What Has Effected The Decline In The Price Of Marbles?

[manylittle]

Some of us just have no choice. We have to buy and sell with the idea of making a profit in mind because this is how we put food on the table. After I finished having surgeries (36) in the late '70's through the mid '80's I thought that I would never have money problems again. I opened up a ceramics shop in the downstairs of my home...I own an 11 room two story, two apartment brick house so had lots of room..and taught ceramics and made finished pieces to sell at art shows and consign in gift shops and then I expanded to wholesale and even had a sales rep sell in a 5 state area for me. Then I was assaulted and got permanent nerve damage in my brush holding hand so had to find a new way to make money...I had been renting a booth in a antiques and crafts mall and had to work one day each week in order to get my space cheeper. I kept seeing the prices that antiques were bringing and asked the manager if I could consign some antiques and sell some in my ceramics room and she said yes.!!!! So loaded up with lots of

enthusiasm I went to my first antique auction as a budding professional!!!! I spent a whopping $12 but luckily I bought the dump out of a gentleman's junk drawer!!! I got Parker Ink pens, two watch fobs, some bullit pencils with advertising, 4 sets of cufflinks, 5 jack knives and even a few marbles. I was off to the races!!! I started researching antiques and taking antique price guides to bed with me...alas, no men to tell me to put that book down and cuddle..!!!!lol In the mid '80's antiques were selling like crazy and kitchen collectibles were all the rage. I would have an auction paid for by the time i unpacked and priced the items and got them on my shelves. One day a lady came in with a 5 gallon pickle jar full of marbles that she wanted $800 for. I talked her down to $500 if I remember right. There were over 25 popeyes in that jar, many of which were purple and yellow...there were also akro oxbloods, and oxblood lemonaides and limeaides, three akro birds...the only ones that I have ever had or held for that matter...four turkeys...several flames including an 8 finger black and rose colored Christianson flame that was to die for. There were also several micas and German hand mades. I had so much fun learning about marbles..I was already hooked on antiques and now I was even more hooked on marbles. I can spend hours sorting through marbles. It is a great remedy for relieving chronic pain because you have your total mind concentrated on the marbles. I can start at 1 pm and all of a sudden its 4:30 and I have not even had a twinge of pain. I will be forever grateful for the joy that marbles have given me...for their beauty and unending color combinations and styles. I get the same concentration levels, working with them, that I do when putting together a complicated picture puzzle, or sorting and grading coins. Oh Gosh...I'm off subject again?? !!!