National Marble clubs?

[RPJR]

Are there any national collector clubs still operating? 

[Alan]

No.  I don't see a need for or benefit from one.

[Al Oregon]

In this climate of Internet, etc., any marble club can be "national".  I belong to West Virginia MCC, Texas Marble Club, IAMC, etc.

[RPJR]

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to reply.

[Alan]

To continue - I think "clubs" were from the pre-Internet days, published printed newsletters etc.  I think everyone has moved on from that era.

[wvrons]

I am a lifetime member and a original founder of The West Virginia Marble Collectors Club. Also a lifetime member of the Texas Marble Club and the Indiana Marble club.  The WVMCC is 21 years old and has always printed and mailed a color 8 to 12 page newsletter to all members normally six times per year. The articles cover anything marbles and all submitted by the members. The many years past newsletters have hundreds of articles and pictures, which are collected by some. The WVMCC has a web site which is currently being updated and will be replaced soon. The WVMCC each year does projects for children around marbles history, games, etc.  I just got home from being with a group of kids known as the Wood County Marble Club. This group is practicing for the National Marble Tournament in Wildwood NJ. in 2023.  Last year one of the girls got 9th place in her age group for the nation.  They are getting ready for a fund raiser to help pay for the trip to Wilwood. The WVMCC show each may is what funds the newsletters throughout the year. The yearly club dues May 1 to May 1 will not alone pay for the newsletters printing and mailing. The WVMCC has members all across the US and in Canada. Many have been members since the first year the club was formed.  The WVMCC officers and all help is totally volunteer.  The WVMCC holds regular meetings at the Parkersburg WV library, with a annual meeting at the yearly show in May.  I still have every printed copy of the WVMCC newsletters. I have lost so many articles and pictures on the internet. Many of the collectors and long time friends in those newsletters are gone now.  I may be old fashioned but I like having those hard copies to look back through. I don't need a computer, smart phone or electric to do it.  Not everyone has moved on. When I am gone maybe my great grandchildren will look through those old newsletters and try to imagine what it was like before the internet. People knew each other face to face, they had respect for each others views. Most deals were done with a smile, a Thank You and many included a handshake. There was so much more involved than just how much is my marble worth.  I moved to the internet and chat boards before this board was ever started. But I still remember the days before marbles were big on the internet. Both have benefits for me. I chase marble information, and marbles with the internet and without it. I also try to pass that along both ways. No doubt the internet was the largest thing to spread everything connected with marble collecting. But it also has brought about many problems with collecting marbles.  With the good there will always be some bad. There is no turning back the clock. Will the robots see, what we see with marbles ?  There are some marble clubs alive yet today. For how long , I don't know, maybe one year, maybe five or ten ?  That is all up to the members. But the future looks even more like collectors will be collecting from a easy chair in their home and no place else. But how many years will that last ?  Will they learn the marbles, will they know any of the history, will they ever discuss marbles face to face during a dinner, Will they ever see another collection in person, Will they shake the hand and see the smile on another collectors happy face, will they ever place a marble in another collectors hand for free.            

[wvrons]

Wood County WV Marble Club. 

This was today 4 to 5pm.  This is almost every week until May.   Playing marbles. Not one marble game but different ones.  This is what marbles were made for, to make smiles. They usually have 18-20 this week was 12.  Some other sports activities were at the same time today. Getting ready for the National Marble Tournament. Will any one of them win, doubtful. But that is not what this is all about.  The goal here is sportsmanship, companions, friends, family and smiles with marbles. 

Here below the instructor lined them all along the wall.  He said we are going to lag.  He would throw a sharpie pen on the floor and when he counted three they all would lag to the pen at the same time. The one who got closest to the pen won a free choice of a shooter marble. Lag means to drop or throw you marble at a target and the nearest wins. Usually done to see who goes first. Each one here knew exactly what lag meant. The pen hit the floor and they were all calculating the distance.  On the count of three, a marble from each hand hit the floor and rolled toward the pen. Then they got the ok to see who won.  Then the floor shock as they ran across the floor to see where their shooter ended up. We have a winner, the winner picked his prize and it was done all over again only farther away.  We gave them some marble history and about collecting different marbles. Then it was questions and answers time.  

 Yes, I drove 45-50 miles each way. I spent $30.00 or more in gas, I took 4-5 hours out of my day.   Was it worth it ? It sure was. I will go back and with free marbles.  This is marble collecting to me as much as driving 50 miles to look at buying marbles. Or spending 4-5 hours on the internet with marbles.   When A young man smiles at you and says Thank You sir, with marbles in both hands.  Yes it is marble collecting and worth it. 

[akroorka]

36 minutes ago, wvrons said:

There is no turning back the clock. Will the robots see, what we see with marbles ?

I hope that I am not around to see it Ron.

The "WV Marble Club" is top notch.--Link below--

https://westvirginiamarblecollectorsclub.com/home/

I wish you and your members well and thank you for all that the club has contributed to my and all of our addiction to these little orbs.

Marble--On!!

[wvrons]

 I hate to break the news to you. But it is here. I was surfing three news channels this morning and eventually all three had this. A new App is out and spreading faster than Facebook, Tic toc and others. It is all about AI or IA or something, artificial intelligence or similar.  It will do your college essay or term paper, college and now high school kids are using it to cheat with. It knows all your past history and will make your future. It will write a birthday note to your mother or wife etc. for you. A long list of what all it can write for you and you never speak or type to it.  Not to far away we will have a tiny chip in your arm that will eliminate all cash, or micro chip swipe cards. I have seen ten businesses in the last month that would not accept $20.00 bills or any larger bills. I had a $46.00 Pizza Hut order and they would not accept a $50.00 bill.  I had to go elsewhere and get change. We will just tell the chip to order the groceries. It will order by what we purchased in the past years. It will take a inventory and see what is gone. Once you empty a box or can you scan it with your arm and it is removed from inventory. Your arm will order the groceries, your arm will pay for it,. A driverless electric car will deliver it. Your auto robot will get the groceries at the door and put them away. A robot will vacuum the floors and the walls next.  All the cost will be deducted from your arm to one central bank. For those who have to or should work.  No one will have to leave home for work. You can work from the easy chair. Your arm can be your time clock. It can also wake you up in the morning ringing and shaking your arm. New and improved, easier and better life.  Bed to the easy chair and back to bed. Or just stay in the chair.     

[PittsburghMarbles]

I’m 35 and care deeply about marbles but nobody my age cares about antiques, none of my friends care. I’m the youngest by far unfortunately at most of the marble shows I go to. Occasionally you see a young kid at a show but usually with their grandparents or something. Doesn’t mean the kid will care to collect or learn the history. 
 

I go to antique glass shows too all over as I collect other glass, and there’s hardly ever anyone my age. It kinda distresses me. 
 

 

[akroorka]

16 hours ago, wvrons said:

Your arm can be your time clock.

Good stuff Ron. I had a dream about the time clock last night--those days are over.

The lights would shut down, we would all clean up and line up until the Forman said lets go!

Good times--the bar was just across the street and they would cash our paychecks--great burgers there--I have not had one better since--real Wisconsin aged Cheddar, made five miles away.

Marble--On!!

 

14 hours ago, PittsburghMarbles said:

It kinda distresses me. 
 

This too will pass. The "youngsters/ newbies" are the ones driving the prices now.

It is our job here to educate them and welcome them as well.

I look forward to it and look forward to keeping this place a safe haven for those that require the best in marble education.

The Marble Connection and AAM are the only really true places to get educated without a monetary value invloved in the ID's--most of the time anyhow.

It would be a sad day for either of them to fold vs facebook or any other forum.

Lets knock it up a notch and keep her rolling.

There are a variety of ways to contribute--I do mine yearly--pass the buck and contribute to this board.

Marble--On My Friends!!

[Al Oregon]

Ron, that's great that you are involved with that marble group training for the Nationals.  Kids involved with tangible things seems like it should be a priority for parents, teachers, and people in general.  Thank you.

[wvrons]

Thanks Al.  I am no teacher on shooting. I am no backspin or accurate shooter. But the WVMCC can give them some marbles history, supply marbles, cheering squad, maybe some cash, prize's , etc.  I hope to be back with them in a couple weeks. At the start we gave them some history and style or types of marbles with examples on display.  At the end the instructor lined them up and said it was test time. He said if you listened to our guest they described some types of marbles. What were they ? Hands went up all down along the line. One at a time down the line , Ribbons, swirl, patch and ribbon, corkscrew, confetti, patch, bumblebee, superman,.