Calcareous Stone Marbles: Newbie Needs Help!

[JayC]

Hello:

This is my first time writing to this forum...at least I think it is. I've been investigating these real agate marbles for some time and have had little success in figuring out if there's a market for them, or not. They were collected by my dad and I understand that most of them date back to the 19th century. Many of them took a very long time to make, (like the blue one that had to be "dyed" blue which was a process that took weeks...as I said I've been researching them for quite some time). We have run into a rough period and it would really be helpful to know if there's a market for these and how to make contact. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

JayC

[duffy]

ck ebay and how mineral spheres are sellin....some of the rarer mineral types would prob do pretty good....

[JayC]

Thanks for the advice, Duffy, but I did that along time ago. Those are machine-tumbled stones and not real aggies like these. I'm looking for some info on a market for real aggies. Here are a couple of additional photos to show what the real marbles from your grandfather's (or perhaps great grandfather's) era looked like. Again, looking for help.

Thanks.

JayC

[MyMarbleBuddy]

It seems to me that buyers pay significantly more if the are confident they are getting hand ground, faceted, agates. That is difficult for a new seller on e-bay with no history or reputation. From what I have seen, some of them, especially the blue dyed ones, do fetch a much better price than modern "mineral spheres". It seems to me like you have several options: selling on ebay your self; consigning them with someone who sells on ebay, such as MarbleAlan (It appears to me that generally people trust his assessment of marbles and therefore pay higher prices); or, you can go to a marble show, and talk to a lot of people, and see if you can get a buyer there. I hope that helps. It can be a bit frustrating knowing you have something other people want and will pay for, but not knowing how to connect.

Ruth

[Ric]

Hello Jay,

Rest assured, Duffy has seen plenty of hand-ground agates and provided as sound of advice as you'll likely get anywhere. No doubt, there is a market for these marbles. There are currently several examples on EBay that you could watch to get an idea of market values. In fact, the reputable marble seller that Ruth referred to has an exceptional example listed here.

My recommendation would be to heed the advice you've been given.

Regards,

-Ric

[machinemades]

Jay,

I am assuming you have antique faceted Agates, here are few clues regarding values. Starting with typical 5/8" carnelian agate (reddish brown color) most common type as agate marble, the value for a mint example would be $5 to $10. Condition is very important for these type of marbles. From there on, larger marbles have higher values. Bigger is better. Richer colors have higher values. Banded agates have higher values. More bands with strong design will have higher values. Dyed agates have higher values. Banded, dyed agates go higher. Richer the color and design, higher the value. I recommend Bob Blocks book as good source for a starting point to estimate values. I find marbles at antique shops all the time that I am not familiar with and find Blocks book a good source to have an idea for what I have. I hope this helps.

Sami

[JayC]

Wow, I haven't been on line for a couple of days but while I was off I got more info on real aggies then I've been able to garner in 3 months of work...even at the library. Thank you for all your help. I'll be in touch!

JayC