The Akro Agate Company was started in 1911 to primarily make children’s marbles. This continued to be the primary product of the company even after a larger plant was built and the company moved from Akron, Ohio to Clarksburg, West Virginia. With increasing competition from overseas, in 1935 the company expanded their products to include children’s play sets of “china,” and florist pots and planters. 1935 also saw the company acquire Westite molds and Akro Agate produced these household items in new color combinations until the company closed in 1951. Many of the Akro Agate housewares are marked with the company emblem of a crow flying through a capital A, and have the words “Made in USA” as well as mold numbers.

Because of its beginnings in the business of marbles, the Akro Agate company used many colors of glass, and combined those with white glass often to produced marbled glass products. White milk glass items include product jars for cosmetic and comestibles producers, and the company also made white shaving mugs and apothecary jars. The company produced power jars in many shapes and colors for home use, including one in the shape of a lady in Colonial dress. Color combinations not including white, like red and yellow together, were also common in the production of the company.

The children’s play sets can be as simple as sugar, creamer, covered butter dish and compote, up to a punch set with many cups and a ladle or a complete tea set for eight. Those with the original box and all the parts are quite valuable, but a collector can put together a set by the piece with patience and money. Or the collector can look for representative pieces of each style and color combinations used in the production of these toys. And don’t forget about collecting the original product, marbles.

The adult products include not only the flower pots and planters, but also smoking sets, vases, bowls, demitasse sets and even a mortar and pestle. These were also made in many color combinations in opaque glass. While Akro Agate was not the only one to make items in swirled opaque glass, they did produce a considerable quantity of those items, and if you own some, look closely for the maker’s mark. You may already own Akro Agate glass collectibles.

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