How did you start?

[Steph]

I was on a nostalgia binge back around 2003, 2004, and I bought some marbles.  Turns out they were brand spanking new Jabos.  I was also unemployed and looking for a way to earn some money buying and selling something I liked.  Common story, right?    An antique seller I had developed a rapport with looked at my new treasures and said they weren't the sought-after marbles.   I took that as a challenge and set about to figure out what the "right" marbles were.  

So now it's almost 20 years later and I'm having a different kind of nostalgia trip thinking about how much time I've devoted to these toys. 

Jabos and I have both come a long way! LOL  

How did you begin? 

[schmoozer]

I got some marbles from my ex’s mother-in-law estate when she passed. Vacor meteors, that started the obsession.

just like I got my grandfathers pocket knives, same result.

[Melissa]

Great thread. I bought my first jar of clearies and jabos last summer. I collect uv glass and noticed that some glowed. I got home and thought to myself, well, that was a dumb purchase. So I threw them in my sons toy box for a few months. A few months later I found more interesting marbles and did the same. This time I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I pulled them out of my sons toy box and it became an obsession. 
 

Next thing you know I joined this forum and down the rabbit hole I went. But that’s how it all started for me.

[eric L]

7 hours ago, Steph said:

I was on a nostalgia binge back around 2003, 2004, and I bought some marbles.  Turns out they were brand spanking new Jabos.  I was also unemployed and looking for a way to earn some money buying and selling something I liked.  Common story, right?    An antique seller I had developed a rapport with looked at my new treasures and said they weren't the sought-after marbles.   I took that as a challenge and set about to figure out what the "right" marbles were.  

So now it's almost 20 years later and I'm having a different kind of nostalgia trip thinking about how much time I've devoted to these toys. 

Jabos and I have both come a long way! LOL  

How did you begin? 

Good morning, Sounds counter=productive to buying and selling that you liked. Wouldn't you grow attached to those items? I have a bad habit of getting rid of something and buying it back yrs. later. I couldn't tell you how many times I did that with books. Maybe that I'm in my early 60's I won't do that. Nope, I re-bought a few books on rocks and minerals.

[eric L]

17 minutes ago, Melissa said:

Great thread. I bought my first jar of clearies and jabos last summer. I collect uv glass and noticed that some glowed. I got home and thought to myself, well, that was a dumb purchase. So I threw them in my sons toy box for a few months. A few months later I found more interesting marbles and did the same. This time I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I pulled them out of my sons toy box and it became an obsession. 
 

Next thing you know I joined this forum and down the rabbit hole I went. But that’s how it all started for me.

I use the rabbit hole term as of late. I hope your son was sleeping when you threw and pulled them out. lol. I started in mid-Feb of this yr. I buy/bid eye-appeal marbles. I like some of those Jabo's and Mega narbles. I have 4 books. Seems like the hobby has an older group like stamps and coins. The younger crowd goes for Pokemon collectible card games. Big money in Magic cards.

[Marbles_on_Mind]

Yep, was at an estate auction some months back. Just there to buy uranium glass. Saw the marbles and they were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Had to have them. It wasn’t until after more research and another estate auction that I kind of knew what marbles were in those jars. After that, found this place to confirm and converse. 

[eric L]

6 hours ago, schmoozer said:

I got some marbles from my ex’s mother-in-law estate when she passed. Vacor meteors, that started the obsession.

just like I got my grandfathers pocket knives, same result.

I just bought a few Tac knives on ebay. I like Mega Marbles and Jabo's. Just not everyone. I'm not a completist.

[eric L]

Great topic and timely. Not sure if there is a resurgence in the marble hobby or it has always been. Watching Mr. Bahr's video got me interested in the hobby. I don't expect to acquire that many marbles. I want for the eye-appeal. I like Jabo and Mega's. I do have one's that are described by ebay sellers as Akro, Peltier Vitro maybe? If the price and condition are right then I will buy the "maybes".

[Marbles_on_Mind]

7 hours ago, Steph said:

 

I was on a nostalgia binge

 

This explains my situation perfectly. All of a sudden I needed anything and everything vintage and I needed it all yesterday!

[wvrons]

 I collected and played marbles in the 1950's. But many years later while driving up the road. I saw a banner across the road at Sistersville WV. It said marble festival. Streets were blocked off, a carnival running, people filled the streets. It was the first ever Sistersville WV marble show. I had to check it out. I saw people there in WV from the midwest the south the north and far west. I looked at a few marbles for sale. I thought these people were a joke. No way anyone would pay $10.00 or $50.00 for a glass marble. Then I saw people actually buying marbles. Later there, I met Faye Safreed with her late fathers marbles. He, Edwin Safreed was the main person at Ravenswood Novelty . Ravenswood was my home town as I grew up. I remembered the factory and marbles in general. So I bought my first Ravenswood marbles as a adult from her.  We had a long talk and I walked away thinking, that was stupid spending that money on marbles.  The next weekend that Sunday again driving out another road. I discovered Sam Hogue making contemporary marbles at Mid Atlantic Glass of WV.  Then the questions began.  Sammy never handed me the answers but pointed me in the right directions for the next ten years steady. The questions have never stopped and I have never found all the answers. Still on the hunt today after 25+ years. 

[eric L]

2 hours ago, Marbles_on_Mind said:

This explains my situation perfectly. All of a sudden I needed anything and everything vintage and I needed it all yesterday!

Look out! I'm not getting in your way! lol. After watching youtube videos of collections, I needed to lie down.

[PittsburghMarbles]

I went to school for geology and was poking around a creek in Arkansas looking for fossils. Came across an antique bottle in the creek side that turned out to be an antique local Hutchinson bottle. Was obsessed with digging and collecting antique bottles after that around 2008. I would dig up the occasional marble but knew nothing about them. 
 

Then about 4 years ago I found an incredible marble in an abandoned house. Turned out to be a nice red white and blue popeye. I posted it on a marble Facebook page and was amazed that people could know who made a marble. 
 

Ever since I’m been spending all of my free time learning about marbles and spending money (too much lol) on antique and vintage marbles. 

[akroorka]

My wife and I collected “Akro-Ware” before we even knew what it was. 
We went to Auctions, Antique stores, Rummage sales, Second hand shops—on and on. “Akro-Ware” pretty much replaced anything that we had collected before. It had to be cheap—we were raising three kids and the cash was tight. It was always cheap entertainment for us all. 
I remember my wife pulling at my sleeve many times during an Auction—slow down—too much!!!
Then one day at an antique mall I found the “Hardy’s” first book—what? They made marbles too? 
I have been off and running ever since, the wife stuck with the Akro Ware—I went after the little guys—they take up way less space. Now I am a Great-Grandpa x2—I still have the “Fire”.
I still break into a sweat if I find an Akro Marble—any Akro Marble—I just luv em.
Honey—I found an Akro!!!
Marble—On!!
 

[Kimbernugs]

Great topic! Around 2006 I worked for a doctor who had 3 of the modern larger marbles in his office and he knew I really liked them. So he gave them to me. Then he brought me a coffee can full of old marbles from when he was a kid. He was nearly 80 at the time so they were truly vintage. I knew folks collected marbles and I thought about selling them on ebay immediately. But before I did, I thought I should learn a bit about them to be an informed seller. Well, I soon discovered there was sooooo much to learn, and the more I did, the more I began to appreciate these little works of art. There were 2 sparklers in that coffee can. And a bunch of other stuff I can't remember, but I traded everything for some colorful Akros and MKs that I preferred. It's the first hobby I've  had that I've truly loved and obsessed over. I had to sell everything during some rough financial years, but I'm starting to get back into it. I only want to sell or trade things I don't collect for those I do. I want to keep everything forever now. Some people think I'm a bit nuts for collecting marbles, but when I start talking about why I do, most walk away with a whole new outlook. Except one guy. Way back when I first started, I purchased a stellar Pelt Superman and paid a pretty penny for it. It was a beauty. He snatched it from my hand and bounced it on the cement ground and handed it back saying, "It's just a marble" and walked away. I learned a very big lesson that day and never let anyone touch anything until I lay down the handling laws. The Superman was fine, by the way. I didn't even say anything to that guy. I was literally speechless. I chalked it up to a very valuable experience. 

[akroorka]

19 minutes ago, Kimbernugs said:

"It's just a marble"

Many--too many folks just do not get it----

That is why we are here----amongst the ones that do "get it".

I just love the stuff!!

Marble--On!!

[PittsburghMarbles]

Here’s my marbles displayed, been doing this hardcore for about 3 years now. I’ve even dug now at many of the marble factory sites. Everything is organized by company type. 

 

Sorry for the mess on the floor, just bought a new shelf as I’ve been out of room for stuff for a while now…