbles. More modern marble-related events and associations continue this long-standing tradition. Antique glass marbles are highly collectible, and the types range from handmade examples from German glassmakers of the s to U. Most antique handmade glass marbles found today come from Germany from to You may also see a limited number of handmade marbles from this time frame made in the United States. Most collectors today are interested in handmade marbles; a pontil mark can identify examples from the mids through the early s.

Antique marbles

We provide guides and insights for old house enthusiasts, aspiring antique dealers, and collectors. Antique marbles, with their intricate designs and playful history, have evolved from simple toys to coveted collectibles. This guide will teach you more about vintage marbles like how to decipher between a handmade and machine-made one. These insights also explore values and common characteristics to keep in mind as you search. Swipe to see all the rows, and copy and paste this table directly into Google Sheets to organize and analyze. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Accept Read More. Heirloom Stories.

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Revisit these far-out 70s Barbies and see which ones are your favorites. Our Mission We strive to provide collectors with unparalleled access to high quality, rare or hard to find marbles at reasonable prices with the assurance of a money-back satisfaction guarantee, to maximize the collecting experience to new collectors through educational information on marbles, and to become a trusted resource for exploring, building and enjoying the antique marble-collecting hobby. Divided Ribbon-Core Swirls Marbles The divided ribbon-core swirl marble comes together with three, sometimes more, separate bands. Specifically, end-of-day marbles were made with bases that were either transparent or colored. Various Roman writers mention marbles throughout their works, and archaeological digs have uncovered early marbles made from clay and baked in primitive ovens. Pontils were finished with fine little facets to make them more perfectly round during the first few decades of glass marble manufacturing, but around this practice was discontinued to increase factory efficiency and profits, and the pontils were left rough. But, for all these variations, it always has a transparent base glass. The swirls you see always run from one pole to the other. It is not meant to be the definitive guide to every type of marble ever produced, but I will try and answer some of the most common questions I am frequently asked, as well as show examples of some of the most collectible marbles. Sulphide Marbles A sulphide marble features a transparent base with a figurine centered inside the marble. All marbles are photographed to show close up detail, which can exaggerate surface imperfections. Most canes would be produced with an inner core design typically of a circular core of latticino threads, multiple ribbons, a solid core, or a single flat ribbon , then a second layer of outer threads or ribbons.

Marbles used to be indispensable in our childhood, but now in our grown-up years, we seem to be realizing that they were more than just a game. Marbles themselves are small pieces of art, and as such, deserve our utmost attention and intrigue. Some marbles are sold for incredible amounts, up to USD in some cases.

This marble is a very rare find and can be worth quite a lot money. Contact Us. Collector marbles come in all sizes. A near mint marble will show a history of use which may include any of the following — chips, nicks, flea bites, dullness from pocket wear, scratches, and internal flaws such as reflections, moons, or minor cracks. Auctioneers will sometimes 'seed' an auction with Ball jars containing new marbles and call them vintage at the sale. Hot off the industrial revolution, they developed machinery to do it, and manufacturers still use these machines today. Opaque marbles: An opaque marble is made from one opaque color. Multiple Coreless or Banded-Swirl Marble Values The swirls are usually different colors, and the more swirly colors you see, the more valuable it is. Earlier marbles that were cut from a cane would have less of a twist to them than marbles worked from the canes later, as the canes would become more twisty as they would work with them. Since these marbles were made from scraps, each one came out with a one-of-a-kind design. Mist lutz: Mist lutz is a clear base marble with a transparent colored core. How to Evaluate Ribbon-Core Swirl Values The ribbon-core swirl can feature outer-ribbon swirls or have no outer-ribbon swirls aka be naked. The age of the person you get them from will help right away.