how did you get your first marbles

[bonniemarbles]

     I've talked some about my first marbles gotten with a jar I wanted,  & that I didn't know that, when the auctioneer said "sold" I was starting a love affair my husband would approve of. Marbles have enchanted me with their color & designs, taught me things I didn't know I wanted to know, & most of, helped me stay sane through these pandemic days. I give so much credit to my marbles, I thought I should give a little stardom to the jar- so here's a pic of the bottle & about half of what it held; one note, the only cats eye in it I' got in the picture- can you find it?

 

[Alan]

I went to a marble show.  In that case it was the Philadelphia show (which I think was short-lived).  The diversity of types, manufacturers etc was a bit overwhelming.  During that time - handmades were the rage.

[Steph]

 Nice start!   Yellow cat's eye by the glowing Akros?  White cat's eye by some Vitro Conquerors?

I for sure had all-reds when I was little.  And pretty sure MK Rainbows.  I got a bunch of marbles in my stocking in 1976 -- that was age 14 -- clearies in a wide range of sizes.  I loved those.  Betting they came from Champion Bicentennial bag. 

Then around 2004 I said I wanted some marbles and my husband got me some.  But they were new and my antique store owner/friend said they weren't the kind people really want and I felt so defensive I had to learn about what kind of marbles people really want ... and that's kinda how it started.

[wvrons]

Most likely in the Ravenswood WV dime store toy dept. in about 1955-56.

[Marbleized]

I love this starter.  BTW Bonniemarbles, what a score!!!! What great marbles for your first jar!  I would be overjoyed to get a jar like that today!  I'm trying to think how my habit started.  I never could get my shaky thumb to control the marbles much so I didn't really get into playing them. We did have a scotch bottle bag of marbles that I think my brother ended up playing with.  I got my own bag of marbles in my thirties.  Someone asked me if I wanted it and I said, "sure". I think it had clearies, cateyes, some vitros maybe, nothing fancy.  I put them in a pop bottle as decoration. Maybe 20 years later (OMG, showing my age!) I was cleaning and they caught my eye again.  Slowly I started picking up marbles online and at a local antique store.  I'd pick up a couple here and a couple there.  This year, my husband wondered how many I had.  Bonniemarbles said she had counted hers, so I thought I'd do the same since I had time during the lockdown.  I told my husband that I probably had about a couple hundred, three at the most.  I gave up counting, but I have a couple hundred on a shelf and boxes in my closet, bagged individually and labeled as many as I could this Spring. My daughter's boyfriend says that it's better than having a drug habit. I approve of him. LOL.

[bonniemarbles]

12 hours ago, Steph said:

 Nice start!   Yellow cat's eye by the glowing Akros?  White cat's eye by some Vitro Conquerors?

I for sure had all-reds when I was little.  And pretty sure MK Rainbows.  I got a bunch of marbles in my stocking in 1976 -- that was age 14 -- clearies in a wide range of sizes.  I loved those.  Betting they came from Champion Bicentennial bag. 

Then around 2004 I said I wanted some marbles and my husband got me some.  But they were new and my antique store owner/friend said they weren't the kind people really want and I felt so defensive I had to learn about what kind of marbles people really want ... and that's kinda how it started.

     Nice try- look at the single blackish  banana shape floating in the middle of a bubble filled, clear marble- Bonnie

[Al Oregon]

When I retied in 1998, a friend said that I needed a hobby.  He collected marbles - name is Landon Daniels - many of you might know him from shows over the last 20+ years (he is not online).  Anyway, he pulled out a towel, opened his safe, and proceeded to show me and my wife his marbles.  This one is x and is worth about $300; this one is y and about $2,000, etc.  He warned me about foreign marbles that were similar to older US machine made, like Vacor Serpent vs. Peltier Superman. He mentioned the Sea_Tac marble show that was a month or so later and we went to it - just on show day.  We walked around mesmerized by the varieties and ended up buying one marble - a Marble King Bumblebee for $7.  That was the beginning.

[bonniemarbles]

On 7/10/2020 at 9:36 PM, wvrons said:

Most likely in the Ravenswood WV dime store toy dept. in about 1955-56.

Just want to thank you for your other help. I don't always know how to look for peoples answers. - I'll be glad when all this will be second nature to me. Bonnie

[wvrons]

You are welcome ! I remember how difficult it was for me 25yrs. ago.  There is so much more and more accurate information available today than 20 years ago. It takes time even yet today. But bit by bit the pieces will start fitting together with time.  It takes effort, the information will not come looking for you. Marble colleting can have many different long term rewards.

[Chad G.]

When I was around 10 year's old we where in the middle of moving into a new house. I was  in my parents room helping my Mother carry her dresser drawers to the truck when I seen a beautiful aqua peltier feathered slag, when I say beautiful I mean the color not the marble. It appeared to have gone through world war 3, there wasn't a smooth spot left on it. I asked my Mother why she still had it. She said it was her lucky shooter, though I couldn't tell what size it formerly was. I asked her if I could have it, she thought for just a second then gave it to me and told me to never give it away. I still have the marble and will take a pic of it for my album so you can see how really beat up it is. Anyhow that is my earliest memory of marbles besides using grandpas old ones for sling shot ammo, with the money I shot at squirrels and bird's I could probably put a down payment on a house. Just measured it, what's left come's in at 45/64 or 23/32 or ...... different measurement every turn I take. By the way it hold's a very prominent spot in my collection, the one marble I will never sell nor trade. As a matter of fact speaking of peltier the first marbles I bought where pelts, I couldn't get over the variety of marbles they made. A fascination that continues to this day.

[Chad G.]

Finally my friend showed I had 360 photos to put into my new folder. I probably took over 1000 with all the retake's, bad lighting, etc anyway here's the first marble I ever had that I got from my Mom when I was 10. I've had it for 46 year's. Think it's peltier, of what i can see of it the other side is feathered a little better, could be akro, not real sure.